There were 14+ Quakers at the VICPP Day for All People on January 20th from 7 different Monthly Meetings in Virginia – Alexandria, Herndon, Hopewell Centre-Winchester, Maury River – Lexington, Midlothian, Richmond, and Virginia Beach. The following attended from Richmond Meeting: Christy Burns, Rhonda Ligon, Laura Cribbs, Monica Shaw, Ben and Julia Hebner, and myself. We met with our State Delegates and State Senators and discussed key poverty, immigration, social justice, and environmental issues currently before the Virginia General Assembly. Legislators we met with included Del. Jimmy Massie, Del. Betsy Carr, Senator Donald McEachin, Senator Stosch’s aide, and Delegate John O’Bannon’s aide. We would like to thank Christy Burn for providing hospitality for Judia Gallinger, the Quaker from Winchester Meeting who attended.
If you have not yet contacted your own Delegate or State Senator, please take this opportunity to do so since the General Assembly will be over for the year soon after you receive this Newsletter. Please remember that you can help them identify your State Senator & Delegate by accessing the following site where they enter their address: http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.
Following is a link to the key bills VICPP is tracking: https://docs.google.com/a/virginiainterfaithcenter.org/spreadsheets/d/1PSOkDeztK4_lCrS1ocsbdWJrXypml–TNRuIpYjce0I/edit?usp=sharing
Bills being tracked by Virginia Interfaith Center include:
Minimum Wage Increase: VICPP supports HB1512, HB1654, SB681, SB704, SB706 – while it is not likely that these will pass, it is hopeful that SB 704 may gather support so that localities could opt for a higher minimum wage
Virginia’s Earned Income Credit (EIC): VICPP supports SB810 and HB1831 which would make Va’s EIC refundable partly refundable to those who owe no tax. These are both dead for this year.
Redistricting: VICPP is supporting efforts to make the redistricting of State and Federal legislative districts nonpartisan. SJ224 (Lucas) and HJ 584 (Rasul)
Immigration: VICPP opposes efforts to take away in-state tuition from DACA (Dreamers), children of undocumented workers who meet other criteria as state residents. SB722 and HB1356 opposed by VICPP.
Gun Control: VICPP supports SB943 (Favola) which prevent purchase and possession of firearms by those convicted of misdemeanors related to domestic violence, sexual battery, and stalking
Medicaid Expansion: VICPP has continued to work for Medicaid Expansion, though it was clear that nothing would be passed this session. There is still a gap preventing more than 200,000 Virginians from subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
Bills supported by CURE (info from Al Simmons):
Grand larceny; threshold increase: SB1234would increase from $200 to $500 the threshold amount of money taken or value of goods or chattel taken at which the crime rises from petit larceny to grand larceny. The bill increases the threshold by the same amount for the classification of certain property crimes. Passed Senate. In House Courts of Justice (criminal laws)
Environmental Issues (report from Suzanne Keller):
Support two bills that were put forward to help people in the path of the gas pipelines planned to go through Virginia:
Support SB 1338 would repeal the 2004 statute that allows natural gas utilities to enter people’s property without permission. It was left in committee without a vote.
Support SB1166 would have put public service corporations under the freedom of information act to make information more transparent. It was defeated in committee.
Oppose bill drafted by Dominion itself:
SB1349 This is bill that freezes Dominion rates and removes Dominion from the regulatory review that insures they do not overcharge customers. It passed in both houses. PLEASE CONTACT GOV. MCAULIFFE AND ASK HIM TO VETO IT. 786-2211.