January 5, 2025

Neighbors,

Happy New Year! My family and I kicked off 2025 with a lovely First Day Hike and are grateful we were able to continue our annual tradition of being together and enjoying nature’s beauty. I hope your new year is full of wonderful moments with your friends and loved ones! 

I am honored to serve you in the General Assembly. In the last year, I hosted or participated in 11 town halls and appreciated hearing directly from you about your priorities for our community. My team and I also helped more than 280 constituents connect to state agencies, get clarification on state laws and policies, or address other issues; and met with many constituents, civic associations, and advocates and other stakeholders throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can ever be of assistance – I look forward to staying connected with you in 2025.

Governor Youngkin has declared a state of emergency given the winter storm that we are experiencing. In this newsletter, I’ve included tips on preparing for winter weather as well as information about the following:

  • Community Updates

    • The Brotherhood at Lewis High School

    • Honoring Principal Boland

    • Homeless Shelters Resource

  • Legislative Update

    • Legislative Meetings

    • Legislative Board and Commission Meetings

    • Meeting of Joint Money Committees

  • Transportation Updates

    • Quick Build Traffic Calming Working Group Meeting

  • Preparing for Winter Weather

Please stay safe given our winter weather! As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1018 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 

Best, Kathy

Kathy KL Tran

Delegate

Community Updates

The Brotherhood at Lewis High School

Thank you to the Brotherhood at Lewis High School for inviting me and Delegate Mark Sickles to speak about our work in the House of Delegates! The Brotherhood is a group of Lewis students focused on improving mental health and helping every student succeed outside of the classroom, and I was so impressed by their leadership and thoughtful discussion.

Honoring Principal Maureen Boland

Congratulations to Maureen Boland on her retirement as principal of Rolling Valley Elementary School! Principal Boland tirelessly championed the aspirations of all Rockin’ Robbins from 2009 to 2023. I joined Principal Boland’s family as well as RVES students, teachers, and staff to present her with a resolution from the General Assembly to commend her for her leadership, vision, and care that she demonstrated throughout her career.

Homeless Shelter Resource

As temperatures drop around the region, it is imperative that everyone has a warm place to shelter from the cold.

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission has compiled a list of homeless and winter weather shelters. If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, you can find the list of shelters here.

Legislative Update

My staff and I have been preparing for the 2025 session by meeting with constituents, advocates and stakeholders throughout the fall.

Town Halls

Thank you to everyone who joined my virtual Pre-Session Town Hall and the annual Fairfax County Delegation to the General Assembly’s Public Hearing. I appreciate the opportunity to hear directly from you about your priorities, and I look forward to sharing information about upcoming town halls in my newsletter and on my social media.

Legislative Meetings

In the last couple of weeks, my staff and I attended the Fairfax County General Assembly Work Session as well as heard from the Northern Virginia Labor Federation, the Northern Virginia Community College, and Fairfax Firefighters IAFF Local 2068. 

I also had a great time discussing the need to protect our environment with my constituents Ting, James, Markie, and Kathy, who are volunteers with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

Legislative Board and Commission Meetings

I am proud the Speaker of the House has appointed me to serve on a variety of boards and commissions to better understand and address workforce, water quality, and health care issues facing the Commonwealth. In December, I attended the following meetings:

  • State Water Commission — We received updates about state grant programs aimed at improving water quality, harmful algal blooms at Smith Mountain Lake and modernization of the Richmond combined sewer overflow program.

  • Virginia Board of Workforce Development — We discussed expansion of apprenticeships and received briefings on Virginia’s economic outlook and the establishment of Virginia Works, a new state agency.

  • Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin — We heard briefings on anticipated  water levels of the Potomac River Basin, water use by data centers, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ latest feasibility study on a secondary water source for the region.

  • Autism Advisory Council — We received presentations about Medicaid services and other resources available to people with autism as well as legal requirements for professional trainings on autism.

Meeting of the Joint Money Committees

In 2024, the General Assembly passed a balanced, biennial budget and during the 2025 session, the General Assembly will consider amendments to that budget given updated economic forecasts.

The budget process started in mid-December, when I attended a joint meeting of the House Finance Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. We received an update on Virginia’s expected revenue and heard Governor Youngkin’s proposal to update the biennial budget.

Virginia’s year-to-date revenues are up 7.3% over 2024, leading to a $1.1 billion surplus compared to anticipated revenues. You can see the Governor’s proposed amendments to the biennial budget and spending plan for the surplus here.

Next, the House and Senate will put forward their own budget proposals and negotiate with each other and the Governor toward a final budget. As these discussions progress, I look forward to supporting a budget that supports vulnerable working families who are struggling to keep up with rising costs, invests in our public schools, expands health care, and funds our infrastructure.

Transportation Updates

Quick Build Traffic Calming Working Group Meeting

I provided opening comments at the first meeting of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Quick-Build Speed Management Work Group. This work group was created by the VDOT Northern Virginia office in response to my House Bill 1543. 

The work group will study how Virginia can build low-cost, quick-build infrastructure to improve pedestrian safety around our schools for students, parents, teachers, and staff, and I look forward to staying engaged in their discussions and to receiving their recommendations.

Preparing for Winter Weather

As we prepare for winter storms in the next couple of days, I hope the following tips are helpful – You can find inclement weather resources on my website. 

Please avoid travelling on the roads during winter weather. If you must drive, please get updates about the weather forecast and plan your route ahead of time. 

  • You can visit 511virginia.org or call 511 for road and traffic conditions. 

  • You can report adverse or hazardous road conditions by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

If you lose power or notice a tree or other obstruction on a power line, you must report the issue to Dominion Energy. Dominion Energy relies on the public to report outages to them in order to address the issue. You can report outages on their website.

VDOT is generally responsible for plowing most of the roads in our community. In the event of two or more inches of snow, you can watch a live map of VDOT’s snowplows. VDOT plows streets in the following order:

  • The Interstate Highway System and limited-access roadways are VDOT’s first priority. 

  • Primary roads (routes numbered 1 to 599) and major secondary roads (routes numbered 600 and up) with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high-traffic volumes, will be cleared along with interstate and limited-access roadways as resources allow.

  • Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available.

VDOT also reminds you to make safety a priority. They offer the following safety reminders:

  • It is best not to travel during a winter weather event.

  • Monitor the forecast for your planned route and limit travel based on roadway conditions.

  • Allow more time to reach your destination.

  • Drive at lower speeds and keep a safe distance of at least five to 10 seconds behind other vehicles and trucks that are plowing the road.

  • Don't pass a snowplow or spreader unless it is absolutely necessary.

  • Use caution in locations where pavement freezes first, including bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas.

  • Keep an emergency supply kit in your car at all times in case of a breakdown or stoppage. This should include:

    • Flashlight and extra batteries

    • Ice scraper

    • Cell phone and charger

    • Jumper cables

    • Blankets or quilts

    • First aid kit

    • Bottled water

    • Non-perishable food (nuts, energy bars)

    • Abrasive material for traction (cat litter, sand)

    • Shovel