What is the Governor Planning?
Last week, the General Assembly wrapped up a short Special Session convened from August 2 to August 10 to rush through a $4.3 billion spending package and appoint eight new judges to the Virginia Court of Appeals without any public input.
This summer’s special session was characterized by more than spending billions of dollars in taxpayer money – it was marked by a disregard for process. Instead of transparency, debate and representation, we watched as the liberal majority conducted the Special Session through secret meetings, shutting down debate and deliberation, and capitulating to Governor Ralph Northam’s spending demands.
What Appropriations Process?
Given that the General Assembly was meeting to consider the best way to spend up to $4.3 BILLION in federal relief funds, there was an expectation that time-honored appropriations procedures, consisting of public meetings, offering amendments, and debates would’ve been upheld. But not a single public hearing was held where Virginians could voice their concerns, legislators had little time to examine the appropriations bill and offer amendments -- which the liberal leadership stifled procedurally -- and there was no robust debate of the final bill before being voted on.
In the House of Delegates, the Democrat-majority stuck to its game plan and limited consideration of amendments offered by Republicans to a combined 120 seconds, while in the Senate they allowed for up to three minutes of comments for each amendment that was offered, a little bit better but with the same outcomes.
In an email shared publically by Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania), the Governor’s administration instructed members of the budget bill’s conference committee to pass a bill “with no amendments – fiscal or policy – reflecting the agreement we negotiated and hammered out prior to the beginning of the special session,” a meeting that included only the Democrat leaders in the General Assembly and the Governor’s office.
That’s why no meaningful amendments to strengthen the public school system or provide tax-breaks to businesses and individuals were ever considered. And when a Senate amendment carried by newly elected Senator Travis Hackworth (R-Lebanon) to provide $5,000 bonuses to Sheriff's deputies and Dept. of corrections officers for the next three years was approved, it was downgraded to a one-time $3,000 bonus.
Other amendments, including one to eliminate the statutory requirement that school boards adopt the Virginia Department of Education's "Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools," and another to prohibit the use of any education curriculum that incorporates the core tenets of "Critical Race Theory," were rejected because it was ruled that they were not “germane” to the COVID relief purpose of the bill.
But apparently, language that compensates college athletes for the use of their "Name, Image, and Likeness” is somehow related to COVID, and made it into the final version that passed.
What is the Governor planning?
This special session was little more than a ruse by the majority in the General Assembly pretending to address the real interests of Virginians. As it turns out, the real goal was to keep intact the Governor’s spending proposals to further grow the government and give the Governor a blank check for future spending.
Going back to the email sent to the conferees on the budget bill’s conference committee, Sen. Reeves also highlighted this statement: “Therefore, it is imperative that no amendments are included in the final agreement that spend down the $800 million set aside for future COVID-related needs.” Recently, we expressed our concerns that the $800 million reserved for the Governor to use for COVID purposes could be hinting at future restrictions or lockdowns.
Why is it “imperative” to reserve this amount and what exactly are the COVID-related needs they are talking about?
It kind of sounds like “There’s nothing to see here” OR “We don’t want you to see anything here.”
Finally, the General Assembly also convened to fill 8 vacancies on Virginia's Court of Appeals, six of which were created by 2021 legislation that expanded the Court from 11 to 17 seats. During the floor discussion over the $4.3 Billion omnibus budget bill, the General Assembly recessed for several hours for, at that time, unknown reasons. It was later revealed that the Democrat caucus was holding secret interviews with judicial candidates, resulting in a spirited debate and some Republicans denouncing the act.
Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Rockingham), who used to chair the Senate Courts committee in 2019, stated that he doesn’t recall “a single instance in which we’ve had a judicial candidate come and appear before our caucus to be interviewed and make a pitch.” Obenshain emphasized that “we want judges who are going to be independent, who are going to adhere to the law, who are going to be good judges — not beholden to one caucus or the other.”
Eventually, all Senators were “invited” to submit names of potential judicial candidates, but the damage was done and now the judicial nomination process will forever be contaminated.
As you consider everything that’s happened in Virginia this year, be sure to remember these key dates:
September 17, 2021 - First day of in-person early voting at a local voter registration office.
October 12, 2021 – Last day to register to vote, or update an existing registration.
October 22, 2021 – Last day to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you: Request must be received by local voter registration office by 5:00 p.m.
October 23, 2021 and October 30, 2021 - Voter registration offices open Saturday for early voting.
October 30, 2021 - Last day of in-person early voting at local voter registration office.
