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The General Assembly convened last week for the 2023 session – the only session in which newly elected Del. Ellen Campbell of the 24th District and veteran state Sen. Creigh Deeds of the 25th District are representing all of Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington. Later this year, all 140 members of the General Assembly will be up for election in redrawn districts.
When the 2024 session convenes a year from now, northern portions of Rockbridge County will be in House of Delegates District 36 while southern parts of the county, along with Buena Vista and Lexington, will be in House District 37. All three Rockbridge area jurisdictions will be in reconfigured state Senate District 3. We will have three representatives in Richmond next year but it is unknown at the present time who those two delegates and one senator will be.
For now, our representatives are Republican Campbell, elected last week to fill the remaining one year of the term of her late husband Ronnie, and Democrat Deeds, who has served in the General Assembly for decades. While each is representing opposing parties with very different ideological perspectives, both are expected to find common ground in being responsive to the concerns and wishes of their Rockbridge area constituents.
Campbell has indicated, during the just-concluded brief campaign and in her inaugural newsletter to constituents, that she will seek to carry on the conservative policies of her husband. She has expressed support for Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed $1 billion in tax cuts and the governor’s plan to invest $30 million to hire new law enforcement officers and prosecutors.
She has touted a bill pre-filed by her late husband that would undo a law enacted in 2020 that prohibits police from stopping motorists for certain minor traffic offenses like faulty mufflers or inoperable brake lights. Among the bills she has introduced are one that would overturn a prohibition against carrying guns in places of worship and another one that would require victims of violent crimes to be notified when the perpetrators of these crimes are being released from prison.
Deeds has questioned the wisdom of the governor’s desire to cut $1 billion in taxes, noting that losing this amount of revenue could hamper the state’s ability to provide vital services such as those for mental health, education and law enforcement. Deeds said he welcomes the governor’s plan to provide $230 million for mental health services, primarily for crisis intervention, but sees this gesture as just a start to addressing the shortcomings of an overwhelmed system. In his latest newsletter, Deeds criticizes the governor for seeking to repeal Democratic-enacted laws regarding environmental protections and criminal justice reforms. “Virginia is now a leader on environmental protection, and we now have a more equitable sense of justice in the commonwealth,” he wrote. “We will not retreat on the progress we have made.”
Deeds points out that with his party controlling the Senate by a margin of 22-18 following a victory in last week’s special elections, Democrats will be able to block GOP-led initiatives in the House when they feel it is warranted. Due to divided government, he notes, each political party will be able to prevent controversial legislation proposed by either side from becoming law. Therefore, for example, don’t expect any new protections for or restrictions on abortion to be enacted this session.
Because of divided government, both sides are going to have to work together in a bipartisan fashion if they are going to have any legislative accomplishments this year. Our hope, and expectation, is that our local representatives will join with their colleagues in both chambers to work together for the common good.
For those who would like to reach our local representatives in Richmond during the session, here is their contact information: Deeds at (804) 698-7525 or district25@ senate.virginia.gov. and Campbell at (804) 698-1024 or [email protected]. gov.
