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Executive Schedule
9:30 AM: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN DELIVERS REMARKS AT EMBODY INC. JOBS ANNOUNCEMENT
LOCATION: Embody Inc.
11:00 AM: GOVERNOR PARTICIPATES IN A HAMPTON ROADS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS FORUM
LOCATION: Brickster’s 600 Restaurant
3:30 PM: GOVERNOR RECEIVES BRIEFING FROM SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH KAY COLES JAMES
LOCATION: Patrick Henry Building
5:30 PM: GOVERNOR VISITS WITH THE 2022 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS RANDOLPH MACON MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
LOCATION: Governor’s Executive Mansion
The rundown
Legislators met for the first day of a special session Monday. What happened and what did leaders have to say about it.
VPAP used data to see which members of the House of Delegates overperformed and underperformed gubernatorial candidates
What happened on the first day of the special session
The General Assembly met yesterday but very little work, if any, was completed. The Senate quarreled over the operating procedure briefly in an attempt to try and limit Governor Glenn Youngkin’s ability to present new legislation during this special session, but Democrats eventually dropped that attempt and approved the resolution from the House of Delegates.
The difference in the budget remains between Democrats in the Senate and Republicans in the House. “This whole debate is over tax and spend,” Sen. Barbara Favola (D) said while speaking to the press Monday.
Republicans want to repeal the gas tax for three months, repeal the grocery tax, and give a larger income tax refund to Virginias. Democratic senators want to do some of that - just not to the degree that Republicans in the House and Youngkin are asking for in negotiations.
Democratic senators touted their budget priorities Tuesday after the first day of the special session ended with no work actually completed.
Sen. Jeremy Pike (D) called their proposed investment of $270 million for K-12 support positions, “a bill that is long overdue.”
McPike also discussed the Senate’s plan to provide a refundable earned income tax credit for low-income families, $200 million for at-risk schools, a 10% raise for teachers (House has 8%), $190 million for affordable housing, and $49 million for local police.
“We really have a historic opportunity to meet some of our unmet needs in K-12 education, early childhood education, and mental health services — particularly for our children,” Sen. Jennifer McClellan said Monday.
Meanwhile, Youngkin announced late in the afternoon that Sen. Steve Newman (R) and Del. Tara Durant (R) will be sponsoring his legislation to remove the 26 cent gas tax in Virginia for three months.
“Virginians need tax relief and it’s time for the General Assembly to act on the multiple tax relief proposals,” Youngkin said in a statement Monday afternoon. “With gas prices and inflation squeezing families’ pocket books across Virginia and the nation and with over $1 billion in unanticipated revenue in our transportation fund, the general assembly must act now. Virginia should join numerous other states, led by both Republicans and Democrats, in temporarily suspending the gas tax. Actions speak louder than words, we can lower gas prices now for all Virginians.”
Senate Democrats do not seem enthused to eliminate the gas tax, which will be a cut to transportation funding and not guarantee that the price at the pump goes down.
“We are more interested in finding the right dollars to go back to Virginians and not gimmicky cuts,” McPike said. “We want to make sure that if anything happens we give it right back to the Virginians who need it the most.”
Democrats noted that cutting the tax does not mean distributors lower the price for consumers - something Youngkin has pointed out himself.
“Even governor Youngkin himself… said there is no relationship between a reduction in the gas tax and a reduction in what you might pay at the gas pump so that is the most troubling aspect from my perspective,” Favola noted.
“The gas tax pays for highway maintenance and I don’t think we can say as Virginians that our highways are in tip-top shape,” Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) said while pointing to the funding for highway maintenance that comes from the fuel tax.
On the House side where the Republicans have a 52-48 majority, Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn criticized Youngkin for calling this special session before budget conferees came to an agreement.
"There was no reason for Governor Youngkin to call a special session today as budget negotiations continue,” Filler-Corn stated. “I strongly suggest the governor respect the process and the responsibility of the budget conferees to find common ground on the budget.”
House Finance Chair Barry Knight (R) said that he believes the negotiations are not too far apart. “We will come to a compromise,” he said. “It’s a matter of how long it’s going to take.”
The negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. The fiscal year ends at the end of June so there is not a huge rush, but localities are anxious for the final word on what their funding from the state will look like.
Delegates who outperformed (and underperformed) gubernatorial candidates - VPAP
“There was precious little ticket-splitting in Virginia's November election. Most everyone who voted for the Republican or Democratic candidates for governor also pulled the lever for the House of Delegates candidate from the same party. But there were some outliers. VPAP's analysis estimates the Top 5 incumbent delegates who did better than the gubernatorial candidate and the Bottom 5 delegates who did worse.”
Governor Youngkin announced Tuesday that Embody, Inc., a Norfolk-based medical device company developing novel collagen-based technologies for soft tissue repair, will invest $5 million to expand its headquarters at Innovation Research Park at Old Dominion University in the City of Norfolk. The company will add 10,000 square feet to its operation to increase product research and development capabilities. The expansion project will create 92 new jobs.
“Embody’s growth in the City of Norfolk demonstrates the strength of research and development, higher education resources, and talent the Hampton Roads region offers innovative medical technology developers,”Youngkin said. “We look forward to seeing this homegrown Virginia company’s far-reaching impact, advancing the sports medicine field in our Commonwealth and beyond.”
“Building Embody in the Commonwealth of Virginia and specifically within the City of Norfolk has proven to be an advantage for us,”said Jeff Conroy, Founder and CEO of Embody. “It only makes sense that we expand this relationship as we prepare for significant growth. The advantages for us include access to a technical workforce, strong academic and clinical research partners, our DARPA/DOD partners, and an investor base committed to funding innovation and breakthrough healthcare.”
House budget leader: Negotiators 'aren't that far apart' - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Patrick Wilson and Michael Martz
There was nothing special about the General Assembly’s return to Richmond on Monday at the calling of Gov. Glenn Youngkin to adopt a two-year state budget and complete work on other legislation left unfinished March 12 at the end of the regular legislative session.
But House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, sounded optimistic about the prospects for the House of Delegates and Senate to reach an agreement on a budget, despite a nearly $3 billion gulf between them over the extent of tax cuts and the amount of money they have to spend.
Sen. Reeves opposes Amazon data-centers site in Stevensburg, aims to preserve historic 'treasures' - The Freelance-Star
By CLINT SCHEMMER
tate Sen. Bryce Reeves, a GOP candidate for Central Virginia’s 7th Congressional District seat, has declared his opposition to the Amazon data centers proposed near Stevensburg in Culpeper County.
Reeves expressed his concern in a letter sent to the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors on March 31 via County Administrator John Egerston. “Please note that it is not my intent to stop the data center project from coming to Culpeper,” the senator wrote the supervisors. “It is my intent to protect the currently proposed site as it is adjacent to two historically significant treasures in Culpeper which merit our protection and preservation for the use, enjoyment and education of future generations of Culpeper residents as well as visitors, both domestic and international.”
Thorny politics get in the way of filling Virginia Supreme Court vacancies - VPM News
by Whittney Evans
State lawmakers have another chance to fill two Virginia Supreme Court seats during a special session beginning this week - unless their politics get in the way. The Supreme Court is made up of seven justices elected by a majority vote of each house of the General Assembly to twelve-year terms.
Two seats opened recently after Justice William C. Mims and Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons announced their retirements. Selecting judges in Virginia is a constitutional duty that involves high-stakes political wrangling - it’s made worse this year by a divided legislature as members of both parties blame the other for refusing to negotiate.
