Miyares Weekly Roundup

Life is Beautiful The 5th annual Virginia March For Life brought hundreds of pro-life advocates to Capitol Square on Wednesday. Attorney General Miyares had the honor of speaking before the march began where he highlighted the compassionate work Pregnancy Center charities do in the face of adversary.

Southwest Virginia Comes to Richmond  Attorney General Miyares enjoyed welcoming Southwest Virginia leaders to Richmond yesterday. It's always a good day when SWVA comes to town!

On Thursday, Attorney General Miyares announced the successful prosecution of a Richmond man for possession of child pornography. After being found guilty by a jury, the Richmond City Circuit Court sentenced the man to a total of 10 years in prison.    "Upholding Virginia law and protecting our children is one of my office's most important responsibilities. I'm proud of our collaboration with local law enforcement to ensure justice was served."   – Attorney General Miyares

Law Enforcement Roundtable in Yorktown On Friday, Attorney General Miyares held a roundtable discussion with law enforcement officers in Yorktown. Thank you for sharing observations and recommendations from the LEO perspective about how we can continue to collaborate to ensure our communities are safe.

A Warm New Kent Welcome Attorney General Miyares visited New Kent this week to meet with and listen to Virginians express the most pressing concerns they're facing in their day-to-day lives.  AG Miyares also enjoyed meeting with community leaders in New Kent.

New Kent Sheriff's Office

AG Miyares always likes hearing directly from law enforcement officers about how he can further support their efforts to protect our communities.

Honoring the contributions and achievements of Black Virginians this Black History Month. Attorney General Jason Miyares Releases Report on Virginia Parole Board:  'Worse than we thought'  READ A SUMMARY OF THE FULL REPORT READ THE FULL REPORT

Until next time, Team Miyares

From Congressman Bob Good

Committed to Serving You in the 118th Congress I am ready to continue my service on the House Education and the Workforce and Budget Committees in the 118th Congress, and I am honored to have been named Chairman of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee. On the Education and the Workforce Committee, I will continue working to empower parents in education, provide them more choice, and rid our school systems of the woke agenda of the left. As Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee, I will work to diminish the harmful actions of union bosses, facilitate a business climate that encourages job and wage growth, and reduce the federal regulatory overreach that is hurting our economy. On the Budget Committee, I will continue the fight for transformational change to the way Washington operates, and put the brakes on the Democrats' out-of-control borrowing and spending.

Put American Workers First Our economic recovery from the damage of the 2020 pandemic has been stifled by radical Democrat policies that discourage work, enable big labor, and punish small businesses. When I was in college, I worked in a unionized auto factory and saw firsthand the problems unions can create. Unions make American companies less efficient, less profitable, and less competitive, and they cost American jobs. Rather than working to eliminate unnecessary regulations and reduce tax burdens, Democrats want to give union bosses unrestricted power. I am committed to putting American workers first. This week in Washington, I renewed my commitment to boldly stand up to union bosses and radical labor policies by introducing three pro-American worker bills. American businesses deserve policies that work for them, not against them. First, I introduced the Repeal Davis-Bacon Act that would get rid of the Jim Crow era "Davis-Bacon" law requiring the government to pay the "prevailing wage" which inflates the cost of taxpayer funded construction and infrastructure. I also introduced the Prohibit Neutrality Agreements Act, to empowers employers to contract with employees and labor organizations as they see fit without being subject to coercive union tactics and smear campaigns. Finally, my Union Integrity Act would provide strong whistleblower protections for union employees who want to reveal the corrupt and illegal practices of union bosses.

On the Floor This week on the House floor, I voted to end Biden's Public Health Emergency. Healthcare workers shouldn't have to comply with Biden's outdated COVID regulations, and it's time to end the unscientific vaccine and mask mandates. The pandemic is long over, and our policies should reflect that reality. Democrats don't think federal employees should have to show up to the office. Not only have people in the 5th District been showing up every day and working hard, but it has been difficult for them to get a government employee on the phone when they need help. It's time to put the pandemic behind us and get all federal employees back to work, which is why I proudly voted YES on the SHOW Up Act on Wednesday.

Standing Up for Free Speech Conservative voices and channels such as Newsmax and OAN face the threat of deplatforming by Big Tech companies like DIRECTV. On Tuesday, I raised my concerns on the House floor about the suppression of conservative speech. Whatever happened to classical liberalism, where we allow a variety of viewpoints to be heard and let people think for themselves?

GOOD News from Washington

Holding Biden Officials Accountable for the Border Invasion This week, I joined several of my colleagues at a press conference to share our concerns about the Southern border invasion and how Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has failed the American people. Thank you to my friend Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona for leading the charge on the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.

Meetings in Washington This week in my DC office, I enjoyed meeting with the National District Attorney's Association. Thank you to Vice President Eric Olsen and the Virginia prosecutors who stopped by to discuss criminal justice in the Commonwealth.

I was pleased to meet with the Saunders family, a 4th generational farming family from Virginia's 5th District. We discussed the importance of making all levels of government work for the American farmers that are critical to our communities.

In the District On Friday, I attended a breakfast organized by the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, a local networking event for business and community leaders presented by Foster Fuels. Centra, the largest healthcare provider in central Virginia, opened a new presurgery center in Lynchburg. It was a pleasure attending the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new location, where I was able to meet many local healthcare professionals who serve our community.

Working for You One of the ways we work to serve you more effectively is by conducting Mobile Office Hours in your community. Each month members of my team travel the 5th District to bring you the convenience of meeting with a congressional staff member face-to-face. On Tuesday, February 7, the team will be in Fluvanna County from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Albemarle County from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. On Wednesday, February 8, they will be in Amelia County from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Powhatan County from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. On Thursday, February 9, they will be in Goochland and Lunenburg Counties and the city of Danville from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and then in Hanover, Pittsylvania, and Prince Edward Counties from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information please call my District Office at (434) 791-2596. You do not need to visit us during Mobile Office Hours to receive assistance from my office. Whether you need help with a federal agency, are trying to find out if federal grants are available for your local project, or are considering applying to a service academy, you can visit the following link to see how my staff and I are here to serve you: good.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency. I look forward to continuing to update you on my actions to keep our communities safe, protect the unborn, and put Americans first. For daily updates you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Gettr. I will continue to do my best going forward to fight for you in Congress and for the principles that continue to make America the greatest nation in our history. Sincerely, Bob Good Member of Congress

From Delegate Phillip Scott

Weekly Newsletter

Edition LXXIV

Friends, the fourth week of session has come to an end.   We are getting ready for crossover, when all House bills will head over to the Senate and Senate bills come to the house.   HB1871- This bill will extend Concealed Handgun Permits from 5 to 10 years. I would love for Virginia to adopt constitutional carry. HB1871 would be a step in that direction. It passed out of committee on party lines and picked up a Democrat vote.   HB1866- This would automatically reinstate ABC licenses suspended due to a health code violation. This bill will not fix the many issues with ABC, but it is a start. It passed out of committee on party lines. It does not change the structure of ABC. It does not take away the power of the ABC board. However, I will be looking at ways to address those problems of our state government in the future. All it does is create a mechanism that as long as an ABC license is not suspended due to an ABC violation but suspended solely related to a health department suspension, it will automatically be reinstated. Still, Democrats oppose this bill. However, we did pick up a Democrat vote on this bill too.   HB1869- This bill addresses the numerous boards and commissions created each year by the General Assembly. It is a way to keep the size of government in check and stay accountable for how tax dollars are spent.

This week, I had the honor of meeting and praying with a large group that was in Richmond for the Virginia March for Life on Wednesday, February 1.

Legislation Corner

On Friday, the House passed HJR 510. This resolution designates March as Trisomy Awareness Month. The resolution is below. My daughter Brianna has Trisomy 18.

2023 Session Update Videos

The Culpeper County Republican Committee cordially invites you to the 11th Annual Reagan Legacy Dinner

 

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Tuscany Hall

Keynote Speaker:  Steve Myers, Speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

Purchase your tickets today using the link below!

Reagan Legacy Dinner Tickets

Sandy Boone

Corresponding Secretary, CCRC

Visit www.culpepergop.org for all the latest news and events.

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Week 4 Update

From Senator Mark Peake

22^nd Senatorial District

INTRODUCTION

The fourth week of the 2023 General Assembly session featured longer committee hearings inside and more seasonably cold temperatures outside. February 7, known as crossover, is the deadline for the Senate to complete work on the bills filed by senators and the House to do the same with bills filed by delegates. Traditionally, the days leading up to crossover are among the longest of session, with debates on bills continuing well into the evenings.  

TAXES AND THE BUDGET

Although the General Assembly will pass hundreds of pieces of legislation without opposition this year, the bills that receive the greatest share of coverage from the news media are usually the ones that pass or fail narrowly.  Of those that fall into this close-vote category, most attention is given to the bills that pass or fail on a "party-line" vote.

In actuality, there are comparatively few bills that pass or fail on party-line votes.  With hundreds of bills already acted upon by the House and Senate this session, only a few dozen that have made it to the floors of either chamber have been approved or denied with all Republicans voting one way and all Democrats voting the other.
Legislation that gains widespread, bipartisan support – and there are a lot of very important and significant bills that do – customarily don't generate headlines or breaking news bulletins on the six o'clock news.
Since Republicans have the majority in the House and Democrats the majority in the Senate, some anticipate each side will defeat the bills passed by the other when they come up for review after crossover.  Assuredly, this will happen in many cases.  There are strong, principled disagreements between representatives of both parties over major issues.  There may be, however, opportunities for compromise that emerge later in the process.
As a case in point, consider Governor Youngkin's tax relief proposal.  The House already approved its version of the bill on a party-line vote, while the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee defeated our version on a party-line vote.  But, that doesn't mean the debate over tax relief is over for this session.

This weekend, the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees will release their respective packages of amendments to the 2022-2024 budget.  Presumably, the House version will incorporate the provisions of Governor Youngkin's tax relief plan and the Senate version will not.  Both chambers will approve their versions of the budget on February 9 and negotiations over the different versions will begin shortly thereafter.  Ultimately, it will be those negotiations that determine how much tax relief Virginians will be receiving this year.   

I submitted a budget amendment seeking $1M to conduct cyanobacteria mitigation and/or remediation activities on Lake Anna in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services. The budget amendment request is to protect the health and safety of the lake and those who use it.

LEGISLATION

Most of my legislation has now been considered by committees. On Tuesday, in the Education and Health Subcommittee. I introduced three bills. Senate Bill (SB) 960, "Youth Health Protections Act," was recommended to the Education and Health Committee to pass by indefinitely. SB 1132, "Criminal History Record Information; Dissemination," was passed through the subcommittee and recommended to the Education and Health Committee to report. SB 972, "State health commissioner; powers in epidemic, religious tenets or practices," was recommended to the Education and Health Committee to pass the bill by indefinitely. Also, on Tuesday, in the Privileges and Elections Committee, SJ 235 "Convention of States" was officially passed by indefinitely.

On Thursday, SB 960, SB 962, and SB 972 were all passed by indefinitely by the full Education and Health committee. SB 1132, SB 964, and SB 1054 were reported from the Education and Health Committee and will go to the full Senate.

On Wednesday, I before the Senate Finance and Appropriation Committee to present SB 966, "Jails, local; compensation for cost of incarceration." Unfortunately, the bill was passed by indefinitely by a vote of 16-0.

In the Judiciary Committee, I introduced SB 989, "Crime victim rights; notification from the attorney of the Commonwealth." The bill was reported in an 11-1 vote with 2 abstentions.

The unanimously passed bills that went through the full Senate this week were: SB 973, "Sexually violent predators; civil commitment, penalty," SB 988, "Virginia Consumer Protection Act; exclusions; residential home sales between private parties."

 
VISITORS AND LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Several days of rain and even a few snow flurries were not enough to deter visitors from stopping by our offices in Room E615 in the Pocahontas Building this week. A pro-life rally, groups from Radford, the Amherst & Campbell County Sheriff's offices, and Autism Awareness advocates— we had a lot of groups here this week.

 
 

If you've got something on your mind about this year's session, you can send us an email at District22@senate.virginia.gov or call our offices at (804) 698-7522.

 
CLOSING

Next week, we'll know exactly what bills have and haven't made it through crossover.  And the House and Senate budget amendment proposals will be debated and approved.  I'll have the latest details for next week's column.  Until then, have a great weekend!  

Senator Mark Peake

22^nd Senatorial District

Judges, Bail, Heroes and Budget

Fom Senator Mark Obenshain

 

It has been a very busy two weeks here at the General Assembly as we prepare for Crossover (the official halfway point of session) next week.

 

Yesterday, on a party line vote, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to kill two public safety bills that I patroned. The first would have established a criminal penalty for individuals who intend to intimidate a judge by picketing or parading near the home of that judge.

Threats against judges are up 400% since 2016, many of which were motivated by political extremism. In 2022, an armed man attempted to kidnap or murder Brett Kavanaugh and his family. In 2020, a federal judge's son was killed and her husband was seriously wounded after a man targeted them in their own home.

Our judges are critical to our democracy and we depend on them to administer justice by applying the law, not out of fear or intimidation. Moreover, there is just no excuse for the deliberate efforts of political extremists whether from the right or the left to target or intimidate the families of these public servants.

Another bill killed, on a party line vote by Senate Democrats, was one that would have established judicial presumption that those arrested for rape, robbery, or murder would not be released on bail. As a part of the Democrats' so called "social-justice reforms" the past few years, progressives in the Virginia House and Senate removed all presumptions against bail that existed in our code, even for the worst of the worst -- those accused of rape, robbery, or murder.

This reckless "reform" has put dangerous offenders back on the street where they are free to reoffend while awaiting trial. Such was the case in the tragic murder of Karla Dominguez in Alexandria after her accused rapist was released on bond he murdered her.

Look, I get it. It's an election year and Senate Democrats are looking to solidify support from their ultra-liberal base voters who often push policies that overlook the safety of families across the Commonwealth for the sake of so-called social justice. What they fail to recognize is that they are applying "Social-Justice" in ways that ignore victims -- and many of these victims are persons of color.

I will continue to stand up for the safety of neighborhoods, communities and families, election year or not.

On a more positive note, my SB 1220 to  name the westbound bridge on Rt. 211 in Luray after fallen Stanley Police Officer Dominick 'Nick' J. Winum unanimously reported from the Senate Transportation Committee.  Officer Winum was killed in the line of duty almost two years ago while selflessly protecting members of his community.  He was a former State Trooper and one of his favorite spots to sit while on patrol was on the westbound side of Rt. 211 outside Luray to overlook the Shenandoah River and the scenic views of the Valley.  It is only fitting that this bridge be named in honor of Officer Winum. SB 1220 will be on the Senate Floor Monday for final passage.

This week marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic incident at Bridgewater College. The loss of Officers John Painter and J.J. Jefferson still stings our community. After their death, it came to light that their families were not eligible for any death benefits as police officers because private college police departments were not eligible to enroll in the state administered Line of Duty Act (LODA.)  I am grateful that Governor Youngkin offered a budget amendment last year providing both families with the death benefit that would have been available to any other law enforcement office who died in the line of duty. I strongly suspect that this was an inadvertent oversight that escaped notice until the death of two officers. I promised the Governor and private colleges last year that I would introduce legislation this year to make them eligible to enroll in this program. If a private college elects to enroll, they would be required to pay premiums for participation, so they will pay their own way.

 

I am pleased to report that this legislation, SB 1228 passed the Senate unanimously and now makes its way to the House. With the advancement of my bill, we are making progress in our efforts to do right by law enforcement officers and their families.

 

This weekend, the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees will release their respective packages of amendments to the 2022-2024 budget.  Both chambers will approve their versions of the budget on February 9 and negotiations over the different versions will begin shortly thereafter. Ultimately, it will be those negotiations that determine how much tax relief Virginians will receive this year.  Presumably, the House version will incorporate most provisions of Governor Youngkin's tax relief plan and the Senate version will not.

 

I submitted a budget amendment seeking $235M to expedite safety improvements along the I-81 Corridor. Last year I-64 received double that amount for widening projects near Williamsburg..  Just this week, yet another serious crash on 81 resulted in multiple fatalities. 

 

You can look here for a full list of the bills I am carrying this session.  I will continue to provide updates on significant developments during the course of Session. If you have opinions (pro or con), questions or concerns about any legislation before the General Assembly, please do not hesitate to share those with me. You can always reach me by email at mark@markobenshain.com and my office can be reached at either 804-698-7526 (Richmond Office) or 540-437-1451 (Harrisonburg District Office.)  Should you be in Richmond at any point during the General Assembly Session, please stop by my office (Room 502), say hello, and let us know if we can do anything for you during your visit.

 

I always enjoy visiting and meeting with groups and constituents from home. The last two weeks I've had the pleasure to visit with Old Dominion Association of Christian Schools students, Blue Ridge Beverage Company, JMU President Jon Alger, Pro-Life Advocates, Page County Sheriff Chad Cubbage and his Deputy Sheriffs, Brain Injury Connections of the Shenandoah Valley, JMU Victim Assistance program, and local dentists as part of Virginia Dental Association Day.

Best,

Mark

Empowering Communist China

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

By Gary Bauer

It cannot be repeated often enough that the radical "green agenda" is empowering communist China, especially the way Biden is implementing it. 

 

Every day by its actions, the Chinese communist regime is neutralizing anything we claim to be doing to stop the earth's temperature from rising. But Biden is telling them that he cares about this issue more than anything else, and they have already exploited that fact to force concessions from him.

 

As we have reported, communist China is preparing for war, and it will not be a "green war." It will be a war that will be won or lost based on carbon energy and fossil fuels. 

 

As you know, Biden has drained one-third of our emergency oil supply, and is now refusing to refill it. 

 

What is communist China doing? It is massively expanding its own oil supplies, in part by buying the oil Biden released from our reserve! 

 

The missiles and military aircraft that we will depend on in any future conflict are not powered by solar panels or windmills. 

 

The Abrams tanks that Biden has now agreed to send to Ukraine don't measure fuel consumption in "miles per gallon," but "gallons per mile." They can burn up to three gallons of carbon-based fuel (usually jet fuel) for every mile traveled. There are serious questions about Ukraine's ability to supply and fuel these tanks.

 

And speaking of these tanks, less than one year ago, Biden dismissed the idea of sending "offensive equipment" like tanks to Ukraine, saying, "Don't kid yourself, no matter what y'all say, that's called World War III."

 

The factories we need to grow our industrial base, which the experts tell us is not capable of rearming America in a war, run on energy created from fossil fuels not windmills. The electricity they use is fueled by natural gas, coal and nuclear power.

 

None of these facts are going to change anytime soon.

SR87 Life Begins at Conception Act to be Presented this Friday by Senator Amanda Chase

February 1, 2022

This Act Recognizes that the Right to Life Begins at Conception

CHESTERFIELD, VA - Friday, February 3, Senator Amanda Chase will present SR87, otherwise known as the Life Begins at Conception Act, to recognize the science, that life begins at conception.

The American College of Pediatrics in March 2017 clearly defined the science; life begins at conception or fertilization:

"The predominance of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception—fertilization. 

At fertilization, the human being emerges as a whole, genetically distinct, individuated zygotic living human organism, a member of the species Homo sapiens, needing only the proper environment in order to grow and develop.

The difference between the individual in its adult stage and in its zygotic stage is one of form, not nature. This statement focuses on the scientific evidence of when an individual human life begins."



"Regardless of an individual's political, ideological or religious belief, the science clearly states that life begins at conception or the moment of fertilization."

"While we may share passionate differences in opinion on whether a mother can abort innocent life and when, the fact still remains; life begins at fertilization."

"If we're going to advocate supporting the science, then we must recognize this simple fact before any other debate can begin." Senator Amanda Chase

Senator Amanda Chase will present SR87 The Life Begins at Conception Act before the Senate Rules Committee in Room 3 at 10am at the Capitol in Senate Room 3, this coming Friday, February 3 .

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