Frequently Asked Questions about the Special Session of the Virginia General Assembly
By Connor Kish, Political and Legislative Director
What is going on at the state capitol - or at my legislator’s kitchen table?
Those are great questions. Like most everything else, the General Assembly’s logistics have been affected by COVID-19. Below are some common questions that have been asked. The answers include how the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter has prioritized our work during the Special Session to be effective allies and advocates.
How did the Special Session come about, and what are the legislators talking about?
A Special Session of the Virginia General Assembly began on August 18 and is still ongoing as of September 10. It is expected that the Special Session will continue for possibly a few more weeks. The Special Session was called by Governor Northam to deal with the state budget shortfall, legislation related to COVID-19, and criminal justice and policing reform.
Are people at the Capitol in Richmond lobbying their legislators on their priorities?
No. The pandemic has caused the Special Session to look unlike any session we have seen. The most significant change is the move to virtual committee meetings, virtual committee testimony, and some virtual floor sessions combined with the lack of in-person lobbying by citizens.
How is the House of Delegates meeting?
All committee meetings and floor sessions - including votes - are being done virtually via Zoom. Opportunities for citizen and stakeholder group comments and testimony is often time-limited; however, House of Delegates committees are allowing written testimony by individuals and groups to be submitted in advance of the meetings. The written testimony is sent to legislators on that committee and made public by visiting this website.
How is the Senate of Virginia meeting?
Some committee meetings are being held with Senators seated in-person while taking virtual testimony, and some committee meetings are held entirely virtually. All Senate floor sessions are taking place in Richmond inside the Science Museum of Virginia. Testimony by the public is often time-limited in committee meetings.
How is the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter supporting the Movement for Black Lives during the Special Session?
As the Special Session began, the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Legislative Committee took positions on several bills and amendments to the Governor’s introduced budget.
The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter prioritized our advocacy and action alerts around support for the legislative priorities released by the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus These priorities are long overdue and desperately needed criminal justice and policing reforms. We are glad that many of these important items have passed or will pass both chambers soon, thanks to the work of so many individuals and organizations on the front-lines of these reforms, many of whom have worked for years in support of Black lives. The Chapter sent statewide action alerts to members and supporters, asking that they write their legislators in support of the Legislative Black Caucus agenda. The Chapter also sent action alerts and gave written testimony targeting committees that were hearing the VLBC priority legislation.
How is the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter dealing with the effects of COVID-19 through legislation?
To continue to cope and deal with the coronavirus pandemic, we prioritized justice-centered relief for Virginians on issues of utility disconnects, moratoriums, evictions, and debt payment plans.
What legislation is the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter working to support?
The Chapter is working to support several bills that provide justice-focused relief. Here is a summary of a few of them:
- Bills by Senator Bell and Delegates Jones and Ware, SB 5085 and HB5088, would take Dominion over-charges from recent years and use those hundreds of millions of dollars to issue emergency refunds to customers. At a time when many families across Virginia are struggling to pay utility costs during the COVID pandemic, this money, rightfully belonging to the customer in the first place, would be of tremendous benefit. Unfortunately, this bill did not pass in the Senate and was not docketed for a hearing in the House. However, it remains a possibility that this bill’s goal will be accomplished via the budget.
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The Chapter also prioritized legislation to stop the pending evictions crisis in Virginia; several bills dealing with this subject were introduced. The Chapter supported SB 5051 and HB 5111 - a full evictions moratorium until April 2021. We joined a full-page ad in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on September 2 in support of this effort with over 60 partner organizations.
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A continued focus throughout the Special Session has been on ensuring that a fair payment plan option is established for all utility customers in Virginia that have incurred debt due to the COVID-19 emergency. Potential language in the budget will seek to accomplish this goal in a justice-centered way that protects customers from further utility costs.
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To protect workers and communities, the Chapter supported HB 5102. This bill would require that an employer with more than 50 temporary workers coming into an area submit a Voluntary Protection Plan for approval to relevant agencies. This legislation is necessary because, in the case of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, many localities in the pipeline’s path lack sufficient ICU hospital bed capacity. A substantial increase in crews, particularly working in close proximity, threatens not only the workers but the community members’ ability to access care during COVID-19.
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The Special Session also must address the $2.7 billion budget shortfall that occurred as a result of the economic downturn from COVID-19. The House and the Senate will present their budgets, and then these will be reconciled into one final budget by senior members of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. Then, a final vote will occur on the budget by both chambers. Once this is accomplished, the Special Session will likely adjourn until the 2021 regular session in January.
How can I/people be effective advocates without the ability to speak in-person to legislators?
It is more important than ever before to contact your legislators and their offices about legislation and budget items before the General Assembly. With the Special Session containing no traditional in-person lobbying, legislators are relying on other forms of communication to hear from the public.
We encourage you to speak up often! The magnitude of the racial justice and criminal justice reforms needed in our country and in Virginia requires all of us to act. Within our organization, we must recognize that racism is inextricably intertwined with the history of environmental policy. We know that climate change, the issue that we fight daily as staff and as volunteers, is fueled by the practice of protecting some communities and exploiting others. We must recognize this in an impactful way and use our organization and organizational capabilities to call for racial justice, criminal justice reform, and urge the continued focus on policies and real reforms that show Black Lives Matter. To do that, our members and supporters need to contact their legislators and tell them this.
Legislative offices, while closed, have most staff members working from home. Some members of the public have requested Zoom meetings with their legislators to discuss issues before the Special Session. As legislators become more familiar with new ways of interacting with constituents during COVID-19, these Zoom meetings have become more common.
In addition to considering the possibility of requesting a meeting, please continue to write emails and call your legislator and the legislators sitting on committees hearing our priority bills and budget amendments often. Be sure to tell them that you support the racial justice reforms, criminal justice reforms, and justice-centered COVID-19 relief legislation coming before them. You can also use social media to send them messages or share actions with your friends and network. Additionally, on Twitter, you can follow the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus at @VaBlackCaucus. On Facebook, you can like their page at facebook.com/VABlackCaucus.
When will the Special Session end?
Soon! When all docketed legislation has been heard by each committee and when the budget that addresses the $2.7 billion shortfall has been passed by both the House and the Senate, the Special Session will adjourn. It is expected that the Special Session will continue for possibly a few more weeks.
Will the 2021 Session be held virtually?
We do not know yet! Through the fall, House and Senate leadership and each chamber’s Clerk’s staff will keep the public updated as to when the Pocahontas Building and Virginia Capitol Building are expected to re-open. This will be an important determination as to how the General Assembly plans to convene in January, and how advocacy groups and individuals will make their voices heard.
What if I have a question about a bill or topic that I have heard about?
For more information, or if you have any questions on these topics, please contact Connor Kish, our Legislative and Political Director, at connor.kish@sierraclub.org.
Please be on the lookout for another Special Session Frequently Asked Questions in the coming weeks with new updates on the process, our priority legislative items, and the Commonwealth’s revised budget.