Voting Rights
Democrats achieved significant gains for voting rights during the 2020 and 2021 sessions. COVID-19 also required a re-thinking of absentee voting and Democrats responded. A few of the significant victories Democrats notched on voting rights included:
- Repealing Mandatory Photo ID: Democrats passed HB19 in 2020 which removes the requirement that voters show a form of identification containing a photograph in order to be allowed to vote. Instead, a voter can sign an affidavit asserting their eligibility to vote.
- Early Voting Reforms: Democrats passed reforms that (1) created a 45-day early voting period, (2) removed all required “excuses” for early voting, (3) created a permanent absentee voter list, and (4) required postage prepaid envelopes for all return ballots.
- Registration Reforms: Democrats passed legislation (1) allowing same-day voter registration, (2) to allow the DMV to register people to vote or update their registration when they are updating their driver’s license, and (3) allowing children to pre-register to vote starting at age 16.
Environment
Climate change is an existential threat and Democrats are responding to the science to build a 21st Century economy.
- Virginia Clean Economy Act: Democrats passed SB851 in 2020 which established a renewable portfolio standard, required Virginia’s grid to be carbon free by 2040, found numerous technologies to be in the public interest including wind and energy storage, and sets energy efficiency standards among other climate change priorities.
- Entered RGGI: Through the 2020 budget, Democrats ensured that Virginia was required to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) which sets a cap-and-trade system for carbon credits in the energy space in 12 states.
- Clean Cars: Democrats passed HB1265 in 2021 at the request of auto dealers who want to sell more electric vehicles in Virginia by joining 15 other states. The legislation does not ban gas cars, but will require all new cars sold in Virginia after 2035 to be electric.
Human Rights
Making Virginia a welcoming place for everyone was a top priority for voters when Democrats took the majority in 2019 and Democrats delivered on that promise.
- Abortion Care: Democrats removed all recently enacted restrictions on a woman’s right to reproductive care including mandatory ultrasounds, unnecessary information provision, restrictions on providers capable of rendering healthcare, and requirements for hospital-style regulations on abortion clinics.
- Virginia Values Act: Democrats passed HB1663 in 2020 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. This created new state-based causes of action for discrimination on the basis of categories under federal law and additional categories such as sexual orientation and identity, or pregnancy.
- Outdated Discriminatory Language: In 2020, Democrats passed SB600, SB636, SB850, SB874, SB722, SB896, and SB555 to repeal old and discriminatory language in education law, housing law, criminal law, civil law, transportation law, and voting law.
- Driver Privilege Cards: Democrats passed SB34 in 2020 to allow Virginia residents who can prove their identity, prove they pay taxes, and prove they have insurance to get a driver privilege card, regardless of their immigration status.
- In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students: In 2021, Virginia passed HB2123 to allow any Virginia resident to be deemed eligible for in-state tuition regardless of immigration status.
- LGBT Rights: Democrats repealed pre-Obergefell laws regarding civil unions, and laws restricting marriage agreements to heterosexual couples.
Worker Rights
- Minimum Wage: Democrats raised Virginia’s minimum wage to $12.50/hour.
- Project Labor Agreements: Removed the ban on project labor agreements.
- Prevailing Wage: Allowed localities to require prevailing wage in procurement.
- Collective Bargaining: Removed the ban on collective bargaining for local government employees.
- Justice Reform: Created causes of action for retaliatory discharge and sexual discrimination under state law and prohibited non-competes for low-income jobs.
Healthcare
Expanding and protecting healthcare access is essential to Virginians’ quality of life. Democrats fought to expand Medicaid before they took the majority and didn’t stop there.
- Obamacare Exchange: In 2020, Democrats passed SB732 to set up a state-run Obamacare exchange so that Virginians who are not eligible for healthcare through Medicare, Medicaid, or their employer are still able to access quality insurance options.
Firearm Violence Prevention
Firearms have caused too much senseless tragedy in Virginia and around the country. We know that many firearms used to commit crimes in other states come from Virginia. Democrats are tackling firearm violence head on and achieved significant progress in the 2020.
- Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Democrats passed SB240 to allow firearms to be confiscated from individuals who a judge determines poses a threat to themselves or others.
- Local Authority for Firearm Restrictions: Democrats passed SB35 to allow localities to prohibit firearms in public buildings, parks, and permitted events such as farmers markets.
- Universal Background Checks: Democrats passed HB2 to require that any firearm sale include a background check.
- Restored one-gun-a-month rule: Democrats restored Virginia’s rule that individuals may only purchase one handgun per month to stop firearm traffickers’ from buying firearms here and moving them to states in the Northeast.
Criminal Justice Reform
Democrats came into the majority committed to righting historical wrongs and fixing our systemically biased criminal justice system. Democrats made significant progress especially during the 2020 Special Session.
- Abolishing the Death Penalty: In 2021, Democrats made history by becoming the first southern state to abolish the Death Penalty.
- Cannabis Legalization: Democrats passed SB1406 in 2021 to legalize the personal use and possession of cannabis.
- Policing Reform: Democrats passed SB5030 in 2021 which was an omnibus bill to prohibit practices like no-knock warrants and chokeholds among other important policing reforms, and expand the ability of officers to be decertified.
- Record Sealing: Democrats passed SB1339 in 2021 which sets up an automatic and petition-based sealing process for convictions to allow people who have served their time to get back to work and back to their lives without the dark cloud of an old arrest or conviction over their heads.