At noon on Wednesday, I was sworn in for my second term in Virginia’s General Assembly. Sitting in my chair in a building designed by Thomas Jefferson as a representative of the oldest legislative body in the Western hemisphere is still awe-inspiring. The triumphs and tragedies of American history have been borne out between these walls. History whispers at every corner.
I am also confronting the reality of divided government. In the past two years when we were in the majority, I’m proud of the bipartisan work I was able to accomplish on issues ranging from voting rights to healthcare. I’ll continue to work across the aisle when possible, while also ensuring we hold the line on fighting for working families, access to healthcare, gun violence prevention, and voting access.
As outgoing Governor Ralph Northam gave the State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday night, the breadth of what we had accomplished over the past two years in Virginia – making the Commonwealth safer and more inclusive; increasing economic opportunity; offering Virginians dignity through better wages and access to healthcare; and much more–was clear. I’m proud to have been part of this incredible work.
I will also continue to fight to restore civility and democratic norms in Virginia. While disappointed about being in the minority, I am glad that we continued the tradition of seconding the nomination of Republican Speaker Todd Gilbert and voting unanimously for the Speaker. I appreciated the Speaker’s words of being a Speaker for all Virginia. I was then taken aback when the Speaker in a break from all precedent and decorum sent out the below tweet in the midst of the State of the Commonwealth speech while he was at the dais and overseeing the speech.
I am resolute that we will continue to fight for our values in Richmond and that we won’t stoop to needless partisan rancor. I’m going to stay focused on the people’s work in the midst of a global pandemic, and I hope the Speaker will join us in fighting for all of Virginia instead of further eroding good government and longstanding norms.
I look forward to continuing to fight for a future where all Virginians can thrive. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about legislation, please reach out to my office at DelDHelmer@House.Virginia.Gov or by calling 804-698-1040.
Legislative Updates:
We are proud of the legislative work we are doing on critical issues to our community and all of Virginia. Some examples of legislation below:
Campaign Finance Reform
From the ability to use campaign funds for personal use, to no limits donations, to millions in dark money, Virginia remains one of the worst states in the country when it comes to campaign finance law. This needs to change, and I’ve brought forward a bill that requires that dark money groups disclose who is sponsoring their ads.
Fighting Campus Sexual Assault at the Virginia Military Institute
In 2020, we passed a bill to make it easier for sexual assault victims at Virginia colleges and universitites to come forward. Specifically, the bill required schools to have a policy of not disciplining students for engaging in minor infractions like drinking while they were the victim of a sexual assault. At the time, VMI sought an exemption to the provisions of the bill. Despite our opposition, they were able to get that exemption through the Senate and into law. Subsequent reporting on sexual violence at VMI has shown that this exemption is deeply problematic. Our bill seeks to repeal it and also add additional protections for victims at all Virginia colleges.
Insurance Coverage of Fertility Treatments
For the past two years, we’ve been fighting to ensure those who want a child and are unable to have one can get coverage for infertility treatment. Infertility afflicts about one in eight couples, and seventeen states already require insurers to cover infertility treatments. There is no reason a couple should have to leave Virginia to have a baby, and we are going to keep fighting for this change until Virginia passes this law.
Increasing Access to Higher Education
We made huge strides combating hunger with our bill expanding food assistance for many Virginians, including college students. Hunger is just one of many barriers that students can face in seeking higher education. Our bill establishes a Student Emergency Aid Fund and Program. If passed, this program will distribute emergency funds to students enrolled in community colleges, four year colleges, and universities in the Commonwealth and assist them with financial transactions and costs required for the student to complete their degree.
You can follow and read more about all of the bills we are working on here. I look forward to keeping you informed on the progress we are making in the coming weeks and hearing your ideas and feedback.
COVID-19 Updates:
The Omicron Surge is Here. Positivity rates in Fairfax and Prince William Counties are reaching record highs. For the 14-day period ending January 7, 2022, positivity rates were 31.9% in Fairfax County and 39.4% in Prince William. Rates this high indicate that the virus is everywhere, with approximately one out of three people who are tested testing positive. With hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients soaring, Governor Northam declared a 30-day state of emergency to give hospitals the power to expand bed capacity, increase the use of telehealth, and ease staffing issues.
Vaccines Are Our Best Defense. Vaccines remain our best defense against serious illness from COVID-19. As Governor Northam noted when he declared a state of emergency, in southwest Virginia, 97% of COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilators were unvaccinated, and the majority of COVID-19 patients needing intensive care were unvaccinated.
Children aged 5 and up are eligible for vaccines. Boosters are recommended for everyone aged 12 and older. This past Saturday, both my boys received their booster shot by walk-in at the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Tysons Center. It only took 20 minutes. I encourage all to do the same to protect both our kids and our community. Boosters are now available 5 months after your last shot in the primary series. If you haven’t yet gotten your vaccine or your booster yet, you can schedule your shot in Fairfax County and in Prince William County.
Testing to Keep Schools Open. The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will distribute five million free COVID-19 tests to K-12 schools across the U.S. every month to help keep schools open. The White House also promised lab capacity to process the free tests through regional providers. Read more here. Fairfax County Public Schools have announced their own COVID-19 testing clinics, which you can learn more here.
Need a COVID Test? You can schedule a test in Prince William County here, and in Fairfax County here.
Mask up indoors. The CDC continues to advise that everyone aged 2 and up wear a mask over their mouth and nose when indoors in public.
Community Happenings/Events
On January 8th, I joined my fellow Fairfax County General Assembly colleagues to hear directly from our community leading up to our legislative session.
Earlier this month, the Commonwealth was awarded $250 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the U.S. Treasury to support homeowners facing eviction from the pandemic. The Virginia Mortgage Relief Program (VMRP) will use these funds to aid eligible Virginians in preventing and/or easing mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, and displacement of homeowners experiencing financial hardship due to the pandemic.
You can learn more and see if you are eligible to apply here, or call 833-687-8677 (833-OUR-VMRP), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Favorites of the 40th
This week’s Favorite of the 40th is the non profit organization, Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center. Their mission is to aid in the resettlement of refugees and immigrant groups in the Washington DC metro region by providing resources, and opportunities that promote self-sufficiency.
Fresh Start aims to approach the resettlement process in a holistic manner and understands that “resettlement” goes beyond the initial 90-day support that is typically provided by resettlement organizations. They offer their services in three programs: resettlement, education, and community integration. Learn more about these programs here.
It is important to recognize the impactful work that Fresh Start is doing to support incoming refugees. As our new neighbors, it is essential that they have everything they need to thrive and contribute to our society as best as possible.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, please visit this link or send an email to info@freshstartrefugee.org.
As always, feel free to reach out to my office if you have any concerns, questions, or need assistance with an issue. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.