Richmond, VA—Today, as the Virginia House of Delegates closes the 2021 Regular Legislative Session, the Virginia House Democratic Caucus continued to deliver on their “Building a Better Virginia” agenda.
Over the past three weeks, House Democrats delivered on their promise to act immediately on the economic and health concerns Virginians are currently facing due to COVID-19, while laying the foundation for a post-pandemic economy that leaves the Commonwealth in a stronger place than the one at the onset of the crisis.
Despite a shortened Session due to Republican obstruction, House Democrats passed sweeping legislation to improve the lives of Virginians now and in the years ahead.
February 6th marks the beginning of “crossover” with the Senate, after which a special session, called for by Governor Northam yesterday, will begin. Before crossover, House Democrats were able to pass the following priorities:
Protecting Families
- Paid Sick Leave
- Common-sense gun safety legislation
- Wage Protections
- Expanding the childcare voucher program
- Implementing the Virginia Agriculture and Food Assistance Program
Keeping Virginia Healthy
- Expanding Virginia’s Vaccination Capacity
- Expanding Access to Telehealth
- Capping the Price of Inhalers
Rebuilding our Economy Stronger
- Implementing the G3 jobs training program
- Raising the minimum wage for farmworkers
- Expanding access to broadband
Making Virginia More Inclusive
- Restoration of Rights Amendment
- Creating the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board
- Combating workplace harassment
- Voting Rights Expansion
Reforming the Commonwealth’s Criminal Justice System
House Democratic Leadership released the following statements:
“Over this Session, our House Democratic Majority has delivered on our promise to work to protect families, keep Virginia healthy and rebuild our economy stronger. From passing legislation to expand the Commonwealth’s vaccination capacity to get shots in arms, expanding access to telehealth, passing paid sick leave, lowering the price of prescription drugs, expanding voting rights, and instituting jobs training for low and middle-income Virginians through free community college, our work has improved the lives of Virginians across the Commonwealth,” said Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn. “We look forward to working with the Senate and Governor Northam to finalize legislation into law and pass a budget that reflects our vision of building a better Virginia.”
“House Democrats came into this session ready to deliver on the promises we’ve made to Virginians to act regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, criminal justice reform, strengthening our economy, and more. Throughout this difficult year we have heard Virginians’ cries for criminal justice reform and we are committed to making Virginia a better place to live, work, and raise a family,” said House Majority Leader Charniele Herring. “From creating a process for automatic expungement, legalizing marijuana, and eliminating the death penalty, we are working hard to make our Commonwealth more equitable. I am proud to be a part of this monumental session, and I look forward to seeing these important changes come to fruition.”
“I am proud of the work our House Democratic Majority has done to improve the lives of Virginians. The legislation we have passed will protect families, keep our Commonwealth healthy, and put Virginia on a path to even greater prosperity,” said Democratic Caucus Chair Rip Sullivan. “A continued priority for House Democrats remains getting our kids back in school for in-person instruction. That is why we’ve expanded Virginia’s vaccination capacity, prioritized teachers for vaccination, and will pass a budget that reflects the urgency of the issue and prepares our schools to hit the ground running once our children are back at their desks.”