February 27, 2022
Neighbors,
It was wonderful to host special guests from the 42nd District at the Capitol! On Monday, Cub Scout Pack 684 and Girl Scout Troop 5551 and their parent chaperones visited. I enjoyed sharing my work on behalf of our community and introducing them in the House Gallery.
On Thursday, Reverend Bryan Brock from Westwood Baptist Church gave the invocation to start our daily floor session. He spoke eloquently about the need to build a welcoming and loving community for all, and it was a pleasure to have him join us in the House of Delegates.
In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:
Postponing Upcoming Town Hall on Electric Reliability
Legislative Update
Budget Update
Transportation Updates
WMATA SmarTrip replacement
Dogue Creek Bridge
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, 42nd District
Postponing Upcoming Town Hall on Electric Reliability
Thank you to everyone who attended my Transportation Town Hall with VDOT and Transurban this week!
Unfortunately, we need to postpone my Electric Reliability Town Hall with Dominion Energy that was originally scheduled for March 3 because the House of Delegates is scheduled to be on the floor in session until late that evening. We are working with Dominion to find a new date, and we will let you know once that is rescheduled. Thank you for your understanding.
Budget Update
The biennial budget, which establishes our priorities for fiscal years 2023-2024, is one of the most important legislation we will consider this session. As we finalize this budget, several things to note:
We are constitutionally mandated to have a balanced budget.
We have an historic surplus, expected to be $2.6 billion.
The budget process began in December when then-Governor Northam introduced the budget. This week, the House of Delegates and state Senate finalized and voted on our respective budget proposals. Our proposals are presented as amendments to the introduced budget.
Next, the House and Senate will negotiate a final proposal, called the budget conference report. If the proposal passes both Chambers, it will then go to Governor Youngkin for consideration at the end of our legislative session. The General Assembly will vote on any counter proposals put forth by Governor Youngkin when we reconvene in April.
You can view all of the budget proposals here.
At this stage in the process, I voted against the overall House budget proposal as I believe we can continue to negotiate stronger investments for our public education system and social services as well as a more balanced tax policy that gives relief to vulnerable Virginians.
For a summary of all of the proposals, I would recommend the analysis completed by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis here.
I’ve outlined some of the major differences between the introduced budget and the House proposal at this link.
Transportation Updates
WMATA SmarTrip Replacement
WMATA announced that SmarTrip cards purchased before 2012 will not be accepted by the faregates. Starting March 1.
You can transfer your balance by requesting a new metro card by phone, mail, online, or in-person at the Metro Center Sales Office. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to request a new card and transfer your balance on Metro’s website.
Dogue Creek Bridge Reopen
The Dogue Creek bridge by Fort Belvoir’s Walker Gate on Mount Vernon Memorial Highway is reopened. The bridge has been closed since 2019 for repairs. With the reopening of the bridge, Walker Gate is reopen as well.