In a significant, necessary move to improve education throughout the Commonwealth, members of the Senate Education and Health Public Education Subcommittee voted to move forward SB157, Senator Ghazala Hashmi’s bill requiring teacher salaries to be at or above the national average.
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Republicans on House Commerce and Energy Subcommittee Pass Cap On Minimum Wage, Hurt Working Families
Richmond, Virginia—Republican members of the House Committee on Commerce and Energy, Subcommittee #2 voted to pass HB320 and HB296, two bill that would cap the minimum wage at $11 an hour, and prevent it from eventually reaching $15 an hour as working families have been demanding for years. With this vote, Republicans have shown, once […]
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Virginians Will Continue to Demand Pretrial Justice and Quality Representation for Everyone
In a pivotal step away from justice today, Virginia community members are concerned today after members of House Courts of Justice Committee Subcommittee #1 voted down HB369, Delegate Angelia Williams Graves’ bill requiring defendants to have access to a lawyer the very first time they appear before a judge.
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PRESS RELEASE: Voters Rest Easy Knowing Senate Democrats Stood Up Once Again to Protect Our Progress, Reject Voter Suppression Bills
Continuing their streak, Senate Democrats on the Privileges and Elections Committee stood up today to protect our progress on voting rights, voting to shut down a slew of voter suppression bills sponsored by Republican Senators.
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In First Test, Senate Democrats Protect Our Progress, Reject Bill to Cap Minimum Wage
In the first major test of this legislative session, Democratic members of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted to protect our progress and rejected SB173, a bill sponsored by Senator Mark Peake that would cap the minimum wage at $11 an hour and prevent it from rising to the $15 an hour promised by previously passed legislation.
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Members of Senate Judiciary Committee Protect Progress and Expand Ban on Mandatory Minimums
At their meeting this morning, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB104, sponsored by Senator Joe Morrissey, which will eliminate mandatory minimums for nearly all crimes. The bill was passed and referred to the Senate Finance Committee, where we hope it will also pass.
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Student Loan Borrowers in Virginia See Light at the End of a Long Tunnel of Debt
Navient has taken advantage of too many hard working people in our community who are now saddled with unaffordable student loan debt. Forgiving student loan debt is good for families, small businesses, and the economy as a whole. This is a good step in the right direction, but we must continue to push for student loan forgiveness for everyone.
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Fed Up With What the GOP is Serving
I hope y’all are hungry because Virginia’s GOP is serving up a buffet of ridiculousness. We knew this session would be different – and difficult – without a trusted Democratic trifecta to lead the Commonwealth. So when it comes to the nonsense some GOP legislators are trying to push through the General Assembly, you can color us shocked, but NOT surprised.
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No Mask or Vaccination Requirement for the General Assembly will Make It Difficult for Some Virginian’s to Make Their Voice Heard.
Richmond, Virginia—In a recently released outline issued by the House of Delegates and Speaker Designee Todd Gilbert to address COVID-19 policies and procedures during the 2022 Regular Session of the Virginia General Assembly, masks and vaccines are not mandatory. In the 7 page framework that lists various ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such […]
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ICYMI: Youngkin Once Again Prioritizes Wealthy Corporations Over People’s Needs with Selection of Andrew Wheeler as Secretary of Natural Resources
With his selection of Andrew Wheeler as Secretary of Natural Resources, Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has proven once again that he will line the pockets of corporate polluters instead of supporting the needs of our community.