Richmond, Virginia—Several bills to prevent gun violence have passed the House of Delegates today and will now head to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. Gun violence fatalities have been on the rise in Virginia, and gun fatalities are now the leading cause of death in people aged 1-17. By passing these commonsense […]
General Assembly
House and Senate Pass Assault Weapons Ban
Richmond, Virginia—Families who have lost loved ones to gun violence celebrated today as the House passed a historic ban on assault weapons. SB 2, sponsored by Senator Creigh Deeds, narrowly passed the House today on a vote of 51-49. The House cognate, HB 2, sponsored by Delegate Dan Helmer passed the Senate today by a […]
Historic $15 Minimum Wage Increase Will Include Farmworkers For The First Time
Richmond, Virginia—Today, we moved closer to pay equity and racial justice when the Virginia Senate voted to remove the exemptions that excluded farmworkers from earning the minimum wage. HB157, sponsored by Delegate Adele McClure, narrowly passed the Senate by a vote of 20-19 and will move to the Governor’s desk for a signature. The exemption […]
Crossover Day: Status of the Progressive Agenda
Richmond, Virginia—February 13 is Crossover Day in the General Assembly. Here’s a recap of the status of several crucial bills, broken down by issue area and current posture. “Our community has been very clear: we demand a safer, more progressive Commonwealth where everyone’s rights are protected, and working families have what they need to grow […]
Right to Contraception Passes the House
Richmond, Virginia—Everybody deserves the right to decide if and when they would like to have children, and today, the House has passed a bill to help protect that right. The Right To Contraception Act (SB 273), sponsored by Senator Ghazala Hashmi, passed the House on a vote of 53-44 today. Several states, including Virginia, are […]
Anti-Voter Bills Voted Down in Senate Committee
Richmond, Virginia—Voters should feel more secure today knowing that Republican attempts to restrict voting rights were voted down in the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee. Several bills to do everything, from limiting the absentee voting period to requiring photo identification to vote and making it more difficult to register to vote on Election Day, were […]
MY thoughts, you ask?
by shay bell You all – no one – have been begging me for my thoughts on session so far, so who am I to deprave you any longer? I’ve had to suffer through some things this month that have made me regret my career path, and I’m ready to vent it all out. I’ve […]
4 Reasons Governor Youngkin’s Tax Plan Sucks For Regular People and 1 Thing We Can Do To Fix It
by Ashleigh Crocker Our lame-duck Governor, Glenn Youngkin, wants one more chance to help his super-wealthy friends by completely readjusting the tax code in Virginia. The only problem? It completely sucks for people who make normal amounts of money and aren’t super wealthy like the Governor and all his pals. Here are four reasons why […]
On Your Radar
by shay bell The year is 2024, and we’re still fighting to balance the scales for everyone. Conservatives are putting up roadblocks at every turn, and I couldn’t roll my eyes harder if I tried. High on our radar here at Progress Virginia are some long overdue bills for passage. First up, SJ11, because why […]
One Step Closer Cannabis Decriminalization
By: Kierra Johnson As per usual, Virginia is the blueprint for progressive legislation in the South, and the issue of cannabis is a great example. This year, there are a couple of bills that tackle the issue of cannabis usage and criminalization, and if passed, they could bring Virginia one step closer to full legalization. […]