Ostensibly good news was delivered this week: Virginia found (?) an additional $730 million in revenue. Perhaps that money could be used to assist parents in obtaining resources (tutors or technology) to help reduce their child’s learning loss? Or maybe the dollars could be refunded to taxpayers? Or perhaps the funds could provide further tax relief for businesses that took PPP loans in order to keep employees on the payroll? Sadly, most of these options (with the possible exception of tax relief for businesses) are not even under consideration.
My office has spent nearly a year fielding calls from constituents who are desperate to obtain unemployment relief, save their small businesses, avoid laying off employees, navigate the Governor’s mandatory closures, and salvage their child’s education. Frankly, the legislative priorities of the Democrat-run general Assembly seem disconnected from the reality of average Virginians. It defies logic to celebrate $730 million in “found” tax dollars and debate tree replacement policies, but that's exactly what is happening.
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So states a recent and scathingly accurate headline on the Roanoke Times editorial page. Remember how confusing it was to watch election results seemingly “flip” overnight last year? That apparent change was simply a result of the manner in which Virginia’s absentee votes are counted. All absentee ballots within a locality are merged into a central “absentee precinct,” that is typically counted after all other precincts. Because so many Virginians cast early/absentee ballots last year, the number of ballots in these absentee precincts was dramatically larger than usual. Factor in the reality that most early voters were Democrats, and the absentee precincts’ large (and late) tallies ultimately decided the outcome of Virginia’s races. This issue can easily be solved: simply count and report absentee ballots based on the precinct where the voter is actually registered (instead of lumped into a large absentee precinct that is counted later at night).
This commonsense measure, Senate Bill 1153, passed the Senate on a nearly unanimous vote. The House Democrats subsequently killed the bill in subcommittee. There was no logical explanation for this political stunt. Small wonder that some Virginians are suspicious of Democratic intentions regarding the integrity of the vote.
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Yet another harsh Roanoke Times article, “House Democrats turn their backs on rural Virginia,” outlines discriminatory policies embraced this week by House Democrats. A fascinating map shown HERE reveals population density clusters within Virginia. The disparity presents challenges in governance, as the vast swath of Virginia remains rural while population is densely clustered in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The result is often major disparity between school funding (and quality) in these regions. Legislation is perennially introduced to address this problem. This year, the bill, Senate Joint Resolution 275, passed the Senate with near-unanimous support. Yet again, Democrats in a House committee killed the bill for vague reasons.
I can summarize this action no better than the Roanoke Times:
“When Virginia’s new constitution was being debated in 1969, a coalition of Republicans and liberal Democrats tried to insert language to require equal schools. They were rebuffed by conservative Democrats, holdovers from the Byrd Machine era. That’s what forms the constitutional basis for Virginia’s school disparities and that’s the loophole that Stanley’s amendment would have fixed. Instead, what we saw Wednesday was [eleven] supposedly liberal Democrats vote to uphold a disparity written into the state constitution by former segregationists. History is full of irony. They’re in favor of taking down Byrd’s statue but quite keen on leaving one of his policies in place…Democrats like to claim they’re looking out for the least among us. That’s not true here. What these so-called “progressive” Democrats did … is not only uphold a Byrd-era policy but also vote for regressive tax policies. They leave the poorest localities in Virginia with no choice but to tax themselves — if they can. This is a betrayal of Democratic ideology. When did Democrats come to favor taxing the poor?”
The full article can be read HERE.
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The litany of left-leaning legislation can seem overwhelming at time; however, there are rare bright spots. I’m pleased that the General Assembly passed and the Governor signed Senate Bill 1445, legislation allowing additional health care providers to administer the COVID vaccine. By expanding the pool of eligible vaccine administrators, Virginians can hopefully enjoy greater access to the vaccine. Now, of course, we await an uptick in the number of available doses. As a reminder, you can now pre-register online to receive a COVID vaccine. Visit https://vaccinate.virginia.gov/ to register, check your status, or find the toll-free hotline.
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A return to the classroom? |
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A debate continues to rage regarding the return of students to Virginia’s public school classrooms. Senate Bill 1303, which requires schools to provide in-person instruction to families who desire the option, will be heard on Monday morning in the House Education Committee. During subcommittee, the bill was watered down to the point where there is no minimum number of in-person classroom days; one day of in-person class per month would fulfil the bill’s requirements. There’s also no language addressing whether virtual teaching (where the student is in the classroom but the teacher is remote) would count as in-person education. In short, the amended bill is inadequate.
There’s a reason the bill has been diluted. Virginia’s teachers unions have embarked on a vigorous opposition campaign as documented in this article, “Email Records Revealed: How Teachers Unions Are Fighting to Keep Virginia Schools Shuttered.” If you support the original language and want children to have the option to return to in-person classrooms, I encourage you to call or email the House Education Committee members prior to Monday’s 9:00 a.m. meeting. A list of committee members and their contact information is available HERE.
Virginians are increasingly frustrated, and they are asking questions. Why can you take an in-person exercise class from a fitness instructor…but you can’t take an in-person academic class from an educational instructor? How have grocery store workers—who come into contact with hundreds of strangers on a daily basis—remained safe? Why isn’t the mental health of isolated children a bigger concern? These questions are simply not being addressed.
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Approximately one week remains in this year's legislative session/special session. As indicated above, substantial legislation remains in committee. To peruse bills, please visit https://lis.virginia.gov/. Written input to House committee members may be provided online HERE.
Our district office remains open and available to assist with state-related matters or agencies (including the Virginia Employment Commission, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Taxation, and the Department of Health). My legislative aide, Ms. Dayle Brittain, may be reached by email at DelABatten@house.virginia.gov or by phone at 757-741-7001.
Have a wonderful weekend,
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Contact Delegate Batten
Legislative Aide: Dayle Brittain
Mail: P.O. Box 194, Norge, VA 23127
Phone: 757-741-7001
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Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Amanda Batten |
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