2020: Legislative Issues in “blue state” Virginia

Prepared by Charles Kraut   

Following is a list of proposed laws before the Virginia Legislature in 2020.  Virginia, long a conservative and Republican state, finally turned blue (Democrat) in the most recent elections.  With a Democrat governor, House and Senate, we are seeing “Progressivism gone wild” as these dreadful, mostly anti-constitutional laws are proposed and enacted.

I believe Virginia has now been transformed into a proving ground for this terrible legislation.  When it succeeds here it will surely be implemented nationwide once the last Republican President of our lifetimes leaves office – which could easily be in 2021. 

To me, this looks like Ralph Northam – the man who favors infanticide and is unfit for public office – is pulling a “Barack Obama” on us.  He is attempting to “fundamentally change” Virginia into a Progressive “Utopia,” which he will accomplish by eliminating many of our remaining freedoms and making us wards of the state.  This is the same playbook used by Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and many others.

Far too few Americans understand Progressivism, how it works, or how well it is organized and funded.  The Progressives almost always win because they are united and they are persistent.  They have learned how to win, how to deceive, how to misdirect, and how to shame their opponents into submission.  They work through emotional appeals, while conservatives have never figured out how to counter them.

Note how my representative to the house of Delegates, Ronnie Campbell, is playing into the Progressives’ hands by his promotion of a potentially disastrous Convention of States.  Ronnie is also working closely with Democrats to secure funding for projects that should never have become the state’s responsibility, including the Virginia Horse Center and Natural Bridge.

To follow these bills yourself, please visit www.legiscan.com/VA .

Not all these bills will become law, but seven bills that violate the 2nd Amendment were recently passed by the House of Delegates.  There will certainly be much more bad legislation proposed, passed, and signed into law by this runaway, Democrat-controlled Legislature and Governor. 

Item	Enacted Date	Sponsored by
Green New Deal, 100% renewable energy		Ralph Northam (D)
HB 1526, the “Clean Economy Act,” RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) – raises utility rates 25% or more to fund unaccountable renewable energy projects.
HJ 45 Application for a Convention of States		Ronnie Campbell (R)
Equal rights amendment (ERA) – Virginia became the 38th and final state to ratify this destructive Amendment.	1/27/20	Gov. Ralph Northam (D)
HB 33  Makes certain criminals eligible for parole		Joseph Lindsey (D)
HB 980  Loosens restrictions on abortions, allows selling fetal tissue for profit, allows infants born alive in botched abortions to be killed		Charniele Herring (D)
HB 2 Universal mandatory background checks for firearms sales. (Unconstitutional)		Kenneth Plum (D)
HB 9 Reporting lost or stolen firearms – failure to do so within 24 hours makes the victim a criminal.  (Unconstitutional)		Jeffrey Bourns (D)
HB 421 Control of firearms by localities. Localities are free to violate the 2nd Amendment. Limits of authority passed previously are repealed, including bringing lawsuits against firearms manufacturers.  (Unconstitutional)		Marcia Price (D)
HB 674 Red flag law. Creates a new class of felon.  (Unconstitutional)		Richard Sullivan (D)
HB 812 Purchase of handguns. Misdemeanor for purchase of more than one handgun in a 30-day period. (Unconstitutional)		Jelon Ward (D)
HB 961 Gun confiscation – similar to law that was withdrawn in New York (Unconstitutional and very dangerous)		(Michael Bloomberg – D)
HB 1083 Allowing access to firearms by minors.  Creates a new class of felon. (Probably unconstitutional)		C.E. Hayes (D)
HB 1004 Protective orders; possession of firearms.  Can’t possess a firearm while a protective order is in effect.  Creates a new class of felon.  (Possibly unconstitutional)
SJR 8 Allows convicted felons and the mentally handicapped to vote.	Continued to 2021	Mamie Locke (D)
SB 399 National Popular Vote Compact. Under the compact, Virginia agrees to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.		Adam P. Ebbin (D)
Marijuana decriminalization		Gov. Ralph Northam (D)
HB 1689 Limitations on laws regarding the control of firearms. A law that violates Article I, Section 13 of the Constitution or the 2nd amendment is a bad law.	Tabled	Ronnie Campbell (R)
Infanticide		Gov. Ralph Northam (D)
SB 426 Amendment to the Right to Work law.  Non-union employees may be forced to pay their “fair share” (up to 60% of normal union dues) without receiving any benefits.  “Fair share” is a Socialist term.		Gov. Ralph Northam (D)
Virginia Values Act – adds sexual orientation and gender identity to state anti-discrimination law. (Threat to religious liberty)
Tax cuts and Jobs Act – cuts federal taxes for Virginians but raises state taxes more – should have been addressed during the 2018 session. Law states that if you take the federal standard deduction you must also take the stingy $3,000 Virginia standard deduction.	On the books
HB 395 $15 minimum wage, elimination of exclusions for domestics, unemployment insurance for domestics, other legal protections		Jelon Ward (D)
HB 582 Allows collective bargaining for state and local (public sector) employees in cities, counties, and towns.	4/11/20	Elizabeth Guzman (D)
HB 1211, SB 34 Drivers Licenses for Illegal Aliens		Kathy Tran (D)
HB 19 Eliminates the requirement to show a photo ID to cast a ballot.	Passed
HB 201 Allows a voter to register on Election day at a voting precinct and then cast a ballot.  Opens the door wide to voter fraud.		Hala Ayala (D)
HB 1537 Enables removal and destruction of all Confederate and other monuments and statues.​​​​​​​	3/20/20
HB 509 – Prevents transgender people from changing gender retroactively without any record.​​​​​​​

Keep in mind that Virginia, like most states, will regularly pass 750-1000 new laws in each session of the Legislature.