While the country debated Mr. Potato Head last week, the Virginia legislature completed work on high-profile bills and the Commonwealth’s budget. Legislation to legalize marijuana, repeal the death penalty, and return students to school were all considered and passed by the General Assembly. The final hours of virtual session heralded a nadir in transparency, as House Democrats literally turned off their cameras to hide from an uncomfortable vote. (House rules require members to vote if they are present on the House floor. With no real “floor,” many Democrats quickly turned off their cameras and pretended to be absent in order to avoid voting on the legalization of marijuana.)
While hiding from votes is mere political cowardice, more serious issues also arose on Saturday night. Legislation was defeated then resurrected by the Democrats for additional negotiation…negation with lobbyists that occurred entirely out of the eyes of the public, the media, and the majority of legislators. Similarly, details about bills requiring compromise between the House and the Senate were intentionally withheld from Republican House negotiators. Again, with no in-person meetings, negotiations were held largely in the dark.
Pandemic precautions are no excuse for legislating in secrecy. Unfortunately, the 2021 session often appeared more like a Democratic cabal than an elected body accountable and open to the public. I’m afraid the answer to a question published last year, “Can a Virtual Legislature Be a Real Legislature?” is a resounding NO.
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Legislation to return students to classrooms garnered Democratic opposition on the House floor this week. While some Democrats openly opposed the bill, others did not view it as urgent issue. Republicans worked to add an emergency clause to allow the legislation to go into effect as soon as the bill was signed by the Governor. Democrats rejected this effort. As a result, Senate Bill 1303—which requires schools provide an in-person learning option for children—will not go into effect until July 1.
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Virginia Parole Board update |
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Making Virginia headlines this week was a non-legislative matter: the Parole Board’s alleged unlawful behavior. This is not the first time Virginia’s Parole Board has been rocked by scandal and unethical actions. Back in 2002, Democratic Governor Mark Warner demanded the resignation of the entire Parole Board for releasing a convicted murderer without first properly notifying the victims’ families.
The Northam Parole Board scandal is much worse. Northam’s Parole Board apparently violated the law by releasing SIX different criminals without first notifying the victims’ families. The media has reported extensively on the Parole Board’s pattern of intentional deception and efforts to willfully violate the law. Despite this evidence, Governor Northam—unlike his Democratic predecessor—has failed to denounce their behavior or take action.
This is clearly not a political issue or an issue of race (as claimed by a House Democrat). While the Senate is tackling the problem in a sober and bipartisan fashion, neither the House Democrats nor Governor Northam seem concerned by the alleged lawbreaking of the Parole Board leadership. If any elected official—legislator or governor—believes state law is an unimportant standard, then one can only wonder if they perceive their own lawmaking efforts as irrelevant.
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Virginia’s Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) was an element of the “Virginia Clean Economy Act” that passed in 2020. During this year’s session, PIPP regulations were further promulgated in House Bill 2330. In short, PIPP subsidizes utility bills for lower income Virginians. Funding for the subsidy comes from the utility company’s other customers, who continue paying their own electric bill PLUS an additional fee to cover the bills of their fellow customers. The PIPP includes Virginia’s industrial customers, which means that many businesses will simply increase prices to cover their higher utility expenses. PIPP beneficiaries are seemingly subject to mandatory energy efficiency programs to reduce overall energy consumption.
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With the 2021 General Assembly session in the rearview mirror, my efforts are now turning toward campaign season. I’m immensely grateful to the volunteers who’ve already spent time hosting meet and greets, writing postcards, sprucing up the office, and planning fundraisers and door knocking events. Grassroots campaigning is absolutely essential to representative government, and I remain committed to meeting with as many folks as possible this year. 2020 posed enormous challenges in connecting with constituents and voters, but with the vaccine initiative picking up steam, we are moving toward a more connected community!
As always, my office remains available to assist with state-related matters or issues. We are aware that the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) remains sluggish (perhaps due to the fact that they’ve been busy processing—and paying—over $40 million in fraudulent claims?), and we are here to be an advocate for you. Although we cannot guarantee a faster response from VEC, we contact them diligently and consistently until resolution is reached.
My district office remains open by appointment. For fastest response to your state-related inquiry, please contact my legislative aide, Ms. Dayle Brittain, by phone at 757-741-7001 or by email at DelABatten@house.virginia.gov. If you have a campaign related question or would like to volunteer, please email info@amandabatten.com
Hope to see you soon!
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Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Amanda Batten |
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