City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 11, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Update on the 2021 Virginia General Assembly Session.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Update on the 2021 General Assembly Session, including an overview of the Governor Northam's proposed "caboose budget" for Fiscal Year 2021 to 2022.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve the legislative positions included in Attachment 1 (Recommended Positions on Bills of Impact to the City), as recommended by Council's Legislative Subcommittee (Mayor Wilson and Vice Mayor Bennett-Parker) at their January 5 and January 8, 2021 meetings.
DISCUSSION: The 2021 General Assembly Session is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, January 13. Coming off a months-long special session, Republicans in the Senate and House of Delegates intend to keep the session to the 30-day constitutional limit on "short" legislative sessions. Typically, the legislature extends short sessions to 45 days, but any extension requires approval from two-thirds of both chambers. However, with Democrats holding the majority in each body of the General Assembly as well as the Governor's office, there are procedural options they can employ to extend the session to, or beyond, the customary 45 days.
For however many days it is in session, the General Assembly will, for the most part, meet virtually. The members of the Senate, along with some Senate staff, will convene in person at the Science Museum of Virginia, and will hold committee meetings and floor session from that location. Members of the House of Delegates will convene entirely virtually, with House members participating in subcommittee meetings, committee meetings, and floor session remotely from their location of choice. In both the Senate and the House, outside participants - including lobbyists, activ...
Click here for full text