Families Ignored in this Special Session
Today marks one month since the General Assembly convened a Special Session that’s consisted of the House of Delegates holding all meetings virtually from home – while still being able to receive their travel and lodging stipend – and the Senate conducting business from the Science Museum of Virginia with a few online committee meetings. And without any definitive rules or timelines established, this week was the de facto crossover – when bills passed by the House and Senate move to the other chamber to be considered. The primary reason the General Assembly convened a special session was to address the looming $2.7 billion budget deficit, but so far there’s been little talk of the budget.
While the Democrat-led House and Senate have used this month to advance measures that chip away at law and order, they’ve essentially ignored the pressing economic challenges families and businesses are facing due in large part to the limitless Executive Orders handed down by Governor Northam. In fact, the only real budgetary item passed so far this Special Session has been $2 million for the creation of absentee ballot “drop boxes” that will open the door for massive voter fraud. That should tell you all you need to know about Democrat-majority’s priorities this special session!
And for all those families struggling with sending their kids back to school either fully or partially virtual, there’s been nothing accomplished to provide them any meaningful resources. The Senate Education and Health committee narrowly rejected SB 5020 (R-Chase), while the House Education committee didn’t even take-up HB 5008 (R-Cole), HB 5011 (R-Webert), and HB 5056 (R-Freitas), all of which would've created a voucher account for parents to pay for private, virtual or other education alternatives if a school does not offer an in-person classroom.
There’s also been no interest in restoring the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government. Just this week the House Health, Welfare, and Institutions (HWI) committee voted along party-line to defeat SB 5025 (R-Newman), which would’ve limited the amount of time that of any emergency order or regulation adopted by the Board of Health to no more than 30 days. In fact, in just two meetings, the House HWI committee, in collaboration with members of the Governor’s administration, has crushed any effort to limit executive powers (HB 5023, R-Byron; HB 5025, R-M. Cole; HB 5075, R-LaRock), provide a religious exemption for mandated vaccines (HB 5016, R-Cole; HB 5070, R-LaRock), and establish baseline standards for vaccines added to the required list of immunizations (HB 5082, R-LaRock).
When the General Assembly turns their attention to the budget [hopefully soon], there’ll be one last chance this special session to make sure families have the necessary resources for educating their children and to address the growing concerns over mandated vaccines in Virginia. Here are three budget amendments that would do just that:
· READ (Reimbursement for Education Access Decisions) Fund (479.10 #1h) (R-Cox), would appropriate $100 million of Virginia’s remaining CARES Act funds to families to help pay for computer equipment or software, internet access, tutoring, or even the popular home based learning PODs.
· Item 4-0.01 #2h (R- LaRock) ensures that state or local government agency that receives public funds can’t require employees to receive any vaccine for COVID-19 if (i) it’s derived from human fetal tissue obtained after an induced abortion, (ii) it alters the RNA or DNA of the person, or (iii) the vaccine wasn’t tested on laboratory animals before being tested on humans.
· COVID-19 Vaccine Religious Exemption (R – LaRock) prohibits any state or local government agency from using public funds to force any COVID-19 vaccine on someone with sincere religious objections.
Let’s hope the General Assembly will use the opportunity to re-prioritize CARES Act funding to better assist parents, and make sure that public funds can’t be used to mandate unsafe vaccines that conflict with someone’s religious convictions.[EN1]
