Representing Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax

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.
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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 examined more than 3000 bills this session (a new record) and passed a remarkable 1351 (also a new record). 385 bills were carried over into next year, and 285 bills were consolidated with others.

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!
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The Virginia General Assembly's 2020 legislative session is over. We adjourned sine die yesterday on Thursday, March 12.

We will meet again on April 22 for a one-day session to vote on the Governor's amendments and vetoes.

I've been compiling a list of legislative accomplishments to send you, which I still hope and expect to send out over the weekend, but events related to COVID-19 have kept me focused on that crisis.
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While you are reading this email, I'm on the road, wending my way back to Richmond for the final day of Session. I got up at 5:30 am this morning so I can make it to the Capitol in time for 9 am Caucus and our 10 am session. If all goes well, I'll be back in Alexandria and finally be able to stay home for awhile for some badly-needed rest and relaxation. It feels good to sleep in my own bed again and not to have to worry that I'll oversleep an alarm and possibly lose three of my bills.
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We are almost done! I'm back in Alexandria for some short rest and relaxation and then we return to Richmond tomorrow to finish the budget and appoint some judges. I expect we will adjourn tomorrow sine die.

So very soon, you will get my newsletter featuring the great many successes of our progressive caucus and details on the fate of all my bills. It may take more than one newsletter to tell you everything. Here's a quick preview!

But before diving into my summary of the past week in Richmond, I want to be sure you know where to find important and accurate information about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
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As many of you know, two days ago, I endorsed former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who -- I'm sorry to say  -- just announced he quit the race. Oops. My timing may not have been the greatest...

Because I had to vote absentee (since I'll be in Richmond on Tuesday), I cast my vote for him on Saturday. Now I've lost my vote. Ack!

I'm not happy about it. But hopefully, I'll never lose my vote again. I'm looking forward to the Virginia bill I copatroned becoming law which will allow all of us to vote absentee on the Sunday and Monday before Election Day and even on Election Day, so long as the ballot is postmarked by Election Day. If this legislation had been the law right now, I wouldn't have lost my vote this Tuesday. I suspect it will be the law for every future election, including this November. 
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This Tuesday, March 3, is the Democratic Presidential Primary in Virginia. Virginians will help decide who will take on Donald Trump this November.

Polls are open on Election Day from 6 am to 7 pm. You will vote at your regular polling location. More details on where and when to vote below.

We are fortunate to have several truly outstanding public servants and candidates running to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. I will work my heart out to elect whomever ends up being the nominee.
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