House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert issued the following statement: “Governor Northam was correct when he said there’s no playbook for dealing with a pandemic like this. COVID-19 is a public health crisis that has precipitated an economic crisis. Balancing the two is no easy task, but essential to ensure Virginians come out of this crisis both healthy and on reasonably … Read More
House Republican Leadership Statement on Conclusion of 2020 Legislative Session
The Virginia House of Delegates completed its work today for the 2020 General Assembly Session. Over 2,200 pieces of legislation passed the House including a new budget for the next two years. This session, with Democrats in complete control for the first time in 20 years, produced billions in new and increased taxes, a flourish of anti-business policies, and a … Read More
House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert Statement on Redistricting Amendment Developments
House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert issued the following statement: “Governor Northam’s move to intervene in the House discussion over redistricting is confusing. Governors have no role in amending the Constitution, and the amendment itself cannot be changed at this point without restarting the entire process, killing nonpartisan redistricting for a decade. “Muddying the waters at this point with new legislation … Read More
House Republican Leader Statement on Legislation Ending Certain Mandatory Incident Reporting in Schools
House Democrats voted today to pass House Bill 257 that would remove requirements for school officials to report serious crimes to law enforcement such as sexual battery, stalking, and threats against teachers and staff. “House Democrats today adopted a policy that will make our students, teachers, and school personnel significantly less safe,” said House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah. “Administrators … Read More
House Republican Statement on Passage of House Budget
The Virginia House of Delegates today passed its version of the biennium budget, sending House Bills 29 and 30 to the Senate. Members of the House Republican Caucus submitted numerous floor amendments that were killed by the majority with no debate. House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), Republican Caucus Chair Kathy Byron (R-Bedford), and Republican Whip Jay Leftwich (R-Chesapeake) issued … Read More
House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert Statement on Proposed ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban
House Democrats have prepared an amended version of their ill-advised House Bill 961, legislation that would turn countless law-abiding Virginians into felons in short order. House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert released the following statement: “Any legislation that requires Virginians to surrender or destroy their lawfully possessed firearms or standard-issue magazines is tantamount to confiscation and a gross violation of our … Read More
House Republicans Statement on Legislation Nullifying Photo ID Law
The House of Delegates voted to gut Virginia’s popular voter ID law today, removing the requirement that voters present a valid photo ID in order to cast their ballot at the polls. This bill allows someone with no photo ID to vote with just a signature affirming that they are who they claim to be. The bill does nothing to … Read More
House Republican Statement on National Popular Vote Compact
House Democrats voted today to put big states like New York, California, and Texas in charge of who gets Virginia’s 13 Electoral Votes, passing legislation to ratify the National Popular Vote interstate compact. Should Virginia voters choose a candidate of one party, but the candidate of another party wins the most votes nationally, Virginia’s 13 electors would be required to … Read More
House Republican Statement on Job Killing Minimum Wage Hike
The Virginia House of Delegates today voted to raise Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024 — including the largest single-year jump in Virginia history starting July 1. The bill also removes a number of exemptions from the minimum wage requirement, including small businesses with less than four employees. House Republicans opposed House Bill 395 out of concern … Read More
House Republican Leaders Statement on House Bill 1635
The Virginia House of Delegates today passed legislation to repeal enactments adopted in 2012 that prevent bidders, offers, contractors, and subcontractors of WMATA projects within the Commonwealth from being required to enter into project labor agreements (PLAs). House Republicans opposed the bill due to the potential for PLAs to become mandatory for future metro work done solely within Virginia. “The … Read More