Category: Helmer Happenings

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be…

My wife Karen is a public school teacher. I have two sons in our public schools. And, as a member of the Army Reserve, I get to spend a few weeks each year teaching cadets at West Point. My experience as a parent, husband, and sometime teacher myself gets me very concerned when we try…

I believe in some simple principles. If you’re sick in this country, you should be able to get quality healthcare. Getting care shouldn’t bankrupt you. People shouldn’t have to choose between medicine and putting food on the table. However, healthcare is growing more and more unaffordable. It’s not only bad for our health – it’s…

Naches is the Yiddish term for pride in the accomplishments of your children. I’m not sure whether the word itself exists in other languages, but I know the feeling is universal. The triumphs of our children bring joy to Karen and me often, just as most parents find happiness in their children’s successes. If there is a…

This Thursday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Religious hate crimes targeting Jews are on the rise – look no further than the hostage-taking at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas earlier this month, not to mention killings at synagogues throughout the country. Closer to home we have seen regular distribution of antisemitic pamphlets, desecration of…

Last Saturday, I attended Governor Youngkin’s swearing-in ceremony. The peaceful transition of power at Virginia’s Capitol stood in stark contrast to the dark day at our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021. I was glad to attend and reinforce that we should respect the outcomes of elections, not call them into question. I hope that…

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…

On January 20, 2020, more than 20,000 armed protesters, militia members, neo-Nazis, and other right-wing extremists descended on the Virginia Capitol and occupied the Capitol grounds. The FBI detained and charged a small cell who planned specific acts of violence. Outside my legislative office in Richmond’s Pocahontas building, a heavily armed group deliberately conflated armed…

For 50 years, women in Virginia and throughout the United States have known that their ability to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions was guarded by the Supreme Court. Last week, a highly politicized Supreme Court seemed poised to overturn the protections contained in Roe. The Virginia House and Senate are currently in a Special…

It has been the honor of my life to serve in the House of Delegates, and I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to continue serving this community this January in my second term representing Virginia’s 40th District. Whether I earned your support or not, I will work hard on behalf of every…