PRO-TIP: always make sure you’ve properly set up a scheduled email delivery, when planning to be out of office for a few days. Particularly over a holiday.

All that to say: apologies to anyone who did not receive the Weekly Brief newsletter before Christmas. (It was a good one, too.) But the news never stops, and so there’s plenty to focus on from this week – starting with our relief that LIS is (mostly) back up and running, and prefiled bills are once again populating for review after the ransomware attack earlier this month!

Since our last posting, Governor-elect Youngkin announced the first few cabinet appointments of the new Administration. Several key positions – such as the HHR and Administration leads – are still pending, but expected soon. In similar fashion, the Speaker-designee also released the names of additional House Committee Chairs, which included a mixture of anticipated and surprising picks.

And of course, the last couple of days have yielded an endless supply of policitcal speculation and drama, after the Virginia Supreme Court approved the final redistricting maps. Some fairly significant changes are forthcoming, both in congressional and state House/Senate districts. (Bonus pro-tip: it’s worth checking out how your representation is likely to be impacted.)

We leave you with this less “pro,” and more simply “human” tip: With an ongoing pandemic, a new Administration, a budget Session, and a multitude of other things on the horizon, our encouragement – to ourselves, and to our friends and colleagues – heading into 2022 is to acknowledge the challenges, embrace the opportunities, and be kind to others and respectful of yourself throughout it all.

Cheers to a happy, healthy New Year.

Davis Consultants

 

  • January 5 | Regional Public Hearings on the 2022-2024 Biennium Budget
  • January 7 | Redrafts or corrections for prefile legislation due to DLS by 5:00 PM
  • January 11 | Special Election for HOD District 89
  • January 12 | Prefiling ends at 10:00 AM (House and Senate)
  • January 12 | 2022 Virginia General Assembly convenes at 12:00 noon

Supreme Court of Virginia signs off on new legislative maps

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Supreme Court of Virginia said Tuesday that it had unanimously approved maps establishing congressional and state legislative districts under the commonwealth’s new redistricting process.

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Middle man: Petersen poised to play key role in Va. Senate

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — When Republicans reclaimed the governor’s mansion and the House of Delegates after November elections in Virginia, Democrats were left only with a narrow 21-19 majority in the state Senate to block the GOP agenda and protect the raft of progressive legislation they passed in the last two years.

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Virginia House Republicans announce new committee chairs

(The Center Square) – Virginia House of Delegates committees will have a new slate of leaders when Republicans take narrow control of the chamber in early January.

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Gov. Northam addresses record-high COVID case numbers in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Ralph Northam addressed Virginia’s record-high COVID case numbers in a statement on Wednesday.

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Why can’t Virginians find a COVID test? Top state official responds

RICHMOND, VA (WRIC) — With increasing lines of cars bumper to bumper–reminiscent of gas station visits during the 1974 oil crisis–Virginians are facing difficulties finding COVID-19 tests as cases soar.

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Virginia's minimum wage set to increase in the new year, but small business owners say it's a growing concern

VIRGINIA, USA — The rise in minimum wage for the upcoming new year is part of Governor Ralph Northam’s push to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026.

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Trucking on: How the industry is battling a historic labor shortage

From hand sanitizer and vaccines to groceries and toilet paper, truck drivers are trucking through the COVID-19 pandemic despite a historic labor shortage.

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Small businesses fear pandemic relief funding will fall short without larger investment from Youngkin, lawmakers

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)-As daily coronavirus cases reach new highs in Virginia, some small businesses fear pandemic relief will fall short and fail to adequately target funding towards the hardest hit industries.

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Kaine re-introduces expanding medical education to support medical schools in underserved areas

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, re-introduced his Expanding Medical Education Act, legislation to tackle the lack of representation of rural students, underserved students, and students of color in the physician pipeline.

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New U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber vows role will be more than ‘doing justice,’ will push to restore trust in criminal justice system

NEWPORT NEWS — There’s a new top prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia, overseeing all federal prosecutions for a region of more than 6 million people.

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Outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam: Government can lead on progress and prosperity

Four years ago, candidate and later newly elected Gov. Ralph Northam introduced himself as being from “rural” Virginia and as someone who appreciated the challenges facing — and benefits of living in — a rural area.

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Federal law still treats marijuana as an illegal drug, creating headaches for states

Most states in the U.S. are in violation of a major federal drug statute. The 1971 Controlled Substances Act lists marijuana in the most dangerous category defined in the law, on par with cocaine and heroin because of its supposed potential for abuse and lack of medical applications.

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Will gas tax cut sink transit plans?

The prospect of gas tax reductions and regional funding changes from Richmond have some in Northern Virginia concerned about the long-term transportation plans in the region.

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