Budget Briefing – Week 5: February 3-February 7th – Update From Delegate Delores Oates

Tuesday’s Crossover marked an important step in the legislative process. All bills that passed the House were sent to the Senate for consideration. In turn, the Senate sent all their bills to the House for deliberation. In the coming days, we will be hearing the Senate’s bills in committee and voting on those bills that pass for a floor vote.

The budget is arguably the most import bill the House considers, and on Wednesday we immediately got to work. This year’s budget is slightly abridged because Virginia operates on a biennial schedule, meaning the main budget bill was passed in the 2024 session and this year the focus is on amendments.

Someone once said if you want to understand a person’s priorities, examine where they put their time and money. This year’s budget reveals the priorities of a Democrat controlled General Assembly. Unfortunately, Governor Youngkin’s PERMANENT car tax rollback was removed by the Democrats in the House and Senate. Instead, it was replaced with a one-time refund of $200 for a single payer and $400 for joint taxpayers. While I am all for tax rebates, the most hated tax in Virginia is the car tax and it needs to be eliminated. I ran on AXING the CAR TAX and I am committed to its demise.

In addition to removing the car tax, the Democrats removed the Governor’s $50 million dollar Opportunity Scholarship fund which would allow parents and students in underperforming schools to pay for private education. Make no mistake, school choice exists already for the wealthy. It is the poor who must stay in failing schools and the Democrats are not motivated to change that.

The next step in the budget process is for the House and Senate proposals to go to committee. The date of the final vote has not been determined yet, but my office will keep you informed.

No Consequences in our Schools?

Last year, Governor Youngkin issued an executive order requiring “bell to bell” no cell phone policies in our schools. House Democrats brought forward a bill to make it law, but they gutted it so that it does nothing. Del. Mike Cherry, R-Colonial Heights, explains.

Delegate Mike Cherry, a former principal, explains HB1961.

What Bills Would You Prioritize?

The General Assembly is a place of tradition: Brunswick Stew Day, the daily placement of the mace, our strict adherence to Jeffersonian Parliamentary Procedure, the list goes on. Many traditions were abandoned during this session, most unfortunately the practice of giving each bill a hearing. We saw remnants of this during the 2024 session when Democrats took control of the House, and this practice has now continued to expand into 2025. Over 140 Republican bills were not heard this session. That means NO testimony by advocates, NO defense by legislators NOTHING!
The Speaker is responsible for assigning bills to committees where they will get their initial hearing. Below is a list of bills (and links to their full text) proposed in this session. Which ones do you think received priority?

A.) Women in Sports
B.) Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Drone Incursions
C.) Mattress Stewardship Program
D.) Establish an Autism Data Dashboard in the Commonwealth
E.) Designating Zero Waste Awareness Week
F.) Treatment of a Nonviable Pregnancy
G.) Establish a Disaster Assistance Fund (assist with hurricane/other disaster relief)
H.) Penalties for Possession, Sale, Transfer, or Breeding of Nonhuman Primates
I.) Stalking – Electronic Tracking Devices, increased penalty

If you guessed C, E, and H, you’re right! These bills received hearings. None of the others were even placed on the agenda.

Under the Democrat-controlled General Assembly, the protection of primates ranked higher than the protection of women.

The bills that were ignored would have clearly defined miscarriage in our code, kept boys from participating in women’s sports, clarified and increased the penalties for stalking someone using apps like Life360 and Apple Airtags, etc.

Friends, if this isn’t a call to action, I don’t know what is. It is critical that we take back the House next year and hold the executive branch. I am all for collaboration across the aisle, but the Democrats of today are not your grandparents’ Democrat party. My attempts to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle on common sense legislation, such as a bill to allow victims of rape to have a support person in the courtroom during a rape shield process, failed in committee. It is well past time to work together for the good of the people, and if the left won’t do it, then the voters must respond.

Hope You Weren’t Counting on a Raise…

HB2531 creates a paid medical family leave insurance program, which, on the surface, sounds great. However, the composition of this bill makes it a $3,000,000,000 (yes, 3 Billion) tax.

Delegate McNamara highlights the troubles behind HB2531.

Community Bright Spots

Our community was well represented by students from Laurel Ridge Community College. They were here advocating for the community college system that allowed them to find purpose, and develop skills necessary to enter the workforce! As a graduate of the college, I understand the importance of “community” in the community college system. It made all the difference in my own life, as a four-year college was not possible for me following high school. The stories they shared about their own life experiences touched me deeply and reinforced my commitment to the difference the community college makes for young students.

It was also an honor to have Pastor Steven Schetrom from Bethel Life Church in Front Royal here to offer the invocation for the House on Thursday prior to session. His prayer was uplifting and a blessing to all!

Legislative Update

For more information on my position on specific legislation, check out VPAP’s General Assembly guide: https://lis.virginia.gov/session-details/20251/member-information/H0377/member-details

Stay up to date by tuning into sessions of the House or committees that may be of interest to you. The House meeting schedule and LIS can help you keep track of legislation as it moves through the process.

You can always email our office for help too!