Greetings from the 42nd District

Greetings!

Happy New Year! It is an honor to be re-elected to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent the 42nd District - I am grateful to be able to continue serving our community.

I will be sending out weekly electronic newsletters during the legislative session to keep you updated about my work and the ongoings of the General Assembly. As always, you can connect with me by emailing DelKTran@house.virginia.gov or calling 804-698-1042. 

I wish you the very best in 2020!

Cheers, Kathy 

2019 Elections and Upcoming Legislative Session

In November, a record number of voters participated in the elections across Virginia. I ran for re-election to continue fighting for our community so that we keep expanding access to healthcare; invest more in public schools; and advance equality for women, LGBTQ people, and immigrants. I am honored to have been re-elected with strong support from our community.

The upcoming legislative session is scheduled for January 8, 2020 through March 8, 2020. If you would like to meet me during the session, tour the capitol, or bring your girl or boy scout troops to visit, please know my staff is available to assist with scheduling and can provide helpful information for your visit. 

Our legislative body will be the most diverse in our Commonwealth’s 400 year history, with Delegates and Members representing many different lived and professional experiences. In addition, we will have the most women elected to the General Assembly ever. Women will also hold the two most powerful positions in the House of Delegates, as Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn will be the first woman to serve as Speaker, and Delegate Charniele Herring will be the first woman to serve as Majority Caucus Leader. I have been appointed as Deputy Whip for the House Democratic Caucus, and I look forward to serving in this leadership role. 

Governor’s Budget

Governor Northam’s proposed 2020-2022 biennial budget was announced on December 17. I joined many of my colleagues in the Virginia General Assembly for Governor Northam’s address to the Joint Money Committees in Richmond. This proposed budget makes historic investments in education, healthcare, and transportation, and more. I look forward to working with my colleagues to finalize a budget that creates opportunities for all to thrive. You can find the Governor’s budget here. 

Metro

I know many constituents in the 42nd District have been affected by the Cinder Bed Road Garage strike. I have organized my colleagues in the Virginia House of Delegates to insist that WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld use his position to ensure a mutually agreeable contract is reached between Transdev, an international company contracted by WMATA to operate certain bus routes, and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 698. I have also repeatedly requested a meeting with the General Manager to discuss this situation and learn what he is doing to resume services.

WMATA has recently announced a new labor agreement with ATU. While the new agreement includes a timeline to end privatization of bus services at the Cinder Bed Road Garage, it does not address the issues currently under negotiations by Transdev and ATU. As such, services remain disrupted as negotiations continue. At this time, Transdev will return to the negotiations table in mid-January.

I appreciate all the constituents who have shared their experiences and concerns with the strike. I will continue to keep our community informed as more details are announced. You can find the letters that I sent to WMATA here. 

Upcoming Events

There are a couple of opportunities to have your voice heard on issues and concerns that matter to you. 

The Fairfax Delegation to the Virginia General Assembly will be hosting our annual Pre-Session Public Hearing on Saturday, January 4 starting at 9am at the Fairfax County Government Center. Information on how to register and request accommodations is available here.  

I will be hosting my annual Pre-Session Office Hours on Saturday, January 4th from 4pm-5pm at Pohick Regional Library. I look forward to hearing from constituents about issues that are important to you. 

Keep in Touch

You can keep up with my work on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.