ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia General Assembly session reconvenes on Jan. 10. Residents may soon see tax relief, better career and technical education and increased gun safety.
10 News is working for you by speaking with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about their legislative priorities.
Virginia Senator David Suetterlein, R-District 4, said his goals include tax relief, relief for electric ratepayers and increased educational opportunities.
“We have several opportunities to work with both the governor and our legislative colleagues to increase resources for career and technical education, especially locally here and across the Commonwealth. Also, some of the assessment reform. Trying to get away from as much emphasis on standardized testing, so more time can be spent on skill acquisition,” said Suetterlein.
Suetterlein represents all of Roanoke and Salem cities, plus part of Roanoke and Montgomery counties. Suetterlein also spoke about how he’d like to help the Roanoke region.
“The governor’s budget includes requested appropriation that’s really important to the region for the Fralin Biomedical Center. It’s really important that we continue to increase that investment there,” said Suetterlein.
Another law Suetterlein wants to pass would provide data protections for children when it comes to social media.
“I really am concerned about their data being taken and then sold. Under Virginia law, you have to be 21 to buy alcohol [and] tobacco, but if you’re 14 years old, we treat you like an adult on the internet, and you don’t have the legal protections as a child. I think everyone under 18 should have those legal protections, and I think that their data should not be sold to other folks without their parents’ permission,” said Suetterlein.
Newly elected Virginia lawmakers are in Richmond on Monday, Jan. 8. They will have two days of orientation and then, the work starts on Wednesday, Jan. 10. This includes Delegate Katrina Callsen, D-District 54. She represents parts of Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. We spoke with Callsen about her legislative priorities.
“I’m focusing on keeping families and our communities safe,” said Callsen.
Callsen is incredibly excited about introducing legislation that would focus on kinship as foster care prevention.
“It’s expanding the services and supports that we provide families who accept children that are in crisis or their families are in crisis and helps keep them out of foster care and provides more options for families when they’re going through that of where they can put their children. And keeping children out of foster care is a good goal. It’s been shown to lead to better outcomes for families, and it’s less traumatic to the children,” said Callsen.
Callsen said she will support all initiatives that protect a woman’s right to access care for her own body.
She is also focused on gun safety. It was at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where a mass shooting took place that claimed the lives of three people. Three people were members of the University of Virginia football team. Her legislation would ban guns in public institutions of higher education. She said it would help law enforcement have the tools they need to effectively investigate threats or if they have knowledge of someone having guns they shouldn’t on campuses.
“My hope is that this piece of legislation would allow universities, which often already have policies in place that make it so that guns are prohibited on campus. This would make it so that law enforcement can actually follow up on those,” said Callsen.
Meanwhile, 10 News sat down with Sam Rasoul, D-District 38. He represents part of the City of Roanoke.
Rasoul said he’s focused on education.
“Our teachers are not paid even at the national average. We need to certainly get them there,” said Rasoul.