We just ended the 7th week of the 2022 Virginia General Assembly Session. This newsletter has updates and news on the Commonwealth and the 93rd district. Keep reading to hear about what happened this week in the General Assembly, local announcements, and more!
The Seventh Week of Session in Review
The Senate’s legislation has continued moving forward through subcommittees and voting has begun on the House floor. Senate bills will go through House committees and votes will be heard on the House floor. Conference committees will be held and the resulting bills will return to both chambers for a final round of votes before heading to the Governor’s mansion. This week we worked to balance the state’s budget for the final months of 2022 and prepared the budget for the next two years.
Presidents Day
The boys were off school because of the Federal Holiday so Rebecca brought the boys up to the Capital!
BOB BROWN
CNU Lobby Day
The Christopher Newport University Captains were in the Capital Thursday morning! It was awesome to spend the morning with these student lobbyists to answer questions and hear about their interest in local and state government. CNU Lobby day is an annual opportunity for students to come up to Richmond and experience a typical day in the Virginia General Assembly. Go Captains!
Williamsburg Bray School project awarded $5M from The Mellon Foundation
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and William & Mary received a $5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the preservation, research, and restoration of the Williamsburg Bray School. The Bray School was an institution chartered to provide Christian Education to Black children in the late 1700s. The Foundation and William & Mary hope to relocate and restore the Bray school in time for the anniversary of its closing. Funding will also create programming targeted at educating visitors and residents of its impact. You can learn more about the Bray School Project and the grant HERE!
Legislative Updates
Overall we brought seventeen bills to session and four bills made it through the house and actions have been taken in the Senate.
- HB 496 our bill to change the term “incapacitated adult” to “vulnerable adult” for the purposes of the crime of abuse and neglect of such adults
- Passed the House (100-Y 0-N)
- Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- Reported from Judiciary with substitute (13-Y 1-N)
- Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
- HB 497 this bill creates a penalty for the misuse of power of attorney; financial exploitation of incapacitated adults passed the House
- Passed the House (99-Y 0-N)
- Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- Reported from Judiciary (14-Y 0-N)
- Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
- Read third time: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
- HB 502 our bill to give credit for time spent in confinement while awaiting trial
- Passed the House (99-Y 0-N)
- Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- Reported from Judiciary (15-Y 0-N)
- HB 508 our bill to preserve and honor the history of Green book was turned into a Budget Language Amendment in Item 126 #5h
With Senate bills moving through the House we are eager to hear your input and have your support or concerns considered!
See a full list of our bills HERE
Our Budget Amendments:
All of these amendments to the house budget will help to ensure that our district receives funding for important projects. Here is a list of the budget amendments that were included
- Item 468 #2h, Encroachment Mitigation – Joint Base Langley Eustis
This amendment sets aside $350,000 per year of the biennium to be used for encroachment mitigation in the vicinity of Joint Base Langley-Eustis. A military construction project that will commence in calendar year 2022 will build a new access control point on approximately 13 acres of property in Newport News. Funds allocated for land purchases will be matched on a 1:1 basis by non-State dollars.
- Christopher Newport University – Operating Support
This amendment provides $5.0 million in operating support for Christopher Newport University. 2022 was the fourth consecutive year of level tuition, a smaller freshman class, one-time funding sources, and cost pressures.
- In the SENATE: Item 136 #2s, Soundscapes
This amendment provides $90,000 each year from the general fund to the City of Newport News for the Soundscapes music education program. This program teaches critical life skills to socio-economically disadvantaged youth through a rigorous, daily after school curriculum beginning in second grade through high school.
Floor Speech: To restore Funding for Virginia Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention
This past Thursday, “Budget Day” I gave a speech on the house floor to object to a budget amendment that would remove funding from public health research on gun violence. Gun violence is rising in our Commonwealth and we need to do everything we can, including research, to reverse this trend. I have supported funding in prevention initiatives in the past and I want to make sure that the commonwealth is spending our tax money as effectively as possible.
You can watch my whole speech here!
The Annual Massey Capitol Square Classic & Fundraiser
The annual Massey Capitol Square Classic is back this year on March 2. Each year, members of the Virginia Senate versus the House of Delegates, and lobbyists versus the Governor of Virginia’s Office go head-to-head on the basketball court at the VCU Siegel Center to raise funds for cancer research at VCU Massey Cancer Center.
The House Team is bringing the competition to new heights this year. Del. Carrie E. Coyner (Chesterfield R-62), shared that if the House exceeds last year’s total of $10,441, I will shave my mustache live during halftime in a new ceremonial shaving of the mustache. If Team House can surpass $15,000 raised, I will allow Del. Matt Farris (Campbell R-59) to do the shaving honors. The House vs. Senate tipoff is 8 PM on March 2, 2022. Learn more and donate to your favorite team HERE.
That’s all for this newsletter, thanks for reading! Keep connected with our office by calling (757) 525-9526, emailing DelMMullin@house.virginia.gov, or @mikemullin4va on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If my office can ever be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Be well,
Mike