Delegate Wiley’s Richmond Roundup: Week 7 – Delivering for all Virginians

This weekend, the General Assembly concluded its legislative business after a whirlwind 46-day session filled with spirited debate, productive negotiations, and diligent consideration of thousands of bills.

When my House Republican colleagues and I arrived in Richmond, we prioritized:

1. Making life more affordable for Virginians
2. Protecting our communities
3. Restoring excellence in education

Despite a political divide in the Senate, we were still successful in passing a variety of legislation that serves all Virginians.

Restoring Excellence in Education
Education is the first legacy we leave for our children. That is why we were eager to pass legislation that restores excellence in education and invests in our school systems across Virginia.

This session, House Republicans passed legislation to empower teachers with the support they need to allow them to regain control of their classrooms. We also advanced legislation that earmarks emergency funds to invest in our students and combat learning loss. Unfortunately, the Democrat-controlled Senate defeated these proposals.

We also passed legislation (HB 1526, Coyner) that expands proven and effective reading support to more students across Virginia. I was pleased to see the legislation receive unanimous approval in both the House and the Senate. In addition, legislation (HB 1629, Coyner) passed to establish a Virginia Parent Data Portal to make student assessments more accessible for parents.

Finally, the House budget we passed a few weeks ago increases investments in schools across the Commonwealth to prioritize student and teacher success.

Making Virginia a Safer Place for Families
Rather than promote a restrictive gun control agenda that punishes responsible gun owners, House Republicans advanced a legislative package this session to deter crime more effectively. We promoted legislation (HB 2360, Webert) that would put criminals who commit particularly heinous offenses with a firearm behind bars for longer periods of time. Meanwhile, we passed legislation in the House that would ensure individuals accused of serious crimes abide by stricter conditions before being allowed out on bail. Senate Democrats killed these measures.

House Republicans also advanced legislation that nearly became law in 2019 that would ensure drug dealers who are responsible for fatal drug overdoses could be charged with felony homicide. Despite bipartisan support, Governor Ralph Northam vetoed the original bill. This year, with a leader in Governor Youngkin who stood ready to sign the bill into law if it made it to his desk, we were optimistic that the bill would finally get across the finish line.

Unfortunately, Senate Democrats defeated the legislation despite the fact that it mirrored identical language that they once supported.

Making Life More Affordable for Every Virginian
While the General Assembly cannot directly control the rate of inflation, we can do what we can to alleviate its effects by lowering costs and cutting taxes. Our budget negotiators are still hard at work, but our budget amendments will cut taxes for every working Virginian and put more money back into the pockets of working families.

We were particularly pleased to raise the standard deduction so that more Virginians would pay less in taxes. In the House budget, the reductions in individual income tax mean 86 percent of taxpaying Virginians will enjoy the benefits of a lower top tax rate, and an additional 14,000 Virginians will pay no state income taxes. We also passed legislation in the House to disconnect us from California emissions standards to make it easier to purchase a car.

Senate Democrats killed this legislation.

More Affordable, Reliable Energy for Every Virginian
House Republicans are also working to lower costs in the energy space. The goal of all our utility legislation this session has remained the same: find the right balance between the regulated utility companies and ratepayers that keeps the lights on in an affordable way for consumers.

A major component of a low-carbon energy future is nuclear power. We passed multiple bills that will position Virginia as a leader in the nuclear energy sector and ensure that we keep the light on for decades. Several of these bills embrace the technological benefits of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), which can utilize the unused coalfields in Southwest that were once the powerhouse of Virginia. Not only will SMRs create jobs in Southwest and southside Virginia, but they’ll also bolster our grid without adding new power plants or transmission facilities.

With the passage of these bills, Virginia can have a reliable electric grid and lower costs – they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Wiley’s Work in Richmond:

Stay tuned for more updates this week that summarize the session and the budget outcomes. We are continually grateful for your support and are blessed to be your representatives in Richmond.

• See 2023 legislation that Delegate Wiley is Chief Patron 

• See legislation that Delegate Wiley is Co-Patron on

• See a list of House Committees Delegate Wiley serves on or Chairs

• Other Commission and Committee Appointments in the General Assembly

If you are interested in following any other legislation in the General Assembly, visit www.lis.virginia.gov

If I can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at delbwiley@house.Virginia.gov or 540-686-1771.

Regards,

Delegate Bill Wiley, House District 29
delbwiley@house.Virginia.gov
1-804-698-1029