December 5, 2023

Neighbors, 

The 2024 legislative session will start in a little over a month – I look forward to hearing about the issues that you care about, and sharing my legislative priorities with you. I will be hosting a virtual pre-session town hall next Wednesday, December 13 at 7:00pm on Zoom. Please see more information below - I hope to see you!

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

  • Town Halls

    • Pre-Session Legislative Town Hall

    • Fairfax Delegation Public Hearing

  • Community Updates

    • Association of American University Women - Springfield/Annandale Chapter

    • World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

    • Tour of Laurel Hill Elementary School

  • Legislative Updates 

    • Legislative Briefings

    • Governor’s Budget Presentation

  • Transportation Updates

    • VDOT Winter Weather Preparation

    • New 95 Express Lane Entries and Exits

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

Town Halls

Pre-Session Legislative Town Hall

Please join me for a virtual town hall! We look forward to discussing the upcoming legislative session with you and hearing about your priorities for our community.

Virtual Pre-Session Legislative Town Hall

Wednesday, December 13 at 7pm - 8pm

Registration is required — Register here.

Fairfax Delegation Public Hearing

Save the date for the annual Fairfax Delegation Public Hearing! This is an opportunity for the residents of Fairfax County to share their priorities with the state legislators that represent our community. As in past years, you are invited to attend in-person or watch live online. Note, you must be in-person to provide comments.

Fairfax Delegation Public Hearing

Saturday, January 6th at 9:00am 

Board Auditorium of the Fairfax County Government Center.

Registration is required to provide comments

Information on how to sign up will be available closer to the hearing.

Community Updates

Association of American University Women - Springfield/Annandale Chapter 

It was such a pleasure to join the Springfield/Annandale American Association of University Women (AAUW) to give a legislative update. Thanks to my constituent, Irene, for inviting me!

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

I was honored to give a keynote address at the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event hosted by Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets. We have seen a disconcerting rise in the number of people killed in traffic crashes in Virgnia, and I am committed to continue working to make our streets safer for all users. You can read about this event here.

Tour of Laurel Hill Elementary School

It was such a joy to visit Laurel Hill Elementary School with Fairfax County School Board member Karen Corbett Sanders and Delegate-Elect Rozia Henson. Thank you to Principal Dalton for sharing how the Lions are building a strong, nurturing, and inclusive learning community!

Legislative Updates

Legislative Briefings

My team and I continue to meet with different stakeholders to hear about their legislative priorities, including Sentara Health, the Agribusiness Council, Friends of Lake Accotink, and PETA.

Governor’s Budget Presentation

On December 20 at 9:30am, Governor Youngkin will be presenting his proposed budget to a joint meeting of House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations.

Our state constitution requires the General Assembly to pass a balanced biennial budget every two years. During the 2024 legislative session, this will be one of the top priorities for the House of Delegates and state Senate. The Governor’s presentation kicks off the biennial budget process, and you can stream it on the General Assembly’s website.

I always say that the budget is a reflection of our values, demonstrating how we want to move Virginia forward by which projects and issues we fund. I look forward to learning about the Governor’s proposal and the upcoming negotiations to ensure our budget is focused on strengthening public education, expanding health care, increasing affordable housing, improving infrastructure, and supporting the overall wellbeing of vulnerable Virginians.

Transportation Updates

Make a plan to prepare for winter! You can find inclement weather resources on my website. Before you drive in winter weather, visit 511virginia.org or call 511 for road and traffic conditions before travel.

VDOT Winter Weather Preparation

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently released information on their preparations for potential winter weather in upcoming winter months, including:

  • $220 million set aside for winter weather

  • More than 2,300 VDOT crew members, not including additional contractors, available for snow removal statewide

  • Currently more than 10,200 pieces of snow-removal equipment, including trucks, loaders and motor graders

  • More than 702,000 tons of salt, sand and treated abrasives and more than 1.9 million gallons of liquid calcium chloride and salt brine

In the event of two or more inches of snow, you can watch a live map of VDOT’s snowplows.

New 95 Express Lane Entries and Exits

On December 8, VDOT will be opening the new 95 entry and exit points. They will be located at:

  • Marine Corps Base Quantico

  • Courthouse Road/Route 630

  • I-95 north local lanes near Route 17

You can learn more about the new access points on VDOT’s website.