FEATURED INSIGHTS
INSIGHTS
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM VIRGINIA’S SPECIAL SESSION
Virginia state legislators returned to the Capitol this week to meet for a special legislative session on coronavirus. One member on the House Appropriations Committee privately likened the session to the General Assembly, "coming back to turn on the 'un-allotted' lights." The pandemic forced the Commonwealth to pause $2.7 billion of new spending on Democratic priorities. The legislature also plans to approve new language on criminal justice reform that will relive systemic pressure after months of protests.
POLICY BRIEF: Virginia Criminal Justice Reform
The Virginia General Assembly directed its State Crime Commission (SCC) to undertake an emergency review of its criminal justice policies and identify opportunities for reform. Most legislative activity will center around policies supported by the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, mainstream Democratic activists, and the Black Lives Matter protestors. This augments those discussions.
Reform in Virginia Means Dashing the Specter of Byrd
Many high-profile, liberal state laws became effective in Virginia on July 1 that begin to unravel generations of systemic injustice faced by the Commonwealth’s minority residents. The Commonwealth of Virginia elected its first liberal legislature in 2019 since Reconstruction ended in 1880, completing a centuries-long ideological transition of the state Democratic Party from conservative to liberal.