My Summer as Your Delegate
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My Summer as Your Delegate

I'm busy at work this summer serving you as your Delegate, here at home in the 16th District, at the Capitol in Richmond, and around the Commonwealth! If you follow me on social media, receive my newsletter, or read my column here in the Mount Vernon Gazette, you know that I always try to keep you updated on important issues concerning the Commonwealth and apprised of my daily, year-round work on your behalf.

As you know, the Virginia General Assembly is a part-time legislature. I am one of the many legislators that has a full-time job in addition to my responsibilities as an elected official. Although we are only in our legislative session for 45 days during odd-numbered years like this one, and for 60 days during even-numbered years, I travel often to Richmond out of session in my official Delegate capacity.

Last weekend, I traveled over to the Eastern Shore for the annual Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee retreat. My colleagues and I visited the Virginia Institute of Marine Science lab, the Virginia Tech Agriculture Research Center, and several farms to learn about oyster restoration, Chesapeake Bay health, flood resilience, commercial shellfish production, saltwater intrusion impacts on agriculture, emerging crops in Virginia, and more. Later this month, I will head to Charlottesville for the Virginia Environmental Justice Retreat for Legislators, and in August, I will attend the annual National Conference for State Legislators (NCSL) in Boston. I look forward to sharing all that we learn with you in future columns!

As a brief recap, this action-packed summer has been filled with almost weekly trips to Richmond for meetings as a member of the Appropriations Committee, the Broadband Advisory Council, and the State Water Commission, to name just a few. Just last week in Richmond, I chaired two interim commission meetings. First was the Tribal Code Commission, tasked with updating the Virginia Code to reflect federal recognition of seven Virginia tribal nations. This year, the commission plans to tackle issues such as the Indian Child Welfare Act, federal legislation that protects native children removed from their families in custody, foster care, and adoption cases, and tribal land easements. On Wednesday, the first meeting of the Joint Retail Cannabis Transition Commission, created by my HJ 497, convened, and I was elected chairman. This critical commission will serve to engage stakeholders and the public in crafting the best possible legislation to reintroduce next session to stand up an adult-use retail cannabis market and move cannabis from the street corner to behind an age-verified retail counter. Yesterday, I attended the Joint Health and Human Resources Subcommittee meeting where we discussed how federal changes will impact the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange and next year's budget. 

One of my most important duties, whether we are in session or not, is my service to constituents. I receive many inquiries from 16th district residents requesting my assistance on a wide range of issues. Recently, I have assisted constituents with letters of recommendation, VDOT matters, vital records, problems with utilities, and applying for a REAL ID, among others.

Another key part of my responsibility as Delegate is participating in and hosting community events in and around the 16th district, in addition to the many political ones. So far this summer, I celebrated with our graduates at commencement ceremonies for Bryant HS, Mount Vernon HS, and West Potomac HS, had lunch with constituents involved in the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, attended the Flag Day event at Fort Hunt park, joined Friends of Little Hunting Creek for a potluck, toured the Mount Vernon Library, and spoke at a Black Women United for Action event to celebrate the grand opening of a new permanent exhibit, Lives Bound Together: Slavery at Mount Vernon, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Elsewhere in Northern Virginia, I toured the new historic horse racing location, The Rose, in Dumfries, and attended the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) meeting in Arlington. Most importantly, I have been busy preparing legislation for next year’s General Assembly session that begins in January.

As the summer continues, I hope to see you at an upcoming event around the 16th district. It is an honor to serve as your Delegate.