Today marks the start of the 2024 Virginia General Assembly Session, and we are excited for the chance to once again advocate alongside community partners, coalitions, and other organizations for meaningful change in our state. Over the next 60 days, the House and Senate will consider thousands of pieces of legislation, including a new two-year state budget.
This session will be unique as we welcome 52 newly elected legislators following the recent major election in Virginia and a once-every-ten-years redistricting process. Our team, along with our partners, have already been meeting with many of these legislators to introduce our work and educate them on the issues that matter to our communities.
During this session, we will be working to:
- Ensure our communities have access to critical safety nets like access to healthcare coverage, food support, and other public benefits;
- Address challenges with medical debt, especially for lower-income communities;
- Work to curb the astronomically rising cost of rent increases with a proposed new anti-rent gouging law;
- Through the Fund Our Schools Coalition, ensure Virginia’s public school system is fully and equitably funded;
- Address issues in the criminal legal system, including court fines and fees, the pretrial system, and youth decarceration; and
- Fight for minimum wage protections for farmworkers.
We will also be ready to challenge any legislation attempting to roll back the gains from previous session wins or that could harm low-income communities in Virginia. We are working diligently to break down the barriers to engaging in the legislative process, especially for those most impacted by these proposed law changes.
Please follow our social media for the most up-to-date information on our work this session and to get alerted to how you can use your voice to help move meaningful legislation forward.
