Primary is Tuesday, March 3rd!

The 2020 Presidential Primary is on Tuesday, March 3rd! As part of Super Tuesday, Virginia gets to play a major role in the presidential nomination process. Polls will be open from 6 AM – 7 PM. To check your registration status and your polling location, click here

Legislative Highlights from this Week

​A lot happened this week in the General Assembly, especially on Wednesday, which was the deadline by which all revenue bills had to pass both houses. This is because the budget conference committee cannot complete its work hammering out the final details of the budget without knowing the estimated revenue. This meant that Wednesday was a LONG day, but on the bright side we passed the following bills:

• HB 1, which implements no-excuse absentee voting and is an important step to expanding Virginians’ access to the ballot box.
• SB 1 permanently ends the practice of suspending driver’s licenses due to unpaid court fees.
• HB 789, protects Virginians from predatory high-interest lending practices.
• SB 732 expands access to affordable healthcare by establishing a state-based health insurance marketplace.Type your paragraph here.

There are hundreds of other bills working their way through the system, and you can check them out by visiting the Legislative Information System

Grafton Complex Update

York County Public Schools announced the finalized schedule for Grafton Middle School and High School students for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Beginning April 13th, students of Grafton High School and Grafton Middle School will be relocated to Tabb High School and Yorktown Middle School, respectively. In addition, the school day will be slightly longer to make up for lost time caused by the current alternating schedule. For more information, check out the York Public Schools website. Additionally, here is the link to the latest news update.

Where’s My Legislation?

• ​HB 666 – This bill, which clarifies the definition of a dead body in the Code of Virginia, was re-referred from the Senate Education and Health Committee to the Finance and Appropriations Committee.
• HB 668 – My bill to establish base standards for any archaeologist seeking a permit to conduct a dig on state-owned lands passed through the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee. It is now on the way to the Senate floor!

Common Sense Gun Safety Measures

In a huge win for the safety of our Commonwealth, seven of Governor Northam’s proposed gun-safety laws passed in both houses on Wednesday! These reforms will work to reduce gun violence in the Commonwealth. I’m especially excited that my bill, HB 1004, is on its way to the Governor’s desk.

• HB 2: Puts universal background checks in place by closing the private sale loophole.
• HB 9: Requires gun owners to report missing or stolen firearms.
• HB 421: Allows localities to ban guns in public buildings, parks, and other areas.
• HB 674: Allows authorities to temporarily remove firearms from the possession of persons deemed by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others.
• HB 812: Limits handgun purchases to once a month.
• HB 1004: Prevents those subject to a permanent protective order from possessing a firearm.
• HB 1083: Prohibits persons from recklessly leaving an unsecured, loaded firearm with an unsupervised child.

Conference Committees have Begun

​When the House or Senate amends a bill and the other chamber disagrees on the changes, conference committees convene to reach an agreement on the legislation. As we go into the last week of session, there are a number of conference committees currently at work.

Wondering if a bill you care about has gone to a conference? Go to the LIS search, type in the bill you’re tracking, and scroll to the bottom of the page to check its whereabouts.

Yours,

Delegate Michael P. Mullin