NEWSLETTER
JUNE 4, 2020
Neighbors,
Many in our community are continuing to write to me expressing their deep concerns about systemic racism in Virginia and our country. One way that our neighbors have been channeling their desire for change is through participation in peaceful demonstrations held in our area. Yesterday, my family and I joined constituents and neighbors across Fairfax County and Northern Virginia at the Fairfax NAACP Justice for Black Lives Car Rally. As we continue to have these important and necessary conversations, the rally gave me renewed hope that we will take important steps towards progress.
Governor Northam today announced the Commonwealth of Virginia will be removing the Robert E. Lee statue in the City of Richmond. Since the state government owns the statue, it is within the authority of the Governor to make this decision, which I support. As part of his plan, the Governor will determine an appropriate place for this statue, so that we can continue to learn from our history.
This legislative session, the General Assembly passed House Bill 1537, which I supported, to give local governments the power to make decisions about Confederate statues within their communities. Governor Northam signed the bill and it will go into effect on July 1, 2020.
The Mayor of the City of Richmond indicated he will seek to remove city-owned Confederate statues from Monument Avenue after this new law goes into effect. Once the state government and the City of Richmond remove these statues, the only remaining statue on Monument Avenue will be of Arthur Ashe, a black athlete who broke down many barriers through his accomplishments in tennis. These are some meaningful steps we can take together to move forward.
The Virginia Crime Commission will also play an important role in making policy recommendations to the General Assembly. During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly approved funding for increased staff at the Commission and requested staff study a number of issues related to criminal justice reform, including policies concerning expungement, parole, and sentence reduction. This includes House Bill 1207, an expungement bill which I introduced based on conversations with families in the 42nd District affected by this issue.
The Speaker of the House of Delegates has appointed Delegates to the Commission, and we anticipate the Senate will be appointing its representatives this month. While staff are continuing to work, the Commission will convene once members have all been appointed. You can follow the work of the Commission at http://vscc.virginia.gov/.
As I shared in my newsletter earlier this week, I look forward to continuing to work alongside my colleagues in the Virginia Black Legislative Caucus and Virginia House of Delegates to plan further actions for upcoming legislative sessions. I also continue to welcome your feedback and ideas on this and other issues facing our community.
Tele-Town Hall One Week From Today!
My next Tele-Town Hall will be Thursday, June 11 at 6:30pm. Join Delegates Mark Sickles, Paul Krizek, Vivian Watts, and me for legislative updates and information regarding our state’s response to COVID-19.
You can participate in the conversation with the following information: Dial-in (605) 472-5239 | Access Code 811044 | Submit questions here.
Updates
Below is a COVID-19 update from state agencies. As always, please contact me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov or at (804) 698-1042.
Best, Kathy
Updates from State Agencies
Child Care
The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) issued updated guidance to child care providers for Phase II of easing restrictions and re-opening our economy. As a reminder, Northern Virginia has not yet entered Phase II and Governor Northam has not indicated when he will authorize our region to do so. You can see VDSS’s updated guidance here.
Supreme Court of Virginia and Housing Stability
The Supreme Court of Virginia has extended its Order of Judicial Emergency to June 28th. As I shared previously, courts may begin a phased re-opening, as the Fairfax General District Court has begun. Evictions may proceed in the Fairfax General District Court, however pending or newly issued evictions will not be served. You can read the order here.
Virginia has set up a website for housing resources and information, which you can find here. Also, the Virginia Poverty Law Center has set up a hotline for Virginians facing eviction. Please call 1-833-NoEvict (1-833-663-8428) for assistance.
View my summary of the 2020 legislative session here.
View my previous e-newsletters here.
View my new COVID-19 resource page to see a summary of state actions, guidance, and resources here.