A week before the General Assembly session began, Waldo Jaquith, the creator of the legislation-tracking website Richmond Sunlight, reported the absence of a recent tradition: “I haven’t seen the bills that are candidates for Virginia becoming a national embarrassment.” He listed examples from sessions past, such as the mandatory transvaginal ultrasound or the droopy drawers bills. “There’s almost always one,” he said.
Oops. Jaquith spoke too soon. That was before Republican Delegate Bob Marshall’s bill that would allow discrimination against gay people under the guise of religious liberty, a story immediately picked up by Slate.
And as the Commonwealth’s part-time legislators head to Richmond for the start of the session January 14, they do so on the heels of a rough few months for the “Virginia Way.” Democratic Delegate Joe Morrissey, convicted in December of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, is serving jail time and running a work-release campaign in the January 13 special election to fill his own seat. Former Governor Bob McDonnell, convicted on 11 corruption counts, said in court last week he was “heartbroken and humbled,” but later vowed to appeal his two-year prison sentence.
So what can we expect for in 2015?
Even though it’s not the official budget-wrangling year, the session is still all about the money—one thing upon which our six local legislators agree.
Despite signs the economy overall may be improving, last fall Governor Terry McAuliffe announced a $2.4 billion budget shortfall, the effects of sequestration and mandatory cuts in defense spending hitting Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia hard. “The economy has been driven by the military industrial complex spending,” said State Senator Creigh Deeds. “It really fattened our coffers.”
Now the state must look at a fundamental shift in economic diversification that’s not so DoD-spending dependent. For House Minority Leader David Toscano, that diversification should come through investing in infrastructure: education, workforce training and transportation.
What priorities the legislature decides to fund during the 45-day session will be largely determined by the Republican-controlled Senate and House of Delegates, which still has to contend with the veto of Democratic Governor McAuliffe.
And although this is the short session, State Senator Bryce Reeves challenges the notion that the legislative body is part-time because it’s in a “perpetual state of session,” he said, and he fears only the well-to-do or retired will be able to afford to serve. But that’s another matter unlikely to change soon.
C-VILLE checked with Jaquith for trends he’s spotted in the bills that have been submitted, and he named four: marijuana and hemp legalization, election reform with redistricting and voting bills, ethics post-McDonnell, and bills to address the fact that gay marriage is now legal in the state that banned it in both its constitution and legal code.
On the latter, Jaquith thinks little will be done, reminding us that Virginia’s state song emeritus is still the ode to slavery, “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.” That wrong side of history thing again. Although House Speaker William Howell is pushing “Our Great Virginia” by Mike Greenly to fill the state song slot that’s been empty since 1997 when “Carry Me Back” was moved to emeritus status.
Events that took place in Charlottesville last year, such as the disappearance of Hannah Graham and the national spotlight on sexual assault at UVA, influenced some of the bills that will come before the General Assembly.
Charlottesville’s former Delegate Mitch Van Yahres was advocating for industrial hemp back in the 1990s.
Gus Deeds traveled across the state with his father during Creigh Deed’s run for governor in 2009. Photo: Hyunsoo Leo Kim/REUTERS/Newscom.com.
Jesse Matthew has been charged with the abduction of slain UVA student Hannah Graham. The case has sparked legislation to collect DNA for certain misdemeanor convictions. Photo: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Governor Bob McDonnell’s conviction on 11 counts of corruption highlighted Virginia’s lax policies on the acceptance of gifts by public officials. Photo: Scott Elmquist