August 21, 2022

Neighbors, 

 

It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close and another school year is upon us! I wish all students, families, teachers, and staff a wonderful, healthy school year full of learning and friendship. 

Inova needs blood donations - They have less than a two-day supply of type-O blood. If you have type-O blood, please consider donating. You can schedule an appointment online at www.inovablood.org or call at 1-866-256-6372.

 

In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:

  • Community Events

    • Gunston Hall Tour and Briefing

    • VietFest

    • AASuccess

  • Legislative Updates

    • Study of House Bill 1246

    • Virginia’s Participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

  • Education Updates

    • FCPS Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application

  • Transportation Updates

    • Extended Nighttime Single-Lane Closures

 

As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 

 

Best, Kathy

 

Kathy KL Tran

Delegate

 

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Gunston Hall Tour and Briefing

Delegate Mark Sickles and I co-hosted a tour and briefing of Gunston Hall last week for members of the General Assembly from northern Virginia. 

As you may know, Gunston Hall is the family home of George Mason. Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which inspired the Bill of Rights to the US Constitution. 

I’m so pleased that fellow legislators joined us in hearing about the numerous projects underway at the estate, from excavation of buildings used by enslaved peoples to restoring the gardens to developing new curricula for youth visitors. I hope you have a chance to visit this treasure in our community if you haven’t already done so! 

 

VietFest

This weekend, my family and I had so much fun at VietFest, celebrating the contributions of the Vietnamese American community to Virginia. Hosted at Tysons Corner, this is the largest annual Vietnamese American cultural festival on the East Coast. 

 

AASuccess 

I had the pleasure of recently attending AASuccess’s annual event honoring students who participate in the organization’s mentorship and leadership programs. 

This year, Delegate Mark Keam and I presented the YouthCon scholarship award to high school student Amanda Kossoff, who has already published a book on entrepreneurship!

 

LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY UPDATES

Study of House Bill 1246

Last week, the General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science agreed to study House Bill 1246, a bill that I introduced during the 2022 legislative session.

My bill would require local school districts to purchase accessible educational software and digital tools to ensure that students with disabilities are able to fully engage with the learning materials. I had the pleasure of working with a constituent and the National Federation for the Blind on this bill.

I look forward to the Committee’s recommendations to inform legislation for the coming session.

 

Virginia’s Participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board will be voting on regulations that could lead Virginia to remove itself from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). 

RGGI is a partnership between northeast and mid-Atlantic states to use collaborative, market-based methods to cut our carbon emissions. In 2020, the General Assembly passed the Virginia Alternative Energy and Coastal Protection Act requiring the Commonwealth’s participation in RGGI. 

To date, RGGI has raised $228 million, portions of which are used to address inland and coastal flooding and help vulnerable and low wealth communities become more energy efficient.

Governor Youngkin has indicated his intent on removing Virginia from RGGI. He issued Executive Order 9, which called for the director of the Department of Environmental Quality to develop an emergency regulation for the Air PollutionControl Board to consider that would lead to the removal of Virginia from RGGI.

I believe that Virginia’s participation in RGGI is good for our Commonwealth, helping to reduce our carbon emissions and address climate change. I maintain that an act of the General Assembly that was signed by a Governor cannot be undone by an act of another Governor or by unelected citizen board appointees. 

If you would like to express your opinion about Virginia’s participation in RGGI to the members of the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board, you can email the board at CitizenBoards@DEQ.virginia.gov.

 

EDUCATION UPDATES

FCPS Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application

 

During the last two years, the federal government has provided meals for free to all K-12 students, regardless of income. The federal government did not continue that program, so families will have to fill out the application to qualify for free and reduced-price meals this year.

The application is available here, and interested families should apply for the first day of school. You can learn more about the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program here.

 

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES

 Metro Announces Blue and Yellow Line Travel Alternatives

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) announced travel alternatives for planned Blue and Yellow line construction this fall. 

The project will be done in two phases. Starting on September 10, Metro will be closing six Blue and Yellow line stations south of Reagan National Airport until October 22. Then, from October 23, 2022 until May 2023, the Yellow line bridge connecting Virginia to L’Enfant Plaza will be closed for critical work.

If you use the Metro to commute to work, I encourage you to check the travel alternatives to ensure that you are prepared for the construction.

 

VRE Fare Free September

To mitigate the effects of Metro’s closure of the Blue and Yellow lines this fall, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will be offering free rides between all VRE stations in September and between some Virginia and DC stations in October. Learn more here.