Stay up-to-date on Virginia legislation

As the General Assembly shifts into gear, keep an eye on several exciting bills that could continue Virginia’s progress toward equity, justice, and prosperity–and be ready to reach out to your senators and delegates about any piece of legislation that you particularly favor.

After last fall’s elections proved the benefits of expanding access to voting, a raft of new bills aim to make 2020’s improvements permanent. Proposals from Democrats in the General Assembly include establishing drop boxes and ballot curing for absentee ballots, curbside voting, Sunday absentee voting, voter preregistration for Virginians 16 and older, and eliminating witness signatures on absentee ballots.

Legislators have also proposed bills that would bar any locality from discriminating against minority voters, beef up the transparency of citizen-led redistricting, pass a Constitutional amendment that would create an affirmative right to vote (thus automatically restoring voting rights to convicted felons), and help consign the Electoral College to history’s dustbin by joining the National Popular Vote Compact.

The General Assembly is further considering legalizing marijuana (after previously decriminalizing it) and abolishing the death penalty.

Keep tabs on this and any other legislation you care about through Virginia’s Legislative Information System.