The 60-day session of the Virginia General Assembly began Wednesday, Jan. 12. As a result of the November 2021 elections, this session will feature 17 new members of the House of Delegates and “divided government” between the two chambers, with a narrow Republican majority in the House and a narrow Democrat majority in the Senate.
As in every even-numbered year, the session will also produce a new state budget for the next two fiscal years.
As of the date this article was written (Monday, Jan. 10), only about 10% of the number of bills we are likely to see during session have been posted online. A much clearer picture will emerge over the next few weeks.
The Virginia Catholic Conference is monitoring bill filing closely. Though the exact form most legislation will take is uncertain, what is certain this year and every year is the strong stand we will take for life, conscience, families and protecting the poorest and most vulnerable across a wide spectrum of issues.
During the 2022 session, we will be especially focused on working to restore pro-life gains lost during the past two sessions, and on continuing to defend religious freedom from any threats that may surface.
We also anticipate opportunities to promote parental rights in various contexts, as this general topic is shaping up to be one of the prominent themes of the session.
As bills impacting key areas of VCC advocacy, i.e., education, poverty reduction, marriage and family life, access to health care, immigrants and refugees, and criminal justice reform continue to be filed, we will be monitoring emerging opportunities and challenges.
To make a difference this session:
- Connect: Visit vacatholic.org, where you can click “Join us!” to sign up to receive VCC email alerts, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. We will provide action alerts throughout the session – easy and effective ways for you to contact your legislators before they vote on key bills.
- Engage: Act on VCC action alerts. Legislators must hear from their constituents.
- Be a powerful presence: Attend Defending Life Day on Wednesday, Feb. 9, in Richmond. Join pro-life advocates from across Virginia for prayer led by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and Bishop Barry C. Knestout, meetings at legislators’ offices and Mass. Visit vaprolifeday.org to register and learn more.