On January 8th, I was sworn in as Delegate for the 40th District in Richmond. I’m humbled to have this opportunity to serve our community, Commonwealth, and country again.
January 8th was also a historic day for Virginia. Our legislature is the oldest English-speaking representative body in the Western Hemisphere. Its members have included the likes of Thomas Jefferson. Yet it is also where we codified much of the institution of slavery as well as much of Jim Crow after the Civil War. On January 8th, we elected the first woman and person of the Jewish faith to serve as Speaker of the House and the first African-American woman as House Majority Leader. Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and Leader Charniele Herring are dedicated public servants, and I couldn’t be prouder than to serve alongside them.
My team and I have hit the ground running, and we are ready to serve. Please reach out by phone (804.698.1040), email (DelDHelmer@house.virginia.gov), or online if you need anything.
Thank you to everyone that helped me get here; I look forward to diving into the new legislative session and representing the 40th!
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Of course, the biggest happening of the week was the snow day! If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Prince William Superintendent Steve Walts’ song to announce the occasion. Don’t forget to help fight hunger by stuffing the bus when it comes around – check here for a full list of stops to find the closest one.
FAVORITES OF THE 40TH
Have you ever been to Bake & Brew in Clifton? Owned by Jeannette & Erich Williams, Bake & Brew has been serving gourmet coffee and baked goods since 2018 in the Historical Town of Clifton. My personal favorites are the croissants; if you’ve never been—or if it’s been a while—check it out this weekend!
Want to highlight an event, a small business, or know somebody who deserves a shoutout? Please let us know by sharing your nomination here.
ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGS
The months since the election have been filled with meetings with constituents, experts, and organizations in preparation for this historic session. In particular, I had a chance to meet with both the Chalet Woods and Ridges of Glendilough communities to discuss local transportation issues and traffic concerns. Our office has been working with various organizations and state agencies such as VDOT and FCDOT to address constituent concerns, and we are excited to continue doing so from our new office in Richmond.
We always appreciate visits here in Richmond. Thank you to the gun violence prevention advocates from our local chapter of Moms Demand Action for coming to visit!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
We’ve been working on a number of bills, which can all be found here. Among the highlights are bills to help cancer patients access fertility preservation treatment, protect students reporting sexual assault, and support our active duty service members and veterans with disabilities. We’re also working on bills that help end the epidemic of gun violence in Virginia by ensuring firearms stored in vehicles are locked securely, preventing those with convictions for domestic violence in other states from obtaining concealed carry permits in Virginia, and ensuring that firing ranges are located safely. I attended a bipartisan meeting of the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus this week to discuss commonsense approaches to keep our community safe.
George Washington warned in his farewell address “against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally,” and I firmly believe that no single person nor party has a monopoly on good ideas. Moreover, I share the concern of many Virginians about the partisan divisions that are preventing good work from getting done. That’s why I’m proud to be a founding member of the Commonwealth Caucus to find areas of common ground with legislators from both parties. On Sunday morning, you will be able to see me and several other legislators discuss this new Caucus on This Week in Richmond.
I have also just received committee assignments for the coming session. I look forward to serving on the Public Safety; Transportation; and Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committees. These committees will give our team opportunities to focus on areas we care about deeply including spending more time with our families and less in traffic; addressing the gun violence epidemic; and protecting our environment.
Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to sharing another update next week with you all. If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Warm Regards,
Dan