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The panel discussion, moderated by Julie Carey of News4, began with brief remarks from each member of our General Assembly delegation: Senators Adam Ebbin and Barbara Favola, and Delegates Patrick Hope, Alfonso Lopez and Adele McClure. The legislators summarized their priorities and experiences during this past session.
One of the central topics of discussion was the impact of federal workforce changes on the regional economy. The General Assembly members expressed concerns about the economic impacts of federal workforce reductions on the Commonwealth.
Delegate Alfonso Lopez emphasized the downstream effects of reductions in the federal workforce. "With every job you lose from the federal government, you're going to lose one or two contracting jobs, small business jobs, and that's going to affect everyone in the room," said Lopez.
Senator Barbara Favola noted to the more than 150 attendees that a special General Assembly session will likely be held in April to discuss ways to handle these workforce changes. "It is in everyone's interest - not just from a human factor, from an economic factor, a vitality factor, and a public safety factor - to do everything we can to help families that are going to be affected by the federal cuts," said Favola. She also noted that 42% of the Commonwealth's budget comes from revenue generated by Northern Virginia's economy.
Senator Adam Ebbin added his personal concern for the financial consequences of these changes. "I think that we could really have a very difficult time with the Virginia budget," said Ebbin, noting challenges of handling both potential declines in federal funding and potential increases in demand for unemployment assistance.
Continuing this discussion, Delegate Patrick Hope connected existing Commonwealth workforce development priorities with the need to assist the federal workers impacted. "The reality is, if these jobs will go away, the question is, what can we do as a state to figure out how to retrain and retool these workers so that people can get employment," said Hope.
Beyond discussions on the federal workforce, the General Assembly members also discussed the increased relevance of housing policy in Richmond. Delegate Adele McClure noted her success on a "single-stair" housing reform bill during the 2024 session and how she and her House colleagues aimed to go further. "My goal is to continue to try to look for innovative ways to increase our housing supply, and types of housing," said McClure.
The panelists also noted their priorities for future sessions, noting the fact that the next General Assembly will be alongside a new Governor, to be elected in November. Following the panel, the General Assembly members took questions from the audience about funding for nonprofit organizations and public education policy.
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