Friends,
It is ridiculous that the Democrats continue to drag our Commonwealth along without a budget. I'm eagerly awaiting the call to come back to Richmond and get this sorted out for you. But despite the Democrats continuing to drag out the budget process, we have had a ton of big wins this year under our new Governor Glenn Youngkin. I'm thankful I have already been able to stop some of the crazier things the Democrats were looking to do with our budget, such as a massive restriction on our First Amendment rights that they tried to sneak in. I'm eager to get this budget finalized and make sure it includes SB528, a bill Governor Youngkin asked me to carry, that will get our retired veterans tax cuts to the tune of $300,000,000 over the next two years.
Besides SB528, I've gotten nearly a dozen bills on the Governor's desk this year, including one that bans the practice of ticket quotas in police departments. Unfortunately several bills I was excited to carry this year, such as Constitutional concealed carry and a bill opposing Chinese espionage in our universities, died in committee. And while I hate losing more than I like winning, for now I want to focus on a key win on an issue that is so important to all of us - parental rights.
SB739, which I was proud to be a Co-Patron of this year, was signed into law by Governor Youngkin in February ending the mask mandate in our schools. More than just being the co-patron on this bill, I've been a long time ardent fighter for parental rights in the General Assembly. My bill SB908, that Governor McDonnell signed into law in 2013, served as part of the legal basis for SB739, by enshrining into law "that parents have the fundamental right to the care, upbringing, and education of their children." I was happy to join Governor Youngkin for the public signing of SB739 earlier this year.
Part of being a Senator is going to Richmond where we fight for legislation we believe in and oppose bad legislation. But another part, one that can often get over looked, is leading in our community. That is why when I heard about the City of Charlottesville's illegal plans to destroy the statue of Robert E. Lee, that has stood there for nearly 100 years, I immediately went to work helping the lawsuit trying to stop it.
When Judge Franzen in Orange tried to tear down a statue in front of the courthouse in the heart of Orange, I joined with my constituents at a protest that morning that resulted in Judge Franzen backing down. I fought hard in the General Assembly to make it illegal to destroy our statues and our history, but I also make sure to be out on the front lines with my constituents when we need to fight for what we believe in. As an elected leader, I am here to serve the public - my constituents know they can count on me to stand with them. Following the protest I filed a JIRC Complaint against Judge Franzen, because this behavior is unacceptable.
I'm proud to serve our community as a State Senator, just as I was proud to serve as a police officer and serve our nation in the Army. We've accomplished a lot in the Senate this year, and I'm looking forward to finalizing the budget. If you ever have questions about what we are working on you can always reach out to my office.
In service,
Bryce Reeves
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