RICHMOND, VA — After crossover day, Americans for Prosperity-Virginia (AFP-Virginia) is celebrating the progress made in the General Assembly on various bills that will improve the lives of Virginians across the Commonwealth.
ENERGY
- HB1779 & SB 1338: Delegate Rip Sullivan and Senator Dave Marsden’s legislation will amend the Virginia Clean Economy Act to include fusion energy generation. This breakthrough is a major win for Virginians and will unleash Virginia’s energy potential. AFP-Virginia is excited to see this bill delivered to Governor Youngkin’s desk for his signature.
- Utility Monopolies: AFP-Virginia fought hard to pass legislation allowing Virginians to pick another utility company amid reckless rate hikes. Ultimately, special interests prevailed, and Virginians remain locked into energy monopolies that use rate payers’ bills as a piggy bank to offset some green technologies that are not as profitable as they had hoped.
HEALTH CARE
- HB2119 & SB843: A major breakthrough this session, Delegate Wendall Walker and Senator Chris Head’s legislation improves access to affordable health care. This legislation seeks to reform burdensome and unnecessary Certificate of Public Need (COPN) laws to allow providers in medical deserts an expedited path to obtaining a certificate. This bipartisan bill passed unanimously.
- Telehealth: Improving access to telemedicine continues to be a staple of AFP-Virginia’s legislative portfolio, and multiple bills advanced to increase the use of remote patient monitoring. As session continues, we intend to prioritize legislation that seeks to remove telemedicine barriers and expand access to all Virginians.
EDUCATION
- School Choice: AFP-Virginia was very disappointed to see bills defeated in both the House Finance and Senate Education Committees that would expand resources to grow our education economy and provide students with affordable education options that better suit their needs. These policies would financially benefit both public and private education programs. Fortunately, these can be negotiated as budget items by Gov. Youngkin at the end of session, and we hope the Governor will broker a child tax credit deal that gives both sides of the aisle a win for their constituents concerned about their child’s education.
AFP-Virginia State Director Tim Parrish issued the following statement:
“With crossover behind us, AFP-Virginia’s activists across the Commonwealth are pleased with the progress made on key issues like unleashing Virginia’s energy potential and expanding COPN reform. Virginians demand results, and much hard-fought progress has been made thus far in the session.
“But there is more work to be done. As we head into the final stretch of session, AFP-Virginia stands ready to work alongside lawmakers and Governor Youngkin to pass reforms like expanding telehealth in the Commonwealth and broadening educational resources that better fit the unique needs of Virginia’s students. We will fight to protect hard-won tax cuts and further expand the standard deduction.”