September 1, 2023 Newsletter
Dear friends,
This week’s newsletter discusses the upcoming Special Session of the General Assembly, commemorates Labor Day, and highlights select community events and meetings from this past week. Thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter and for staying informed.
Special Session
On Wednesday, September 6, the General Assembly will reconvene for a Special Session to vote on the amendments to Commonwealth’s biennium budget. Since March, the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-led House of Delegates have been at an impasse over the priorities outlined by each Chamber.
The Senate budget sought to make an historic investment in public education, restoring funding levels to meet the Standards of Quality (SOQ). During the 2008 financial crisis, our state government sharply decreased its spending on public education and never fully reversed course to ensure that our children and schools receive the support that they need. The Senate budget proposals include vital investments such as $266.1 million for teacher salary increases and bonuses, $56.9 million for physical and mental health support for our students, and $270.6 million for other support staff positions. The Republican majority in the House, on the other hand, sought to make permanent a series of tax breaks for corporations.
Budget conferees have now completed negotiations and reached an agreement. Because I am not a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I have not yet received the full details of the agreements in the budget. The budget and its details will be made available to us and to the public on Monday, September 4. This release observes the legal requirement of a minimum of 48 hours for public review of budget proposals prior to any votes taken in the General Assembly.
The public is invited to watch the General Assembly session on Wednesday via livestream on the Legislative Information System (LIS) website.
Labor Day
Labor Day gives us all an opportunity to recognize and thank workers for their contributions to our economy and society. Under Democratic leadership in 2020 and 2021, Virginia has increased the state’s minimum wage, provided new protections for domestic workers, and created the structure for collective bargaining rights for public employees. Although we have made progress, work still remains to ensure that Virginia is not only the best place to do business but also the best place for workers. The two are incompatible goals. Living wages, access to affordable health care, worker safety, and more all serve to create healthy communities and strong local economies.
State and federal offices will be closed on Monday, September 4, in observance of Labor Day.
Highlights from Community Events & Meetings
In the lead up to Labor Day, last Thursday evening, I enjoyed chatting with the members of LiUNA about priorities for the 2024 session. These priorities include strong apprenticeship programs, competitive wages, accessible and affordable childcare, and worker safety.
On Friday, I visited the Chesterfield County Fair and enjoyed the opportunity to talk with voters about this year's critical election. Many other County candidates were present, including Jessica Schneider, candidate for the Board of Supervisors - Clover Hill District and Traci Franssen, candidate for School Board - Matoaca District.
On Saturday afternoon, my Legislative Assistant, Gerardo, traveled to Newport News for a canvass launch for Senator Monty Mason and Delegate Shelly Simonds. They were joined by Delegate Mike Mullin and Phillip Jones, Mayor of Newport News. These elections will be vitally important in determining the majorities in both Chambers of the General Assembly.
On Saturday, I joined Congresswomen Jennifer McClellan, labor activists, and SAG-AFTRA union members for a Virginia rally as members strike for fair wages and protections. Workers in the creative industries face massive losses of jobs and income with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and streaming services.
Later that evening, I joined William "Bill" Leighty, former Director of the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), and former Chief of Staff to Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, for a book signing event for his memoir Capitol Secrets: Leadership Wisdom from a Lifetime of Public Service. During every book signing, Bill shares stories and anecdotes about his remarkable career in public service – and he is a masterful storyteller.
On Sunday, I joined the Celebration of the Affordable Clean Energy Plan resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act. This historic piece of legislation benefits communities across our Commonwealth. Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, IBEW Local 666, Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, the NAACP, and several other key organizations joined in celebrating the progress we are making.
On Sunday evening, I was delighted to join Congresswomen Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer McClellan to support Chesterfield County School Board member, Dot Heffron. Since her election in 2019 to serve as the Clover Hill District representative, Dot has focused on supporting students and their families, advocating for increased funding for our schools, and prioritizing academics over culture wars. As an experienced School Board member, educator, and mother of three, Dot understands the needs of Chesterfield County Public Schools, and her voice is critical on the School Board.
On Tuesday, I helped introduce discussions on The National Kidney Foundation’s Ending Disparities in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Leadership Summit. Using the Collective Impact model as a framework, stakeholders convened to develop and advance equitable strategies to improve CKD testing and diagnosis in primary care across the region, with the goal of improving CKD awareness, detection and management in Virginia and Metro DC.
On Wednesday morning, I attended the Anthem Foundation’s presentation of a significant donation of $450,000 to Feed More. This donation serves to expand in-patient screening for food insecurity and expand opportunities to connect with food assistance resources. Meeting Virginians where they are is critical to addressing hunger and food insecurity.
That Wednesday evening, I joined fellow members of the Blue United PAC alongside Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan to support candidates up and down the ballot in Chesterfield County. Early voting is set to begin on September 22—every door knocked, every phone call made, and every dollar raised is crucial to candidates’ success.
Yesterday morning, I received a tour of VCU Health’s Trauma Center, a comprehensive Level I trauma center. VCU Health prides itself on community and evidence-based approaches to medicine and public health—using wrap-around services for patients and families, deploying cutting-edge therapies and medicines, and prioritizing the mental health of patients and staff. I look forward to continuing to support state-of-the-art facilities across our region, ensuring we bring the highest quality of care to patients experiencing the most complex traumatic injuries.
Connecting With My Office
Please email us at district10@senate.virginia.gov or call our office at 804-698-7510. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here.
— Ghazala
