City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MARCH 9, 2020
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER/s/
DOCKET TITLE:
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Update on the 2020 Virginia General Assembly Session.
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ISSUE: Update on the 2020 General Assembly Session.
DISCUSSION: The 2020 General Assembly Session began on January 9 and while sine die was scheduled for March 7, the General Assembly extended session until March 12, when they will vote on the budget. Due to the extension of the General Assembly session, a final report on the City's legislative package and legislation of impact to the City will be presented at Council's March 24 meeting, with a final report after the Reconvene session to consider the Governor's vetoes and amendments on April 22, 2020.
Sarah Taylor, the City's Legislative Director, continues to represent the City in Richmond throughout the General Assembly Session.
Legislative Package - The City's 2020 Legislative Package has proposals organized into two sections - Legislative Principles and Legislative Priorities.
The section of Legislative Principles is structured around the City's Strategic Plan and creates a clear nexus between the City's goals and the legislative and funding measures necessary for us to achieve these goals. In general, the Legislative Principles are broadly crafted and focus on comprehensive legislative strategies rather than specific legislative tactics.
A significant number of bills that align with and support the City's Legislative Principles have passed this session, with many already being signed into law by the Governor, including:
* affordable housing authority
* anti-discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, credit and public accommodations
* common sense gun safety, including "red flag" laws and stronger background checks for all gun buyers
* banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ y...
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