Senate Democrats continue to kill Republican legislation
vagovernor.substack.com
This is a daily newsletter covering Virginia politics from top to bottom. Please consider becoming the ultimate political insider by supporting non-partisan, independent news and becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter today.
Have a tip? You can reply to this email, or email me directly at Brandon@virginiascope.com
Today’s Sponsor: Americans For Prosperity-VA
“Virginia parents want education options and HB1508 bringing Education Success Accounts (ESA’s) to Virginia empowers parents to make the best decision for their child’s unique needs. Click here to send a letter to your legislator today.”
Gov. Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares marched for life Wednesday
Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares marched with pro-life protesters during Richmond’s March for Life on Wednesday. The crowd was large and stretched several city blocks as the supporters of more restrictions on abortion marched around the state capitol.
Youngkin didn’t speak at the event prior to the march but he showed up to walk with protesters for a few blocks.
While speaking to the crowd prior to the march, Miyares stated that he does not support prosecuting and punishing women who seek an abortion. The crowd didn’t cheer too loudly but this could be a sign that Miyares is already thinking about a run for governor in 2025.
Youngkin moderated his abortion rhetoric during his successful 2021 campaign. He even noted during a secretly recorded video that he could not win over Independent voters with strong views against abortion.
So far, Senate Democrats have killed any legislation that would impose new restrictions on abortion in the Commonwealth. After crossover day, the Senate will have to take up bills that pass the Republican controlled House of Delegates. If the House sends over any new abortion restriction legislation, it is likely those bills will be killed again by Senate Democrats.
Spanberger to serve on House Intelligence Committee
As a former CIA agent, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) has always wanted to serve on the Intelligence Committee in the House of Representatives. Now, after being elected to a third term, she has been selected to do that. Spanberger is the first Virginian to serve on the House Intelligence Committee in 15 years.
Here is Spanberger’s statement:
“As a former intelligence officer, I have always been proud to serve my country, defend its values, and keep our fellow Americans safe. Today, I’m humbled to accept this role on the House Intelligence Committee. A Virginian has not served on this committee in more than 15 years, so I am honored to bring Virginia’s voice back to this critical conversation.
“I will be approaching this role with the deepest possible respect for the public servants who work tirelessly to defend our homeland — including the many who call Virginia home. Their perspectives will guide national security priorities, help Congress make smart decisions, and protect the American people from both new threats and old adversaries.
“In the face of a land war in Europe, rising competition from the Chinese Communist Party, and ongoing cyberattacks, the role of the U.S. intelligence community in arming decision-makers with the most up-to-date information has rarely been as important as it is right now.”
The Senate Education and Health Committee met this morning and took up several pieces of legislation
They killed SB 972 from Sen. Peake. This bill would have allowed religious exemptions to vaccines during an emergency.
They killed SB 876 from Sen, McDougle. This bill would have prevented any child from being denied admission to school for not receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also would have prohibited the State Board of Health from adopting any regulation requiring immunization against COVID-19 for attendance at any public elementary or secondary school.
They killed SB 1481 from Sen. Dunnavant. This bill would have stopped prevented schools from withholding from any pupil or the pupil's parent any information that is transmitted solely to such school board, school, employee, or agent and that (i) relates to any recognition, award, or postsecondary scholarship eligibility earned by the student, including any such recognition, award, or eligibility earned as the result of the student's achievement on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) examination, or (ii) may affect the student's admission to an institution of higher education. The bill requires all such information to be transmitted to the pupil and the pupil's parent as soon as practicable after receipt of the information.
They did pass SB 932 from Sen. Hashmi. This bill would establish a Psilocybin Advisory Board. This is one of the first steps towards potentially legalizing Psilocybin, which is the hallucinigen in mushrooms. The board would be tasked with developing a long-term strategic plan for establishing therapeutic access to psilocybin services and monitor and study federal laws, regulations, and policies regarding psilocybin
