From Del. Alfonso Lopez’s office:
Virginia Latino Caucus announces 2021 General Assembly Session Legislative Agenda
RICHMOND, VA – Today, the Virginia Latino Caucus (VLC) announced its legislative and policy agenda for the 2021 session of the General Assembly.
The VLC’s 2021 Legislative Agenda is centrally focused on addressing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate effects on Virginia’s Hispanic and Latino community, as well as confronting the critical need for racial justice and criminal justice reform in the aftermath of a difficult year for communities of color and for the nation at large.
The VLC 2021 Legislative Agenda builds on the work accomplished in 2020 to expand in-state tuition to undocumented students at Virginia’s public colleges and universities, to offer driving privilege cards to Virginia residents regardless of legal status, and to eliminate decades of discriminatory and archaic laws in the Virginia Code dating back to the Jim Crow era.
“After last year’s landmark victories expanding in-state tuition and creating driving privilege cards, our caucus is more energized and optimistic this session than ever before about the potential that this agenda has to dramatically improve the lives of Virginians across the Commonwealth,” said House Majority Whip Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington). “Virginians of every background are demanding a robust and comprehensive response to the pandemic and economic crisis and our 2021 Legislative Agenda rises to meet the challenge. I very much look forward to working with my colleagues to advance these priorities in the coming months.”
“This is an agenda that is geared toward improving the lives of every Virginian, because we know that Latino and Hispanic issues aren’t just niche topics but issues that matter to every family: like affordable housing, access to COVID care, environmental justice, and criminal justice reform,” said Delegate Hala Ayala (D-Prince William). “I’m honored to work with my fellow Caucus members and my colleagues in the General Assembly to enact this agenda.”
“Our vibrant and growing Latinx population helps form the backbone of many communities throughout Virginia, from the urban corridors of Northern Virginia to the shores of Hampton Roads, and from the hillsides of the Shenandoah Valley to the farmlands of Southside,” said Delegate Elizabeth Guzman (D-Dale City). “I am proud to support this agenda for working families and communities in every corner of the Commonwealth. Improving education, expanding access to the ballot box, and protecting our environment will touch the lives of Virginians from every background. I look forward to passing these progressive pieces of legislation in the General Assembly.”
“The VLC 2021 Legislative Agenda builds upon the many successes of last year’s historic session in creating a more diverse and equitable Virginia for all,” said Delegate Patrick Hope (D-Arlington). “Our Caucus will join with others to place a greater emphasis on the economic and public health needs of our communities, especially during this pandemic.”
The VLC 2021 Legislative Agenda consists of a series of proposals supported by the members of the Virginia Latino Caucus in the 2021 regular session of the Virginia General Assembly, focused primarily on reforms that will improve the economic, political, and social conditions of Hispanic and Latino Virginians and of marginalized communities across the Commonwealth.
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The Virginia Latino Caucus (VLC) is the legislative caucus representing Virginia’s diverse Hispanic and Latino community in the Virginia General Assembly. The VLC’s mission is to advance legislation and policies in the General Assembly that will improve the lives of Latinos, immigrants, New Americans, and other underrepresented communities across the Commonwealth.
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