I will be hosting my Mark's Monthly Meetup via Facebook Live. You can watch my meetup live by simply going to my official Facebook page between 1 and 3 pm this afternoon. The recording will be archived on Facebook as well.
The League is hosting its virtual post-legislative session forum this evening at 7pm! I am not the only elected official taking part tonight. Senators Barbara Favola, Janet Howell, and Adam Ebbin and my fellow Delegates Patrick Hope, Alfonso Lopez, and Rip Sullivan are participating.
Governor Northam yesterday announced the most drastic measures yet in our Commonwealth's collective fight to stop the spread of COVID-19. This is vitally important information that I urge you to read in this newsletter.
Hopefully, you are well and taking precautions to avoid the Covid-19 virus. I've now sent out several emails detailing how to protect yourself and others from the pandemic that you can find on my website at MarkforDelegate.com
We must all keep in mind, as we practice social distancing over the next few weeks, that we are fighting to save not just our own lives but the lives of everyone else in our community. Banning together in times of crisis to look out for the vulnerable people among us is among our best traditions.
We are all our brothers' keepers and our sisters' keepers.
Before I get to the joy of telling you about all the bills I passed this session (PART THREE, for those anxiously awaiting), I have the more grim yet vital task of updating you on what your state and local governments are doing to minimize both the spread and the negative impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has on the lives of all Virginians, especially our most vulnerable. By now, you know that schools are canceled and many companies are encouraging people to work from home.
I proudly share with you PART TWO of the MANY successes of the Virginia General Assembly's 2020 legislative session, which adjourned sine die on Thursday, March 12: Redistricting, Budget, and More.
Understanding that issues are interconnected, I broke the bills down roughly by issue areas so you can review to the area which interests you most, but I certainly encourage you to read about everything.
There's a ton of information in this newsletter. So much that I again ran out of space for the email client! So this is just Part One.
The 2020 Virginia General Assembly addressed a wide variety of progressive priorities that had stagnated in the more than a quarter-century since Virginia Democrats were last in power.
We passed legislation that will make Virginia more prosperous, healthier, more inclusive, and more equitable. I can't possibly detail all 1,351 bills we approved, but I can provide below the highlights of substantial major legislation we approved and I supported. There's a lot of it!