Happy Hour Primer
| “Madam Speaker.” For the first time in the 400-year history of the Virginia General Assembly, a woman was elected Speaker of the House. Del. Filler-Corn was sworn in on Wednesday and joins Charniele Herring, the first woman and African American Majority Leader, and Suzette Denslow, the first woman Clerk of the House of Delegates and Keeper of the Rolls, up on the dais. More than 2,400 bills have already been filed (woah!). This time last year, around 1,600 bills were submitted. Of that massive number of bills, the VCN Legislative Committee is currently monitoring more than 140 of them and VCN has taken positions on 14 pieces of legislation. State of the Commonwealth address features conservation priorities. In his annual State of the Commonwealth address, Gov. Northam highlighted many of our shared conservation priorities including strong investments in natural resources, climate action, meeting our Chesapeake Bay cleanup goals, increasing public transportation, and ensuring environmental justice for all. You can read his full state of the Commonwealth here. Special shout out to VCN partners Hope Cupit (SERCAP) and Bill Street (James River Association), both of whom were one of the 12 guests of the Governor invited to sit in the Gallery for the speech. |
Updates on VCN Priorities
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) back on the docket. VCN and our partners have been working to officially join RGGI for years. Linking to RGGI will reduce carbon pollution, take fossil fuel plants offline in Virginia, and benefit Virginia consumers by lowering utility bills. The funding from RGGI will invest in flooding solutions from sea-level rise, make historic investments in low-income energy efficiency programs, and support long-term climate planning in the Commonwealth through DEQ. VCN supports RGGI bill HB981.
ACTION: Tell legislators to support HB981.
People are still texting and driving. A couple of bills (SB160 and HB874) aim to curb the distracted driving epidemic by banning the use of any handheld device while driving. Current Virginia law forbids entering text or numbers on a phone while driving; however, it is not only wildly unenforceable, but it also doesn’t stop someone from using their phone for any other reason (like checking out VCN’s latest bill positions – please do so responsibly from a non-vehicular, stationary position!). Currently, the District of Columbia and 21 other states have already banned the use of handheld devices while driving. Distracted driving is especially troublesome for cyclist and pedestrian safety.
ACTION: Tell legislators to support SB160 and HB874.
Plastics, plastics, balloons, and more plastics. A big focus of this year’s session from a water perspective will be on reducing the use of single-use plastics. HB507 would ban the outdoor release of any balloon and provides a minimum penalty of $250. Balloons were the most common item recorded in a four-year study on marine debris in Virginia. Under current Virginia law, you can release up to 49 balloons (Carl from Up is going to have a lot to answer for).
ACTION: Tell legislators to support HB507.
Historic increases proposed for the conservation budget. Virginia ranks near the bottom when compared to other states on natural resources funding (47th, in fact). Gov. Northam’s budget released in December made a big step towards many of our priority funding needs, including a $733 million increase in key programs. By investing the resources needed to ensure every Virginian has access to clean air, clean water, and our natural landscapes, Virginia can remain a backstop to federal inaction and become a leader in natural resources protection
ACTION: Tell legislators to support a pro-conservation budget.
Bill Positions
Virginia Conservation Network publishes bill positions every week. These positions have been voted on by our Legislative Committee, comprised of leading environmental organizations in the state, and our board of directors. They are intended to reflect the positions of the broader conservation community and are updated every Friday.
To view this table online with talking points, visit vcnva.org/bill-tracker.