The Half Sheet

Steps have been taken on the state and federal level in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to halt the spread…

This past week Congress passed and the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which takes some first…

Ten years ago today, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was signed into law, introducing landmark health coverage reform and expanding the availability of comprehensive and affordable health coverage across the nation. This law has had a considerable impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of families in Virginia and should be protected during and beyond this uncertain time.

During the 2020 session, the General Assembly adopted new legislation to increase Virginia’s minimum wage. Historically, Virginia has followed the federal minimum wage, which has been set at $7.25 since July 2009. This bill, which now awaits Gov. Northam’s signature, would gradually increase Virginia’s minimum wage to $12 by January 2023 and then outlines a path to $15 by 2026, contingent on the approval of the General Assembly.

Everyone in Virginia who works full-time should be able to support their family with a decent standard of living, and raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 will help make that happen. As wages and income grow, families are likely to qualify for less help from programs such as SNAP (food stamps) and public health insurance.

Last week, the 2020 General Assembly session reached the point of the legislative calendar known as “crossover.” From crossover until the end of session, the House of Delegates only considers legislation that has passed the Senate, and the Senate only considers legislation that has passed the House (the lone exception is the budget bill).

This legislative session, proposals have been put forward that would begin to reverse decades of policies that have hurt low-income people of color in Virginia, from ensuring our education system works for more students to strengthening the state’s safety net.

Imagine three people who are paid minimum wage: one is based in northern Virginia, another in the City of Richmond, and the last in Hampton Roads. All three share the same employer, hold the same job title and responsibilities, and have identical education and experience.

This Sunday, House Appropriations and Senate Finance will release their proposed amendments to the governor’s 2020-2022 budget. Educators and advocates are hopeful to see critical investments in Virginia’s public schools that build upon the introduced budget, especially with continued economic growth bringing in additional revenues to the state budget.

The 2020 legislative session is now at the halfway mark and some crucial health care related bills, detailed in an earlier post, aimed at increasing affordability and access to comprehensive health care coverage for those on the individual marketplace continue to move forward. In addition, several exciting proposals to strengthen Virginia’s Medicaid program and reduce premiums on the individual marketplace have been included in Gov. Northam’s introduced budget or in budget amendment requests from legislators. 

Central to creating a high-quality education under which students can thrive is having a team of support and instructional staff that can meet a diverse set of needs at every school.

Every student deserves a safe and healthy school environment where they are supported academically, socially and emotionally, and school counselors and support staff play a critical role in meeting these needs.