Rip's Session Report - Week 1
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This newsletter hits your inbox in the first few minutes after Governor Abigail Spanberger has been sworn into office as the 75th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The first HER Excellency.
This historic moment puts in perspective for me the history of the Commonwealth and the path we look to set for generations of Virginians to come.
I hope that you and your family revel in this historic day as well.
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Source: Abigail Spanberger's Facebook Account
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It has been a great first week of the General Assembly, and I am excited to share with you our first General Assembly session newsletter.
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My office has been working diligently to prepare for a productive session, including advancing key legislation.
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As always, if there is anything my office can do to assist you or any issue you would like on my radar, do not hesitate to reach out at any time.
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Constitutional
Amendments
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I am pleased to introduce my team for this session including my Chief of Staff, Session Aide, and Intern.
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HB895 spurs energy storage development and helps lower electric bills across VA.
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As the General Assembly begins, here are a few key news resources to help you keep up.
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Four Constitutional Amendments have passed the General Assembly.
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My team is vital in ensuring that I am able to accomplish my policy goals and communicate with you effectively. I am happy to share with you who will be in my office for the General Assembly session.
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Baxter Carter has a wealth of state government experience, with almost nine years in state government and 5 years in the General Assembly.
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Baxter Carter (Chief of Staff)
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In his second year as my Chief of Staff, he has served in multiple other legislative offices, including former Senate Senator Monty Mason and Majority Leader Scott Surovell.
Baxter is committed to ensuring constituents of the 6th district have premier constituent service from their Delegate.
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In his spare time, he enjoys being active, which includes running, playing local pick up sports, and walking his dog Max.
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A graduate of George Mason University and a Great Falls native, Aishani Srivastava brings an array of skills including data analytics, market research, and digital communications.
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Aishani has worked as a Marketing Manager for a public benefit tech startup focused on consumer privacy, and is presently appointed as the Commissioner, representing the Dranesville District for the Fairfax County Commission for Women.
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In her spare time, Aishani enjoys reading, yoga, live music, and finding the best spots for coffee!
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Adam Laureano is a new intern through VCU’s Wilder School program.
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Aishani Srivastava (Session Aide)
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Adam Laureano (Session Intern)
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A first-generation political science student at Virginia Commonwealth University, he brings strong leadership, customer service, and organizational skills, with experience supervising teams, managing schedules, and maintaining order in high-pressure environments.
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In his free time, Adam enjoys the gym, playing sports, and spending time with family and friends.
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Legislative Highlight — HB 895: Energy Storage
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In each newsletter during session, I will be highlighting one of the 30 bills I am carrying for this General Assembly session.
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This week I am excited to highlight one of my biggest priorities for this General Assembly - HB 895.
In short, HB 895 helps increase energy storage development in Virginia and keep energy prices affordable.
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I am sure you all are well aware that energy prices are rising in Virginia. Energy demand has the potential to double in the next decade, which means to avoid even greater spikes in prices we need to build affordable, reliable, and clean energy generation and capacity.
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Source: Center for Energy and Environmental Analysis
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Once states are rapidly adding on energy storage while Virginia lags behind. We need to act to spur more energy storage development in Virginia.
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How HB 895 Helps Solve This Problem
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HB 895 will turn Virginia from lagging behind to having one of the strongest policies supporting energy storage in the country. Its key provisions will:
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- Provide support for localities by developing model energy storage ordinances and best practices when considering projects
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Codify nationally recognized fire safety standards for all energy storage projects built by Virginia utilities, ensuring only safe energy storage projects are built to Virginia
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Provide oversight for the costs of energy storage development
to ensure Virginians are getting the best value for every project
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I carried a similar energy storage bill last year, which passed the General Assembly on a bipartisan vote but was vetoed by the Governor.
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This version is even better, and I look forward to working with the many stakeholders and the Spanberger administration to get it over the finish line this year.
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Vice Chair for the Labor
and Commerce Committee
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Labor and Commerce deals with some of the most important issues facing the Commonwealth, and I look forward to passing policies that move Virginia in the right direction.
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Helpful General Assembly News Sources
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As we get started with the General Assembly session, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite resources and news sources you can use to keep up on events in Richmond.
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Each morning, they send out the top headlines from around the state.
My team and I often check VPAP first thing before we start our day. If you are not already, I suggest you subscribe.
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There are many great news outlets covering Virginia, but I would make sure that you are following the Virginia Mercury.
There are many high-quality journalists who are focused on Virginia news. Their website and newsletters are a great source of Virginia news.
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Do you listen to podcasts? There are not many Virginia news specific podcasts, but one that will help you follow along during the General Assembly is The Virginia Press Room.
Sponsored by the Virginia Public Access Project and Virginia Public Media, it highlights journalists who cover important news happening around Virginia and the General Assembly.
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They have episodes that come out normally twice a week, so be sure to tune in there if you can.
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Constitutional Amendments Considered This Session
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This General Assembly will tackle many important topics, but in our first week we have already passed four historic constitutional amendments, which deal with abortion access, restoration of rights, marriage equality, and redistricting.
They will now go to the voters for a final decision.
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Freedom of Reproductive Rights Amendment
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Introduced by Delegate Charniele L. Herring, HJ 1 would ensure that the fundamental right to reproductive freedom is guaranteed to every individual and included in the Commonwealth's Bill of Rights.
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It is vital that Virginians' access to reproductive healthcare be preserved in our constitution, especially as we live in a post-Roe country and reproductive care accessibility is being revoked across the country.
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Same-Sex Marriage Amendment
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Introduced by Delegate Mark D. Sickles, HJ 3 secures marriage rights for same-sex couples in Virginia. Same-sex marriage exists in Virginia today due to theSupreme Court’s decision in Obergerfell v. Hodges, but is not a guaranteed right in the Virginia Constitution.
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Instead, Virginia's Constitution still contains an amendment passed in 2006 forbidding same-sex marriage in the state.
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If Obergefell were ever overturned, same-sex couples across the commonwealth would lose the fundamental right of marriage.
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HJ 3 would remove the previous 2006 ban while also formally protecting all marriages by having the Commonwealth, “...recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such equally under the law, regardless of the sex gender or race of such parties.”
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Restore Voting rights for Felons Amendment
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Introduced by Delegate Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, HJ 2 will ensure automatic restoration of voting rights to individuals who were convicted of felonies after their release from incarceration.
This would eliminate the current requirement of requesting and receiving gubernatorial permission at the whim of the Governor.
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Virginia is one of ten states to require action by the governor to restore voting rights to previously incarcerated individuals. HJ 2 would allow every Virginian the fundamental right to political engagement and voting.
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Carried by Delegate Rodney T. Willett, HJ 4 proposes an amendment to the Virginia constitution allowing the General Assembly explicit (but limited) authority to modify congressional distinct lines outside of the standard redistricting cycle.
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I was proud to support this amendment as it will provide a critical tool for Virginia to balance out the actions of other states. Virginians will be able to vote on the amendment this coming April (exact date to be determined).
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District 6 Constituents in Richmond
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One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is having the opportunity to directly speak with constituents about the issues they find most important.
If you find yourself in Richmond this session, please stop by our office in the General Assembly Building, Room 908, to say hello to me and my team!
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This year we have launched a new initiative we are affectionately calling District Dots.
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When you stop by, you are invited to place a sticker on our 6th District map to represent where either you or your organization are located within the 6th District.
We hope to have our map covered in stickers by the end of session!
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It is a great visual for us to see the diverse communities and individuals we are proud to represent!
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That’s it for our Week 1 newsletter. My team and I will send you this newsletter weekly to keep you informed of what is going on in Richmond.
As always, please let me know if there is anything my office or I can do to support you. Please feel free to email us or stop by our office in Richmond!
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Office of Delegate Rip Sullivan
PO Box 994
McLean, VA 22101
United States
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