RICHMOND, VA—Virginia House Democrats celebrate their 2020 legislation aimed at addressing racial inequity in Virginia and banning racial discrimination in a multitude of settings, which will go into effect on July 1. New and increased protections against racial discrimination include outlawing racial discrimination based on styles of hair or dress, promoting equal pay regardless of…
Category: Press Release
RICHMOND, VA—Virginia House Democrats look forward to the implementation of their legislation providing additional assistance for the Commonwealth’s most financially vulnerable residents in the areas of food insecurity and housing protections. Much of this legislation goes into effect on July 1, 2020. “Although food insecurity and affordable housing were important issues for House Democrats to…
RICHMOND, VA—July 1 will mark the beginning of wider protections for LGBTQ+ Virginians going into effect, thanks to numerous bills introduced by House Democrats. These new and stronger safeguards for the LGBTQ+ community include outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, banning conversion therapy for minors, allowing Virginians to receive a…
Racially discriminatory language will soon be repealed from Commonwealth legal code RICHMOND, VA—Today, June 12, marks the 53rd anniversary of the landmark United States Supreme Court decision that laws against interracial marriage in America were unconstitutional, a historic ruling which struck down a Virginia law claiming to promote “racial integrity.” During the 2020 legislative session,…
RICHMOND, VA—The Virginia House Democratic Caucus eagerly anticipate their new laws making voting more accessible and equitable in the Commonwealth, many of which go into effect on July 1, 2020. These pieces of legislation include creating a permanent absentee vote-by-mail program, removing the excuse requirement for absentee voting, enacting same-day registration, establishing Election Day as…
House Democrats’ comprehensive gun reform goes into effect next month RICHMOND, VA—Virginia House Democrats are observing #WearOrange Day on Friday, June 5, the beginning of National Gun Violence Prevention Weekend. Everytown for Gun Safety estimates that an average of 992 gun deaths occur in the Commonwealth each year. This translates to a rate of 11.4…
RICHMOND—Today, Virginia House Democrats voted to guarantee a raise to minimum wage workers and establish access to collective bargaining for public employees, both of which advance Virginia’s working families. The votes happened during the reconvened session, which took place in a temporary outdoor location on Capitol Square. Social distancing measures were taken to ensure that…
RICHMOND—House Democrats celebrated as Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed many of their top legislative priorities into law before his midnight deadline on Saturday, April 11. The signed legislation included crucial gun violence prevention measures, numerous expansions of voting rights, important environmental protections, much-needed repeal of restrictions on women’s ability to make their own reproductive healthcare…
RICHMOND—Virginia Governor Ralph Northam acted today on seven pieces of gun violence prevention legislation patroned by House Democrats. The Governor signed five bills into law and recommended amendments to two others, which will be voted on during the reconvened session which begins on April 22. The bills signed today address mandating universal background checks for…
RICHMOND—The General Assembly passed the FY2021-2022 budget, which makes significant investments today in education, the workforce, and affordable healthcare. At the same time, the budget promotes fiscal responsibility by depositing substantial “rainy day” and reserve funds to support Virginians tomorrow. The final budget report was released by the General Assembly’s conference committee on Monday after…