After a hectic week of committee meetings, constituent gatherings, floor sessions, receptions, and speaking engagements, Friday afternoons are eerily quiet in Richmond. Upon adjournment of the House (or Senate), most legislators bolt out of town, eager to return to their home districts and the normalcy of a weekend. The halls are quiet as legislative aides and administrative assistants depart early for a much-needed break.
Not so for members of the Courts of Justice Committee, which meets on Friday afternoons followed immediately afterward by a meeting of the Courts Criminal Subcommittee. The Courts Committee typically hears the greatest volume of bills during session, and the policy can be both technical and complex. As with other committees, the bulk of the work on legislation occurs in the subcommittees. The Criminal Subcommittee, of which I am a member, works notoriously late hours and deals with bills that often invite controversy and impassioned testimony. While I am not an attorney, I enjoy learning new subject matter. More importantly, I’m fortunate to have many experienced attorneys on speed dial (speed text message, actually). Today we completed work on nine bills in just under three hours. I expect upcoming dockets to include dozens of bills, which means next week will involve late nights on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
