|
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR VIRGINIA
So, you thought elections were over? There’s an old adage that says, “Man works from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done.” The meaning of this old saying certainly is true for Virginians: elections are never over.
State Senator John McGuire (R-Dist. 10, Goochland) has been elected to the U.S. House to represent Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, leaving a state Senate position to be filled. State Senator Suhas Subramanyam (D-Dist. 32, Loudon) has been elected to the U.S. House to represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, leaving another state Senate seat to be filled. Currently, there are four Republicans and six Democrats vying for these two vacancies. Democrats are hosting a firehouse primary Saturday, November 16, to choose their nominee. Republicans will be choosing/announcing their nominee soon.
It is expected that an election in these two districts will be held in early January. The governor has the authority to call a special election during a recess of the Virginia legislature. However, a recess was never declared during the special session last May, so the General Assembly is still technically in session. In this situation, the authority to call a special election rests with the leader of the chamber with the vacancy, the Senate. Sen. Louise Lucas, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, is responsible for setting the date. State law requires that the date for a special election to fill a vacancy be no later than 30 days from the date of the vacancy. Voters in these districts need to be alert to those hoping to fill the vacancies and be ready to vote on who will represent them in the Virginia Senate this session.
Hundreds of bills to be heard in the 2025 GA Session have already been introduced, and many that were carried over from last year will be dealt with again. This is the “short session” which occurs in odd numbered years. The regular session is 60 days, and the short session is 30 days long but can be extended to 46 days. The GA usually makes the extension to 40 days. A tentative calendar follows:
- December 10 – Governor presents Budget Bill (The biennial budget was passed last year, but this year budget changes will be introduced. Amending the budget is the main purpose of the short session, but for years it has been treated like a regular session, having an agenda that’s too long for this condensed time.)
- January 8 – 2025 GA Session convenes
- February 4 – Crossover
- February 22 – 2025 GA Session adjourns
- April 2 or 9 – Reconvened session (known as the veto session)
The Legislative Information Service website provides information about legislators, bills, costs of legislation, committees, etc. https://lis.virginia.gov has a new design. Practice using this source. Which of the 37 education bills introduced so far are of special interest to you?
In November 2025, Virginia will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all 140 members of the General Assembly. Some have already expressed interest in these offices.
November 18-24 is American Education Week. Let’s use this occasion to highlight the wonderful things public schools do for individual students as well as for society. Would our elected leaders, professionals in medicine and other sciences, and the arts have attained the success they enjoy today if they had not had caring teachers to help them develop the skills on which they have built careers? Positive social media posts, letters to the editor, and expressions of gratitude to an entire school staff for their patience, hard work, and determination to help all students, no matter who they are, to become the best they can be will remind the community of the importance of public education and encourage those who work in our schools every day.
| 
