Today marks the 24th day of this year's short 46-day legislative session. By next Tuesday, February 7, the House and Senate must complete all work on their respective legislation, with the exception of the budget bills. This deadline is referred to as Crossover.
What does this mean? In short, we are now working long days to finish reviewing all House bills. Our daily floor sessions are growing longer as we hear bills that have made it through the committee process. Conversely, committee meetings are growing shorter as fewer House bills remain to be reviewed.
As a reminder, any individual is able to attend a subcommittee or committee meeting in order to speak in support of or in opposition to bills. Public input is a critical part of the legislative process, and I encourage you to pay close attention to bills being presented in Richmond. If you feel strongly about a bill, please consider traveling to Richmond to testify in committee. Additionally, you may view all House floor sessions online at http://virginia-house.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3. This year's floor sessions are archived for easy reference.
House Bill 1876: protecting minors
During this year's session, I again introduced commonsense legislation to protect the privacy of minors. Currently, public library records are subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. These requests can compel libraries to provide information about all library card holders--including children. In contrast, public school libraries are authorized to withhold this private information. As a mother of five and a grandmother of seven, I understand firsthand the need to protect children. My House Bill 1876 passed in subcommittee and committee and will next be heard on the House floor.
Another busy week
Although I spent most of my week either in committee meetings or on the House floor, I had the opportunity to catch up with a number of visiting groups. Among those who traveled to Richmond were representatives of the following:
James City County Board of Supervisors
James Madison University
NASA
Old Dominion University
Thomas Nelson Community College
United Methodist Church
Virginia Community Health Workers
Virginia Institute for Marine Science
Visiting with the president and students of Thomas Nelson Community College
I was honored to be recognized by the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society for my efforts to preserve the Virginia Aviation Museum collection
Please continue making me aware of your legislative priorities. I may be reached by email at DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov or by phone at 804-698-1096. If you prefer to visit, my office is located in Room 403 of the General Assembly Building at the corner of 9th and Broad Streets.
Sincerely,
Delegate Brenda Pogge
Paid for and Authorized by Brenda Pogge for Delegate
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