We have officially reached Crossover in the 2024 General Assembly session!
Now, we in the House will turn our attention to the bills that the Senate has sent to us to consider. This will certainly be a significant number of bills, as over 200 more than ever were introduced during this legislative session. I have had the opportunity to vote on many measures that impact our district, and I thank all of my constituents who have reached out or visited Richmond to voice their views on legislation.
One of the bills that is crossing over to the Senate from the House that generated a lot of discussion and media attention is HB1514, creating the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority in order to move the Caps and Wizards to Potomac Yard in Alexandria. As the Delegate of the next door district directly impacted by this proposed arena, I've expressed in my meetings with the Administration numerous concerns regarding transit infrastructure, labor agreements, the impact on our greater metro area community, funding, and environmental impacts. Unfortunately, the proposal from the Governor especially lacks both a comprehensive transportation plan and meaningful labor agreements for construction and hotel workers, two critical issues for me. While negotiations led by the Democratic leadership offer a path forward that improves the bill, including an amendment containing a re-enactment clause requiring passage again next year, my major concerns are not assuaged, leading me to vote against the bill yesterday on the floor and last Friday in the Appropriations Committee where I sit. The bill passed on a vote of 59-40 and is moving across to the Senate.
Over recent weeks, I've heard strong and reasoned opposition from hundreds of constituents, raising points that I share and find compelling. Concerns persist regarding the significant and long-term impacts on not just the Mount Vernon community but the greater regional community, particularly regarding traffic conditions, affordable housing, and the negative effect on Chinatown. The potential increase in rent prices would disproportionately affect working-class families, exacerbating existing challenges. Furthermore, the argument that relocating a sports team equates to economic development fails to acknowledge the true essence of economic growth to the region in its entirety. This is not bringing in new capital so much as moving it five miles down the road and across the river. In my role as your Delegate, I prioritize the best interests of our community but cannot ignore that we are a part of the greater metro region, and unfortunately, this legislation falls short of meeting the needs and concerns of my constituents. Therefore, I did not support this bill.
In addition to hearing Senate bills over the next few weeks, House members must also travel to the Senate side to present our bills before their committees. This process can get tricky, as many of us are chairing House subcommittees at the same time that we must attend Senate committees to present our bills. As you can see, there will be a lot of hurrying from place to place, and I may have to pass my gavel to another colleague on my subcommittee from time to time.
Just to give you an idea of how the floor votes went on my 15 bills headed to the Senate, below are the bills with the voting results. To learn more about each bill you can find them on LIS at https://lis.virginia.gov. These bills now start all over again in Senate Committees this week. We are making progress!
HB 199 (92-7), HB 200 (99-0), HB 201 (100-0), HB 522 (93-5), HB 523 (97-3), HB 525 (99-1), HB 526 (100-0), HB 527 (92-6), HB 698 (52-48), HB 1157 (62-36), HB 1167 (54-45), HB 1273 (51-48), HB 1349 (96-3), HB 1397 (51-46), HJ 10 (97-0).