Governor Youngkin is Sworn into Office – The Debate Begins

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Dear Friend,

The first week of session has been eventful. Governor Northam gave his farewell State of the Commonwealth speech and it was an uplifting presentation of all that his administration accomplished. I felt enormous pride in the progress we have made in moving Virginia towards a more perfect union.

Overview of Governor Youngkin’s Inaugural Address - On Saturday, January 15, Governor Youngkin was sworn into office. His speech was conciliatory, but paradoxical. For example, Governor Youngkin focused on important educational gaps that must be addressed such as continuing to increase teacher pay, ensuring that developmentally disabled children received the services they need, and promoting parental choice, albeit through a charter school system that could lack accountability measures. But he also vowed to repeal the recent increase in the gasoline tax, significantly increase the standard deduction on the state income tax, and reduce the real estate tax (which is a locally controlled tax that funds public schools and other important services). It is impossible to achieve the educational goals that Youngkin claims are important by cutting taxes as deeply as he is proposing.

Governor Northam left Governor Youngkin with a $2.6B budget surplus, but much of that money is one-time money. If it is used for ongoing tax cuts, we would be creating a structural deficit in the state’s budget. Although growth in ongoing revenue has exceeded expectations, there are many outstanding commitments that the Commonwealth needs to honor before deep tax cuts should be considered. Senator Walter Stosch, a moderate Republican who chaired the Senate Finance Committee when I first arrived in the Senate, always used to say “The state should pay its outstanding bills before offering up tax cuts.” The amazing thing about Senator Stosch is that he kept a list of those outstanding bills in his Senate desk! I think the new Republican team would be served well by adhering to Senator Stosch’s advice.

Cultural Issues Become Front and Center - Governor Youngkin has already issued Executive Orders that in some cases ignore current law or address non-existent issues. His first Executive Order bans the teaching of critical race theory (CRT), something that is not currently taught in Virginia’s K-12 schools. Another “hot topic” that Governor Youngkin is trying to address through an executive order is the wearing of masks in public schools. The General Assembly passed a law that requires school systems to abide by CDC guidelines. The CDC recommends the wearing of masks in schools because so many young people are not yet vaccinated. We need to protect our children. Yet, Governor Youngkin’s executive order contradicts the law that is in place and states that parents may decide whether their child should wear a mask or not. I believe we have to find a balance on the scale of individual rights versus collective responsibilities.

If you wish to review all of Governor Youngkin’s Executive Orders click here.

Cabinet Appointments - I want to thank everyone who has reached out with concerns about Governor Youngkin’s pick for Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. The Constitution of Virginia states clearly that we must protect the atmosphere, lands, and waters of Virginia from pollution for the benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of Virginians. I do not believe that Andrew Wheeler can honor that mandate as Virginia’s Secretary of Natural & Historic Resources. As the head of the EPA, Andrew Wheeler systemically restricted the use of scientific data, gutted protections from toxic coal ash, recommended unsafe levels of toxins in drinking water, and reversed countless other necessary environmental protections. He is not right for Virginia, and I oppose his nomination.

Progress on My Bills - I have sponsored over 20 bills, but I would like to highlight three that I believe address important issues and have already garnered strong legislative support; and in some cases, strong bi-partisan support.

Bolstering Our Medical Infrastructure:

• This bill makes permanent an emergency order to allow hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis facilities to hire out-of-state health care professionals without a Virginia license, as long as they are in good standing, for a period of 90 days. During that time, the professional would apply for a Virginia license and it would be granted. If this time frame is too short, an extension of an additional sixty days of practice would be allowed.

• Another provision of the bill allows the Virginia Department of Health Professions to enter into reciprocal agreements with states surrounding Virginia with the goal of offering expedited medical licenses by Virginia’s respective health professions boards. Language in the bill specifically states that within the framework of these agreements a professional in good standing would receive a Virginia license within 20 days of submitting a complete application.

• As you might expect, this bill required a lot of negotiation among the Virginia Medical Society, the Health and Hospital Association, Virginia’s Telehealth Network and patient advocate groups. But the hours of negotiation paid off because my bill passed out of a subcommittee unanimously with as many Republicans supporting the bill as Democrats. This is particularly important because the bill has an emergency enactment clause, so I need 2/3 of the Senate members and 2/3 of the House members to vote for the bill to get the document to Governor Youngkin’s desk.

Helping Relatives Who Participate in Foster Care Prevention:

• This bill will provide funding to relatives or fictive kin who agree to take care of children who otherwise would be placed in the foster care system. Some federal TANF dollars are available to certain low-income custodial families, but I would like to supplement that monthly amount with state dollars; and other families will need to rely solely on state dollars. Since I do not expect to get the generous amount I am requesting in the budget, the allocation of state dollars to help these custodial families will probably have to be prioritized. It is worth noting that language in the bill directs the local departments of social services to advise host families that they can petition the JDR court for a custody order if they expect to foster the child on a long-term basis.

• I worked with child advocacy groups and Social Service Directors from across the state on this bill. We are all very excited about the creation of a true foster care prevention program. Although the Virginia Poverty Law Center and the Virginia Supreme Court endorsed the concept of my bill, representatives from these groups wanted technical tweaks to the language at the last minute. In spite of this surprise, my colleagues on Rehabilitation and Social Services (a committee that I chair) unanimously voted to adopt the bill and refer it to the Finance Committee, a common and required practice, so I would have another opportunity to amend the bill. I was pleased with this outcome.

Expedited Teacher Licensure for Foreign Licensed Teachers:

• This bill would allow a Virginia school system to hire a teacher who was credentialed in a foreign country to teach in our schools under a three-year provisional license. The applicant would be screened by the Department of Education and advised on ways he or she could achieve a Virginia issued teaching credential. As I researched the background for this bill, I learned that many school systems in Virginia, including school systems in Northern Virginia, are already hiring foreign trained teachers and they asked that a formal process be put into law.

• This bill passed out of subcommittee with every Democrat voting for the bill but Senator Dunnavant decided to abstain since she missed a large part of the discussion. The State Association of Superintendents strongly supports the bill and I have not received push back from any specific jurisdiction. I am hopeful that this bill sails through the full committee on Education and Health.

Summary - In future newsletters, I will discuss my efforts to keep health care affordable, protect the environment, and ensure that the progress we have made in the social justice arena is not reversed. Once again, connecting with constituent groups must be virtual, given the lax rules governing mask wearing and vaccination requirements. But Zoom has proven to be a great tool, and hopefully, the virtual platform will provide a convenient way for you to participate in the legislative process.

As always, thanks for your continued support. It is an honor to represent you in Richmond and fight for our Democratic values. Stay safe.

Sincerely,