161st Virginia General Assembly
161st Virginia General Assembly | |||||
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Overview | |||||
Term | January 8, 2020 – | ||||
Senate of Virginia | |||||
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Members | 40 | ||||
President of the Senate | Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) | ||||
Senate Majority Leader | Dick Saslaw (D) | ||||
Senate Minority Leader | Tommy Norment (R) | ||||
Party control |
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Virginia House of Delegates | |||||
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Members | 100 | ||||
Speaker of the House | Eileen Filler-Corn (D) | ||||
House Majority Leader | Charniele Herring (D) | ||||
House Minority Leader | Todd Gilbert (R) | ||||
Party control |
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Sessions | |||||
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The 161st Virginia General Assembly, consisting of members who were elected in both the House election and Senate elections in 2019, convened on January 8, 2020. It is the first time that Democrats have held both houses of the General Assembly and the governorship since the 147th General Assembly in 1993.
Membership
On November 9, 2019, Eileen Filler-Corn was nominated by the Democratic majority caucus for Speaker of the House of Delegates, and upon election by the House on January 8, she became the first woman and first person of Jewish descent to be elected Speaker. Concurrently, Charniele Herring was elected as Majority Leader, making her the first woman and first African-American to serve as Majority Leader.
In addition, Ghazala Hashmi became the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Senate. Incumbent Danica Roem became the first transgender legislator to be re-elected to office in U.S. history.
In total, the 161st General Assembly has the highest number of women elected to both bodies, with 30 in the House and 11 in the Senate.
Speaker Filler-Corn selected Del. Luke Torian to be the first African-American House Appropriations Chair in state history. This is the first time that an African-American delegate will chair a House committee since William P. Robinson Jr. (D-Norfolk) chaired the Transportation Committee in 1998 and was co-chairman of the panel in 1998, according to House Clerk G. Paul Nardo.[1]
Leadership
Senate
- Senate Majority Leader: Dick Saslaw (D)
- Senate Minority Leader: Tommy Norment (R)
- Senate Majority Caucus Chair: Mamie Locke (D)
- Senate President pro-tempore: L. Louise Lucas (D)
- Senate Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Scott Surovell (D)
- Senate Majority Caucus Vice Chair for Policy: Jeremy McPike (D)
- Senate Majority Caucus Secretary: Jennifer McClellan (D)
- Senate Majority Caucus Treasurer: Ghazala Hashmi (D)
- Senate Majority Whips: Barbara Favola (D) and Lionell Spruill (D)
- Senate Majority Sergeant at Arms: Jennifer Boysko (D)
- Clerk: Susan Clarke Schaar
Committee chairs and ranking members
The Senate of Virginia has 10 Standing Committees and a Committee on Rules.[2]
Committee | Chair | Ranking Minority Member |
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Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | Chap Petersen | Emmett Hanger |
Commerce and Labor | Dick Saslaw | Tommy Norment |
Judiciary | John S. Edwards | Tommy Norment |
Education and Health | Louise Lucas | Stephen Newman |
Finance and Appropriations | Janet Howell | Tommy Norment |
General Laws and Technology | George Barker | Frank Ruff |
Local Government | Lynwood Lewis | Emmett Hanger |
Privileges and Elections | Creigh Deeds | Jill Vogel |
Rehabilitation and Social Services | Barbara Favola | Emmett Hanger |
Rules | Mamie Locke | Tommy Norment |
Transportation | Dave Marsden | Stephen Newman |
House of Delegates
- Speaker: Eileen Filler-Corn (D)
- House Majority Leader: Charniele Herring (D)
- House Majority Caucus Chair: Rip Sullivan (D)
- House Minority Leader: Todd Gilbert (R)
- House Minority Whip: Jay Leftwich (R)
- House Minority Caucus Chair: Kathy Byron (R)
- Clerk: Suzette Denslow
Committee chairs and ranking members
The House has 14 standing committees.[3]
Committee | Chair | Senior Minority Member | |
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Subcommittee | |||
Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources | Kenneth R. Plum | R. Lee Ware | |
Agriculture | Wendy Gooditis | ||
Chesapeake | Alfonso H. Lopez | ||
Natural Resources | Kathy Tran | ||
Appropriations | Luke Torian | M. Kirkland Cox | |
Capital Outlay | Cliff Hayes Jr. | ||
Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources | David Bulova | ||
Compensation and Central Government | Roslyn Tyler | ||
Elementary and Secondary | Delores McQuinn | ||
Health and Human Services | Mark Sickles | ||
Higher Education | Betsy B. Carr | ||
Transportation and Public Safety | Paul Krizek | ||
Communications, Technology and Innovation | Cliff Hayes Jr. | Kathy Byron | |
Communications | Danica Roem | ||
Technology and Innovation | Hala Ayala | ||
Counties Cities and Towns | Kaye Kory | Charles Poindexter | |
Ad Hoc | Kathleen Murphy | ||
Charters | Danica Roem | ||
Land Use | Steve Heretick | ||
Courts of Justice | Charniele Herring | Terry Kilgore | |
Civil | Jeff Bourne | ||
Criminal | Michael P. Mullin | ||
Judicial | Joseph C. Lindsey | ||
Education | Roslyn Tyler | Mark L. Cole | |
Post-Secondary and Higher Education | Mark Keam | ||
Pre-K-12 | Lamont Bagby | ||
SOL and SOQ | Schuyler VanValkenburg | ||
Finance | Vivian E. Watts | Robert D. Orrock, Sr. | |
Subcommittee #1 | Mark Keam | ||
Subcommittee #2 | Steve Heretick | ||
Subcommittee #3 | Rip Sullivan | ||
General Laws | David Bulova | Thomas C. Wright, Jr. | |
ABC/Gaming | Paul Krizek | ||
Housing/Consumer Protection | Marcus Simon | ||
Open Government/Procurement | Betsy B. Carr | ||
Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process Subcommittee | Chris Hurst | ||
Health, Welfare and Institutions | Mark D. Sickles | Robert D. Orrock, Sr. | |
Behavioral Health | Marcia Price | ||
Health Professions | Dawn Adams | ||
Health | Patrick Hope | ||
Social Services | Elizabeth Guzman | ||
Labor and Commerce | Jeion Ward | Terry Kilgore | |
Subcommittee #1 | Lamont Bagby | ||
Subcommittee #2 | Steve Heretick | ||
Subcommittee #3 | Rip Sullivan | ||
Privileges and Elections | Joe Lindsey | Robert D. Orrock, Sr. | |
Campaign Finance | David A. Reid | ||
Constitutional Amendments | Marcus Simon | ||
Elections | Schuyler VanValkenburg | ||
Gubernatorial Appointments | Kelly Convirs-Fowler | ||
Redistricting | Marcus Simon | ||
Public Safety | Patrick Hope | Thomas C. Wright, Jr. | |
Firearms | Jeff Bourne | ||
Public Safety | Mark Levine | ||
Rules | Eileen Filler-Corn | M. Kirkland Cox | |
Joint Rules | Eileen Filler-Corn | ||
Standards of Conduct | N/A | ||
Studies | Mark Sickles | ||
Subcommittee #2 | N/A | ||
Transportation | Delores McQuinn | Robert B. Bell | |
Motor Vehicles | Jay Jones | ||
Transportation Innovation and General Topics | Karrie Delaney | ||
Transportation Systems | Betsy B. Carr | ||
Subcommittee #4 | N/A |
Legislation
Pre-filing of bills for the 2020 session began November 18, 2019. 828 bills were passed by the House by crossover day on February 12, 2020, an increase from the 603 bills passed under the Republican majority in the 2019 session.
Enacted
- January 27, 2020: HJ 1/SJ 1: Resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution
- February 24, 2020: HB 35/SB 103: Restores parole eligibility to those serving 20 years of a sentence for crimes committed as a juvenile and for which they received a lengthy sentence
- March 4, 2020: HB 245: Repeals the crime of fornication
- March 2, 2020: HB 61: Provides that an adult sentenced for a juvenile offense can earn good conduct credit at the rate of one day for each one day served.
- March 2, 2020: HB 386: Prohibits the performance of conversion therapy by state-licensed counselors on juveniles under 18
- March 2, 2020: HB 587: Requiring the inclusion of space and equipment for changing babies during plans for new state government buildings
- HB 277: Allowing currently-incarcerated individuals to earn credit towards paying off fines and fees through community work
- HB 1490: Repealing statutory bans on same-sex marriages and civil unions.
- HB 696: Provides that localities may prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, and education on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
- HB 1071: Repeals the crime of profane swearing
- HB 973/SB 600: Repeals several laws enacted from 1901 to 1960 which encoded racial segregation of students in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education in Virginia
- HB 1514/SB 50: Protects hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists from discrimination (see also: CROWN Act)
Other legislation
Notable bills filed include:
- HB 1: Legalization of no-excuse absentee voting
- HB 2: Regulates firearms transfers and sales through background checks
- HB 3: Prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
- HB 4: Legalizes and regulates casino gambling in Virginia through the Virginia Lottery Board
- HB 961: Banning sale and transport of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
- HB 1625: Repealing Virginia's statewide ban on local governments removing or altering Confederate monuments
- SB 2: Decriminalizing cannabis in Virginia
- SB 601: Eliminating Lee-Jackson Day and making Election Day a state holiday
- SB 240: Red flag law
- SB 868: Prohibits LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations
- HB 177: Joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (consideration moved to 2021 session)
Equal Rights Amendment
HJ 1, prefiled by Jennifer Carroll Foy, and SJ 1, filed by Jennifer McClellan, will make Virginia the 3rd state since 2017 and the 38th overall necessary to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (counting the five that have since voted to rescind their ratifications).[4] Both bills were given initial approval, with SJ 1 being approved 28-12 in the Senate and HJ 1 being approved 59-41 in the House, and were passed by the other chamber on January 27. All Democrats and several Republicans in both chambers voted in favor of the resolutions. However, experts and advocates have acknowledged legal uncertainty about the consequences of Virginia's potential ratification, due to the expired deadlines and the five states' purported revocations.[4]
Events
A peaceful protest opposing gun control legislation occurred outside the Virginia State Capitol on January 20, 2020.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Vozzella, Laura (14 November 2019). "Incoming Va. House speaker makes top committee picks". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Legislative Committees". Legislative Information System. Virginia General Assembly. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Virginia House of Delegates Committees List". virginiageneralassembly.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ a b Astor, Maggie (2019-11-06). "The Equal Rights Amendment May Pass Now. It's Only Been 96 Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
- ^ "Virginia pro-gun rally: Despite anger, threats of insurrection, massive rally is carried out peacefully outside state Capitol". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 January 2020.