Glimpse of the Future: A different kind of 51 x 51
Over the past ten weeks, we’ve brought you 51 of the accomplishments from the Republican-led House of Delegates, including our plan to provide over $1 billion in tax relief to middle-class families, freeze tuition at colleges and universities, raise teacher pay, improve access to affordable health care, improve life for our veterans, and make our schools safer for children.
But, what would things look like if Republicans were not in the majority? Here’s a preview of what you will see in your inboxes next year if Democrats gain a majority in the House of Delegates.
For the first time in more than two decades, Democrats control the Governor’s Mansion, the Senate of Virginia, and the House of Delegates. We wasted no time passing one of the most progressive agendas in the country!
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting 51 accomplishments from the 51 members of the Democrat-led House of Delegates. Most of our progressive agenda was able to be passed in basically just two afternoons! It’s not bragging to say that we have fundamentally transformed life in Virginia!
Below are just a few highlights of what you can expect over the next 51 days.
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We passed $770 million in new tax increases, all of which were killed by the Republican Majority in 2018.
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Over the objections of greedy business leaders, we raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour, which Republicans have consistently defeated ever year.
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Even though we said this was something we would never do, we repealed Virginia’s “Right To Work” law, thanks to the courage of our comrade Delegate Lee Carter!
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We repealed the Republican tax plan that cut taxes by nearly $1 billion.
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We joined RGGI, even though the State Corporation Commission staff estimates it will cost between $3 and $5 billion and raise electricity rates by $7 to $12 per customer per month.
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We passed Delegate Sam Rasoul’s historic “Green New Deal” legislation, which Republicans killed in 2019, before Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could even pass her legislation in Congress. Production of fossil fuels will be prohibited by 2021.
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We passed Delegate Kathy Tran’s legislation, ending all meaningful restrictions on abortion so a woman can abort her unborn child at any time for any reason.
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In fact, as Delegate Ibraheem Samirah promised, abortion is now on its way to becoming a constitutional right in the Commonwealth - much like the right to religious freedom, the right to free elections, and the right to due process.
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We repealed Virginia’s law requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polls, even though it’s supported by over two-thirds of Virginians as a commonsense measure to protect our elections.
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Under Marcus Simon’s constitutional amendment that we passed, prisoners, convicted felons and death row inmates will all now get to vote - just like Bernie Sanders promised. This is something Republicans defeated in 2019 but your new Democrat majority made it a priority!
- Drug dealers will also now be able to receive food stamps, something else Republicans had defeated in previous sessions.
Virginia has been fundamentally transformed, and you have all 51 members of the Democrat-led House of Delegates to thank for that!