RICHMOND, VA—Today, Governor Ralph Northam called for a special legislative session to begin on February 10, which will give the Virginia General Assembly the necessary 46 days to complete the docket of 2021 legislative priorities. This comes after Republican House leadership broke a 50-year precedent by blocking an extension of the regular legislative session.
In response, House Democratic Majority Leader Charniele Herring and House Democratic Caucus Chair Rip Sullivan released this joint statement:
“We are thankful that the Governor understands that the unprecedented challenges and obstacles facing Virginians require more than 30 days to properly address. At a time when the Commonwealth is suffering through both the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, legislators should not be playing partisan games with the people’s work.
“House Democrats look forward to using this special session to fulfill our obligation as elected officials and public servants by putting forward common-sense solutions to build a better Virginia.”