2023 General Assembly Session: Week 2 update

With the conclusion of the second week of the 2023 General Assembly Session, one thing is becoming increasingly clear – Republicans need to retake control of the Virginia Senate! This week, the Democratic leaders in the Senate showed just how partisan they have become and have demonstrated their unwillingness to put good policy ahead of politics.

Last Monday, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, upon which I sit, considered the repeal of 2021 legislation that ceded to California authority to control the timeline for banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in Virginia. The liberal elite wants to require working Virginians to spend upwards of $75,000 for an electric vehicle as their next car or truck. Unless repealed, 35% of all new vehicles sold in Virginia by 2026 must be electric vehicles, and it will impose a complete ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. In what must have been an accidental moment of candor, one Democrat on the Committee admitted that these goals are aspirational and cannot be met, but on a party-line vote (15 Democrats to 3 Republicans), the Committee rejected this commonsense measure.

Last week, the Privileges and Elections Committee heard multiple election integrity bills. Notwithstanding broad bipartisan support, the Committee refused to reinstate the photo ID mandate. The Committee also rejected a bill that would have ended same-day voter registration – allowing persons to show up on Election Day, register, and vote at the same time. Finally, the Committee killed a bill that would have criminalized intentional efforts to register non-citizens to vote.

As most are aware, I have been working to restore integrity to Virginia’s Parole Board and its operations. The scandal-ridden Northam-appointed Parole Board found itself in the midst of a media firestorm when it was caught releasing convicted murderers, rapists, and kidnappers without properly notifying victims, their families, or law enforcement in the communities where the crimes were committed. On Friday, a Senate committee killed my transparency bill to require Parole Board members to actually show up, and meet in person, require current interviews of inmates and allow victims to offer input via virtual means. Americans are sick and tired of having legislators or government officials not showing up to do their jobs. If a friend or family member of mine were preparing for a parole hearing, I would certainly want parole board members to take it sufficiently seriously that they would actually meet in person, discuss the case and have a current interview of the inmate before making a parole decision. Finally, the bill would have allowed victims to provide input virtually. Nobody testified in opposition to this bill, yet Democrats on the committee killed it on a party-line vote. Attorney General Jason Miyares pledged to investigate the misconduct by the Northam parole board, and I hope that he will get to the bottom of the scandal-ridden conduct of that panel. For the sake of safe communities across Virginia and for the sake of fairness from the perspective of everybody involved in the process, it is essential that integrity and public confidence be restored in the process.

Finally, on Friday, a Senate subcommittee considered bills protecting innocent human life. First was a bill introduced by Senator Travis Hackworth, limiting abortion from conception with exceptions for medical emergencies and rape or incest (before 20 weeks and with a police report). The Governor’s bill, patroned by Steve Newman, would limit abortions after 15 weeks of gestational age with exceptions for medical emergency, rape, or incest. Senator Siobhan Dunnavant introduced a bill that would limit abortions in the third trimester, with exceptions for medical emergencies and nonviable pregnancies. The Senate Education and Health Committee, controlled by Democrats, recommended defeating all those bills. Surveys show that more than 80% of Americans across all racial, ethnic, and political lines oppose late-term abortions, but not a single Democrat on the Committee was willing to vote even for those very limited restrictions. Innocent human life needs to be protected. It is clear that those Senate Democrats want no restrictions whatsoever on abortion.

You can look here for a full list of the bills I am carrying this session. I will endeavor to provide weekly updates on significant developments during the course of Session. If you have opinions (pro or con), questions, or concerns about any legislation before the General Assembly, please do not hesitate to share those with me. I can always be reached by email at mark@markobenshain.com, and my office can be reached at either 804-698-7526 (Richmond Office) or 540-437-1451 (Harrisonburg District Office.) Should you be in Richmond at any point during the General Assembly Session, please stop by my office (Room 502) and say hello and let us know if we can do anything for you during your visit.

I always enjoy visiting with and meeting with groups and constituents from home. This week was very busy with visits from Second Amendment supporters from the VCDL, local Credit Union leaders, Leadership Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chamber Class, Page County advocates for the Federation of the Blind, EMS representatives, Rappahannock Board of Supervisors members, Virginia Interfaith Council and students from Shenandoah County Central High School’s Y Street program.

Best,

Mark Obenshain