It has been a maddening few weeks. I am worried about the erosion of democratic norms, including here in Virginia, where some have refused to concede to the will of voters and simultaneously stoked baseless accusations of fraud. Democrat, Republican, or Independent, as Americans, we all should accept as a basic tenet that politicians serve at the will of voters. Those who win elections should represent us. Those who lose concede and work together with those elected on behalf of community, Commonwealth, and Country. I hope that January 20th will end this aberration. I fear it won’t, and I will work with willing allies on both sides of the aisle to restore faith and trust in our system.
Like everyone else, I’m also watching the rising coronavirus numbers with alarm. We must be vigilant, and I ask everyone to do what they can. Yes, a vaccine is coming. No, it won’t be as fast as we’d like. We’ve made plans here for the distribution of the vaccine and will continue to revise them as we understand more. In the meantime, please join me in staying home as much as possible and wearing a mask in public. I am also saddened at having to do another round of holidays through Zoom. Nonetheless, we must keep one another safe. It’s not easy, and we are all tired. But working together we can save countless lives.
Finally, November 30th is the deadline to submit legislation here in Virginia for the 2021 session. I appreciate all of you who have sent me your ideas, ranging from how we might control the costs of medical care to new consumer protections. Your input is fundamental in shaping my work in the General Assembly. If you have an idea on specific laws we can put forward, please email me before 11/30 with your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you!
Events & Meetings
On Veterans Day, I traveled took take part in Virginia Commonwealth University’s Honor Quest with Virginia veterans, students, faculty, community members, and fellow legislators to recognize the service of Virginia’s veterans. We reflected on the service of our women and men in uniform and how we can turn that gratitude into action to make Virginia the best place it can be for veterans. That work continued at the Board of Veterans Services meeting where we discussed priority legislation to support our veterans in 2021.
I met with a bipartisan group of legislators from around the Commonwealth to discuss how we develop our clean energy infrastructure for Virginia. I look forward to introducing legislation this coming year to ensure we are promoting green energy. And I joined New Politics Leadership Academy’s Answering the Call program to meet with young folks interested in servant leadership and discuss how we can all step up to better our communities.
I joined the Gainesville Democrats to debrief the election results and discuss where we go from here. While it’s not the same as meeting in person, being able to connect with local groups virtually is always a pleasure, and I look forward to the day when it is safe to gather together.
If you, your HOA, or a community group is interested in finding a time to meet, please reach out — I always value meeting with residents of the district.
COVID-19 Update
We continue to see worrying rises in COVID-19 cases around the country and here in Virginia. While we have not seen the same surges here as have been seen elsewhere, we must continue to embrace mask-wearing, social distancing, and staying home diligently so that Virginia does not become the next hotspot. If you have not already, I once again encourage you to download COVIDWISE. Every member of my family, including me, has the app, which plays a critical role in protecting public health while also protecting Virginians’ privacy. Nearly 800,000 Virginians have downloaded COVIDWISE thus far. Once you’ve downloaded it, tell your friends and family to do the same — as it is more effective the more of us using it. For more information, visit the Department of Health’s COVIDWISE webpage.
As the holidays approach, I strongly encourage you to celebrate virtually with those outside your household. If you do choose to gather with others, however, linked is guidance from the Virginia Department of Health to ensure we minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Favorites of the 40th
T3 Design Corporation (T3), is a small, woman-owned traffic engineering company located in the City of Fairfax. It is owned and operated by Amy Morris, P.E., who is a long-time resident of Fairfax Station. T3 was founded in 2006 and has grown from five initial staff to 30 employees currently.
Pre-COVID Staff Picture
T3 provides a range of transportation engineering services, such as traffic modeling and simulation to evaluate future traffic impacts of land development or roadway projects, design of traffic signals and signing, and design of roadway construction work zones. They provide these services to state and local government, private developers, and public transportation agencies throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
T3 takes pride in developing safe, sustainable, and cost-effective transportation solutions through meticulous studies, skillfully designed projects, and expertly managed operations. Their core values include community involvement and increasing opportunities for women within the male-dominated field of engineering. As a community partner, T3 maintains a section of roadway in Fairfax as part of the Adopt-A-Highway Program, and gives all staff one day per year to volunteer in any activity benefitting the local area. The firm also partners with George Mason University and has a robust internship program for students interested in transportation engineering. More information can be found at www.t3design.us.
Wishing you all well this week. As always, please reach out if my office can be of assistance to you.