• You are here:  
  • Home
  • Newsletters
  • CALL TO ACTION BY THE VIRGINIA INTERFAITH CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND SUPPORTED BY SALT

CALL TO ACTION BY THE VIRGINIA INTERFAITH CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND SUPPORTED BY SALT

Details
Hits: 81

 

SALT is in solidarity with the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICCP) regarding the legislative priorities referenced by Kim Bobo, Executive Director of VICPP, in the newsletter below.  Please consider taking the action recommended in the newsletter. 

image.png

Let me provide an overview of where the legislative process is with our priority bills but be sure to read to the end to see our proposed actions on minimum wage.  

Bills that “crossed over” from one chamber to another are moving quickly after crossover. In the last week we’ve seen the bills that passed in identical or similar forms in both chambers moved through committees quickly and sent to the floor where they are expected to pass. This includes the minimum wage bill, the maternal health bill requiring unconscious bias training, the Department of Corrections Oversight bill, and the eviction diversion pilot program. 

Bills that passed only one chamber have had more of a hearing, but they too are moving quickly. The bills restricting the use of attack dogs and strengthening child labor penalties (both of which VICPP led on) passed out of committees unanimously and are expected to pass on the floor. Many tenant reform bills are expected to pass. The bills to remove the farmworker exemption, expand communication options for those incarcerated, Cover All Kids (providing health insurance for immigrant children), require DMAS to design a Medicaid benefit for Community Health Workers will be considered within the next five days. 

There are two big looming concerns. The first is the budget. 

This past Sunday was Budget Sunday, where the House and Senate reveal their proposed budgets. Any of our priority bills that require money must be in the budget. And not surprisingly, some budget items are in one chamber’s budget, and some are in the others. A few highlights: 

Both House and Senate budgets include money for: 

  • Increasing the minimum wage. 
  • Childcare assistance (more than proposed by the Governor) 

The House budget includes money for: 

  • Increases to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund 
  • Three important affordable housing pilots 
  • Community Health Workers connected to local health districts 
  • A child labor investigator at the Department of Labor and Industries 

The Senate budget includes money for: 

  • Cover All Kids 
  • DMAS to study how to use Medicaid to pay for Community Health Workers 

VICPP will be sending targeted alerts to people in the districts whose members are serving on the budget conference committee to try to get our priorities into the final budget. Click HERE to view the Commonwealth Institute’s excellent side-by-side guide of the budgets.  

The second looming issue is the Governor. Will he sign bills into law, veto them or amend them in harmful ways? Most of the bills that passed with strong bipartisan support should be fine. The bills that passed on party line votes could be problematic.The bill we are most concerned about is the minimum wage, because its impact would be so significant on workers in low-wage jobs and their families. I do believe that the Governor cares about families in poverty and thus expressing our concerns could matter. 

Thus, we ask you to help us with several actions: 

  • Distribute our Clergy Sign-on Letter urging the Governor to sign the minimum wage bill to increase the minimum wage from $12 to $15 per hour by 2026. If you are a clergy member or official religious leader in some capacity, please sign the statement. We will compile the names and do some media around it. “More than 500 clergy call upon the Governor.....” Click HERE for a hardcopy you can distribute at clergy gatherings and return to me. Click HERE  sign the online version.  
  • Encourage workers in low-wage jobs to email the Governor. This flyer is designed for you to hand to friends, family members or workers you see at grocery stores, retail stores or other places. It can also be included in a congregation’s bulletin or newsletter. Click HERE. 
  • Send a personal email to the Governor. Encourage him to sign the bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026. His email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  I know this message is long. Sorry, but lots to convey.  

Sincerely, 

Kim Bobo  

Executive Director