VA House Democrats Unveil 2021 Agenda to Continue “Building a Better Virginia”

From the VA House Democratic Caucus:

House Democrats Unveil 2021 Agenda to Continue “Building a Better Virginia”

RICHMOND, VA—Today, House Democrats released their Building a Better Virginia agenda for the upcoming Session.

The House legislative agenda will focus on three key areas:

• Protecting Families
• Keeping Virginia Healthy
• Rebuilding Our Economy Stronger

House Democratic Leadership released the following statements:

“Over the last year, the Democratic House majority has delivered on major legislation to improve the lives of working families, from lowering the cost of prescription drugs, to raising the minimum wage, and passing the largest infrastructure package in our Commonwealth’s history,” said Virginia Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn. “Now, we are addressing the urgent economic and public health challenges caused by COVID-19, protecting small businesses, keeping Virginians on the job and families safe, while setting Virginia on a path to a strong post-pandemic economic recovery; ensuring quality, affordable access to healthcare is a reality for all Virginians during and after the current health crisis, and making our Commonwealth a fairer, more inclusive place for every single resident.”

“Our Democratic Majority has delivered on the issues that matter to Virginians, like raising the minimum wage in the first time in over a decade, lowering the price of prescription drugs, and passing the most extensive anti-discrimination legislation of any southern state in the country,” said House Democratic Majority Leader Charniele Herring. “These legislative victories have made our Commonwealth more inclusive and equitable for every Virginian. As we enter the 2021 legislative session, our majority is poised to build upon that momentum.”

“As a father, I understand how difficult this time is for parents of school-aged children, and for educators. Our caucus is committed to doing everything possible to assist in the effort to get our kids back in school,” said Democratic House Caucus Chair Rip Sullivan. “That is why we are prioritizing teachers and school staff for vaccination, allocating $200 million to facilitate a quick and efficient rollout of the vaccine, and providing additional funding to schools so they can hit the ground running when they do return to in-person instruction.”

The following legislation will be introduced during the upcoming Session:

Protecting Families

• Paid Sick Leave
• Eviction prevention, keeping families safer at home
• Additional financial support to facilitate support to Virginians struggling financially

Keeping Virginia Healthy

• $200 million to support Virginia’s vaccination deployment
• New efforts to enroll more Virginians in the healthcare exchange
• $700,000 to better serve the behavioral health needs of Virginia’s veterans.
• Pharmacy transparency
• A cap on the price of inhalers
• Telehealth expansion
• More money for water quality, air quality, and land conservation initiatives
• Humane, improved health care for the elderly and low income

Rebuilding our Economy Stronger

• $36 million in FY22 for the G3 Program
• Broadband – additional $15 million in the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI)
• $20 Million for Rebuild VA Grant Program

A More Inclusive Virginia

• Marijuana Legalization
• Restoration of Rights Amendment
• Creating the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board
• Combating workplace harassment
• Automatic Expungement

Education

• Raising teacher pay
• Provide additional support for schools
• $30 million in tuition assistance at Virginia’s public institutions of higher education, with major investments in traditionally underfunded institutions
• $26.6 million for additional school counselors to help deal with emotional challenges heightened by pandemic restrictions

Making our Democracy Stronger

• Voting Rights expansion