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Virginia NAACP Denounces the Rise of Racial Intimidation in Virginia

By
Blue Virginia
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9

From the Virginia NAACP:

Virginia NAACP Denounces the Rise of Racial Intimidation in Virginia

RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia State Conference NAACP (Virginia NAACP denounces the rise of racial intimidation in Virginia. Virginia NAACP President Rev. Cozy Bailey issued the following statement:

“We call attention to the continuous acts of hate and racism not to extend the message of the perpetrator but to bring attention to the need to find solutions to enduring racism in our communities. The hateful messages found recently in Lynchburg, Mathews, Gloucester, and Loudoun bring crystal clarity to the fact that racism endures in the Commonwealth.  Those who do not want to accept or address the fact attempt to change the narrative to a debate as to whether this country is a racist nation or not.  The clear and present issue is that racism exists, and it must be stamped out everywhere. This administration has chosen to back away from the challenge of mitigating racism and inequity by refusing to maintain a viable Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and nullifying the effectiveness of several Advisory Boards through lack of engagement.  These passive acts and failure to address racism head-on are an encouragement to hatemongers to express their dangerous ideology freely and sometimes openly.

The VSC, in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, will continue to fight against justice and racism anywhere in recognition of its threat to justice everywhere. We call upon the administration to take direct action as well.”

In the 2022 Hate Crime Statistics for Virginia, as reported by the FBI, 63.5% of hate crimes were against individuals, and 64.8% were motivated by Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry. The Virginia NAACP, therefore, calls upon Attorney General Jason Miyares to vigorously investigate acts of racial violence consistent with the intentionality he has investigated other matters in our Commonwealth.

The Virginia NAACP stands firm in our commitment to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

– ### –

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA NAACP

Founded in 1935, the Virginia State Conference of NAACP Branches (Virginia NAACP) is the oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization in the Commonwealth, overseeing over 100 NAACP branches, youth councils, and college chapters. The Virginia NAACP is focused on being the preeminent voice of Black Virginians and advocating for policies and programs to benefit Blacks and people of color. You can read more about the Virginia NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas by visiting NAACPVA.org.

To Be or Not To Be a Clean Energy State, That Is the Question

By
ivymain
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4

by Ivy Main, cross posted from Power for the People VA

Democrats remain committed to a renewable energy future to address pollution, high electricity costs and the causes of catastrophic climate change. Gov. Glenn Youngkin and most Republican legislators cling to the familiar (dis)comfort of fossil fuels. Republicans are still lobbing grenades at the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) and the Clean Car Standard; Democrats are holding the line on those advances.

Last year House Republicans used small subcommittees to kill Democrats’ energy bills, even those that passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis. This year the Democrats’ slim majority in both chambers will let more bills get to the governor’s desk. But with the threat of a veto tempering expectations, the party of clean energy is not running big, ambitious bills, but is instead focused on solving problems that have popped up along the march to zero carbon.

Committees have already begun work on the hundreds of energy bills filed in past days. That’s too many for even the Mercury’s dedicated readers to review without more caffeine than is good for you, so let’s focus on just some that would have the most consequence for the clean energy transition.

To be: Democrats work to further the clean economy

Many of the Democratic bills contain small fixes to existing law that add up to big gains for clean energy. One of these is HB 638, from Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax, and SB 230, from Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond. Most of its provisions are tweaks to the VCEA. Among them are increasing from 1% to 5% the percentage of Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power’s renewable energy purchasing that must come from small projects like rooftop solar; streamlining the State Corporation Commission’s review of energy efficiency programs by creating a single cost-effectiveness test; and supporting competition in the development of renewable energy and energy storage facilities by specifying that “at least”35% of projects must come from third-party developers, instead of the simple 35% number currently in the law.

The bill also contains a provision that goes beyond the VCEA. It states that the SCC has an “affirmative duty” to implement the Commonwealth Energy Policy at “lowest reasonable cost.” (Two other bills, one from Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Fairfax, and the other from Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, contain only this provision.) The energy policy is separate from the VCEA, and it sets ambitious goals for the decarbonization of Virginia’s whole economy, including a faster timeline for achieving net zero in the electricity sector. The catch is that the policy does not have teeth, and for that reason it is routinely ignored. Requiring the SCC not just to take account of it, but also to implement it, is a step towards broader decarbonization, though it is not clear how it would actually play out at the SCC.

Legislation from Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax and Sullivan would resolve problems with the shared solar program in Dominion territory (including putting restraints on the minimum bill that the utility can charge) and expand it to Appalachian Power territory.

SB 79, from Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, would save taxpayers money by requiring new or substantially renovated (over 50%) public buildings to have solar-ready roofs or, if solar is deemed impractical, to meet one of two high-efficiency alternatives. New or substantially renovated schools would have to be designed and built to net-zero energy standards, unless the locality determines that to be impractical or the school is a historic building.

Sullivan and Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, have introduced legislation to resolve the interconnection problem that has stalled commercial solar projects across Dominion territory. The House and Senate bills specify that customers are responsible for costs on their side of the meter, while the utility pays for costs on its side, including upgrades to the distribution grid.

A few bills seek to break through the local-level gridlock that has bedeviled utility-scale solar and wind projects. The most significant of these is HB 636from Sullivan and SB 567 from Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, which provides an alternative permitting process for larger utility solar (50 MW or more), wind (100 MW or more) and renewable energy storage projects (at least 50 MW nameplate and discharge capacity of 200 MWh or more) that go through the local permitting process but end up without permits. Developers get a second chance at the SCC if they meet a list of requirements. These include safeguards for farmland protection, stormwater, setbacks, wetlands, wildlife corridors, etc. Applicants are also charged $75,000 to cover the locality’s cost of participating in the SCC proceeding. (There is some irony here that small projects, which have less impact, are left at the mercy of local whims, while the most impactful projects have what amounts to a right of appeal.)

Vehicle electrification would also get support from Democratic legislation. One bill of particular interest is Sullivan’s HB 118, which requires Dominion and Appalachian Power to take charge of upgrades to the distribution grid needed to support EV charging by non-residential customers. The utilities are also tasked with filing detailed plans to “accelerate widespread transportation electrification across the Commonwealth in a manner designed to lower total ratepayer costs.”

Regardless of the fate of these bills, Virginia’s efforts to transition to a zero-carbon economy will be swamped by new demand from the fast-growing data center industry, unless the industry itself can be made part of the solution. A dozen or so bills seek to put conditions on the industry in one way or another, but one takes on the energy demand directly. HB116, from Sullivan, and SB192, from Subramanyam, condition data center operators’ receipt of tax credits on demonstrating compliance with minimum standards for energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement, as well as not using diesel generators for backup power.

Not to be: Republicans try out arguments against the energy transition 

Many of the Republican anti-clean energy transition bills are blunt instruments that are more about campaigning in Trump country than low-cost energy. For example, HB 397, from freshman Del. Tim Griffin, R-Bedford, would repeal most of the important provisions of the VCEA, while declaring that development of new nuclear is “in the public interest” (a phrase that pretty much means “watch your wallet”).

Similarly, five bills seek to repeal outright the Advanced Clean Cars law passed in 2021, which effectively put Virginia among the states that follow California’s path to vehicle electrification. The law does not kick in until 2025, but trying to repeal it has become a Republican standby. A more subtle bill from Del. Lee Ware, R-Powhatan, would condition repeal on the Virginia Automobile Dealers certifying that Virginia is not meeting its annual EV sales targets.

Some anti-EV bills are merely performative. One non-starter, from Griffin again, would provide a tax credit for purchases of vehicles with internal combustion engines. A bill from Sen. William Stanley, R-Franklin, would require any business selling an EV or any EV component to a public body to provide a sworn declaration that there was no child labor involved not just in the manufacturing but at any point anywhere along the supply chain, starting with mining minerals abroad.

If Stanley were truly concerned about child labor violations, of course, he would seek to apply this sworn declaration requirement to all industries. He could start with the domestic meatpacking industry, where child labor violations are rife, including in Virginia. Ah, if only that were the point.

It’s not just state-level decarbonization that comes in for a brute-force attack. A bill from another new delegate, Eric Zehr, R-Lynchburg, makes its target any federal regulations that “may threaten the production or supply of affordable, reliable, and secure energy within the Commonwealth.” If alerted to such a threat by a utility or the SCC, the Attorney General’s office would be required to intervene. This sort of bill is not intended to survive its first committee hearing, if it even gets a hearing. Its only purpose is to show off the patron’s hard right bona-fides.

To be fair, there are Republicans who are actually trying to solve real problems in the energy sector. As one example, take SB562 from Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Tazewell. His bill would create a ratepayer-funded pilot program for utilities to figure out a way to use coalbed methane for electricity without burning it (perhaps with fuel cells?). The problem is, he proposes to make this electricity eligible for Virginia’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). It’s a creative, if expensive-sounding, response to the real climate problem of methane leaking from old and often abandoned coal mines, part of the true cost of coal. But calling fossil methane renewable is, shall we say, counterfactual. Some problems are more effectively tackled head-on, using tax dollars or tax credits, rather than being used to undermine the integrity of the RPS.

To be: somewhere else entirely

The reality of renewable energy is that we have to build a great many wind, solar and storage projects, each one taking months or years of design, permitting and construction work and requiring acreage we would rather use for something else. Yes, it means economic activity, investment and jobs, but it’s also something of a slog. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a magic solution that could just provide carbon-free electricity without all that bother?

That’s the dream that continues to attract both Democrats and Republicans to nuclear energy. Opinion is divided on whether small modular reactors (SMRs) could hold the answer to all our energy woes, or are just the latest con from an industry looking to attract a new set of deep-pocketed suckers.

Three things are clear at this point. One, SMRs are still many years away from commercialization, coming too late to solve the climate problem that is here and now. Second, SMRs are going to cost a lot. Not only is there no free nuclear lunch, there isn’t even a low-priced breakfast. And third, Dominion is frothing at the bit to build an SMR – but only if customers have to pay for it.

Some legislators are happy to oblige, even with all these drawbacks. The most concerning of the bills are HB 1323 from Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, and SB 454 from Sen. David Marsden, D-Fairfax. The legislation would allow Dominion or Appalachian Power to charge ratepayers “at any time” to recover development costs of a small modular nuclear reactor, defined as a nuclear reactor not larger than 500 MW. Not only is that not small, but by the language of the bill it need not even be modular or use advanced technology. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be in Virginia. Dominion could build any kind of nuclear plant, anywhere it chooses, and satisfy the terms of the bill.

But it’s that “at any time” language that should be a red flag for lawmakers. Charging customers for a nuclear plant before and during construction, including cost overruns and with no guarantee of completion, is precisely how residents of South Carolina got stuck paying billions of dollars for a hole in the ground.

That amount of money buys a lot of low-cost renewable energy and storage, right in the here and now. Virginia needs to be a clean energy state for the sake of ratepayers, the economy and the climate, and there is no time to waste.

 

This article was first published on January 21, 2024 in the VIrginia Mercury.

Thursday News: “Devastating drought in Amazon result of climate crisis, study shows”; “Auto Workers Union Endorses Biden Over ‘Scab’ Trump”; “Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro: “The Republican Party is now the Donald Trump party”; Youngkin Sides with Abbott’s “potential defiance of Supreme Court’s border ruling”

By
lowkell
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32

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 25.

Clean Virginia: State Corporation Commission Appointments a Win for Virginia Consumers

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From Clean Virginia:

Clean Virginia: State Corporation Commission Appointments a Win for Virginia Consumers
Fully-staffed regulatory commission prepared to meet energy challenges ahead 

Richmond, VA – The Virginia General Assembly appointed Kelsey Bagot and Sam Towell to fill the remaining vacancies on the three-member State Corporation Commission (SCC) today. Bagot and Towell bring a wealth of experience in electric utility regulation and consumer protection to the agency.

Clean Virginia Executive Director Brennan Gilmore said,

“For the first time in over a year, Virginia’s State Corporation Commission is at full capacity. A fully staffed agency is vital to meeting the challenges facing Virginia’s families as the Commonwealth confronts rapidly growing energy demand and rising electric bills. ”

“The Commission plays a vital role in establishing fair electric rates and consumer protections, ensuring every Virginian has access to clean, affordable and reliable energy. We are confident that Mr. Towell and Ms. Bagot have the backgrounds necessary to assume this responsibility and are grateful to leadership in both chambers, particularly Chairs Delegate Jeion Ward and Senator Creigh Deeds, for prioritizing the appointments of two highly-qualified commissioners to the bench.”

About the State Corporation Commission

The State Corporation Commission is one of Virginia’s most important regulatory bodies. Created in 1902 as an independent branch of state government, the agency is directed by three commissioners appointed by the General Assembly for six-year terms.

The SCC regulates a number of vital industries, including Virginia’s electric utilities. SCC commissioners and staff are responsible for setting electric utility rates, assessing the necessity of new infrastructure and determining how much of a utility’s costs can be passed on to ratepayers through monthly electric bills.

###

Clean Virginia is a 501(c)4 independent advocacy organization with an associated Political Action Committee, Clean Virginia Fund. Clean Virginia works to fight corruption in Virginia politics in order to promote clean and affordable energy. We are motivated by the core belief that our democracy should serve everyday Virginians over special interests.

New Wason Center Poll Finds VA Likely Voters Want Minimum Wage Increase, Improving K-12 Education, Childcare Initiatives, etc; In 2025 Dem Gov Primary, Spanberger Leads Stoney 52%-8%

By
lowkell
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11

New polling from the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University has some interesting findings – including on issues facing the Virginia General Assembly, how Virginians see the Commonwealth and country going, approval ratings for Glenn Youngkin and Joe Biden, and a VERY early read on the Democratic primary for governor in 2025. See below for some highlights/key findings.

  • “Overall, Virginians say the following should be top priorities: 1. improving K-12 education (74%), 2. reducing crime (62%), and 3. Reducing healthcare costs (59%).”
  • ” 62% saying they support/strongly support amending the constitution to guarantee abortion rights, while 66% support/strongly support felon re-enfranchisement after a completed prison sentence”
  • “On economic policies, a majority of Virginians support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 (68% support/strongly support to 30% oppose/strongly oppose).”
  • “A majority of Virginians support allowing retail sale of
    recreational marijuana (57%).”
  • “A narrow majority of Virginians supports allowing people to carry concealed guns in more places (51%), while a majority supports banning assault-style weapons (56%), and opposes allowing teachers to carry guns in K-12 schools (56%). “
  • ” Rep. Spanberger receives a 43% favorable rating with 4% indicating unfavorable and another 53% saying they either have no opinion or don’t know. Mayor Stoney is noticeably less well known among Virginia Democratic voters, receiving a rating of 10% favorable to 8% unfavorable, while 82% say they have no opinion or don’t know.”
  • “When asked which candidate they would vote for if the Democratic primary for governor were held today, Rep. Spanberger leads Mayor Stoney 52% to 8%, with a sizable 40% indicating they don’t know. “
  • “Governor Youngkin’s job approval remains steady from nearly a year ago at 50%, while 39% indicate they disapprove and 12% say they don’t know.” (Youngkin’s +11 net approval is pretty low for Virginia governors historically; see here for a graphic)
  • “. President Biden’s job approval numbers reflect this overall discontent, with 36% saying they approve of his job performance, compared to 59% who disapprove; 5% say they don’t know. A year ago, Biden’s approval among Virginia voters stood at 38%.”

Video: Sen. Mark Warner Comments on the Urgent Need for Ukraine Funding; the Need to Address the “childcare crisis in this country”; the Potential Wizards/Caps Arena Project; etc.

By
lowkell
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16

See below for video of Sen. Mark Warner’s weekly press availability, during which he discussed: the urgent need for U.S. aid to Ukraine to resume (and great risks if that aid does NOT resume); the need to do something about the “double whammy of the childcare crisis in this country”; the  benefits of expansion of telemedicine; benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act, including negotiation on drug prices; the safety of Boeing airplanes; the potential for a new Wizard/Caps arena in Alexandria and what’s needed – transportation/Metro funding and improvements, engagement with the local communities, etc. – if it’s going to work; etc.

Sen. Tim Kaine Puts His Head Down and Works with Anyone Across Party Lines To Get Things Done for Our Commonwealth

By
Blue Virginia
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4

by Matt Royer, regarding an absurd/errenous editorial by the right-wing GazetteLeader…

A recent editorial from the GazetteLeader said that “few can name major accomplishments” that U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine has had in office.

These critics haven’t stopped Northern Virginians like me from seeing the results of Sen. Kaine’s hard work, from a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, to the Inflation Reduction Act, to successfully passing legislation to require back pay to federal workers after government shutdowns so government workers who go without a paycheck can receive back pay as soon as possible.

The Inflation Reduction Act alone is projected to create 9 million good-paying jobs – all thanks to Sen. Kaine casting the deciding vote in favor of this landmark legislation.

As governor, Kaine made sure the Silver Line was planned, financed, under contract and under construction. Thanks to his tireless efforts, the Silver Line extension to Dulles is now complete – providing rail service to our international gateway, access to more jobs and economic opportunities, and easing traffic congestion. That sounds like a major accomplishment to me and many other Northern Virginians.

Another major accomplishment from Sen. Kaine is the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is going to relieve something every Northern Virginians cares about – congestion. Last month, Sen. Kaine announced that funding from this historic legislation he helped pass will finalize the upgrade and expansion of the Long Bridge connecting the District of Columbia to Virginia over the Potomac River, helping to relieve the most significant rail choke point on the East Coast. The project will support nearly 18,000 jobs and contribute over $1 billion annually to the national economy.

Sen. Kaine was the deciding vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which is lowering health-care costs for Virginia families. Because of the legislation, drug manufacturers have capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month, making a life-saving prescription more affordable for people living with diabetes.

The Inflation Reduction Act is supercharging the commonwealth’s clean-energy sector, which will create good-paying jobs, combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions.

In the Senate, Kaine has fought and delivered much-needed federal funding to Northern Virginia. In last year’s government-funding bill, Kaine delivered $4 million to help develop and construct the North Woodbridge Pedestrian Bridge in Prince William County. He also secured another $2.2 million to expand the nursing program at Northern Virginia Community College, helping usher more skilled and diverse nurses into the workforce every year.

Dating back to his service as governor, Kaine has diligently worked to keep Northern Virginia safe. During his time in the U.S. Senate, Kaine has delivered over $40 million in Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grants to the commonwealth. Beneficiaries in Northern Virginia include the Arlington County Police Department and the city of Manassas, among others.

Kaine is also prioritizing our children’s safety. He passed landmark legislation to raise the federal minimum age for tobacco-product sale from 18 to 21, which prevents teen smoking and will save hundreds of thousands of lives.

From delivering a once-in-a-generation infrastructure investment to lowering health-care costs for essential medicines like insulin, Sen. Kaine is working hard to deliver results for Northern Virginia. He puts his head down and works with anyone across party lines to get things done for our commonwealth.

It’s time we give him credit for his tireless efforts to improve Northern Virginia.

Wednesday News: “US GDP Data Will Showcase Consumer Set to Power Economy in 2024”; “Twice-impeached, quadruply indicted” “Trump turns into sinister playground bully in New Hampshire victory lap”; “Biden gets the opponent he wants”; “Harris attacks Trump over Roe v Wade at first campaign rally with Biden”

By
lowkell
-
27

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, January 24.

Video: President Joe Biden, VP Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, etc. Speak in Manassas on Safeguarding Reproductive Rights in America

By
lowkell
-
13

See below for video of the event this afternoon in Manassas – featuring First Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, VP Kamala Harris, Amanda Zurawski (who almost died after being denied crucial abortion care in Texas) and President Joe Biden – about the crucial importance of safeguarding reproductive rights in America – and defeating Donald Trump and others MAGA Republicans who threaten those rights (and many other rights).

  • VP Kamala Harris: “We have in Joe Biden a courageous fighter for our most fundamental freedoms as Americans, including of course the freedom to make decision about one’s own body…today, that freedom is under profound threat.”
  • First Lady Jill Biden: “We will not let the extreme MAGA Republicans win this fight, will we?…The choice this election is clear [Joe Biden and Kamala Harris]!”
  • President Joe Biden: “Thank you for your support defending freedom in America, because that’s what we’re doing…I believe Roe v Wade got it right, and so do the majority of Americans…a new Supreme Court made an extreme decision overturning Roe…[the Supreme Court] ripped away fundamental constitutional rights…in place for nearly 50 years…the cruelty is astounding, and it’s a direct affront to women’s dignity…it’s outrageous…Let there be no mistake, the person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump…Trump says he’s PROUD he overturned Roe v Wade…the reason women are being forced to travel across state lines for health care is Donald Trump…[MAGA Republicans] want to go even further…If Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it!…I don’t think the [Supreme] Court and the MAGA Republicans have any clue about the power of women in America – but they’re about to find out!…I believe 2024 is going to be the most important election we’ve had since 1864…Democracy is on the ballot, freedom is on the ballot…Are you ready to defend democracy? Are you ready to protect our freedom? And are you ready to win this election? Let’s get this done!…Let’s remember who we are – we are the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, and there’s NOTHING beyond our capacity when we do it together!”

Video: Domestic Workers Recognized by General Assembly for their Contributions to Support Virginia’s Communities

By
Blue Virginia
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10

From Care in Action, “the policy and advocacy home for women who care, working on behalf of more than two million domestic workers and care workers across America.”

Domestic Workers Recognized by General Assembly for their Contributions to Support Virginia’s Communities

Care Champion Del. Candi Mundon King Introduces Resolution Declaring June 16 as “Domestic Workers Day” in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia’s nannies, house cleaners, care workers, and other domestic workers were recognized on the House and Senate floors today by Del. Candi Mundon King and Sen. Angelia Williams Graves for their contributions to support Virginia’s communities. Del. Mundon King also introduced a resolution to declare June 16 “Domestic Workers Day” in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“This is yet another historical moment for domestic workers in Virginia,” said Hillary Holley, Executive Director of Care in Action. “Stemming from the days of slavery, up until 2020, domestic workers were excluded from basic workplace protections in Virginia and often ignored in the discussion around labor rights. Now, we have a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in place and a resolution solely dedicated to the women who provide care for our families. This speaks to the organizing power of women of color to make transformative change in our communities. When we talk about making economic systemic changes for Black and brown and immigrant women workers, this is what we mean.”

In her floor speech in the House of Delegates, Del. Mundon King stated, “This sector, a vital component of our economy, is unfortunately undervalued and susceptible to abuse. Notably dominated by women of color, particularly immigrants, domestic workers face a stark reality. But thanks to many members in this body, their future is looking brighter every day.”

“I’m the proud descendant of a domestic worker and I am so honored to see these advocates here today,” Mundon King added.

The resolution notes there are nearly 60,000 domestic workers who “care for the elderly, assist people with disabilities, clean homes, and nurture children, thus freeing up the time and attention of millions of other working families.” Domestic Workers Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia will honor “the contributions of Virginia domestic workers to many individuals and families who benefit from their labor and care, and the powerful organizing domestic workers have coordinated globally to set international standards.”

“When I started this work at Care in Action, we were educating lawmakers about the role of domestic workers and the human rights that were being denied to this workforce,” said Yanet Limon-Amado, Virginia State Director for Care in Action. “Thanks to the support of care champions in the General Assembly, these women are no longer ignored. I’m so grateful to see Virginia recognize the work and care domestic workers provide to individuals and families across the commonwealth.”

“We’ve come a long way in our quest to recognize the important place domestic workers have in our society,” said Senator Angelia Williams Graves. “But make no mistake there’s more work to be done so that every worker in Virginia is treated with dignity, compensated adequately, and has access to quality healthcare for themselves and their families. I’m proud to be a voice and champion of domestic workers in the Virginia Senate and pledge to never back down from this important fight.”

Read the entire resolution:

Recognizing the contributions of nannies, house cleaners, care workers, and other domestic workers whose work support Virginia’s communities and households by declaring June 16th as Domestic Workers Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia

WHEREAS, Every day, domestic workers care for the elderly, assist people with disabilities, clean homes, and nurture children, thus freeing up the time and attention of millions of other working families; and

WHEREAS, Domestic work is routinely undervalued and overlooked, casting domestic workers into the shadows and making their needs invisible; and

WHEREAS, According to a 2022 report by the Economic Policy Institute, 54,236 domestic workers were employed in the Commonwealth of Virginia, including nannies, house cleaners, and home care workers; and

WHEREAS, In the U.S. domestic workers were intentionally excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as a concession to Southern politicians in the early 1900’s; and

WHEREAS, This exclusion was mirrored on the state level, creating an unregulated and underground economy that left domestic workers subject to widespread mistreatment and abuse in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, Without laws to regulate behavior and policies, domestic workers are vulnerable to rampant exploitation including wage theft, sexual harassment and abuse, and discrimination; and

WHEREAS, Domestic workers often have to rely on the good graces of potential employers rather than expect industry standards and practices to protect them; and

WHEREAS, International Domestic Workers Day, June 16, celebrates the 2011 passage of the International Labor Organization Convention 189 for Decent Work for Domestic Workers; and

WHEREAS, In 2010 and 2011 domestic workers from around the world came together to fight to establish the first global standards for the estimated 50 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide; and

WHEREAS, Providing domestic workers with protections equivalent to those available to other workers addresses historic discrimination and frequent exclusion from labor laws for the domestic work sector, and promises better working conditions and better lives; and

WHEREAS, After winning the International Labor Organization Convention 189, domestic workers have continued on with building the International Domestic Workers Federation: a strong, democratic and united domestic workers global organization to protect and advance domestic workers’ rights everywhere; and

WHEREAS, in 2021 Virginia became the first Southern state to extend labor protections to domestic workers by passing the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, and now, eleven states, the District of Columbia, and one municipality have passed Domestic Workers’ Bills of Rights in the U.S. representing a historic step forward for domestic work being recognized as real work and establishing labor protections; and

WHEREAS, Domestic workers have an inherent right to be able to demand more from their industry and be able to engage in dialoguing with employers and government to determine fair standards that honors their humanity; and therefore be it

RESOLVED, BY Commonwealth of Virginia, that it declares June16 as Domestic Workers Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia in honor of the contributions of Virginia domestic workers to many individuals and families who benefit from their labor and care, and the powerful organizing domestic workers have coordinated globally to set international standards.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be presented to Care in Action, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and its domestic worker members in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

###

 

Care in Action is the policy and advocacy home for women who care, working on behalf of more than two million domestic workers and care workers across America. Among the fastest-growing sectors in our economy, domestic workers are also among the most vulnerable and undervalued. As a mostly women and majority women of color workforce, this growing constituency consistently and overwhelmingly supports progressive values in American political life. Learn more at www.careinaction.us.

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