While the media tends to focus its attention on the House floor — such as last week when I repudiated remarks by Del. Frank Hargrove validating a hurtful slander against Jews — much of the real action in the General Assembly happens in committees and subcommittees. Therefore, I thought I would illuminate some of last week’s more interesting committee exchanges and share with you attempts to improve the democratic process by making committees and subcommittees more open.
Unfortunately, new rules passed by House Republicans last year allow as few as two members of a subcommittee to kill legislation with no recorded voted. In response, House Democrats, led by Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston), are fighting for a change to the rules that would require recorded votes even in subcommittees. Based on recent comments from the House Republican leadership, it does not look like this open-government reform proposal will pass. Therefore, in an effort to open up the process — and at the suggestion of a number of concerned citizens — we have started a new website, assemblyaccess.wordpress.com, where we are posting video clips of key subcommittee proceedings filmed by one of our staffers.
Recent video added to the Assembly Access website shows Friday’s meeting of the Elections Subcommittee, on which I serve, where Democrats presented a series of absentee ballot bills trying to make it easier for people to vote. The Republican majority on the subcommittee killed bills to allow no-fault absentee voting, as well as bills that would have expanded absentee voting to pregnant women and people like volunteer firefighters who are unable to make it to the polls because of unpaid work. You can also watch video of the full Privileges and Elections Committee, taken later that morning, where the Republican majority on the committee shuts down various attempts at non-partisan redistricting reform designed to take the partisan politics out of how we draw legislative districts.
On Thursday, Del. Bob Marshall’s (R-Manassas) perennial bill to use unnecessary regulations to target abortion providers unexpectedly came to a vote in the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee. Attempting a little procedural jujitsu, when another committee member moved to approve the bill, I offered a substitute motion to table the bill — a motion that usually would have failed easily and been chalked up to a valiant effort. Our jaws dropped when the vote on my motion was an eight to eight tie, still failing, but coming closer than ever to preventing this harmful legislation from moving forward.
A tie vote in the House Education Committee on Wednesday tabled a bill designed to target and eliminate Gay-Straight Alliances, which promote tolerance and understanding in many of our public schools. Usually, the perennial legislation against these student clubs sails easily through the House of Delegates and dies in the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans who are far more moderate and reasonable. This is the first year that the House tabled such a bill in committee, which is a positive sign.
In other late-breaking news last week, House Republicans and Senate Republicans appear to have resolved their differences over a transportation plan. For the past year, their internecine feud has been preventing us from addressing the ongoing transportation crisis, so this is helpful progress. However, before I take a position on the plan, I need be sure that it truly addresses our areas critical needs in a long-term, sustainable way and that it will not gut the state’s General Fund, which pays for core government services like education, health care, public safety, and environmental protection. Already, the amount of General Fund money used in the plan — $250 million a year — is a real concern. For perspective, $250 million is more than the combined budgets of the State Police, the Department of Emergency Management, and the Department of Veterans Services, or more than the combined budgets of the Departments of Health, Aging, and Rehabilitative Services. Of course, the devil is always in the details, so I am examining their plan carefully and will have more to say soon.
Between committee and subcommittee meetings and meetings to negotiate the details of my bills, I also enjoyed visits from constituents lobbying on behalf of a variety of groups. Constituents representing the Boys and Girls Clubs, Equality Virginia, Social Action Linking Together, Virginia CURE, and others came by my office to say hello, to share their concerns about issues, and to express their support for my efforts. If you happen to be visiting the General Assembly Building in Richmond, I am in room 707, so please be sure to drop. As always, if there is anything I can do to serve you better, please do not hesitate to get in touch at su.av.etats.esuohnull@nilgnEDleD, 703-549-3203, or 804-698-1045.