Advocating for Survivors

On Wednesday, I participated in a press conference alongside Delegate Karrie Delaney and Senator Creigh Deeds to speak on our bills that advocate for survivors of sexual violence. I’m thankful for the survivors who came and spoke about the need for these important pieces of legislation. I also presented HB 475, my bill to create a sexual assault forensic examiner program in the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in subcommittee on Wednesday and it passed out unanimously and is now on its way to the Appropriations Committee. 

Where in the World is My Legislation?

HB 257: This bill grants more power to school principals to utilize their discretion when handling disciplinary measures. Similar to HB 256, this bill strives to eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline by allowing school principals to determine whether or not certain actions ought to be referred to law enforcement. The bill passed through the Education Committee 20-2!

HB 668: This bill ensures that proper archaeological methods will be carried out by placing restrictions on who may apply for digs. This legislation is crucial to protecting historic artifacts by ensuring that proper procedure is carried out during field research. The bill passed through the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee on a 18-4 decision.

This week, a number of my bills made it to the floor for a vote. 

• HB 1004, which requires subjects of a permanent protective order to surrender their firearm(s), passed through the House on a 56-42 vote. I am happy to see bipartisan support for common sense gun legislation.
• I am also excited to report the passage of one of my bills focused on the school-to-prison pipeline. HB 256 ends the practice of charging students with disorderly conduct for actions that are better handled within the school system. The bill passed the House with sweeping bipartisan support, receiving a 61-37 vote.

Additionally, Delegate Lamont Bagby’s bill, HB 789, that protects individuals from predatory lending and unfair practices lending practices passed the House! I’m proud to be a co-patron on this bill and to have been one of the 65 yeas that helped to pass this bill out of the House. This is a huge step in the right direction.

​ERA Part II

A Big Week for Workers

On Tuesday, HB 395, which would raise the state minimum wage to $9.00 per hour, passed through the Labor and Commerce subcommittee, of which I am a member. This is a big win for workers across the state and is a step in the right direction in the fight for $15.

Additionally, Delegate Elizabeth Guzman’s bill HB 582passed through the Labor and Commerce Committee! I am so proud to serve as the chief co-patron of this bill, as it provides the crucial right of collective bargaining for service workers. Overall, this week has been a great one for workers across our Commonwealth.Type your paragraph here.

Visits of the Week

In the midst of a busy week, I had a series of exciting visits, ranging from dedicated advocacy groups to bonafide celebrities! 

I was especially excited to have two special visitors! I got the chance to meet Mike Rizzo, General Manager of the Washington Nationals, and even got to hold the (surprisingly heavy) World Series Commissioner’s Trophy (pictured left). I also had the privilege of meeting Bishop Barry C. Knestout of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond (pictured right)! This job really comes with great perks.

Thanks for keeping up with our updates! This coming week may be the busiest one yet as we approach Crossover on February 11th, when all the bills that have passed out of the House are sent to the Senate for consideration, and vice versa. So be sure to keep an eye out for next week’s newsletter! As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me about the issues that are important to you.

​​Yours,

Delegate Michael P. Mullin