VCC Magazine Spring 2019

HOT 6 General Assembly Topics

By Cierra Parks

Equal Rights Amendment: After a dramatic effort by women’s groups that got closer than ever, the bill to enact the equal rights amendment has failed. The bill has already been passed by Congress and ratified by 37 of the 38 states required to make the amendment part of the United States Constitution. The amendment states: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” The Republican-controlled House of Delegates killed the bill last February.

safety-related bills were not passed, including a bill that would create a commission on student health and another that would give parents 24 hours’ notice before school lockdown drills. Redistricting: A federal court approved new district boundaries for the Virginia House of Delegates, which appear to benefit Democrats in November’s election. The redistricting map was drawn up by court-appointed expert, Bernard Grofman and finalized by the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Virginia. The map would put six Republicans into districts that have historically voted Democratic. House Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) appealed the redistricting to the U.S. Supreme Court, which opted to allow Grofman’s new plan to move ahead. Marijuana: Several marijuana bills were killed by the Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee. One of those bills included a marijuana decriminalization proposal that was included in Gov. Ralph Northam’s State of the Commonwealth speech. A House Courts of Justice subcommittee voted to kill multiple bills that would legalize marijuana in Virginia. Bills that would decriminalize marijuana, making it punishable with civil fines as opposed to criminal charges also died in the subcommittee. Several opponents of the bills warned that loosening marijuana laws in Virginia would encourage the use of an addictive drug and cause more traffic deaths. Budget: The General Assembly signed off on a conference report that would amend Virginia’s two-year budget totaling more than $100 billion. Both the Senate and House of Delegates completed amendments to the bi-annual state budget. The amendments included legislation that would give Virginia public school teachers a five percent pay increase, more money to hire school counselors and resource officers, and an $87 million increase in K-12 funding. It also includes incentives for colleges and universities not to raise tuition financial aid for low-income students, and extra money to help people find affordable housing. Cierra Parks is the student editor for Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine. She is a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University majoring in journalism and psychology.

Gambling: The General Assembly took a step forward and passed legislation that could bring casino gaming to Virginia. The Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology voted to advance casino bills that cover projects in Bristol, Danville and Portsmouth along with casinos in Norfolk and Richmond that are being negotiated by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. Each city must hold a vote and pass referendum on whether to allow casino gaming before it is issued a gambling license. Substitute Bill 1126 states that casino gaming in Virginia will be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board and it would impose a tax ranging from 13 to 15 percent of the adjusted gross receipts of casino operators. The bill also imposes criminal and civil penalties for any violations of the new casino gaming law. School Safety: The House of Delegates Education Committee approved bills arising from the Speaker’s Select Committee on School Safety. The special committee was created after the Florida high school shooting that left 17 people dead. The committee voted on bills that included the hiring of 44 new school resource officers and expanding mental health resources. House Bill 1729 which passed in a unanimous vote would require school counselors across the state to spend 80 percent of their time counseling students. Another bill was approved that would make Election Day a school holiday so that students would not be in school while strangers were present. Several

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Summer Issue!

Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine will take a deep dive into Virginia history in three ways: • Continuing with our Reconciliation Theme: What was life like around the state Capitol after Reconstruction, up to through 1950’s?

• What was the political scene in the old General Assembly Building, before computers and cellphones? • What are some interesting facts about the old Capitol grounds—the creation of Capitol Square? The erection of the oldest statues? The collapse of the Capitol Balcony? Call us to share a memory, or to submit an article. What was your first impression of the Capitol? Did you work here in days long past? What things have you always wondered about as you walk around the Capitol? Talk to me! Bonnie Atwood, Editor, Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine , 804-314-7265, BonAtwood@CapitolSquare.com.

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S pring 2019

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