From the desk of Delegate Danny Marshall:
A Careful Look at Bills That Could Become Law
A number of my constituents are questioning some of the bills being passed in Richmond. Last week as bills came to the Floor for a vote, more than half were passed on a bipartisan basis. But many bills had a party-line vote.
Some issues are easier for agreement, such as protection of children by having background checks of daycare workers, while others are seen as infringing upon the rights of law-abiding citizens. And some create more regulations and red tape. That is where the greatest disagreements happen, the vote is close, and the party in the majority makes policy.
November elections determined the Democrat majority in the House of Delegates of 51 Democrats to 49 Republicans. The party in control always gets to have majority vote on committees and subcommittees. It is in these committees and their various subcommittees that the vast majority of work is done in terms of crafting, debating and passing legislation.
The minority party, can be unanimous in their objection to a bill, but if the majority party wants it passed, it will get passed.
Last Friday’s House floor session was typical of so many we have seen this session and many more to come. Lots of measures that are unanimously opposed by Republicans are passed because Democrats have a majority of the floor votes. Friday’s House Calendar included the following vote totals:
HB 1 - Passed (Y-51 N-49 A-0) Minimum wage. Increases the minimum wage from the current rate of $12.00 per hour to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2025, and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026.
HB 2 - Passed (Y-51 N-49 A-0) Purchase, possession, sale, transfer, etc., of assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices prohibited; penalty. Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, transports, or transfers an assault firearm,
HB 173 - Passed (Y-52 N-48 A-0) Manufacture, import, sale, transfer, or possession of plastic firearms and unfinished frames or receivers and unserialized firearms prohibited; penalties.
HB 454 - Passed (Y-51 N-48 A-0) Carrying a firearm or explosive material within Capitol Square or building owned or leased by the Commonwealth
HB 110 - Passed (Y-50 N-48 A-0) Surrogacy brokers; repeal of prohibition against. Repeals the statute prohibiting any person, firm, corporation, partnership, or other entity from accepting compensation for recruiting or procuring surrogates or accepting compensation for otherwise arranging or inducing an intended parent and surrogate to enter into surrogacy contracts.
HB 158 - Passed (Y-51 N-49 A-0) Firearm locking device required for sale or transfer of firearm; warning against accessibility to children; penalty. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer to sell, deliver, or transfer any firearm to any person other than a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer unless the transferee is provided with a locking device for that firearm and the firearm is accompanied by a warning,
HB 183 - Passed (Y-51 N-49 A-0) Storage of firearms in a residence where a minor or person prohibited from possessing a firearm is present; penalty. Requires any person who possesses a firearm in a residence where such person knows that a minor under 18 years of age or a person who is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm is present to store such firearm and the ammunition for such firearm in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet that is inaccessible to such minor or prohibited person.
The situation is nearly identical in the Virginia State Senate, which has a narrow 21-to-19 Democratic majority. The upper chamber is also passing a lot of important legislation that has zero support from Republicans.
Having a Republican Governor in place is the only check that Republicans have this session against single-party rule in Virginia. Governor Youngkin’s veto pen will likely be busy after this session is over. Any bills that he vetoes will return to the General Assembly for override votes at a Veto Session in April. A two-thirds majority is needed to override a Gubernatorial Veto and that would not be likely.
Regardless of whether it is as a member of the minority party or the majority party, I will continue to be a consistent and tireless voice for Southside Virginia in Richmond.
If you want to track legislation during the session, the General Assembly has several ways you can do it. Go to https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/. You can view committee hearings and floor sessions live. You can also view them in the website’s archive.
As always, if you have any questions or need more information, please contact me at
