Plenty on the agenda

Pandemic, economy, climate change key issues for lawmakers as they return to work

It seems like only yesterday that the Virginia General Assembly adjourned its 83-day special session focused on the pandemic and social justice, but lawmakers return to work today in what promises to be a very busy period of legislative action.

The gatherings themselves will be disjointed — the House intends to meet virtually, while the Senate will convene at the Science Museum of Virginia to allow for social distancing — but the work they do will be vitally important to the future of the commonwealth.

Work on the budget, the pandemic, racial equality and criminal justice promises to dominate the agenda, though the looming statewide elections may cast a long shadow over the proceedings, as will limits on the number of bills each lawmaker can sponsor — an effort to limit the length of the General Assembly session.

On fiscal matters, it’s essential that the General Assembly act smartly and with some measure of caution.

Virginia is fortunate that the pandemic has not wrecked state finances to the degree it has in other states, but with COVID-19 cases and deaths still frighteningly high, we’re not out of the woods yet. Smart choices now can position Virginia for a faster, more successful recovery and bolster our competitiveness with other states.

That said, while lawmakers should keep a firm hold on the purse strings, it cannot ignore the depth of need that exists in communities across the commonwealth. Families and businesses are hurting. Tens of thousands are out of work and restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the virus have devastated entire sectors of the economy.

Relief must include spending on education, helping school districts through the rest of the pandemic and making sure that the difficult work of teachers is rewarded. Knowing how many students will lag behind as a result of remote learning should translate into spending for educators and counselors to ensure the damage isn’t lasting.

Locally, while no business was untouched by the pandemic, hospitality and food service have been decimated in the last year and will need help to get back up and running — if they survived this far. Lawmakers must also look at ways to improve Virginia’s unemployment system, which was ill-equipped to handle the crush of claims in 2020.

For Hampton Roads legislators, this session also marks an opportunity to make important strides on issues specific to this region, notably on climate change. Rising sea levels pose an existential threat to Tidewater communities and it’s long past time that bold ideas be transformed into tangible action.

The General Assembly made some important strides on climate last year, including joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to provide funding for the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. Gov. Ralph Northam also announced the Coastal Resilience Master Planning Framework in October that will deliver Virginia’s first resilience master plan this year. Hampton Roads alone has an estimated $40 billion in flooding and resilience needs. Without progress on these initiatives now, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to protect property increasingly affected by so-called nuisance, or “blue sky,” flooding.

Lawmakers cannot ignore what happened at the U.S. Capitol last week and the implications going forward. Law enforcement is taking precautions following guidance from the FBI that extremist groups may be targeting state capitols for similar violence.

Last year, tens of thousands of protesters, many heavily armed, gathered outside the legislature to rally against proposed gun control laws. The event was peaceful — a testament to preparations, as well as organizers and attendees — but the rhetoric of violence is more widespread and pervasive now, which is cause for worry.

Virginia can hope for a session free of such distractions and of any danger, while lawmakers tend to the needs of a commonwealth struggling during the pandemic and positioning Virginia for a rapid recovery as vaccination allows us to finally return to normal.

This will be a strange legislative session. Let it be a successful one.