December 1, 2015
Virginia Bill Prefiling and the Policy Summit
The 2016 General Assembly session won’t start until January, but the gates are open for lawmakers to start filing bills they want considered. That means it’s also time for advocates to start studying those proposals and supporting those which promote strong families and a healthy economy.
Since legislative prefiling began on November 16, some important bills have been filed that will change the state’s public education system, alter requirements for voter registration forms, and call for changes to the US Constitution, among many other issues. As of Tuesday morning, 81 bills had been filed. By the time the legislative session begins January 13, they will number in the thousands. You can keep track of them all – including the budget – as they are filed and keep up with their status throughout session at the official legislative Web site or at the more user-friendly RichmondSunlight.
On a related track, this Thursday (Dec. 3) we’re holding our 2015 Policy Summit to help provide important context to a number of key issues facing Virginia, most of which will become legislation in the coming session. We’ll cover a variety of topics including public education funding, immigrant rights, strengthening the Earned Income Tax Credit, criminal justice reform, and expanding access to quality, affordable health care. Other breakout sessions will offer tips on effectively talking about state budget issues and the ingredients for building strong policy campaigns and coalitions.
The start of prefiling marks the run up to the 2016 General Assembly session. Come to the TCI Policy Summit and take the next step to effective advocacy.
–Jeffrey Connor-Naylor, Program Director
