FROM: Delegate Kathy Tran
SUBJECT: Newsletter 10/20/22
October 20, 2022
Neighbors,
The Congressional midterms are on November 8 — Please make a plan to vote and have your voice counted in this year’s elections!
In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:
Community Events
South Run HOA Town Hall
Ethiopian Fall Festival
Legislative Updates
Student Loan Forgiveness
Early Voting and Same Day Registration
Public Comment Period on Virginia Public School 2022 Model Policies
House Page Programs
Reporting Street Light Outages
Update on Meadowood SRMA Horses
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
Community Events
South Run HOA Town Hall
It was great to join residents at the South Run HOA Town Hall. I was able to give a legislative update and answer constituent questions!
Ethiopian Fall Festival
My family and I recently enjoyed the Ethiopian Fall Festival in Alexandria and joined our neighbors to celebrate Ethiopian culture and contributions to our community. Thanks to my constituent, Hanna, for inviting us!
Legislative Updates
Student Loan Forgiveness
The Biden Administration announced student debt cancellation of up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,00 for non-Pell Grant recipients. Applications are due by December 31, 2023. See if you qualify and learn more at https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/.
Early Voting and Same Day Registration
Election Day is on November 8! In the last several years, we have increased access to voting, including by implementing no-excuse early voting for 45 days and same day voter registration.
The last day to apply to vote absentee by mail, fax, or online is October 28.
And in person early voting, including on Saturdays, is currently available until November 5. For more information, including the polling locations that are nearest to you in Fairfax County, click here.
Virginia’s Participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board is currently accepting public comment through October 26 on proposed regulations to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), based on Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order 9.
RGGI is a partnership between northeast and mid-Atlantic states to use collaborative, market-based methods to cut our carbon emissions and address climate change. In 2020, the General Assembly passed the Virginia Alternative Energy and Coastal Protection Act requiring the Commonwealth’s participation in RGGI.
To date, RGGI has raised $228 million, portions of which are used to address inland and coastal flooding and help vulnerable and low wealth communities become more energy efficient.
You can submit comments about the proposal to remove Virginia from RGGI here.
Public Comment Period on Virginia Public School 2022 Model Policies
The Virginia Department of Education is accepting public comment on the revised transgender policies for Virginia public schools through October 26.
Recognizing that LGBTQ youth are disproportionately at risk for self-harm, the General Assembly passed bipartisan legislation in 2020 that instructed the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to develop model, evidenced-based policies for school boards to address the treatment of transgender students.
The revised policies are a significant departure from the previous policy. You can find more information on the original policy and the revised policy on VDOE’s website and can submit your feedback here.
House Page Program
Applications are open for the House — If you live in our district, please reach out to me if you apply!
The Page Program, open to 13 and 14 year olds, provides an immersive educational opportunity to experience first hand how the Virginia General Assembly operates while we are in session.
Applications for the House of Delegates Page Program are due October 31 and you can access the application here.
Reporting Street Light Outages
Fairfax County Government has developed a new Streetlight Reporting Map to make it easier to report street light outages from either your phone or desktop computer. Check out the tool!
Three steps to report a streetlight outage are:
Look for the pole ID number, which can be found on the pole.
If you can’t find the pole number or if you notice a streetlight outage while driving, use the online streetlight locator tool to find pole numbers. Zoom in on the map to see streetlight locations.
After finding the streetlight on the map, report it online in the link provided on the map.
Update on Meadowood SRMA Horses
The Bureau of Land and Management (BLM) has issued a right-of-way through December 2027 to allow for the U.S. Army to temporarily house horses from the Caisson Platoon at the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) on Mason Neck.
The horses are responsible for carrying U.S. service people to their final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. This partnership between the BLM and Army will allow for temporary housing and grazing space for 12 horses on 14 acres near the former Belmont House.