Clifton, Virginia was founded by freedmen more than a century ago. With that history in mind, the Town of Clifton hung a sign above Main Street proclaiming, “Welcome to Clifton Where Black Lives Matter.” Sunday night, vandals stole the sign in the cover of darkness.
We will restore the sign in Clifton, just as today Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn had Jim Crow Confederate relics removed from the Capitol. All of that is long overdue, but it is also the easy part.
POLICE & CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM: HOUSE HEARINGS
As Virginia’s first 400 years were marked by racism, we have a historic opportunity to begin the next 400 years committed to racial justice and true equality under the law. As I participated in our hearing on police reform, I found myself continually harkening to the great responsibility we have in front of us, to ensure that every single person in our community, Commonwealth, and Country feels that the system exists for them and that they will be treated fairly by our justice system.
We have a long way to go. Our police, most of whom are dedicated public servants who care deeply about our community, will need to fundamentally reform their profession, with an increased focus on building relationships with the communities they serve,
responsibility to report bad behavior by peers, and public accountability for behaving in accordance with a code of conduct built in conjunction with our communities. We will need to change how police recruit to make sure that our police force is more reflective of the communities that it serves. We need to end the over-use of military equipment and demilitarize police training. Police need to train to de-escalate, use the least amount of force necessary to accomplish their jobs, and regularly retrain. And we need to weed out bad apples and ensure they don’t simply join another department.
I had a chance to not only hear from experts on police reform, but also from many members of the police who are committed to these changes. As we go forward, I welcome your ideas and thoughts. If you are interested in making your voice heard at the upcoming hearings, I encourage you to visit the House Calendar website regularly in the days leading up to the hearings to sign up. You may view upcoming meetings via livestream and can watch archived meetings, including our first meeting this past week, there as well.
EVENTS & MEETINGS
Outside of the critical committee work I’ve been engaged in, it’s been a busy couple weeks of meetings with residents of the 40th District and Virginia leaders working on behalf of our community.
Last week, I joined the Gainesville Democrats for their monthly meeting. In addition to sharing highlights from the legislative session and some of the laws that went into effect this month, we spoke in detail about the upcoming November elections, and the importance of ensuring that everyone can exercise their right to vote safely this fall.
I’ve led efforts among service providers and small businesses to ensure that organizations supporting our community can access large quantities of PPE and be confident in a continued supply that culminated in a meeting on July 17th. We are now in the process of working on legislation to ensure the needs of our providers and businesses can be met.
I participated in the Prince William County Public Schools Civics Summit with students, teachers, and a handful of my General Assembly colleagues. I valued the chance to converse with engaged young people about public service and how we can best contribute to our communities, and know that they have a bright future ahead.
And at a meeting with the Virginia Association of Counties, we heard from Fairfax, Prince William and other counties on the critical needs of our local governments so that they can continue to serve us and help us ensure our schools continue to function at this difficult time.
LOCAL UPDATES
Both Fairfax and Prince William Counties will begin the 2020-2021 academic year entirely virtually. Additionally, the Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously to rename Robert E. High School as John R. Lewis High School. I applaud this change. Now, Congressman Lewis’ legacy will inspire future generations to get in good, necessary trouble right here in Fairfax County to build a better future.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is holding its last of three rounds of community meetings on Fairfax County & Franconia-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long Term Planning Study. The first meeting is next Wednesday, July 29th, and information for all three meetings can be found here.
COVID-19 UPDATES
Last week, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board announced Emergency Temporary Standards due to COVID-19. The standards may be found here, and will remain in effect for six months following July 27th.
COVID-19 tests can be obtained at CVSs, Walmarts, Rite Aids, and a number of other locations. Click here for a list of testing sites and upcoming testing events happening in Virginia.
The Department of Health and Human Services has extended required coverage for testing for health plan enrollees through the end of August. Various health plans are working together with pharmacies and grocery stores to establish adequate testing.
If you or someone you know is in need of an individual is looking for childcare, please visit the Virginia Childcare website; where you can find an up-to-date list of current available providers. Check out CommonHelp to see if you are eligible for the child care subsidy, or if you are looking to apply for any of Virginia’s benefit programs.
FAVORITES OF THE 40TH
Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (NVTRP) is thrilled to announce that the organization is moving forward in August with building the long-awaited Jean and Ric Edelman Indoor Riding Arena on its 17-acre farm, at the corner of Popes Head and Clifton Roads.
The facility will include a 17,000 square foot indoor riding arena, classroom, rider observation area, and restrooms. It will be built on the footprint cleared during the first phase of building in 2018/19, which included the construction of the Trefry Outdoor Riding Arena, Kristen P. Cubbage Memorial Playground, parking, and a reconfigured entryway.
NVTRP is a 40 year-old non-profit organization that helps children and adults with disabilities, youth-at-risk, and recovering military service personnel reach their fullest potential by riding and working with horses. This new space will allow clients to ride year-round, regardless of the weather, and also allow for an expansion of services, hopefully eliminating the typical 1+ year waiting list. If you have any questions regarding the project, you can reach Executive Director Kelsey Gallagher at kgallagher@nvtrp.org or (703) 764-0269.
As always, if there is anything my office can do to help you, please let me know. I wish you safety, health, and a wonderful weekend.
Warm Regards,
Dan