In The News – Online Office of Scott Surovell

WUSA 9, March 8th, 2023, State Senator Considers New Legislation After Fairfax County Police Don’t Do ‘Critical’ Forensic Exam on Distracted Drivers Cellphone

A Northern Virginia lawmaker said Fairfax County police failed to “go the extra mile” when it investigated a distracted driving accident that killed an 86-year-old grandfather.

“If they called the crash reconstruction unit, you know, I’m not clear why they wouldn’t have gone the extra mile to get that phone and take it apart and figure out exactly what they were dealing with,” said Virginia State Senator Scott Surovell, who represents parts of Fairfax County, has worked to strengthen Virginia’s distracted driving laws.

He argues a digital forensic exam of the driver’s cellphone can prove if someone is texting at the time of an accident, which was a determining factor in a case he brought as a civil attorney on behalf of a family whose loved one died in a distracted driving accident.

“In that case, it was absolutely critical,” Surovell said. “Because if they hadn’t done the forensic examination on the phone, nobody would have really been able to explain what happened.”

PBS VPM News Focal Point, March 2nd, 2023, Digital Privacy

Can public schools protect children’s privacy in the digital age? How is law enforcement using facial recognition technology? A legal crusader combats online abuse and fights to protect intimate privacy. Click link to see full video interview with Sen. Surovell.

WJLA 7, February 27th, 2023, Lawmakers Pass Bill to Close Loophole After a Sex Offender Worked in Fairfax Co. School

Surovell and Delegate Rob Bell joined legislation which is now on its way to the Governor’s desk, which would:

Require school divisions to name a School Safety Officer to receive notices of arrests and convictions
Require probation officers to notify school systems of convictions upon discovery
Require arresting authorities to conduct employment checks of defendants in case they are not honest about where they work
Require notification to schools for arrests of all felonies

“So that law enforcement would know exactly where to send these notices to,” Surovell said. “We need to make sure these notifications are happening in a timely fashion, that they are happening in writing, so that there is a paper trial, so when there is a mistake, we can go back and figure out who messed up.”

Virginia Mercury, February 16th, 2023, Va. Lawmakers Reject Bill to Disclose Who’s Using Government Credit Cards

A transparency bill that would have required Virginia government agencies to disclose the names of employees using taxpayer-backed credit cards failed in a Republican-controlled House of Delegates subcommittee Tuesday. The legislation, backed by the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, was pitched as a response to what critics say are overly broad anti-fraud measures state financial officials began emphasizing a few years ago.

“I think that the public deserves to know not only when money is spent and how it’s spent but who’s spending it,” Surovell told a House subcommittee.

In an interview, Surovell said he was surprised to see Republicans block the bill after getting bipartisan support for FOIA bills he filed earlier in his career when he served in the House. “My strongest supporters of that were conservatives in the Tea Party who were very sensitive about the transparency of how we spend taxpayer dollars,” he said.

The Connection, February 1st, 2023, Surovell Recognized: Northern Virginia Senator is Humane Society Senate Legislator of the Year 2022

Sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), the bill was signed by the governor in April and effective on July 1, 2022. The enactment prohibits sexual contact with an animal, offering or possessing an animal with intent to subject the animal to sexual contact, and permitting such contact. The law prohibits the production, sale, transmission, or possession of an obscene item depicting a person engaged in sexual contact with an animal.

Surovell said, “I’m honored to receive the Humane Legislator Award. The law we passed last year updated the Virginia code to ensure that videos of animal sexual abuse can be prosected as criminal offenses. Studies show that there is a correlation between child sexual abuse offenders and animal abuse offenders and it is crucial that animal sexual abuse crimes be prosecuted appropriately in Virginia.”

WRIC ABC8 Richmond, January 30th 2023, Virginia Senate Votes to Add Factors Judges Consider For “Red-Flag” Orders

The Virginia Senate passed a bill allowing judges to consider several factors before issuing substantial risk protection orders, also known as “red-flag” orders, that let police seize guns from those deemed a threat to themselves or others.

Senate Republicans who opposed the measure argued it wuld infringe upon the constitutional rights of gun owners and deny people’s due process.

Sen. Surovell responded that his bill would “provide clarity” to courts on issuing such orders, not expand the state’s “red-flag” law, and could have helped prevent recent mass shootings in Virginia, including the ones at the University of Virginia and a Chesapeake Walmart.

“This is not a Second Amendment issues and it’s not a partisan issue,” Surovell said on the Senate floor, adding that Republicans in the Congress have backed similar efforts.

The Zebra, June 6, 2022, What Did You Say You Found In Little Hunting Creek?

Over 5,000 pounds of very assorted trash was recently pulled from the creek by over 80 volunteers at the annual Little Hunting Park Cleanup. Sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36th), Del. Paul Krizek (D-44th ), and Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, volunteers worked at three cleanup sites, all in Hybla Valley.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 8, 2022, House Republicans say no to resentencing for marijuana-related crimes

A push to recalibrate the sentences of people incarcerated on marijuana-related crimes won’t move forward in Virginia this legislative session, even as the recreational use of the drug continues to be legal in the state.

Surovell said Tuesday that his proposal would have ensured that “the punishment fit the crime.”

“The attitude of the majority of Virginians towards marijuana use has changed dramatically since many of these individuals were originally sentenced, and to refuse to acknowledge the draconian nature of these sentences is an injustice,” Surovell said.

Associated Press, March 7, 2022, Bill to allow marijuana resentencing killed by GOP lawmakers

Surovell told the committee that many of the people now serving prison terms for marijuana crimes would likely not have received those sentences today, with possession of small amounts now legal in Virginia as the state moves toward opening a retail market.

After the vote, Surovell said he believes Republicans defeated the bill so they could use it as leverage to get something from Democrats when the larger bill on retail sales is debated again next year.

“The Republican caucus is kind of in a pretzel on this whole issue, on marijuana,” Surovell said.

“This (bill) has absolutely nothing to do with retail sales, so it’s really disappointing to me that 600 people’s lives are in the balance, 600 people’s freedom is in the balance, and we are going to use that as a bargaining chip,” he said.

Surovell said he plans to reintroduce the legislation next year.

Daily Press, March 6, 2022, Crackdown on catalytic converter theft is on state lawmakers’ agenda, but they disagree on how

“This isn’t a problem just in one part of the state or something,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who has been working on the issue. “This is a problem all over Virginia and all over the country.

Surovell, chairman of the criminal courts subcommittee that amended the bill in the Senate, said there’s research showing the likelihood of getting caught — not whether a crime is a felony or misdemeanor — is what deters criminal behavior.

“We weren’t persuaded that making this a felony is necessarily going to cause fewer people to do it,” he said.

Potomac Local News, February 28, 2022, Bill to add 7th Prince William judge, ease case load awaits governor’s signature

A new bill awaiting the governor’s signature would give Prince William County a seventh Circuit Court judge.

“I am thankful to the House of Delegates for their overwhelming support of this crucial legislation” Surovell said. “I look forward to Governor Youngkin signing this bipartisan bill to help clear the docket, and ensure justice is served fairly and efficiently for the diverse and growing population of Prince William County.”

Virginia Mercury, February 28, 2022, Biogas bill gains bipartisan support but opposition from environmental groups

The General Assembly is poised to pass legislation that will encourage the state’s natural gas utilities to invest in projects that could capture and reduce emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that’s 25 to 30 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

“From my point of view, if the methane’s going to come out and be in the air, it’s a lot better to put it in a pipe and use to heat homes, cook with or heat water than it is to have it just floating around the atmosphere heating up the planet,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax.

Prince William Times, February 25, 2022, Both Woodbridge, Potomac Shores are being considered for new Washington Commanders stadium, officials say

Surovell said a stadium in either Woodbridge or Dumfries “would be a game-changer for eastern Prince William County,” noting that the area currently “lacks entertainment amenities.” He said the football stadium would likely be accompanied by an amphitheater on par with Jiffy Lube Live or Merriwether Post Pavilion.

Surovell said the Senate’s version of the stadium authority would generate an estimated $1.8 billion in state tax revenue and $1.8 billion in local tax revenues over a 30-year period.

Virginia Mercury, February 17, 2022, Virginia Senate passes bill to outlaw animal porn

The Virginia Senate voted unanimously this week to make the creation, distribution and possession of pornography involving animals illegal.

The legislation also tightens existing laws against having sex with animals, which had been covered under the state’s crimes against nature statute but which lawmakers said were vague and could be difficult to enforce.

“I can tell you this animal porn is out there and, under our current statute, there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who sponsored the measure. “Someone who doesn’t do the touching, but makes their pet, their livestock, a part of this — they suffer zero consequence. It’s only someone who actually does the act.”

VPM, February 15, 2022, Lawmakers change gears on recently passed bike law

Surovell is an avid biker and once rode across the U.S. He said he’s been hit by cars three times and understands the physics involved when coming up against a “10,000 pound vehicle.” He said that many drivers are already biased against cyclists.

“I understand that a lot of people driving their cars get frustrated when there’s two bikes in front of them,” Surovell said. “But part of the reason we made it okay to ride two abreast is because it’s safer because cars are a lot more likely to see a cyclist if they’re riding two abreast than if they’re riding single file.”

“By passing this, I think we’re making the roads a little bit less safe than they already are,” Surovell said. “And I had hoped we would leave something like this in the books for a little bit longer so people could adjust rather than reacting six months after the law went into effect because somebody had a horse that got killed.”

The Free Lance-Star, February 15, 2022, Stafford peninsula park is a ‘gemstone’ for regional science students

Nearly three months ago, Sen. Scott Surovell, a Democrat from Mount Vernon whose district includes part of Stafford County, submitted a $34.6 million budget request to the General Assembly to fund the final two developmental stages of the park that not only includes the environmental center, but adds more trails to the parks’ existing two-mile network, and additional parking, cabins, picnic areas, boat ramps, utilities and more.

“This is like the third or fourth time I’ve tried to get this done,” Surovell said. “If we can’t do it now, I don’t know when we’re going to get it done.”

Washington Hispanic, February 11, 2022, Avanza legislación sobre días de enfermedad pagados en VA

Un proyecto de ley que proporcionaría días de enfermedad pagados para más de 120 mil trabajadores de la salud y de comestibles en todo Virginia, aprobó el comité del Senado estatal de Virginia sobre Comercio y Trabajo, el lunes.

La iniciativa patrocinada por el senador estatal Scott Surovell, demócrata que representa a Fairfax, consiguió una votación mayoritaria de 12-3.

«Nuestros trabajadores de la sanidad y de las tiendas de comestibles han sido cruciales para conducirnos a través de la pandemia», dijo el senador estatal Surovell en el Capitolio de Richmond. «Estoy orgulloso de ver que esta legislación avanza, sabiendo que será un gran alivio para aquellos que se han sacrificado tanto por nosotros, y ayudará a mantener a estos trabajadores esenciales y a aquellos con los que están en contacto a salvo».

Virginia Mercury, February 10, 2022, Virginia lawmakers move to end ban on police facial recognition technology

While the restrictions would allow the technology in pretty much any investigation, the restrictions would have the effect of barring dragnet-type searches, in which officers indiscriminately query people — a point Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, emphasized when he presented similar legislation in the Senate.

“What the bill does not do is allow broad surveillance or monitoring,” he said. “You have to have a specific case you’re working on or someone in a hospital bed you’re trying to identify.”

Bull Run Now, February 8, 2022, Va. Senate bill criminalizes sex involving animals

The Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee has passed Senator Scott Surovell’s bill to ban the sexual abuse of animals, forced sexual contact with animals, the possession of animals for sexual purposes, and the production and distribution of materials depicting sexual contact with animals. The bill, SB 249, passed by a party-line vote of 9 to 6.

“Virginia’s current law is outdated and has not kept up with technology or the animal abuse issue. This bill will remedy that oversight and ensure all heinous acts of abuse against animals can be prosecuted as criminal offenses,” Surovell said.

InsideNova, January 31, 2022, Possum Point coal ash site ripe for redevelopment, state senator says

“I think it’s highly unlikely that there’s going to be a power station there in 15 years,” Surovell said. “That property’s going to need to be repurposed, the vast vast majority of it. And I think the Possum Point power station is probably one of the most valuable redevelopment opportunities in all of Northern Virginia.”

“As far as I know, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors has not articulated what their long-term vision is for Possum Point. And there’s a lot of opportunities there for parks, housing, for a waterfront village, for water access, etc,” Suovell said. “The easiest way to mitigate that [cost] would be to develop the hell out of that property.”

New York Times, January 22, 2022, Top Jan. 6 Investigator Fired From Post at the University of Virginia

“This is purely payback for Jan. 6 — there is no other reason that makes any sense,” said Scott Surovell, a top Democrat in the Virginia State Senate, who said that he knew of no other similar example in recent history where a new attorney general had immediately removed a school’s top lawyer. “In our state, we normally leave those decisions to the school’s board of visitors and president.”

Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 18, 2022, Partisan debate erupts in Va. Senate over Miyares’ firing of 30 in AG’s office

“I’m not sure a lot of the terminations really reflect an understanding of the legal responsibilities of the Attorney General’s Office,” said Surovell, a lawyer.

Miyares “can make lots of policy choices, he can change the way he runs that office,” Surovell said. “But you can’t fire 30 people in 24 hours that are involved in legal matters. That ain’t how it works.”

“And it gives me serious concern about how seriously that office takes its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to represent the people of Virginia on the matters that we have tasked them as this legislature as things they have to focus on.”

Potomac Local News, January 12, 2022, Dumfries’ lucky day: Officials break ground for gaming resort and hotel

The new resort will compete with MGM National Harbor across the Potomac River in Maryland.

“One of the things that have always bothered me is there is about 350 million in Virginia money going across the bridge every year, paying for Maryland’s schools,” said State Senator Scott Surovell. “So what this does is creates an opportunity for Virginia money to stay in Virginia and to go to Dumfries.”

New York Times, January 6, 2022, Virginia Democrats Aim to Block Trump’s E.P.A. Chief From State Agency

“Our governors tend not to propose people for these positions that are all that polarizing,” said Scott A. Surovell, a Democratic state senator from Northern Virginia. “I can’t think of a nominee in the last 20 years that has had the level of a controversial history as this guy does.”

“I think there’s a real chance that he could be rejected if Governor-elect Youngkin continues to insist on his nomination,” Mr. Surovell said.

Courthouse News Service, December 29, 2021, Virginia high court gives final approval to new election maps

Democratic state Senator Scott Surovell is one of those critics. He took to Twitter Wednesday morning to argue the special masters failed to adhere to at least part of the state’s recently enacted redistricting criteria, suggesting Democrats should have had a stronger advantage.

“The law says that ‘A map of districts shall not, when considered on a statewide basis, unduly favor or disfavor any political party’ – D’s have won every statewide election since 2009 except the last which didn’t by 40-80K votes of 3.2M cast,” he said. “This does not merit for toss up maps.”

Washington Post, February 22th, 2021, Lawmakers vote to make Virginia first Southern state to abolish death penalty

Surovell said the measures return Virginia to its historic roots as the place where the right to trial by jury, the right to cross-examine accusers and other elements of the modern criminal justice system were created.

“This bill speaks to a lot of Virginians, a lot of people around the country,” Surovell said ahead of passage. “It says a lot about how we value human life. It says a lot about how our commonwealth is going to move past some of our darkest moments.”

CBC Radio – As It Happens, February 26, 2021, Virginia Death Penalty

We’ll hear from one of the Virginia lawmakers behind a successful push to make his state the first in the south to abolish capital punishment.

The Virginian-Pilot, February 22, 2021, Bill that would have eliminated automatic felony for assaulting officers fails in House committee

A House of Delegates committee on Tuesday killed a bill that would have eliminated a law that makes assaulting a police officer an automatic felony.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, would also have eliminated the minimum 6-month sentence for such an assault. The proposal was part of a slate of public safety reforms introduced in a special session of the General Assembly in recent weeks.

But Surovell’s bill said that when a defendant’s “culpability is slight” — such as by a mental disorder — or “if there is no bodily injury” to the officer, the charge can be reduced to a misdemeanor at a judge or jury’s discretion.

The bill also said that another officer — not the one who alleges that he or she was assaulted — must investigate the case and bring the charges.

“This is the only crime on the books that I’m aware of where the same person is the victim, the lead investigator, the lead witness, and the charging police officer,” Surovell told the committee.

“You see this charge overused and from my perspective, often abused in order to leverage a situation,” Surovell said.

Prince William Times, February 22, 2021, Virginia legislature sends death penalty repeal to Northam

“This legislation says a lot about who we are as a commonwealth, what kind of values we have as a commonwealth,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36th, who represents parts of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties, who sponsored the legislation in the state Senate.

“It says a lot about how we value human life. It says a lot about how our commonwealth is going to move past some of our darkest moments in terms of how this punishment was applied and who it was applied to. This vote also says a lot about justice.”

InsideNova, February 22, 2021, Bill to end death penalty heads to Northam’s desk, who plans to sign it

“Virginia is joining 22 other states in abolishing the death penalty, after centuries of the immoral practice being unjustly applied to people of color, and sometimes, the innocent,” Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said in a statement. “As the patron of the bill this year and in years past, it’s been a long battle to get this far – but a worthwhile one, to see the Commonwealth now take steps forward after years of falling backward.”

CBS 19 News, February 5, 2021, Mandatory minimum bills advance from Virginia House, Senate

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said during the bill’s committee hearing last month that mandatory minimum charges have proliferated like “crazy” during his two decades as an attorney, especially for DUIs.

“People pay a lot of money to stay out of jail,” Surovell said.

He added that mandatory minimums force people who have legitimate defenses to plead guilty because the consequences of losing are too great. Surovell also said juries aren’t informed of mandatory minimums before they issue sentencing recommendations.

Now the bills head to other chambers where the differences will be resolved. Surovell cited a report that estimates eliminating mandatory minimums would save taxpayers $80 million every five years.

Henrico Citizen, February 3, 2021, Virginia Senate votes to abolish the death penalty

The bill was sponsored by Senator Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), a criminal defense attorney in Virginia. He says he pushed this bill for several different reasons, including the 174 people that were sentenced to death before later being exonerated for those charges.

Surovell also said that he believes a fair trial cannot take place when the death penalty is being considered and that there is a clear connection between the death penalty and racial discrimination. Statistics show that white victims only account for approximately one-half of all murder victims, while 80% of all capital cases involve white victims.

Surovell reflected on a time when he was a governor’s fellow and they went on a tour of the facility where executions take place. He recalled meeting Givens and also seeing the electric chair that was used back then, noting he was scared to go near it.

“How many people have sat in that thing while the Commonwealth of Virginia cooked the life out of them,” he recalled thinking. “I hope to god they are not still taking the Governor’s fellows and showing it to them.”

Virginia Mercury, February 3, 2021, Virginia Senate votes to abolish death penalty

“If we look back 50 years from now, the electric chair, the lethal injection table — they’re going to be sitting in a museum,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who sponsored the bill. “This thing is going to be a museum piece and people are going to look back and wonder how it ever was we used these things.”

They also said the possibility of someone who was wrongfully convicted being executed outweighed any arguments in favor. “That ought to give you chills to think of the thousands of people who have been executed in Virginia, how many of them were actually innocent,” Surovell said.

NBC29, February 2, 2021, General Assembly bill aimed at ending qualified immunity for police fails

State Senator Scott Surovell (D-37th) introduced the legislation with the goal of empowering victims of police brutality with a new tool.

“Basically, created a new civil cause of action based on some of the statutes that we passed during the special session,” Surovell said.

“We prohibited choke holds, shooting at a moving motor vehicle. We created a duty to intervene for using excessive force and we also created some standards for the use of deadly force,” Surovell said.

“Some of the members were concerned about some of the complexity associated with how officers might be indemnified by their localities. For example, the way I wrote the bill it said that a locality would have to pay the judgement no matter what,” Surovell said.

“There was a feeling that we need to be really careful as we proceed and do it right and people wanted to be able to take some more testimony before we make some decisions on it,” Surovell said.

The Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee proposed a joint House and Senate subcommittee discussion before 2022.

“I can’t speak to the House of Delegates, all I can speak to is my own chamber. But there is some sincere interest in our body into trying to figure out some way to ensure people have a cause of action whenever excessive force or deadly force is used on people,” Surovell said.

WDVM, February 1, 2021, Virginia House kills bill to end qualified immunity for police officers, scaled-back Senate proposal lives on

A scaled back version of the bill may be Democrats last chance to take action in this area before elections later this year threaten the party’s control in the state legislature.

Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) said his bill would create civil liability in any situation where a law enforcement officer violates state laws, including recent bans on choke holds and shooting at a moving vehicle. He said it would also apply to statutes that set standards for the use of deadly force and intervention in cases of excessive force.

“All this bill does is creates an additional incentive for a law enforcement officer to follow the standards that the General Assembly adopted,” Surovell said. “If the standards are followed, then there is nothing to worry about.”

While its still opposed by the law enforcement community, the Senate bill is different than the House version in some key ways.

Surovell said Bourne’s legislation would’ve applied to nearly all interactions with law enforcement, which several Senate Democrats considered “too broad.” Also, in the Senate bill, the locality in which an officer is employed would be liable for damages as opposed to the officer themselves.

“No police officer is going to lose their house or lose their car because of this bill,” Surovell said.

Asked if he has the votes to get it passed, Surovell said he hasn’t had an opportunity to talk to his caucus about it.

“All I can tell you is that the bill that I drafted was based on conversations that I had with members of my caucus during the special session when the qualified immunity bill was coming through and, based on those conversations, I thought this bill was one that would be able to get some traction,” Surovell said.

WVTF, January 28, 2021, Should Guns Be Allowed at Virginia’s Capitol Square?

Senator Scott Surovell is a Democrat from Fairfax County who’s concerned about an exemption in the bill for former State Police officers.

“A retired State Police officer can carry an open AR-15 all over Capitol Square anytime he likes,” Surovell explains.

WTOP, January 26, 2021, Bill to eliminate Va. death penalty advances; cost savings debated

Surovell focused on the financial impact rather than the philosophical and legal aspects of eliminating capital punishment, which would require commuting the sentences of two inmates currently on death row.

“It theoretically causes a $77,000 fiscal impact to the state for having to feed and house two individuals for the rest of their life,” he said. In the long term, “the state currently pays $3.9 million a year for 29 employees in the Capital Defender Service.”

Sen. Richard Saslaw, of Fairfax County, who has long been a supporter of capital punishment for serial murders, asked Surovell, “This doesn’t do away with life without possibility of parole for certain murderers, does it?”

“No,” answered Surovell. “The bill would commute the two men who are currently on death row to life in prison without parole, and that’s explicit in the enactment clause of the bill.”

WDVM, January 25, 2021, Faith leaders are backing a bill to abolish the death penalty in Virginia

The legislation sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) would make the state’s maximum punishment life without parole. If it passes, Surovell said those already on death row would have their sentences converted to that maximum and they wouldn’t be able to benefit from earned sentence credits for good behavior.

With 113 executions since 1976, Surovell said Virginia is second only to Texas in its use of capital punishment.

Supporters of the ban generally argue that the death penalty is immoral, extraordinarily expensive and has led to the killing of men later proved innocent.

The Washington Post, January 23, 2021, Virginia moves toward banning capital punishment, in a shift for prolific death penalty state

Mullin’s bill has not advanced yet, but a version sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) has cleared one Senate committee and is expected to pass a second, which will review its fiscal impact. The measure appears to have the votes to pass the full Senate.

Those disparities persist, Surovell said.

“You’re more likely to get charged with a capital crime and found guilty of one if you’re a minority, suffer from mental illness, you’re low-income, you’ve got diminished intellectual capacity, or if you kill a White person and you’re not White,” he said.

Dogwood, January 20, 2021, Will Virginia Abolish the Death Penalty? Surovell’s Bill Advances

Sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell (D – Fairfax), the bill removes references to the death penalty from Virginia’s Criminal Code.

Surovell cited several reasons why he supports the abolishment of the death penalty, including it’s racist history and inequitable enforcement.

“You’re much more likely to get the death sentence in this country if you’re poor, if you’re not white, especially if you killed someone who is white, if you have diminished intelligence, if you have a brain injury, or if you are mentally ill. Our system has never properly accounted for those types of problems,” Surovell said.

The Connection, January 20, 2021, Killing the Death Penalty

The bill to end the death penalty was introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), who points to examples where executed defendants were later found to be innocent. Laying out his case to the committee this week, Surovell said one of the problems with putting together juries in capital cases is that they exclude people who are morally opposed to the death penalty, which prevents about 43 percent of people in having a say over whether defendants are executed. He also dismissed the argument that the death penalty serves as a deterrent to killing officers.

“Anybody who’s dumb enough to take a shot at a law enforcement officers is probably asking to be killed,” said Surovell. “I mean, you’re going up against someone who’s armed, and the idea that having a death penalty on the books is going to deter someone who’s that stupid or reckless or craven doesn’t hold water.”

NBC29, January 19, 2021, Virginia is one step closer to potentially abolishing the death penalty

“It does have a fiscal impact. Interestingly, by not executing the two men on death row it will cost taxpayers about $77,000 per biennium to house them and feed them,” Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36th District) said.

Surovell introduced the legislation. He says it is exponentially more expensive to put someone to death instead of sending them to jail for life.

“It’s never been applied with any kind of fairness, either with people on a racial basis or people on the basis of their wealth,” Surovell said.

The Roanoke Times, January 5, 2021, Virginia Crime Commission endorses getting rid of all mandated minimum sentences

“Behavior I see in court every day, which really troubles me significantly, is prosecutors using mandatory minimums to extort nonmandatory minimum sentences out of people because they have that leverage,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, a defense attorney.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 31, 2020, Virginia advocates et to try again on death penalty repeal

According to Virginia State Senator Scott Surovell, the journey to establishing a hands-free law in the Commonwealth has been a journey.“As President Obama likes to say, progress is incremental,” he said.Surovell and Virginia State Delegate Jeffrey Bourne sponsored the new distracted driving legislation.

Surovell said Virginia first tackled the distracted driving issue in 2007 when lawmakers passed a bill that made entering letters or numbers in a phone while driving a secondary offense. At the time, drivers could only be cited for the action if they were pulled over for another offense.Surovell, a criminal defense attorney, said back then, he felt differently about distracted driving laws.“I’ve seen a lot of people stop for what they felt were improper reasons,” he said. “And I felt like that law enforcement sometimes abuses their ability to stop people and that gave me concern.” Surovell said the same mentality fueled opposition to this latest measure.

He said some people still worry certain texting and driving laws can lead to other government restrictions and possible racial profiling from law enforcement.But Surovell said his thinking on the issue changed in 2011 when the family of Kyle Rowley came to visit him.“It became very clear to me, very fast, that this is behavior that we need to start putting more legal restrictions on,” he said.

He said this latest law will address one of the major issues that appeared while enforcing Virginia’s original texting and driving law.“Police in Virginia basically just weren’t writing it up,” he said. “Because it’s impossible to show what somebody was doing with that phone in their hand. It was actually technically legal to chase Pokémon while driving or look at Facebook while driving.”

WUSA9, December 30, 2020, Starting Friday, holding a cell phone while driving will be illegal in Virginia

“And I felt like that law enforcement sometimes abuses their ability to stop people and that gave me concern.” Surovell said the same mentality fueled opposition to this latest measure. He said some people still worry certain texting and driving laws can lead to other government restrictions and possible racial profiling from law enforcement.But Surovell said his thinking on the issue changed in 2011 when the family of Kyle Rowley came to visit him.“It became very clear to me, very fast, that this is behavior that we need to start putting more legal restrictions on,” he said.

DCist, December 29, 2020, Beloved River Farm on Market for $32 Million, As Groups Scramble to Buy It

Other lawmakers have also gotten involved. State Sen. Scott Surovell has a special connection to River Farm: he got married there. This fall he launched a petition asking AHS to reconsider the sale.

NBC4 Washington, December 28, 2020: Northern Virginia Gets a Taste of Gaming With ‘Horse Slots’

Democratic state Sen. Scott Surovell, who represents Dumfries and supported the town’s effort to bring in Rosie’s, said that while he personally isn’t a gambler, he hates seeing the state losing out on revenue.

“From where I live, I can walk a few blocks and look out over the Potomac and see $150 million in Virginia money going across the bridge” to the MGM casino in Maryland, Surovell said. “I’ve always said I’d be supportive of keeping Virginia’s money here in a responsible way.”

Virginia Mercury, December 22, 2020: Virginia isn’t quite ready to put a ring on the Transportation and Climate Initiative

“There’s definitely an interest,” Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, told the Mercury Monday. “Transportation is now the largest carbon-producing industry in the United States. If we don’t take real action real soon, pretty soon Norfolk is going to be oceanfront.”

Still, he struck a cautious note: “I think TCI has a lot to offer, but we definitely would have to figure out if we were to do it how to implement it here in Virginia.”

Energy News Network, December 17, 2020: ‘Netflix for solar’: Virginia finalizing rules for solar subscription program

During a summer 2019 visit to his vacation house in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, Scott Surovell clicked on an ad for community solar. He signed up in five minutes. Soon after, he learned that tapping into an off-property array would about cover his entire electric bill.

“We need this in Virginia yesterday,” the Democratic state senator who represents a district near Washington, D.C. noted in a social media post that autumn. Then, he set about deploying his legislative chops to create a bill heavy on accessibility and equity.

Fast forward to today. Virginia utility regulators are on the verge of releasing their final version of a shared solar program outlined in a bill Surovell shepherded through the General Assembly earlier this year.

The Connection, December 17, 2020: Dropping Out of the Electoral College

“The Electoral College, from my perspective, has racist origins,” said Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36). “This is the best way to bring real democracy to this country because I think when most people vote for president they think they’re voting for president and not for an elector to vote for president.”

Washington Business Journal, December 4, 2020: Proposed sale of River Farm, listed for $32.9 million, draws legal scrutiny

The attorneys general look to be investigating whether a private sale amounts to a subversion of Haupt’s intent with that gift. State Sen. Scott Surovell, who represents the Mount Vernon area and also works as a lawyer, said he and other local lawmakers requested such an investigation because “federal and state law gives attorneys general the authority to investigate and seek to enforce donor intent on restricted contributions.”

Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 2, 2020: Here come the judges, here come the judges

“It’s important that we get more diversity and broader ranges of experience,” said state Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, leading the push for an expanded court.

Alexandria Living Magazine, December 2, 2020: AHS Puts Deadline of Jan. 5 on Sale of River Farm

Other government authorities including Gov. Ralph Northam, have written to the AHS Board in support of preserving the land for the public. Fairfax County Supervisors Dan Storck and Jeff McKay, state Del. Paul Krizek and state Sens. Adam Ebbin and Scott Surovell are also supporting preservation of the property for the public.

This Week in Virginia, December 1, 2020: Episode 12: Senator Scott Surovell

A TWIVA intern and VCU senior, Angel Minor, interviewed me about criminal justice reform and my background in politics. She is one of my constituents from the Dumfries-Triangle area.

Washington Post, November 29, 2020: As Virginia Democrats rein themselves in with bill limits, some legislators see lost opportunities

“We have a Democratic majority in the House and Senate and a Democratic governor for the first time in 27 years,” said Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax), who helped inspire the Senate limits by filing a whopping 63 bills during this year’s regular session. “I’m concerned about limiting our ability . . . to make the changes that I feel like the voters asked us to fight for in the election 13 months ago.”

The Connection, November 26, 2020: Expunging the Record

During the special session, lawmakers took action to give prosecutors more discretion to drop drug prosecutions…“They also want to automatically expunge any type of dismissal,” said Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36). “Whether it was dismissed because a witness didn’t show up or persuaded your abused spouse to drop the case against you, they want to automatically expunge those kinds of things. And that’s what we’re fighting about.”

The Center Square, November 13, 2020: Bill seeking to mandate affordable housing near metro rails in Virginia will get more discussion

Senate Bill 638, sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, would require at least 10 percent of new residential dwelling units in a building six stories or higher to be affordable housing if it is constructed within a half-mile of a Metrorail station…During a commission meeting Friday, Surovell said most apartment buildings close to the rail stations do not have affordable housing options. Those with low income only have options farther from the rail lines and generally only can access public transportation via bus. Although the bus routes go to some of the rail stations, he said it is inconvenient for people who need to use the rail lines to travel to work.

Madison Vision Series, November 11, 2020: The Future of Bipartisanship

“Richmond is a pretty collaborative place,” said Surovell, describing the atmosphere of the General Assembly. He and Cox agreed that Virginia’s legislative framework, in which legislators are part-time representatives, is important to how the system works differently from the U.S. Congress.

“You can’t go down there [to Richmond] and be a partisan warrior if you want to get things done,” Surovell said. “You don’t know when the balance of power will shift.”

The part-time nature of the state legislature also benefits the state’s citizens in that their elected representatives have to approve a balanced budget with a deadline under the law, Surovell said.

The Virginia Mercury, November 11, 2020: Every criminal justice reform that passed in Virginia after George Floyd’s death

The legislation says police can only use neck restraints when they are “immediately necessary to protect the law-enforcement officer or another person.” Police officers who violate the law would be subject to administrative decertification. Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, argued the legislation means police who use chokeholds inappropriately could face prosecution under the state’s strangulation statute.

Mount Vernon Gazette, November 5, 2020: Opinion: Legislators Revised the Budget to Address Many Needs

We also are providing $300,000 for additional staff at Mason Neck State Park, new funds for water quality improvement grants, and $11 million for land conservation investments. The land conservation funds could potentially be used to help purchase and preserve River Farm, which, its owners have announced, will be sold.

Biz Journals, November 2, 2020: River Farm near Mount Vernon could be redeveloped if a proposed sale moves ahead. Neighbors are fighting back

“This has effectively functioned as a park in our area for almost 50 years now,” said state Sen. Scott Surovell, who represents the Mount Vernon area and even got married at River Farm two decades ago. “So, it’s pretty disturbing that it might become privately owned or, worse yet, developed.” Surovell has collected thousands of signatures on a petition opposing the sale, but it’s unclear what local leaders may be able to actually do to protect River Farm, which is located at 7931 East Boulevard Drive. Fairfax County officials are exploring the idea of placing new historic district protections on the property to limit development there, or could even move to buy it outright.

The Connection, October 20, 2020: Opinion: Special Session Summary #1: Criminal Justice Reform Delivered

My legislation requires a judge to dismiss a criminal charge upon the agreement of the government and a defendant unless a victim can establish racial bias or bribery. My legislation also allows plea agreements to defer charges for dismissal or reduced charges after the accused completes steps such as drug treatment, mental health counseling, community service, and good behavior.

Alexandria Gazette Packet, October 9, 2020: Opinion: We Need a Better Redistricting Amendment

My biggest concern is that the criteria for actually drawing the districts are not set forth in the proposed Constitutional amendment, so it can be changed by the state legislature because the criteria are in state law, a law that we adopted in the last session. Every Republican member of the General Assembly opposed it and when the legislature’s composition inevitably changes, the legislature will pass a bill creating new criteria that could require districts to be drawn to favor other partisan factors and effectively mandate a partisan gerrymander.

The Virginia Pilot, August 26, 2020: Virginia Senate approves changes to police assault law during special session

The Virginia Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would eliminate a six-month mandatory minimum sentence for assaulting a police officer…Sen. Scott Surovell, who proposed the bill, said it is not meant to address serious physical assaults on police, which can be prosecuted under the state’s malicious wounding law and carry a two-year mandatory minimum sentence.“What we’re talking about here are situations that involve much more insignificant minor touches,” Surovell said.

Prince William Times, August 24, 2020: Sweeping police reform legislation advances in Virginia, with law enforcement groups now largely on board

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36th, which includes parts of Prince William, Fairfax and Stafford counties, amended the legislation to maintain a felony penalty but allow a judge or jury to reduce it to a misdemeanor in cases where an officer is not hurt, a category that accounted for 70% of the cases brought under the statute last year, according to the Virginia State Police.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 23, 2020: Scott Surovell column: When assault by onion ring is a felony in Virginia

This past month, Senate Democrats offered a series of police and criminal justice reform proposals. This included making assault and battery involving a law enforcement officer victim a felony only if the victim experiences a visible injury while keeping malicious wounding and murder felonies available for more serious injuries.

Washington Post, June 26, 2020: Virginia Democrats plan to tackle police oversight, policies with new legislation

On Friday, Senate Democrats rolled out seven categories of proposed legislation that had been assembled by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), including “bringing equity to Virginia policing,” “reduce racial profiling opportunities for law enforcement” and “restore equity to the sentencing process.”

NBC4 Washington, June 25, 2020, Regional Agreement with Local Police Under Review Following Park Police Treatment of Protesters

“The United States Park Police has really become kind of a rogue agency that doesn’t have a lot of accountability, transparency, and doesn’t follow the values that our community here in Northern Virginia practices,” said State Senator Scott Surovell, who drafted the letter.

“To me, that was just disturbing, that we’re still engaging in those kinds of practices on people engaging in their lawful right to protest,” Surovell said.

Surovell said he became even more upset when he saw officers from Arlington County’s Police Department participating in the operation.

Washington Post, May 28, 2020: In Fairfax, a Greatest Generation neighborhood battles against the teardown tide

Surovell’s grandparents were among the 20 homeowners who founded the neighborhood…Some Tauxemonters worry it could lose its historic status. Although Thompson is doubtful that the status could be rescinded, others, like Surovell are concerned. “If the teardowns continue, it could be,” he said.

Democracy Matters, James Madison University Podcast, May 14, 2020: Episode 24: New Politics in the Old Dominion?

I spoke with students at my Alma Mater about what happened in the 2020 legislative session, election reform, options for voting during the pandemic, and redistricting reform on the ballot in November 2020.

Politifact VA, April 28, 2020: Minimum Wage Claims and Coronavirus Cover

Republicans opposed any increase – even the delayed one – saying it would hurt businesses and raise unemployment.

Surovell, a Fairfax County Democrat, disagreed. He said raising the wage could help end the recession by putting spending money in the pockets of needy people.

And he made this claim: “The American economy is 70% consumer driven.”

Consumer spending in each of the last four years has been 68 or 69 percent of gross domestic product – the value of all goods and services produced in the country.

It’s a little harder finding data for states. But in 2018, consumer spending in Virginia was 68 percent of the state’s GDP.

It’s reasonable for Surovell to round up to 70 percent, and we rate his statement True.

Virginia Public Radio, Mar 11, 2020: What Criminal Justice Reforms Passed Out of the General Assembly This Year?

“The House, historically for the last 20 years, has had a very different view of criminal justice reform,” Surovell explains. “And for some reason the election didn’t seem to change their minds, even the Democrats.”

WUSA9, Feb 20, 2020: How to fix I-95’s ‘disaster’ traffic? Extend Metro further into Virginia, says state lawmaker

The Roanoke Times, Feb 18, 2020: Bill advances to create a ‘do not sell’ list to prevent gun suicides

Under Senate Bill 436 from Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, someone over the age of 18 can apply to the state police to be added to the list. The person would have to fill out a form and provide photo identification along with the application. People can remove themselves from the list 21 days after state police receive a request to do so.

Washington Blade: Feb 17, 2020: Va. Senate approves bill to ban conversion therapy for minors.

A Virginia lawmaker who’s urging legislative action is Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax. As an attorney, Surovell represents Adam Parkhomenko, a Democratic strategist whom Nunes has subpoenaed in an effort to learn the identity of the person behind Devin Nunes’ Cow, a Twitter parody account that has lampooned the congressman.

Prince William Times: Feb 11, 2020: Bills to extend driver’s licenses, driver ‘privilege cards’ to undocumented immigrants pass Va. House, Senate.

“People need to be able to get to a job, take their kids to soccer, go to the doctor,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36th. “It’s an absolute necessity. This is one of the few bills we’re going to vote on this session that will change over 100,000 lives the moment it becomes law.”

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Feb 10, 2020: Senate Backs Voluntary List to Bar Gun Sales

The Washington Times: Feb 5, 2020: Bill Granting Licenses To Undocumented Immigrants Advances

Prince William Times, Feb 5, 2020: State House, Senate pass bills to create a local public defenders’ office

The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36^th, passed the Senate 33-7 Monday, Feb. 3.

Virginia Mercury: Feb 3, 2020: Ongoing Potomac aquifer worries drive wave of new laws

“If we get a bunch of fracking chemicals in it, and they start percolating throughout, then you’ve screwed up drinking water for 4 million people, perhaps irretrievably. … We can’t run that risk,” said Fairfax Sen. Scott Surovell.

WRWK: In The Frequency Of Hope: Jan 20, 2020: Radio Interview

WJLA: Jan 21, 2020: Virginia’s gun safety bills: What’s next?

“We are in charge now,” said Senator Surovell. “We feel like we have a mandate to do something and we are going to continue to move forward.”

WHSV/Associated Press, Jan 21, 2020: Virginia Senate panel OKs offshore drilling, fracking bans

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources voted 10-5 Tuesday to approve Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell’s measure prohibiting fracking in the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area.

Surovell sponsored a similar bill two years ago. It died in a committee on a tied vote.

He said that the bill was necessary to protect the Potomac Aquifer, a drinking water source for millions of people, because a company has signed leases to frack in the Taylorsville Basin. Surovell also said he wants to prevent any other company that might seek to acquire a lease.

Fox 5 DC: Jan 22, 2020: Virginia Senator proposing fines for owners of abandoned shopping carts

NPR: Jan 19, 2020: Virginia Governor Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Gun Rally

Link to Transcript

RVA HUB: Jan 16, 2020: ERA Moves Closer to Ratification in Virginia

Resolutions to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment swiftly passed the General Assembly Wednesday. the house version passed 59-41 and the Senate bill cleared with a 28-12 vote.

Patch, Dec 4, 2019: Public Defender’s Office Needed In Prince William: Senator

Jurisdictions without a public defender’s office rely on low-paid court-appointed counsels for defendants who cannot afford an attorney.

“This bill will improve access to and quality of justice for residents in Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park,” Surovell said in a statement. “We need to offer public defender services to fulfill the constitutional rights of Virginians in our community.”

Prince William Times, Dec 3, 2019: Surovell, Foy pitch public defenders’ office for Prince William

There are 32 public defender’s offices in Virginia serving 53 localities. The last time a new public defenders’ office was established in Virginia was 2005.

VICE, Nov 6, 2019: The Equal Rights Amendment Just Got One Step Closer to Becoming Real

Virginia is expected to become the 38th state to ratify the amendment, passed by Congress in 1972.

“If we flip the House of Delegates, (the ERA) will probably be ratified in the first week we’re back.”

The Roanoke Times, Nov 30, 2019: CASEY: Easy path to SLAPP suits under scrutiny by Virginia lawmakers

Surovell called Nunes “a serial SLAPP abuser” and added, “There’s no question he specifically forum-shopped this SLAPP lawsuit [against Twitter] in Virginia.”

Fort Hunt Herald, Dec 10, 2019: Surovell collecting comments on Woodbridge-area I-95 expansion project.

State Senator Scott Surovell has been advocating for remedies to the traffic problem along the I-95 and is now collecting comments from residents of his 36th Senate District to submit to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) on the lane construction plan.

“After constant advocacy from myself and other Prince William County legislators, Governor Ralph Northam negotiated a deal with Transurban to add a new un-tolled lane southbound between Route 123 and the Prince William County Parkway at no cost to taxpayers.”

Prince William Times, June 6, 2019: After 4-year fight over coal ash, governor signs new bill into law at Possum Point

The fight to require Dominion Energy to safely dispose of its coal ash was largely led in the General Assembly by Sen. Scott Surovell, a Democrat whose 36th District includes Possum Point. On Wednesday, Surovell noted the journey to a successful bill was a long one.

“When I dove into it, I had no idea it would be a four-year odyssey,” Surovell said.

“That extra $1.5 billion that we’re going to spend is going to make sure we do it correctly, so we’ll never have to do this again,” Surovell said. “Because there was always a risk that the ponds could leak if we didn’t do it correctly.”

Also, Surovell noted, the legislation likely marks the first time Virginia has passed a law more protective of the environment than is required by federal law.

“I think that sets an important precedent that we can step up if the federal government isn’t going to protect the environment,” Surovell said.

WAMU: February 12, 2019: Fairfax Could Start Cracking Down On ‘Scourge’ Of Abandoned Shopping Carts

“It would be a lot better for all of us,” Surovell says, “if the stores would have an employee out there at $10 or $12 an hour, making sure that these carts were being brought back in.”