From the Legislator’s Website
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June 26, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of June 26, 2022.
The U.S. Supreme Court Decision Threatens Women’s Fundamental RightsLast week the U.S. Supreme Court issued three very important decisions: Carson v. Maikin, New York Rifle & Pistol Assn v. Bruen and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org. (Dobbs). The Carson case relates to taxpayer funding of religious schools. NY Rifle affects firearm violence prevention. Dobbs eviscerates a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. This column addresses the Dobbs decision. I will discuss NY Rifle next week, Carson and the Governor’s budget amendments in future columns. The Dobbs case overruled the landmark Roe v. Wade decision which has been the law of the land since January 22, 1973. That decision held that the right to privacy embodied in various amendments in the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights gave women a constitutional right to make their own healthcare decisions. Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the Roecase was wrongly decided and should no longer stand.
The Dobbs decision does not change Virginia law -- yet. In Virginia, abortion is legal and in 2020 we even repealed a series of restrictions on a woman’s right to make this decision, limits put in place between 2010 and 2019, including requiring an external ultrasound and a picture of the ultrasound’s results given to the woman, requiring a 24-hour wait after obtaining the ultrasound, the provision of medically inaccurate information, and revoking a mandate to the Board of Health to unnecessarily regulate abortion clinics like hospitals. Today, a Virginia woman may obtain an abortion in the state without restriction during her pregnancy’s first two trimesters or during the third trimester if three medical doctors certify that the pregnancy will lead to the woman’s death or “substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman.” After the Supreme Court’s decision, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that he will propose legislation to ban all abortions after the fifteenth week of pregnancy. Another Senator has announced that he will introduce legislation to state that life begins at conception. These bills will not pass the current Senate Education and Health Committee, but after the 2023 elections, if the membership and control of the State Senate changes, Virginia’s laws could be significantly modified or repealed. I support a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. In 2020, I even introduced legislation to codify Roe v. Wade, to put that policy into Virginia’s laws. Senator Dick Saslaw introduced legislation to start the process of placing Roe in the Constitution of Virginia. We withdrew our own bills at the request of several abortion rights organizations who did not want the legislation to be presented for various reasons. The current composition of the General Assembly along with Governor Youngkin’s views make it impossible to pass these bills today, but that could change after 2023 or 2025 when we could try again. I cannot convey how disturbed I am by the Supreme Court’s decisions. While past precedents have fallen before, the Court has never taken away a constitutional right. Americans rely on the Court to follow our Constitution and the law through reliance upon precedent and incremental change. Last week, the Court inappropriately behaved like a legislature. Five of the six justices who signed on to Dobbs and the other two opinions were nominated by presidents who did not win the American popular vote. All six told Congress that Roe was settled precedent in their confirmation hearings. One was confirmed after the U. S. Senate refused to hold confirmation hearings six months before an election. Three were confirmed after the Republican majority changed internal rules and exempted Supreme Court nominations from the filibuster. All were confirmed by U. S. Senators representing a minority of America’s population. The Court’s legitimacy derives from the public’s trust, that the public believes that the court bases its opinions on the law and not on a judge’s personal opinions or religious beliefs. This week’s decisions have eviscerated public confidence and will further inflame the divisions that have plagued our country for the last five years. I will do everything I can to protect the ability of Virginia’s women to have access to contraception and make healthcare decisions without government interference. It is an honor to serve as your state senator.
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June 6, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of June 7, 2022.
Last week, I wrote about some of the local effects of the bipartisan budget agreement that we sent to the Governor last week. This week I will write about some of the broader issues addressed in the budget.
First, I was not pleased with the tax cuts which I believe are short-sighted. The budget contains several other priorities I do not support such as a new $100 million “college laboratory school” program and new funds for school resource officers, but bipartisanship requires compromise.
The overall budget is about $180 billion over a two-year period or biennium. The General Fund portion of the budget which we have the most discretion around totals about $59 billion over two years. It is balances and contains a constitutionally-mandated $1.1 billion deposit to our “Rainy Day Fund” which is now projected to total $3.8 billion by FY2023 as required by the Constitution of Virginia. It also contains a $750 million deposit against our $15 billion unfunded retirement liability with the Virginia Retirement System.
The Budget contains a number of tax cuts which reduced available revenue by over $4 billion. Specifically, it reduced revenues by $1.6 billion by increasing the standard deduction to $8,000 for individuals and $16,000 for joint filers. It eliminates the state sales tax on food for human consumption and personal hygiene products at a cost of $372 million but leaves the 1% local option sales tax that funds K-12 in place. The budget also contains rebates of $250 and $500 for single and married tax filers which will cost $1.0 billion. It also makes the Virginia Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) partially refundable at a cost of $315 million and exempts military retirement pay from state income taxes in $10,000 increments starting in 2022 up to $40,000 in 2025.
The budget contains historic investments in K-12 education including the state share of teacher pay increases of 5% each year and $1,000 bonuses for each school employee. It partially eliminates the cap on state support for non-teaching personnel that has been in place since 2010 and contains state funded teacher recruitment bonuses of up to $5,000 per position.
It also contains a new $1.0 billion school modernization fund which directs funds to localities through three separate streams. School construction has historically been a locally-funded activity and many conservative areas have refused to raise taxes to keep up with maintenance.
Higher education received over $200 million of additional support for in-state tuition, financial aid, but the state is still only funding in-state student tuition at 50% of historic levels. Several universities have kept tuition flat in light of this.
The bill increases Health and Human Services funding by $1.4 billion including investments which will reduce our Medicaid Waiver Waiting List for developmentally and intellectually disabled persons. It provides $86 million in new funding to raise personal care rates for personal attendants and $85 million for increased dental insurance reimbursements so more dentists will take Medicaid funded dental patients. It raises the salaries of state mental health workers to the 50th percentile with salary increases averaging around 37%. Our mental health system has been unable to keep up with demand or retain employees. It also funds a state reinsurance program for our state healthcare exchange which will reduce insurance premiums for individuals purchasing their insurance from the exchange.
The budget contains $47 million to fund local police departments like Fairfax and Prince William County, about $70 million for raises to our Sheriffs, and $113 million for raises with the Virginia State Police and our correctional workers. It also funds raises for state employees ranging between 10-15% over two years along with $1,000 one-time bonuses.
Finally, it also contains funds to widen I-64 to four lanes between Richmond and Williamsburg and creates a new State Trails Office with $41 million to develop major trails in the Commonwealth. We also authorized $1.0 billion of capital improvements at our Western Hemisphere leading the Port of Virginia. The remaining transportation budget is programmed by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
It is an honor to serve as your state senator. As always, you can reach me at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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June 1, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of May 31, 2022.
On Wednesday of this week, I cleared my trial calendar and headed to Richmond to vote for the bipartisan conference report on our $188 billion state budget. The compromise was a mixed bag. This week, I will write about some local priorities in the budget. Next week, I will write about the coming tax cuts and some of the broader investments that benefit the entire Commonwealth.
First, the Commonwealth’s current fiscal picture appears healthy but I have serious concerns that our excess revenues are largely driven by $5 Trillion of federal stimulus monies that have been pumped into our economy instead of solid underlying economic fundamentals. It is very dangerous to reset tax rates assuming revenues that could vanish when the stream of borrowed money fizzles out.
The budget appropriates an additional $214 million for Fairfax County Public Schools, $219 million for Prince William County Public Schools, and $78 million for Stafford County Public Schools. The state is now sending Fairfax County, $468 million more per year than the first budget that was adopted when I was elected in 2010. These funds will go a long way to ensure our teachers are paid fairly as long as the our localities match the state funding consistent with progressive Virginia policy.
Last year, Senator Adam Ebbin, Delegate Paul Krizek, Delegate Mark Sickles and I secured $2 million in the state budget to help defray the cost of purchasing River Farm which was under threat of development. Now that the threat has been eliminated, I proposed budget language to repurpose that money to provide public access improvements, education opportunities, viewing platforms and shoreline stabilization which was included in the final budget. It would not have happened without a team effort and will pay dividends for decades.
Water service to the Town of Quantico has been a long standing battle between the Town and Marine Corps Base Quantico. My proposal to use $17 million of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) to connect the Town to the Prince William County Public Service Authority water system was included. The amendments also restored many water quality priorities I secured in the Governor’s and Senate’s budget including $3 million for stormwater mitigation in the Town of Dumfries and $300,000 of stormwater remediation in the Town of Occoquan which will help clean the Potomac River.
Delegate Krizek, Delegate Sickles, Senator Ebbin and I also secured $400,000 of ongoing funding for Good Shepherd Housing’s to continue to provide housing, emergency services, children's services, budgeting, counseling and other resources for low-income families. Good Shepherd has found this additional funding to be crucial – even in our raging economy where our recovery has been uneven.
I was also able to pass and secure nearly $400,000 of funding to conduct a bipartisan autopsy of the Commonwealth’s pandemic response. This pandemic was (hopefully) a once-in-a-century opportunity to test Virginia’s emergency and pandemic response systems. There are many lessons to be learned about not just the pandemic but also our way of life. We all received a crash course in remote meetings, vaccine distribution, vaccine mitigation and other practices that can pay us long-term dividends. We tested our stockpiles and state of emergency statutes, and learned exactly which workers are essential and must continue working no matter how risky it is. We need to continue our discussions in a post-pandemic environment.
While the budget has some important local priorities, it also contained major tax cuts and investments. Next week, I will discuss that along with funding I did not support along with major missed opportunities. As The Rolling Stones sang, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes you get what you need." I voted “yes” to reach a bipartisan compromise.
It is an honor to serve as your state senator. If you have any feedback, you can reach me at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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March 23, 2022
Mark your calendars to join me, Delegate Paul Krizek and Friends of Little Hunting Creek for our annual creek cleanup!
Details are as follows:
2022 LITTLE HUNTING CREEK CLEAN UPAPRIL 30TH9 AM - 11 AMRSVP: bit.ly/CreekCleanup2022
Little Hunting Creek is one of the most severely degraded streams in Fairfax County. In 2007, it was named “Fairfax County’s Trashiest Stream” by Fairfax County who spent over $50,000 of taxpayer funds removing trash.
In our 12 years of creek cleanups, we have removed over 200 shopping carts, over 500 bags of trash, over a dozen bikes, multiple car sears and a .22 caliber rifle.
We will have two sites staged for the event:
Janna Lee Avenue Little Hunting Creek Bridge:
From Route 1 (at the intersection with Mount Vernon Memorial Highway), turn west onto Buckman Rd., right on Janna Lee Ave to the bridge over Little Hunting Creek.
Click here to view this site on Google Maps
Mount Vernon Shopping Plaza Near Sherwin-Williams Paint Store:
From Route 1, turn N on Fordson Rd, the cleanup site is in the concrete channel adjacent to a Sherwin-Williams store in the NE corner of Mount Vernon Plaza. Enter from Fordson Rd., directly across from Mamma’s Kitchen (7601 Fordson Rd.)
Click here to view this site on Google Maps
As residents of Mount Vernon, we have a responsibility to improve our natural environment and protect the health of our local watershed. Volunteering is a great opportunity for young adults to spend time outside, gain community service hours and learn about their local ecosystem.
Please note that all volunteers are strongly encouraged to wear rainboots or sneakers. Additionally, we will be providing water, light snacks and pizza for all those who come out and volunteer!
If you are interested in attending, please RSVP so my team can be sure to provide enough food and supplies:
RSVP
After the cleanup, you are invited to join me at Cinco De Surovell at Fort Hunt Park at 1 pm! I hope to see you there.
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March 14, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of March 14, 2022.
Session Ends - Budget Is Pending
Last week, state legislators completed the 2022 General Assembly session and 18 of the 27 bills I introduced are now on their way to the Governor. Unfortunately, we were not able to reach an agreement on a state budget, on two state Supreme Court justices or on a commissioner for the State Corporation Commission and will have a special session. Last week, I served on 16 conference committees charged with working out compromises on some of our most difficult bills to reconcile. Unfortunately, the House of Delegates unexpectedly killed one of my bills to generate more bike and pedestrian solutions. We have a massive backlog of unfunded pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure projects in Northern Virginia - especially in eastern Northern Virginia which were built before County land use rules required sidewalks or bike lanes on roads. There is also no meaningful funding stream under which these projects are competitive so planners do not even develop or seek significant projects.
U.S. 1’s forthcoming $1 billion redesign, which will include a median dedicated bus rapid transit lane, dual sidewalks and multiuse paths, will be a bike and pedestrian magnet, but few of the roads connecting to U.S. 1 have the bike or pedestrian infrastructure to serve the project. The Washington Area Bicyclists Association recently predicted that we need to invest $1 billion in cycling infrastructure in the D.C. metropolitan area over the next 20 years to meet minimum demand. I introduced SB251 to require the Virginia Department of Transportation to work with Northern Virginia localities to prepare a 20-year bicycle and pedestrian project list. This would help us estimate future need and develop funding solutions. The House of Delegates defeated the bill, largely because downstate legislators feared the bill would lead to less road funding for rural areas in the state. I will try to accomplish this in other ways. My legislation to regulate facial recognition technology in law enforcement also passed both houses on bipartisan votes. Last year, the General Assembly passed a ban on local police departments using the technology, but the ban did not apply to state police who can still use the technology with no restrictions, when either using it on their own or in coordination with local police. My legislation restricts usage and creates criminal offenses for misuse. It also prohibits facial recognition results from being stated in affidavits or search warrants and requires law enforcement officers to develop alternative corroborating evidence to link an individual to a crime. We are fully aware that many people have concerns about this new technology so the bill also requires each law enforcement agency to publish an annual report detailing the use of facial recognition technology. With this information, we will have more information on how it is being used and try to prevent its misuse. I also served on a conference committee to reconcile a bill to reverse legislation we passed last session to subject closed criminal investigations to the Freedom of Information Act. I did not support the underlying bill, but I was put on the conference committee to try to improve it. I represent many crime victims in my legal practice and can appreciate the sensitivity of opening up closed files to public scrutiny. However, accountability in police shootings and police misconduct can also be achieved with sunlight as we have learned from the Bijan Ghaisar case who was killed in Mt. Vernon by the U.S. Park Police. The voices of victims can be heard in record disputes without giving law enforcement complete discretion on withholding files so I refused to sign the final conference report which passed both chambers on close votes. The budget is bogged down in a dispute over tax cuts which I do not support. Our February revenue numbers were down compared to 2021 and I am not convinced our rosy economic growth is here to stay, especially with the instability in Ukraine, rising gas prices and inflation. Cutting taxes means fewer revenues to support services people expect from their government. We have many long-ignored needs to fund and reducing revenues will likely continue that neglect. Stay tuned. I hope you will share your views with me at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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March 9, 2022
WMATA Announces Yellow Line Construction: Service Across the Potomac to Pause for Renovations
YELLOW LINE PASSENGERS: The WMATA has announced they will be suspending Yellow Line service across the Potomac between Pentagon and L’Enfant stations for seven to eight months, starting Sept. 10th, 2022.
Per the WMATA statement:
“A major rehab of the Yellow Line tunnel and bridge will begin concurrently in September. Metro’s chief engineer has identified the steel-lined tunnel near L’Enfant Plaza as the agency’s top structural priority, with repairs needed to stop water intrusion and strengthen the tunnel lining. Metro will also remove and rewire miles of critical communications cabling used by multiple jurisdictions and make repairs to the Yellow Line bridge. The project and associated bridge closure is expected to begin in September and be completed in spring 2023.”
In addition to the tunnel updates, WMATA has announced construction to connect the future Potomac Yard Station to the mainline tracks, which will be completed this fall. As the WMATA stated:
“Potomac Yard Station, Sept. 10 – Oct. 22, 2022: Potomac Yard Station construction will require a six-week shutdown of rail service south of Washington National Airport station to build new tracks that “tie-in” the new station with the existing Metrorail system. Engineering, testing, and commissioning needed to integrate the track, power, communications and signal systems into the system will also be conducted during this time. This will be followed by additional testing and training to determine when service can begin.”
You can view the WMATA statement in full by clicking here. I will be sure to provide an update when the WMATA provides more information on what alternative service option(s) will be provided during the closures.
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March 7, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of March 7, 2022.
Last Week On Tap: House Kills Five Bills
Last week, Week 7 of the 2023 Regular General Assembly Session, brought major action on many bills. This coming week, no committees can meet after Monday and the session is scheduled to end on Saturday, March 12.
The House of Delegates killed seven of my 25 remaining bills. First, SB246 required law enforcement officers to advise a driver why they were stopped before asking for their driver’s license and vehicle registration. I introduced this bill after a constituent from Kingstowne ended up in the local news after she was stopped and charged with driving while intoxicated and after she asked why she was stopped. She blew a 0.00% breath alcohol concentration and her case dismissed, but the entire situation was avoidable. This policy is consistent with Virginia law enforcement accreditation standards, Virginia State Police and Fairfax County Police policies, but the Virginia Sheriffs Association opposed it and a House committee voted the bill down on a party-line vote.
The same constituent was also encouraged to file a police complaint, which she did, but when her case became public the law enforcement agency claimed she had not filed anything. A second bill required law enforcement agencies to provide a written confirmation all complaints, a practice also consistent with accreditation. The state’s Sheriffs opposed this bill too and a House committee defeated it on a party-line vote.
Next, we passed Senator Adam Ebbin’s legislation last session that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults. This session, I introduced legislation allowing anyone currently incarcerated for marijuana distribution to seek a resentencing proceeding and all people whose sentences were enhanced due to a prior marijuana-related conviction to see a review of their sentence by the Parole Board. A House committee killed the bill on a party-line vote.
Fourth, the COVID-19 Pandemic spotlighted the sacrifice and vulnerability of our front-line healthcare, grocery store and other workers who kept working and because of the nature of their jobs, could not work from home. I carried SB352 with Delegate Candi King which required most healthcare and grocery store employers to provide 30 hours of sick leave per year to these heroes who also lost many colleagues. Front-line workers should not have to choose between going to work sick where they can spread illness and their paycheck. It died in committee on a party-line vote.
In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that allows police officers to lie to suspects in an effort to obtain a confession. However, multiple studies show that juveniles do not have the sophistication of adults, are more susceptible deception, are more deferential to authority than adults which can result in false confessions and wrongful convictions. I carried legislation similar to a bill introduced by Delegate Sally Hudson to heighten the government’s burden in such cases, but it died on a party-line vote in a House committee.
Finally, I also carried legislation to clean up and clarify some inconsistencies in our rules relating to the sealing of convictions and expungement of acquittals in connection with the landmark legislation I passed with Delegate Charniele Herring last year. A House committee rejected it on a party-line vote with little discussion.
Nearly all of my other bills are awaiting the Governor’s signature. A few will go into a conference committee for negotiation and final resolution. The House and Senate budget negotiators have started meeting, but when the available revenues are $3 billion apart, it is virtually impossible to negotiate. We may need a special session to resolve the differences.
Over 250 constituents have completed my constituent survey. Thus far, 91% support extending the Yellow Line to Woodbridge, 87% would like to see Fairfax County match our state funds to provide teachers a 5% pay raise, 76% support underground utilities on U.S. 1, and funding priorities should be secondary education, mental health care and transportation, while the top issue is climate change. Please provide your opinions on the Commanders football stadium, reproductive choice, firearm violence prevention and marijuana legalization. You can complete your version at www.scottsurovell.org/survey.
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March 2, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of February 28, 2022.
Senate and House Set Up Fight Over $3 Billion Tax Cut
In the sixth week of the General Assembly Session each chamber offered their proposed budgets. Each chamber’s budget is very different. First, I was able to secure several changes to the budget that are important to our community. The Senate Finance Committee included $10 million in the budget to fund the Phase II improvements at Widewater State Park. Phase II will include a new visitor center, new trails, a loop road, parking areas, and picnic areas. I have been fighting for this for five years and I am working with Delegate Candi King and Delegate Tara Durant to ensure the House of Delegates will agree to fund it.
Next, the Senate Budget includes language repurposing $2 million for River Farm previously secured by Delegate Paul Krizek and Senator Adam Ebbin by allowing it to be spent on public access improvements on the property. This will help River Farm truly become a public asset. I also worked with Delegate Paul Krizek to secure $250,000 in both chambers’ budget to help Good Shepherd Housing continue to provide services to family who received Temporary Aid to Needy Families aid. The Senate also included $50 million in new financial funding for Pell Grant eligible college students at universities with smaller endowments such as James Madison University, George Mason University, Longwood, Radford and Mary Washington. Governor Northam previously included $17 million in his budget to connect the Town of Quantico to public water service. This has been a major source of friction between the town and Marine Corps Base Quantico and I am pleased it was left in both budget. He also included $3 million and $300,000 in stormwater grants for the Town of Dumfries and the Town of Quantico, but these were removed in the Senate. I am hopeful they will be restored during the budget negotiations. More globally, the House Budget relies on over $3 billion of tax cuts whereas the Senate Budget fulfills our obligation to pass a balanced budget by only cutting state tax on groceries. Without these tax cuts, the Senate Budget provides funding for a 5% raise on teacher salaries. The Senate Budget also provides about $500 million to help fund the state’s $26 billion school maintenance deficit which mostly exists outside of Northern Virginia. It also provides $1 billion towards the state $6 billion shortfall in the Virginia Retirement System. The Senate Budget also provides a 5% raise for all state employees and a one-time $1,000 bonus. It also includes $388 million in new funding for public safety including raises for law enforcement. It provides $85 million to pay down the $300 million maintenance backlog in our state parks, funds $289 million of improvements at the Virginia Port Authority which provides goods for nearly every big box store in Virginia, and also over $300 million for the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund. The Senate Budget also fulfills our constitutionally required Rainy Day Fund deposit which would leave $3.9 billion available for the next downturn. These budgets are substantially apart due to the House of Delegates irresponsible decision to cut taxes. Our nation is currently experiencing 7% inflation which is helping to generate the revenue surpluses and we are not even providing pay raises to allow our teachers, police and other government employees pay raises that keep up with that. At this time, it is not clear how we will reach a compromise. We still have two Supreme Court vacancies that we need to fill and a vacancy on the State Corporation Commission (SCC). Most people have never heard of the SCC, but it decides how much you pay for electricity, water, gas, all types of insurance, regulates banks, credit unions and railroads, and runs our state healthcare exchange. We have two weeks to figure these out. Please consider completing my constituent survey seeking your feedback on important issues this session. You can complete it at www.scottsurovell.org/survey. It is an honor to serve as your state senator.
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February 23, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of February 21, 2022.
Juvenile Deception, Facial Recognition and Medical Record Transparency
The sixth week of the General Assembly brought us to “Crossover” – the moment when each chamber must finish work on bills originating in each chamber and we begin work on bills coming from the other side. Twenty-five of my twenty-seven bills were passed by the Senate and will now be heard in the House of Delegates. On the last day of session, I defended eight bills on the floor of the Senate alone. I will discuss several in this column that I have not covered in prior columns.
In 1969, the Supreme Court of the United States held that it was constitutionally permissible for law enforcement to lie to suspects during interrogation to gain information for prosecution. Several states have questioned the fundamental fairness of using this tactic to juveniles who are not as sophisticated and are more susceptible to persuasion than adults. False confessions are involved in about thirty-five percent of wrongful convictions and there is a plethora of cases involving juveniles who wrongfully confessed. My legislation would prohibit law enforcement from using deception tactics during a custodial interrogation of a juvenile and shift the burden of showing a confession was voluntary to the government if these tactics were used. It passed the Senate on a bipartisan 26-14 vote. I also carried a bill that will allow the limited use of facial recognition technology to develop leads in criminal investigations and for use in specific community welfare situations. Last year, we passed legislation prohibiting facial recognition from being used in Virginia law enforcement due to concerns about accuracy across racial subgroups. The Fairfax County Police Department had previously used this technology over 12,000 times with no false positives. More recently, you may have read about the “shopping cart killer” who was arrested on U.S. 1 near the Penn Daw Wal-Mart pushing two dead bodies in containers in a shopping cart. He was later linked to three other murders across the country. Facial recognition companies have additional information about him, but the FCPS is prohibited from obtaining or using it by statute. This technology can also be used to identify individuals without identification such as lost adults with dementia, people unable to provide information due to medical emergencies such as strokes or concussions, or dead bodies. Police cannot use this technology even if no foul play is suspected. The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has begun a program that now certifies many facial recognition technologies as being 98-99% accurate with minor deviations across racial subgroups. Many are being used in national security applications, for air travel, and for trusted-traveler programs such as Global Entry run by U.S. Border and Customs Control. My legislation would allow it to be used for specific investigations and community welfare incidents, but not for general surveillance or monitoring. It passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote. I am also working with the Virginia Chapter of the Humane Society on legislation to modernize Virginia Law relating to the sexual abuse of animals. While Virginia currently prohibits beastiality, it does not have criminal sanctions for individuals who traffic in animals for sexual abuse or for the manufacturing or possession of “animal porn” which has all been shown to have strong correlation with child sexual abuse and other sex crimes. Detectives also testified at our hearing regarding suspects destroying child pornography during raids, but separately storing or keeping their animal porn because they knew it was not illegal. My bill passed the Senate unanimously. Medical records have become electronic over the last two decades. However, when a doctor makes a change on your chart, you can no longer see the scratches to show the change and the edits are often invisible without careful inspection. I carried legislation requiring medical providers to produce the audit history for medical records so that patient can quickly see any changes made to their contemporaneous medical records. Next week, we move on to the budget and action on legislation that has crossed over. Please complete my constituent survey at www.scottsurovell.org/survey and if you have feedback, send me an email at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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February 16, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of February 14, 2022.
Last Week in Richmond: 25 Bills Moving In the General Assembly, the first week of February is always the week we deal with difficult and controversial legislation and this year was no different. I have introduced 27 bills and 25 appear headed for passage to the House of Delegates, one was tabled and referred for study at my request and one was killed. That bill was intended to make serving in the General Assembly more realistic for people whose employers would not be supportive of service in a part-time legislature like ours.
On a 35 to five vote, the Senate approved a bill I am carrying with Delegate Israel O’Quinn to reduce Virginia’s methane emissions. Methane is a planet-warming greenhouse gas that is 85x more potent that another greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. I am hopeful that the bill will incentivize utilities like Washington Gas to work with local sewage authorities to recover methane generated at sewage plants and landfills so that it can be captured and used instead of generating more methane from hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” for natural gas to heat homes and power buses, stoves and water heaters. We also considered legislation addressing in-person learning and masking in schools. In the last month, major medical journal articles have reported that this pandemic is moving into an endemic phase and will persevere in ways similar to the common cold or the flu. Last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert, confirmed that we are moving into an endemic and Fairfax County Public Schools announced a new policy that will effectively end the mask mandate once Fairfax County achieves certain metrics. In addition, the Prince William County School Board Chairman Babur Lateef said the mandate needs to end. The governors of Oregon, California, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware are moving away from universal masking mandates while the Biden administration is exploring adjustments to masking guidance. Last week, we debated an amendment to one bill, SB 739, to standardize state masking optional policies. I voted for the amendment to include a mask policy in the bill that would be effective July 1, 2022. Several constituents have asked about my vote. Unfortunately, our schools, school boards and communities are being torn apart because some are politicizing public health issues, instead of respecting health experts. It is virtually impossible to have a rational discussion about the effectiveness of masks, quarantines and even vaccines across party lines. Virginia school boards cannot even agree on what the Center for Disease Control guidance says. In many cases, Democratic-led school boards are concluding that mandatory masks are required and Republican-led school boards are saying that they are not. Our school systems need clarity on this issue and we need to get school boards, teachers and children out of the political crossfire. As a state senator, I have to vote on policy for the entire state, not just Northern Virginia. I also want state legislators to be at the table in this discussion after our current masking law expires on August 1, 2022, instead of creating more uncertainty by ceding the issue solely to Governor Youngkin, schools boards and courts and perpetuating a climate in which school board members face death threats and citizens carrying firearms to local school board meetings. I voted against the bill final passage because it restricted school boards’ ability to mitigate pandemic emergencies in perpetuity. Attacks on medical science have caused more Virginians than ever to doubt vaccines and challenge vaccine policy. No one knows when the next pandemic will arrive or whether we will start seeing localized breaks of measles or other viruses. Unfortunately, Governor Youngkin added an emergency clause to the bill making it effective March 1 instead of July 1, refused to add a sunset provision to the bill, and three of my Democratic colleagues crossed over to support it. I remain opposed and expect litigation to ensue once again. It is an honor to serve as your state senator. I hope you will share your views with me at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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February 10, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of February 1, 2022.
Week Four: Bills Moving in Richmond & Retail Marijuana Under Discussion In the fourth week of the General Assembly’s session, several of my 27 bills advanced. The Senate passed my resolution to create a two-year study between the House and Senate to evaluate the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response. If adopted by the House of Delegates, this will be a major, two-year evaluation with recommendations about lessons learned. One of my bills would place our projected $1 billion surplus from the Virginia 529 Plan into an endowment fund to create 2,000 full-ride scholarships for female and minority students who would have been denied admission to Virginia universities before 1900 because of gender and race-based discrimination practices. I asked that the bill be tabled and referred to an ongoing study about the surplus. Various Senate committees have favorably acted on all of my other bills so far.
The Senate passed my bill to make it easier for divorcing spouses to divide retirement plans administered by the Virginia Retirement System. We also passed my legislation to create a clear runway for companies to invest in large-scale, organic waste digesters that can make renewable biomethane. This approach can replace methane extracted through hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” a natural gas extraction method which I have helped prohibit east of Interstate 95 in Virginia. My legislation to establish a new charter for the Town of Occoquan received a unanimous vote and is now in the House of Delegates. We had our first public hearing on legislation to set the parameters for the retail sale of marijuana. This is a complicated situation. Under the bill we are considering, there will be a three-tiered system to separate ownership between cultivators, processors and retailers that will maximize the development of Virginia businesses and community capital. However, the details around the system are fraught with complexities and choices. There is no census on a tax rate that will generate sufficient revenue while avoiding sufficient incentives to continue a black market. There is no agreement on how the revenues would be used. The Senate Democratic Caucus would like the revenues in part to be invested in a way to help alleviate the disproportionate impact that criminalization of marijuana offenses has had in the state. There is also no consensus on a transition period to the new retail licensing system. Today, Virginians can legally purchase marijuana from five licensees, such as Beyond Hello in Manassas, if they have a recommendation a medical provider. The medical marijuana companies would like to sell marijuana at the retail level without the medical recommendation while others would like to see vertically-integrated hemp growers authorized to sell marijuana until the final retail system is in place. We are also debating how to address fate of 500 Virginians currently imprisoned for marijuana distribution and several thousand more who received enhanced sentences for other offenses due to marijuana-related sentence enhancements. I am carrying legislation with Senator Louise Lucas to create both resentencing and parole board avenues to seek a modification of sentence. This will be a complex negotiation and I am optimistic we will make progress this year to finalize this issue so we can move on to other issues. The Senate approved my legislation to create a seventh Circuit Court judgeship in Prince William County. Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park have grown by nearly 50,000 people or about 10 percent since judicial caseloads were last evaluated and wait times to go to court are significantly higher there than in most other Northern Virginia jurisdictions. If the House of Delegates approves this bill, our delegation will nominate a new person to be a judge within the next two weeks. I will be available online on February 12 at 1 p.m. for my eastern Prince William County town hall meeting with Senator Jeremy McPike and Delegates Luke Torian and Candi King. I hope you will join us and share your views. The next week of the legislature’s session is traditionally the time for final hearings on some of the most difficult bills. I always appreciate hearing your views and suggestions. Please email me at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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February 2, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of February 1, 2022.
Named Chairman of Two Subcommittees & Bills Are Moving
In the state legislature’s third week in session, the Senate passed and sent to the House of Delegates five of my bill and many of my other bills advanced.
First, I was named the Chairman of two different subcommittees. The Senate Commerce & Labor Committee Chairman created a Labor & Employment Subcommittee which I will chair and consider 11 bills focused on workforce issues. I was also named the Chairman of the Criminal Law Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee which will consider 19 bills addressing criminal justice issues.
We have spent much of the last two weeks rejecting legislation that attempts to undo much of the progress we made over the last two years, policies like making it easier to vote, modernizing workers’ rights, requiring a transition to cleaner energy, making Virginia a more welcoming state and reforming our criminal justice system. We have disturbing bills coming up this week to reinstate capital punishment and to require the kinds of election audits conducted in states like Arizona and Michigan. These measures will not pass.
We passed my legislation requiring law enforcement to advise drivers why the officer has stopped a driver before asking for the driver's license and registration. Unfortunately, the debate became politicized and it passed on a party line, but I am hopeful that we can have further discussion about the anxiety many drivers feel during traffic stops and how that can be alleviated by explaining the basis for the stop.
I am working on two bills to curb Virginia’s methane emissions. Two months ago, President Biden attended the United Nations Climate Change Summit called “COP26” in Glasgow, Scotland, and emerged with a pledge to reduce American methane emissions by 30 percent. Methane is 85 times more potent than carbon dioxide at capturing the greenhouse gas that is warming the planet at unsustainable rates. I am carrying two bills to address this.
First, I introduced a bill to clarify the legal treatment of the byproduct of organic waste digestion. One way to create methane without hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” natural gas, a greenhouse gas, is to put organic materials in a digester so it can decompose in an enclosed environment. The end products are methane or “biomethane” which can be used interchangeably with fracked methane. The residual sludge can be applied to farm fields. However, the end product does not contain consistent nutrient content so it needs to be sold and labelled as a soil amendment like vermiculite instead of fertilizer. My bill passed out of committee unanimously.
Second, I am also working with Virginia’s five natural gas companies on legislation which would allow the companies to purchase biogas from composing facilities, landfills or other composting facilities and sell it to consumers. It would also allow companies to obtain credit for methane reduction by capturing “fugitive methane” from leaky pipelines, compressor stations or closed wells. The legislation basically gets methane out of the atmosphere and into the pipes where it can be used to power your furnace, hot water heater or stove top. A Senate committee will consider the bill next week.
The Senate Rules Committee approved my legislation to conduct what I am calling a “COVID-19 Pandemic Autopsy.” This is the first pandemic our government has responded to since 1918 and our existing rules and systems adjusted, but there are always lessons to be learned. Our state-of-emergency laws are designed for short-term events like hurricanes and snowstorms. Many of us feel that the General Assembly should have a role in addressing more extended situations. We need to examine the responses of our education, health, regulatory and legal systems and look for lessons learned, approaches we need to keep and changes we need to continue to make.
The next ten legislative days will be some of the busiest we face as we approach “Crossover” – the day that we must complete work on all legislation in our respective chambers and switch to work on bills from the other chamber. We usually save the most difficult bills for the last few days.
If you have any feedback, you can reach me at scott@scottsurovell.org. It is an honor to serve in the Virginia Senate.
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February 1, 2022
Senator Scott Surovell sent the letter below to the Fairfax County Redistricting Committee which is considering changes to the names of the Mount Vernon Magisterial District and Hollin Hall Precinct.
The Fairfax County Redistricting Committee is meeting on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 from 6-8 pm to consider their recommendations. Senator Surovell Opposes Mount Vernon Name Change Letter by Scott A. Surovell on Scribd
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January 25, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 24, 2022.
Week #2: A New Governor, Bills Moving & Budget Amendments For SD36
In the second week of this year’s General Assembly, Governor Youngkin gave his State of the Commonwealth speech to a joint session of the House of Delegates and Senate and we began serious work on over 2,000 bills. While I was pleased that Governor Youngkin said he wants all Virginians to get vaccinated for COVID-19, supports a Chesapeake Bay cleanup and ending raw sewage discharges into the James River, he also advocated for many policies that many people of the 36th Senate District do not support, policies like charter schools and funding cuts to schools and our transportation. Senate committees advanced several of my bills recently.
The Transportation Committee approved my legislation to require police officers to advise drivers why they have stopped the driver’s vehicle before requesting the driver’s license and registration. When police stop a car, drivers can often become anxious and upset and believe they were not violating any law. This happened to one of my constituents recently and her incident escalated into an arrest for driving while intoxicated. She submitted to a breath test which showed she had no alcohol on her breath and the Commonwealth’s Attorney asked for the charges to be dropped. The entire episode would have been avoided if the officer had told her the basis for her stop. The full Senate will debate this bill this week. Another bill would allow child accident victims to invest proceeds from injury settlements and use the funds for college, trade school or registered apprenticeship programs in what is called Virginia’s 529 Program. Under current law, settlements are either invested in certificates of deposit or restrictive annuities approved by a judge. Another bill I introduced would create a new Circuit Court judgeship in Prince William County. Prince William is now the second largest jurisdiction in Virginia and it takes 18 months to get a hearing date for civil cases like family law matters, business disputes or personal injury. All other jurisdictions in Northern Virginia address these cases in fewer than 12 months. The Judiciary Committee approved my legislation that extends the Supreme Court of Virginia’s judicial review program to retired judges who continue to hear cases and allows the legislature to decertify any judges who have problems. Today, retired judges can continue to hear cases and there is no formal program to obtain objective feedback on their performance or initiate their removal. I also introduced several budget amendments of local interest. I am proposing to repurpose the $2 million that Senator Adam Ebbin, Delegate Paul Krizek and Delegate Mark Sickles secured for River Farm last year to purchase River Farm and use it as a grant program to improve public access to the property. I have requested $5 million to connect Pohick Bay Regional Park to public water and another $5.4 million to fund water and sewer lines for permanent outdoor restrooms at all Fairfax County Public School stadiums. One of the wealthiest counties in America should have permanent restrooms at these community facilities. I have suggested that we use funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARPA) to eliminate our $250 million state park maintenance backlog at parks like Mason Neck and general funds to complete the Phase II and Phase III buildout at Widewater State Park in Stafford County. I have also requested $200,000 to continue Good Shepherd Housing’s services to families receiving government aid that was started this year. Over 70 constituents attended our Mount Vernon-Lee Town Hall on Saturday and I have town hall meetings scheduled with other delegates and senators for Lorton, Occoquan/Woodbridge and Dumfries/Montclair. Please see www.scottsurovell.org and my Facebook and Twitter pages for more details. I look forward to discussing your concerns and answering your questions. Please send me any feedback at scott@scottsurovell.org. It is an honor to serve you in the Virginia Senate.
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January 17, 2022
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 15, 2021.
A New Day in Richmond and Many Challenges As the Virginia General Assembly begins its 2022 session, my 13th, I look forward to working with Governor Glenn Youngkin, the new House of Delegates leadership and other legislators to reach a consensus on the best direction for our state. While I did not support them, I attended Governor Youngkin’s inauguration and swearing in, along with the swearing in of Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares. Budgets Reflect Priorities No matter what happens with other bills, one thing we are required to accomplish this session is to pass a budget. Thanks to federal pandemic funds, Virginia has significant excess revenues in our two-year budget cycle that ends on June 30, 2022. A little over half of those revenues will be appropriated to the “Rainy Day Fund” and to mandatory water quality improvement.
In the last session, we also reserved about $1.5 billion of $4.5 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act in case we had a pandemic resurgence. We are limited to spending these funds on five categories of expenditures including water and sewer infrastructure and maintenance of outdoor assets. I am proposing to spend some of these funds to (1) eliminate our state parks’ $225 million maintenance backlog, (2) install a public water line at Pohick Bay Regional Park to replace well service and water and sewer infrastructure, and (3) to construct permanent, outdoor restrooms at all Fairfax County public high schools. The new two-year budget also projects significant new revenues. The Governor is proposing a series of ill-advised tax cuts. First, he proposes to cut our current two percent grocery tax that is dedicated solely to education and would cost Fairfax County Public Schools about $80 million per year. The Governor also reiterated his call to suspend the $0.08 per gallon gas tax increase enacted in 2021. His proposal would save the average Virginia driver about $4 a month, but interrupt dozens of transportation projects currently planned. My Bills I am carrying around 27 bills. One creates a joint study to review the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic across all levels of government so we can learn from our mistakes and improve our system going forward. I am also carrying legislation to study multi-family housing regulation to ensure that Virginia’s inspection systems and condo association policies are sufficiently strong to avoid the types of collapse we saw in Florida or partial collapse that occurred at River Towers near Belleview in Fairfax County in 2016. The Biden Administration recently signed an agreement in at the Edinburgh, Scotland, global summit to reduce methane emissions in the U.S. by 75 percent. Methane is 85 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping energy. I have a bill to incentivize Virginia’s natural gas companies to capture loose methane from landfills or waste composting operations and sell it to consumers to remove it from the atmosphere and curtail these greenhouse gases that are warming the planet. Cycling and pedestrian deaths have been increasing across the country, Virginia and our local community. At one point in 2020, three pedestrians were killed in Fairfax County one day. One major cause of these problems is that the infrastructure in our part of Northern Virginia was designed for vehicles and not pedestrians. While the legislature has provided significant new funding for transportation infrastructure, the focus has traditionally largely been for vehicle projects, with pedestrian or cycling improvements considered secondarily. I have introduced a bill to require a fixed percentage of funds to be devoted to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure going forward. Virginia’s Supreme Court significantly revised state legislative districts including the district I currently represent. I will discuss this in a future column. If you have any feedback, please contact meat scott@scottsurovell.org and follow my work on Facebook and Twitter. It is an honor to serve as your state senator.
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January 14, 2022
UPDATE: 8:00 AM, 1/17/2022
VDOT Update
There is no longer a Winter Weather advisory in effect, however continue to proceed with caution.
Crews continue to treat roads for icy spots. Treat anything that looks wet as if it could be ice, especially bridges and overpasses. If there is snow or ice on roadways, travel is hazardous.
Continue to avoid or delay trips if possible to give trucks room to work and treat icy areas. Temperatures will remain around freezing most of the day, causing potential icy conditions especially on ramps, bridges, overpasses and other elevated surfaces.
UPDATE: 11:00 AM, 1/16/2022
VDOT, Natl. Weather Service Update
The Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 1 pm this afternoon to 1 am on Monday.
Expect mixed precipitation with snow accumulations of 1-3 inches and ice accumulations around one tenth of an inch.
Avoid unnecessary travel. If you must travel, slow down and use caution. Roads will be slippery with the potential for black ice.
Northern Virginia District crews pretreated interstates, primaries, and high-volume secondary roads, along with bridges, ramps and overpasses with brine.
More than 3,800 pieces of equipment will be deployed in the Northern Virginia District Sunday morning. Residents may begin to see trucks staged in neighborhoods while awaiting the start of the snowfall.
Crews will work around the clock on state-maintained roads, focusing on clearing roads that carry the most traffic first. These include interstates, primary roads, and routes connecting public safety and emergency services. Crews can then focus on neighborhoods and lower-volume roads.
In areas that are expected to receive higher accumulations of snow, park in driveways or on a single side of the street to allow a wider path for plows.
Wind gusts will possibly bring down trees, branches, and power lines. Tree removal crews will be deployed to remove trees from the roadway.
VDOT, VA Dept. Of Emergency Management, Natl. Weather Service Update
VDOT and other agencies provided an update earlier today on the storm that will move through the Commonwealth on Sunday, January 16th.
Governor Northam declared a state of emergency this morning in preparation for the winter storm. Click here to read his emergency declaration
The Northam administration and the incoming Youngkin administration are working closely to ensure the transition of power does not disrupt efforts to prepare for and address the storm
Primary roads and interstates are currently being pretreated for the snow. All primary roads and interstates will be pretreated by tomorrow morning, January 15th at the latest
The storm will come in from the southwest and move eastward. The storm is expected to affect the whole Commonwealth by 2 pm, but it may occur between 11 am and 5 pm.
The current forecast shows an expected snowfall of 3-4 inches in Fairfax and Prince William County
Freezing rain is likely to begin Sunday afternoon and may continue into Sunday evening. The freezing rain is likely to cause tree damage.
Ice is likely to accumulate in Fairfax and Prince William County
The storm system will intensify rapidly with high winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour
Warm air from the east will change the snow to rain sometime Sunday afternoon. Conditions may vary widely depending on where this occurs
There is a likelihood of power outages with this storm due to the potential for wet snow and ice
Weather Updates Like with most weather forecasts, there’s a decent amount of uncertainty surrounding the conditions we might see on Wednesday. Some parts of the district might only get rain or freezing rain, while others might experience more severe forms of wintery participation. The National Weather Service is a great resource for monitoring weather conditions.
School ClosuresClick Here For Fairfax School Closures
Click Here For Prince William School Closures
Important Resources
Dominion Resources Power Outage Line
1-866-366-4357
Dominion Resources Storm Center Outage and Restoration Updates
Northern Virginia Outages Map
VDOT Street Problem Number1 (800) FOR-ROADVDOT REAL-TIME ONLINE PLOW MAP
Other Resources
Dominion
NOVEC
Washington Gas
Fairfax County Police: 703-691-2131
Prince William County: 703-792-6500Stafford County: 540-658-4400
Winter Storm Guidance
Winter storms can range from freezing rain or ice, to a few hours of moderate snowfall, to a blizzard that lasts for several days. Many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures, power outages and unpredictable road conditions.Before, during and after a winter storm, roads and walkways may become extremely dangerous or impassable. Access to critical community services such as public transportation, child care, healthcare providers and schools may be limited. Preparing your home, car and family before cold weather and a winter storm arrives is critical.
During a winter storm, stay off the roads as much as possible and only drive when absolutely necessary. Always give snow plows the right of way.
Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal burning device inside your home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any other partially enclosed area.
Snow shoveling is a known trigger for heart attacks! Always avoid overexertion when shoveling.
When severe weather occurs, plan to check on elderly or disabled neighbors and relatives.
If you must travel, know road conditions before you leave home. Visit 511Virginia.org or call 511 for road condition updates.
Protect yourself from Frostbite! Hands, feet and face are the most commonly affected areas so wear a hat, mittens (which are warmer than gloves) and cover your mouth with a scarf to reduce heat loss.
Keep dry! Change out of wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat.
Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer or heavy clothing.
Snow Removal Due to COVID-19 restrictions that protect the safety of plow workers, it’s possible that plowing might take longer than usual this year. To track when your neighborhood will be plowed, visit the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) plowing website, which activates after 2 inches of snow have accumulated in your county. If you live on a private street, it is the responsibility of the developers or the homeowner’s association to arrange for the street to be cleared. Call 800-FOR-Road (800-367-7623) for information on snow removal or to inform VDOT of any snow removal problems. TTY users can call 711.
While there’s no legal obligation to clear the sidewalk in front of your house, we rely on residents to help keep neighborhoods pedestrian-friendly during snowy winters. Now more than ever, we’re encouraging younger residents who are able to assist their elderly neighbors with clearing their residential sidewalks to do so in a safe and socially distanced manner. Preventing unnecessary hospitalizations due to icy conditions is especially important during the current COVID-19 pandemic.Remember to exercise caution when driving, stay home if you’re able to, and make sure you’re informed before leaving your home. The VDOT website provides guidelines for how to commute and travel safely during snowy and icy conditions. Again, if you’re able to shelter in place, that’s always the safest option.If you live in Fairfax County, the Fairfax County Emergency Information site provides up-to-date information on the forecast and how the weather could be affecting road conditions, traffic, and public transportation. If you live in Prince William County, you can access updates on weather and traffic conditions on their emergency event information site. If you live in Prince William County, more weather-related resources and updates can be found on the county website.
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Stay warm, stay safe, and look out for your neighbors.
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January 2, 2022
UPDATE: 11:00 PM, 1/6/22
VDOT, VA Dept. Of Emergency Management, Natl. Weather Service Update
VDOT and other agencies provided an update earlier today on the storm moving through the Commonwealth tonight. Here are a few highlights:
There's a 10-40% chance that Fairfax and PWC get 6+ inches
This is going to be a very cold and gusty event which means there will be snow drifting and piling up but it won't be heavy so hopefully not as many trees down.
Snow will be over by 8 am tomorrow morning.
Interstate system is clear of snow now. Primary roads are between clear and minor blockages. Secondary streets are mostly clear or moderately snowy. Fredericksburg still has some severely blocked roads.
We have over 1 million cubic yards of debris down on the roads hampering recovery effort. NoVA has over 200,000 cubic yards - mostly trees. The big ice storm last year only produced 500,000 statewide.
VDOT is working to clear trees tangled in power lines and coordinating with power companies.
This storm tomorrow is going to be different from Monday's. It's going to start as snow which means VDOT can pre-treat roads this time. All interstates are pre-treated. Most arterials are, too.
Pavement temps are above freezing so we shouldn't see as much ice at the outset.
School Closures
Fairfax County School buildings will be closed tomorrow with no virtual learning.
Click Here For Fairfax School Closures
Prince William County Schools are closed Code Green.
Click Here for PWCS School Closures
UPDATE: 10 PM, 1/5/22
VDOT Update
VDOT crews are ready for snowfall and wintry precipitation forecast across northern Virginia tomorrow evening.
As always, residents are asked to track the latest forecasts, plan ahead to avoid nonessential travel during winter weather, and to be aware of the potential for black ice and nightly refreeze as temperatures remain low.
What's Happening Now:
See the Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service, with a range of snow accumulations forecast across VDOT's Northern Virginia District from late Thursday evening through Friday morning. Please monitor forecasts closely for updates.
With dry conditions in the forecast until Thursday afternoon, Northern Virginia District crews will be pretreating interstates, primaries, and high-volume secondary roads, along with bridges, ramps and overpasses with brine.
Brine is 77% water and 23% salt. It is sprayed on the road and when it evaporates, it leaves white lines of salt residue, or brine lines as they are commonly referred to. Brine works to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement in the first hour or so of a snowstorm.
With more than 2,800 pieces of equipment, crews will work around the clock on state-maintained roads, focusing on clearing roads that carry the most traffic first. These include interstates, primary roads, and routes connecting public safety and emergency services. Crews can then focus on neighborhoods and lower-volume roads. Residents can monitor the progress of plows at www.vdotplows.org.
In areas that are expected to receive higher accumulations of snow, park in driveways or on a single side of the street to allow a wider path for plows.
Reminders for Residents and Drivers:
Monitor the forecast closely and prepare to stay off roads when snowfall begins, to avoid deteriorating conditions and to allow crews room to work. Plan to avoid nonessential travel overnight Sunday into midday Monday.
In areas that are expected to receive higher accumulations of snow, park in driveways or on a single side of the street to allow a wider path for plows.
If you must drive, ensure headlights are on, drive for the conditions, and be familiar with these winter driving tips.
Monitor road conditions on www.511virginia.org or the free mobile app, or call 511 from any phone in Virginia.
Learn more about snow removal by visiting virginiadot.org/snow and viewing Northern Virginia District's fact sheet.
Dominion Update
Dominion Energy crews continue to make progress restoring power to customers affected by Monday’s winter storm, restoring power to 30,000 customers today.
Estimated restoration times have been posted and will continue to be updated. The most up-to-date information will be available at Report Outage or Emergency | Virginia | Dominion Energy, 866-DOM-HELP (866-366-4357) or through the Dominion Energy app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
We are tracking a cold front that will bring snow likely across Northern, Western and parts of Central Virginia between 8:00 PM tomorrow night and 6:00 AM Friday morning. Widespread 2-4 inches of accumulation looks likely for areas north and west of Richmond. Much of the global model guidance indicates that the same locations which saw the greatest snowfall early this week will again have the highest amounts.
Temperature profiles during initial snow accumulation look similar to what we experienced Monday morning. The primary concern is any wet snow accumulation still on trees from the last event combined with additional accumulation from this event. The secondary concern is new wet snow in the same location as the previous event.
Important Resources
Federal Government Offices
Federal offices in DC are Open with 3 hour delayed arrival and optional telework.
Office of Personnel Management Status
School Closures
Fairfax County School buildings will be closed tomorrow, Jan 5, with no virtual learning.
Click Here For Fairfax School Closures
Prince William County Schools are closed Code Green For Jan 5.
Click Here for PWCS School Closures
Dominion Resources Power Outage Line
1-866-366-4357
Dominion Resources Storm Center Outage and Restoration Updates
Northern Virginia Outages Map
VDOT Street Problem Number1 (800) FOR-ROADVDOT REAL-TIME ONLINE PLOW MAP
Other Resources
Dominion
NOVEC
Washington Gas
Fairfax County Police: 703-691-2131
Prince William County: 703-792-6500Stafford County: 540-658-4400
UDPATE: 10 PM, 1/4/22
VDOT Update
Interstate 95 northbound and southbound in Virginia is open after being closed for emergency response for most of the day, Jan. 4. All disabled vehicles have been removed from the interstate.
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia State Police (VSP) and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) continue to work around the clock with safety being the top priority.
While drivers can enter or exit I-95 northbound and southbound, travel remains hazardous throughout Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Caroline counties.
Since early this morning, crews directed travelers stopped on I-95 to the nearest possible interchange between exit 104/Route 207 in Caroline County and exit 152/Dumfries in Prince William County. Once all disabled vehicles and tractor-trailers were removed through the 40-mile section of interstate, multiple passes were made with snow plows and motorgraders to remove snow and ice then treated the travel lanes with materials to safely reopen the interstate.
VDOT continues to focus on primary and high-volume secondary roads before shifting to less traveled roads and subdivision streets.
Most secondary routes and neighborhoods remain in severe condition, meaning snow-covered with little to no bare visible pavement showing.
Drivers in the Fredericksburg area should continue to delay any unnecessary travel with dozens of roads closed with downed trees and fallen utility lines.
If travel is essential, drivers should be alert to slick, icy road conditions overnight and tomorrow morning, Jan. 5.
Crews will continue to work 24 hours a day until all state-maintained roads are safe for travel.
Dominion Update
Dominion Energy Virginia crews are safely and quickly restoring power to customers affected by Monday’s winter storm, which left pockets of heavy damage and impacted travel across Virginia. Along with a full cohort of Dominion Energy crews, support staff, and contractors, more than 800 mutual aid workers are providing assistance to ensure a swift response.
Over 400,000 customers have experienced a power outage since heavy snow and high winds began impacting service early Monday morning, making this one of the five worst winter storms in Dominion Energy Virginia’s history. Significant restoration progress has been made with service restored to more than 290,000 customers as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Many more customers will have their power restored this evening and the majority of those still without power will be restored by late Wednesday evening, with pockets of outage restorations extending into Thursday. Areas around Fredericksburg have been particularly impacted by this historic event where damage is the most severe and road conditions are treacherous, in some cases, impassable. Crews will continue restoration around the clock until all customers have service restored.
Estimated restoration times will be populated on individual projects as damage assessment and restoration continues. The most up-to-date information will be available at Report Outage or Emergency | Virginia | Dominion Energy, 866-DOM-HELP (866-366-4357) or through the Dominion Energy app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
PWC Government Update
Prince William County Government offices will open late at 10 A.M. on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. The Judicial Center and Solid Waste facilities will open on time; several other facilities and programs will have delayed openings beyond 10:00 A.M.:
All Libraries will have a delayed opening at 12:00 P.M.; check back in the morning for a list of branches that will be open on Wednesday.
The Sharon Baucom Dale City Recreation Center and Chin Aquatics and Fitness Center will open late at 12:00 P.M. All preschool programs are canceled. All other Parks and Recreation facilities will remain closed until conditions will allow safe reopening.
See https://www.pwcva.gov/emergency Wednesday morning for the latest information about facility opening times.
UPDATE: 7 PM, 1/3/22
Dominion Update
As of 5:00 p.m., more than 377,000+ of Dominion Energy Virginia customers have been affected, with nearly 225,000 customers still without service due to winter weather impacts -- heavy, wet snow and tree impacts due to high winds.
As Dominion Energy and contract crews begin their storm restoration efforts, we will work throughout the day and night to restore service as conditions permit. Our restoration crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power; however, dangerous travel and hazardous working conditions are slowing down the restoration process. Therefore, we are encouraging our customers, particularly those in the hardest-hit areas, to prepare for the possibility of being without power for multiple days. The hardest-hit areas include the Charlottesville/Albemarle areas, Greater Fredericksburg Region; parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties and significant pockets in the Richmond Metro Region.
Schools Update
Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford Schools are closed for Tuesday, Jan 4.
VDOT Update
As a quick-hitting winter storm leaves the region today, residents are reminded to give road crews room as they clear snow and downed trees in Northern Virginia this afternoon. Overnight tonight and tomorrow morning, limit nonessential trips if possible, and remain keenly alert to icy spots if traveling.
VDOT Northern Virginia crews will remain on duty this afternoon and overnight to push accumulation, as well as to treat roads overnight for the refreeze of any melted precipitation to the pavement.
Winds and the weight of heavy, wet snow are bringing down trees, branches, and power lines.
Reminders for Residents and Drivers:
In neighborhoods, crews will treat trouble spots with a salt/sand mix and where more than two inches of snow have accumulated, plows will make an 8' -to-10' path. Learn more.
If possible, avoid overnight and early morning travel until after sunrise and temperatures improve. Temperatures will remain below freezing, causing potential icy conditions and black ice.
If you drive, allow extra time. Clear vehicles completely of ice. Take the trip slowly, increase distance behind other vehicles, and brake gently. Use extra caution on elevated surfaces such as bridges, ramps and overpasses.
Check road conditions: Use www.511virginia.org, the free mobile app, or call 511 from any phone in Virginia.
Follow @vadotnova and @NWS_BaltWash for real-time updates!
UPDATED: 10 AM, 1/3/22
Metro Update
Metrobus is temporarily suspending service immediately due to rapidly deteriorating weather and hazardous road conditions throughout the region. All buses currently in operation with customers will operate to the end of the line to complete their routes if safe to do so. All other buses will hold at stops until roads are passable and safe to resume service.
Heavy snow continues to fall throughout the region and travel is strongly discouraged unless absolutely necessary. As crews work to clear roads, Metro will continue to monitor road conditions to determine when it is safe to resume service. As an alternative, customers who must travel should consider using Metrorail service which continues to operate on a normal schedule with trains every 12-24 minutes.
Customers are encouraged to sign up for MetroAlerts text and email messages for the latest service information. In addition, Metro will also provide updates when service is safe to resume and service information through the Status and Alerts page at wmata.com and on Twitter @MetrobusInfo and @MetrorailInfo.
Dominion Update
As today’s wintry weather progresses throughout Virginia, electrical outages have started in the Dominion Energy territory and we expect pocket outages will continue throughout the day.
Dominion Energy Virginia has mobilized its entire workforce of tree crews and bucket trucks, with additional contract crews supporting, to respond to outages. As is always the case in restoration, our initial priorities will be safety and restoration of critical services while we assess the overall damage to our system. We remind all our customers to stay away from downed power lines and to assume all such lines are energized.
It is essential to report down power lines or outages. To report outages, a customer may call us at 866-DOM-HELP (866-366-4357). Outages may also be tracked and reported online at Report Outage or Emergency | Virginia | Dominion Energy or through the Dominion Energy app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
UPDATED: 11 PM, 1/2/22
It’s that time of year again. Winter in Northern Virginia is often a surprising blend of chill winter weather and unseasonably warm temperatures. Occasionally, snow gets thrown into the mix. This week, we might be in for some potentially hazardous winter weather. The Washington Post expects 3-9 inches of snow could accumulate in parts of the district. In light of this week’s forecast, I want to share some resources that you can use to ensure that you stay safe and informed during inclement weather.
Weather Updates Like with most weather forecasts, there’s a decent amount of uncertainty surrounding the conditions we might see. Some parts of the district might only get rain or freezing rain, while others might experience more severe forms of wintery participation. The National Weather Service is a great resource for monitoring weather conditions.
Click Here For Weather Forecast
Winter Storm GuidanceWinter storms can range from freezing rain or ice, to a few hours of moderate snowfall, to a blizzard that lasts for several days. Many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures, power outages and unpredictable road conditions.Before, during and after a winter storm, roads and walkways may become extremely dangerous or impassable. Access to critical community services such as public transportation, child care, healthcare providers and schools may be limited. Preparing your home, car and family before cold weather and a winter storm arrives is critical.
During a winter storm, stay off the roads as much as possible and only drive when absolutely necessary. Always give snow plows the right of way.
Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal burning device inside your home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any other partially enclosed area.
Snow shoveling is a known trigger for heart attacks! Always avoid overexertion when shoveling.
When severe weather occurs, plan to check on elderly or disabled neighbors and relatives.
If you must travel, know road conditions before you leave home. Visit 511Virginia.org or call 511 for road condition updates.
Protect yourself from Frostbite! Hands, feet and face are the most commonly affected areas so wear a hat, mittens (which are warmer than gloves) and cover your mouth with a scarf to reduce heat loss.
Keep dry! Change out of wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat.
Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer or heavy clothing.
Snow Removal As always, residents are asked to track the latest forecasts, plan ahead to avoid nonessential travel during winter weather, and to be aware of the potential for black ice and nightly refreeze as temperatures remain low. To track when your neighborhood will be plowed, visit the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) plowing website, which activates after 2 inches of snow have accumulated in your county. If you live on a private street, it is the responsibility of the developers or the homeowner’s association to arrange for the street to be cleared. Call 800-FOR-Road (800-367-7623) for information on snow removal or to inform VDOT of any snow removal problems. TTY users can call 711.
While there’s no legal obligation to clear the sidewalk in front of your house, we rely on residents to help keep neighborhoods pedestrian-friendly during snowy winters. Now more than ever, we’re encouraging younger residents who are able to assist their elderly neighbors with clearing their residential sidewalks to do so in a safe and socially distanced manner. Preventing unnecessary hospitalizations due to icy conditions is especially important during the current COVID-19 pandemic.Remember to exercise caution when driving, stay home if you’re able to, and make sure you’re informed before leaving your home. The VDOT website provides guidelines for how to commute and travel safely during snowy and icy conditions. Again, if you’re able to shelter in place, that’s always the safest option.If you live in Fairfax County, the Fairfax County Emergency Information site provides up-to-date information on the forecast and how the weather could be affecting road conditions, traffic, and public transportation. If you live in Prince William County, you can access updates on weather and traffic conditions on their emergency event information site. If you live in Prince William County, more weather-related resources and updates can be found on the county website.
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Stay warm, stay safe, and look out for your neighbors.
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November 17, 2021
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of November 16, 2021.
Redistricting Process Should Involve the Public Last week, I reported on the status of the state legislative and congressional redistricting process which has now moved to the Supreme Court of Virginia because the Virginia Redistricting Commission failed to adopt maps. On Friday, the Supreme Court effectively disqualified all three Republican nominees to serve as special master over the redistricting process because of their conflicts of interest and partisan ties. Specifically, the Court noted that the Republican Caucuses had not advised the Court that one nominee had received a $20,000 payment from the Senate Republican Caucus two months ago and had an express conflict. The other two nominees were unsuitable as well. A second nominee received $5,000 per month from the Republican National Committee. The third Republican nominee has participated in putting together some of the most notorious, court-rejected and illegal racial gerrymanders in American history and lacked credibility according to a federal judge. The Court ordered the Republican Caucuses to submit three new nominees by November 17. One Democratic nominee indicated he did not want to serve in this process so the Court ordered the Democrats to submit an additional name.
Once the Supreme Court announces the two special masters for the process, the special masters are required to produce maps within 30 days for the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate and Virginia’s 11 congressional districts. At this point, it is not clear how much public comment will be allowed either before or after the maps are published. The Senate Democratic Caucus has proposed that the Court hold one public hearing before the maps are drawn to consider legal questions and four regional hearings after the maps are published so that the public can provide comments. There are several legal points in dispute which resulted in the stalemate at the Virginia Redistricting Commission. First, Virginia law requires districts to be drawn in a way that does not “unduly favor” any political party. Notwithstanding the fact that the last election was decided by 70,000 votes of 3.6 million cast, Virginia has been trending in the Democratic direction in recent years. The Republican caucuses insist that maps be drawn to give either party an equal chance of controlling a chamber. Democrats argue this would require a partisan gerrymander and by definition would “unduly benefit” the Republican party. Second, current law requires maps to be drawn giving consideration to “communities of interest.” There are questions about the exact legal standard to determine what a community of interest is for purposes of creating district boundaries. There are also questions regarding the relative weight masters should give to other variables such as compactness, continuity, jurisdiction splits and especially racial composition. Most districts in Northern Virginia are not majority white, including the 36th Senate District. Due to ambiguity in recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, there is a lack of clarity regarding the masters’ responsibility to maximize majority non-white districts. Redistricting is a fundamental process that will determine who represents you for the next 10 years in the state Senate, House of Delegates and the United States Congress. The new districts will have a significant impact on the policies adopted in this state and country for the next decade. It is critical that Virginia conduct this process in a fair and transparent fashion and I am confident, especially with the Virginia Supreme Court’s recent actions, that the special masters will try to be fair. However, the special masters will not know all of Virginia well or the nuances of our communities. I strongly believe that even though this process has moved to the courts, the public should have a clearly defined role and provide input. However, understandably, I have found most people who do not follow this every day need to see a map before they can comment. In the coming weeks, there are likely to be proposed maps and opportunities for comment. I encourage you to participate. The Supreme Court has ordered that anyone wishing to comment can send an email to Redistricting@vacourts.gov. If you have any feedback, please email me at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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November 3, 2021
Last night's election results were not what I hoped to see, but the voters have spoken and we now have a new political reality to navigate over the next four years. We saw the highest turnout for a Virginia Governor's election in a long time and that was a good thing. Many voters took advantage of the new laws we passed in the last two years making it easier to vote and I hope every agrees that democracy works better when more people participate.
Voters in the 36th District voted for the Democratic Ticket by over 20% margin - probably closer to 25% if early votes were counted by precinct. Only 4 of the 47 precincts I represent voted for the Republican gubernatorial nominee and if early votes were returned to their precincts, probably closers to two. The Republican message did not resonate with a majority of 36th District voters or for that matter Northern Virginia.
Fairfax County voted for Terry McAuliffe by 30%
Prince William County for Terry McAuliffe by 28%
Stafford County voted for Glenn Youngkin by 30%, but it's Board of Supervisors effectively flipped to Democratic control for the first time in over a decade.
Every legislator in Fairfax County and Prince William County was returned to office and none of the open seats changed control. I congratulate two new members in Northern Virginia:
Briana Sewell who will replace Hala Ayala in the Occoquan part of the 36th District; and
Michelle Maldonado who will join our Prince William County General Assembly Delegation.
I also congratulate my returning colleagues who won re-election yesterday who share constituents with me: Delegate Paul Krizek, Delegate Mark Sickles, Delegate Candi King, Delegate Kathy Tran, and Delegate Elizabeth Guzman.
Former-Governor Terry McAuliffe brought important issues to the table, was a consummate team player, and was a very accomplished Governor. I will miss his passion in Richmond. It has been an honor to serve and represent Occoquan residents with Delegate Hala Ayala for the last four years and I wish her well in her next endeavor. Attorney General Mark Herring brought Democratic values to the Attorney General's Office for the first time in twenty-eight years and had important accomplishments in civil rights and modernizing his office.
I am also sorry to lose Delegate Josh Cole in the Stafford County part of my district who was always a refreshing and passionate voice for Stafford County and Fredericksburg, but look forward to working with Supervisor-Elect R. Pamela Yeung who will be the new supervisor in the Garrisonville District of Stafford County.
The House of Delegates appears to have flipped in partisan control after it was forced to run in seats that were drawn as a partisan gerrymander which leaves Northern Virginia short two seats instead of new districts because U.S. Census data came in late. There are two seats where late received mail-in balance could alter the balance, but that chamber will at-best be evenly divided for the next year. I would not be surprised if a court orders new elections for next year once the Supreme Court of Virginia has redrawn the seats next month.
I congratulate Glen Youngkin, Winsome Sears and Jason Miyares for putting themselves out there and winning their races. I look forward to finding common ground and continuing to work on the progress we have made over the last two years making Virginia the best state for business and a leader on climate change, criminal justice reform, and civil rights. I while Mark Herring has done an incredible job as Attorney General for the last four years, I also look forward to seeing the first JMU-Duke (Jason Miyares) in statewide office.
Mr. Youngkin reached out to me today to emphasize that he looks forward to working together. I told him that I had a good relationship with Governor McDonnell in the four years I served with him and that I was confident that we could find a way to work together on some issues without compromising our core values. Do not forget that the process that led to the $1 Billion widening of U.S. 1 and construction of Bus Rapid Transit began with the Route 1 Multimodal Study that Former Governor Bob McDonnell (a former 36th District native) agreed to fund.
I also recognize that many of my constituents and supporters are disappointed by the election results. I have many thoughts about the outcome. First, I have always felt that elections should be about the future and what you intend to propose to accomplish. I did not feel like the last few weeks of the races met that standard and was disappointed by the overall tone of the race. The continued gridlock in Washington, D.C. continues to leave many frustrated and despondent about the ability of government to achieve real results for people. I hope Congress looks to how Democrats reached a consensus in Virginia over the last two years and delivered real results for people so that we do not continue to see the kind of collateral damage we saw yesterday.
It is also important to remember that parents do have a voice in their children's education - that's the entire point of Parent-Teacher Associations and Parent-Teacher conferences. Schools work better when parents are involved in their schools and there are many ways parents can be involved in schools without micromanaging the work of our professionally-licensed teachers. My parents, children and I are all the product of our public education system and Northern Virginia's public schools are some of the strongest in America. We can provide a high quality education to all of our students without bringing a political wrecking ball to our school board meetings.
Going forward, I hope to focus on continuing to make investments in transit, finding options for family sick and family leave, finalizing our marijuana legalization discussion, and making Virginia a more equitable and just place to live. We must continue to fight to make Virginia the best it can be.
Finally, I look forward to the Supreme Court of Virginia's proposed new maps for Senate, House and Congressional Districts that we should expect to see by the middle of December. There is more change coming to Virginia over the next twelve months and I hope I will continue to earn your trust representing you in Richmond.
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October 28, 2021
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) released a draft final report Executive Summary of its Springfield to Quantico Enhanced Public Transportation Feasibility Study.
DRPT is evaluating:
- Metro Expansion in Fairfax County and Prince William County
- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
- Express Buses
- Enhanced VRE
Please make your voice heard on what you want to see for the future of our community. You can find the proposed Executive Summary here:
http://www.drpt.virginia.gov/transit/springfield-to-quantico/
DRPT needs to hear that residents want enhanced public transportation options to prioritize funding.
Complete this brief 10-minute survey and have your voice heard about the potential future transit enhancements in Fairfax and Prince William counties.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE NEEDED. Please complete these comment forms, tell the DRPT how critical these projects are for our community and Northern Virginia.
As always, please reach out to my office at 571-249-4484 or district36@senate.virginia.gov if you have questions or ideas about things we can do to serve the community better.
It is an honor to serve you in Richmond.
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August 13, 2021
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of August 13, 2021.
State Legislature Decides on Funds, Addresses Needs
On August 10, the General Assembly completed work in a special session to appropriate federal pandemic funds and elect judges.
In March, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). ARPA brought $4.3 billion in unexpected funds to Virginia but required it to be invested in specific areas such as water, sewer and broadband infrastructure to respond to the COVID-19 emergency, address pandemic impacts and provide government services suffering from revenue reductions because of the pandemic. Unlike other counties, Fairfax County received $222 million in direct ARPA funding with similar requirements.
Here is how voted to invest most of these funds:
· $700 million to build “last-mile” broadband and close Virgina’s digital divide over the next three years;
· $862 million for Virginia’s Unemployment Trust Fund which was depleted. Without our action, it would have been forced to assess major unemployment insurance premium increases on small businesses’
· $73.6 million to upgrade the Virginia Employment Commission’s systems to improve responses to unemployment claims;
· $250 million for school heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades if localities match those funds, localities that are traditionally charged with funding 100% of school construction costs in Virginia.
· $411 million for wastewater treatment infrastructure, including $125 million for the Alexandria, Richmond and Lynchburg combined sewers which currently dump billions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac and James Rivers.
· $25 million for the Virginia state park maintenance backlog. I had hoped to address a statewide $275 million backlog so we can complete work at Stafford County’s Widewater State Park. I will continue to press for this in the Governor’s next budget.
· $111 million in financial aid for low-income Virginia college students;
· An historic $250 million investment in our stressed mental health system;
· $120 million for consumer utility assistance;
· New funds for supportive housing, substance abuse treatment and community crisis systems;
· $5,000 bonuses for all Virginia State Police (VSP) and state Capitol Police officers and $3,000 bonuses for deputy sheriffs and correctional officers around the state. We also funded bonuses to alleviate salary compression in the VSP and $5,000 recruitment bonuses with $2,000 recruitment relocation grants.
· $3 million to improve access to early voting;
· $4 million for gun violence prevention programs;
· We also retained $1.1 billion of ARPA funds to appropriate in 2022 contingent upon Delta variant progress.
We also passed an amendment requiring the Department of Motor Vehicles to open for in-person service within 30 days.
We also worked to reform Virginia’s judicial appellate system. Prior to our action, Virginia was the only state in America that did not provide a right of appeal to litigants in either criminal or civil cases. In 2020, I carried a resolution directing the Judicial Council of Virginia to study the issue and that group recommended a change. I worked with Senate Judiciary Chairman Senator John Edwards to draft the legislation which passed during the regular session.
The study recommended that the legislature elect six new judges to handle the case volume generated by creating a right of appeal. Because of two retirements among existing judges, we had to elect eight new members to the Court. After a six-month vetting process by nine bar associations that considered 82 applicants, our caucuses vetted candidates and elected eight new members to the Court of Appeals of Virginia.
Four new judges will come from Northern Virginia. This is a welcome development because previously our region had only one member, but we have over 32% of Virginia’s population. The Court of Appeals has never had a judge from Arlington or Alexandria. There were no judges on the existing court who lived west of Richmond. We elected one judge from Charlottesville and one from Roanoke. Four new judges are African-Americans and four are women. The existing court had only one minority member and three women.
The new judges represent a diversity of legal expertise, practice areas, life experiences and perspectives and eight judges have not been elected since the Court was created in 1985. Our action was truly historic and will greatly bolster our judicial system and how it operates.
It is an honor to serve you. Please share your views with me at scott@scottsurovell.org.
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June 2, 2021
We had a very successful 2021 General Assembly session and we passed many new laws that will be implemented in the coming months and affect those living in the 36th Senate District for decades.
I sent a newsletter that went to many constituents and supporters. I could not send it every household because of the cost. If you would like to read the newsletter, I have included it here:
As I stated in the letter, it is an honor to serve the people of the 36th District and I am always open to suggestions about what I could be doing better. Please reach out to my office at 571-249-4484 or reply to this email if you have an issue or a policy that I may be able to help improve.
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May 28, 2021
Today, Delegates Kathy Tran and Paul Krizek joined me to submit a request to our federal representatives for infrastructure investments in the U.S. 1 corridor. Please read our letter below.
We requested funding for undergrounding utilities on U.S. 1 and replacing the obsolete bridge on Old Colchester Road over Giles Run.
Our region has long suffered from underinvestment in crucial infrastructure that would spur private sector development and provide necessary access to services for our community. In the coming years, over $1 billion will be invested in the 36th District. The tide is beginning to turn but we have a long way to go.
I am hopeful that the federal government will play a role by investing in these requests. Investments made today will pay dividends for the next generation of U.S. 1 residents and small business owners.
Earmark Request for U.S. 1 ... by Scott A. Surovell
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May 16, 2021
The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of May 17, 2021.
Nominate Mark Herring for Re-Election on June 8 The June 8 Democratic primary is an opportunity to vote for fairness and justice for everyone by supporting Attorney General Mark Herring. On that day, Virginians will select the Democratic Party’s nominees for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and several Delegates. Republicans controlled the Attorney General’s Office for 28 years until Mark won in 2013. While many conservatives promote the Attorney General position as Virginia’s “chief prosecutor” and prioritize prosecuting cases, most criminal justice work is done by local Commonwealth’s Attorneys. Criminal justice work is a small fraction of the Attorney General office’s 400 attorneys and other staff’s work. Since taking office, Mark has grown the office and refocused it to help all Virginians instead of targeting the poor. Mark has defended legal challenges against our firearm violence prevention laws like our one-gun-a-month law, “red flag” law and universal background checks. He issued an Attorney General’s opinion to block recognizing weak out-of-state concealed weapon permits. He also sued to block 3D printed “ghost guns” from hitting the streets.
Attorney General Mark Herring
He has defended attacks on the Affordable Care Act’s pre-existing conditions rules after the Trump Administration refused to defend the law. Mark refused to defend Virginia’s constitutional prohibition on gay marriage. He sued to protect Planned Parenthood funding and has consistently defended a woman’s right to choose. Just this past week, Mark came to Northern Virginia to discuss the status of his investigation of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) attempts to sell River Farm to a private owner. He stressed that he is prepared the use all options to enforce Virginia’s laws prohibiting improper use of restricted donations if AHS does the wrong thing. He has won victories in court for DREAMers. He negotiated the largest environmental settlement in state history, secured $1.4 million in fines from Dominion for coal ash water dumping, and prioritized protecting the Bay. His Medicaid Fraud Unit has recovered over $1 billion for Virginia taxpayers. Mark has been a leader on consumer protection. He created a Predatory Lending Unit to attack the loan sharks who set up shop up and down U.S. 1 until we passed legislation banning them in 2020. The unit also went after internet lenders like Allied Title Lending, Advance Financial, Opportunity Financial, Net Credit, Money Lion and Mr. Amazing who were charging their “customers” between 273% and 359% interest rates. He won settlements with Future Income Payments, a lender that targeted elderly and federal pensioners by structuring their loans as “pension sales” that charged up to 183% interest rates. Mark has also negotiated settlements against pawnbrokers, pharmaceutical companies, unlicensed contractors, charity scams and robo-dial companies. Last year, he filed suit against predatory towing companies in Arlington. Last month, he secured $183 million in refunds for an online ticket seller that refused to refund consumers fees paid for events cancelled due to COVID-19. Recently, Mark filed a groundbreaking suit against an immigrant bond intermediary that mispresents its connection to the federal government and preys on desperate poor immigrants who cannot afford immigration bonds but who instead pay exorbitant fees for GPS ankle monitors that cost thousands of dollars. Mark partnered with me and other legislators on criminal justice reform. He proactively established a Civil Rights Unit once the General Assembly gave him the authority that he requested in 2020 to authorize civil rights investigations after the Trump Department of Justice abandoned its responsibilities. I know Mark’s opponent and have collaborated with him on legislation. He is a rising star in the House of Delegates. But when I partnered with the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus to pass legislation to end predatory lending in 2020, he carried a troubling bill for the Online Lenders Alliance that would have green-lighted an 0.88% daily interest rate resulting in an APR of over 350%. I dedicated ten years of my legislative service towards ending that practice. We need Mark Herring to continue the reforms and good work he has done to expand the focus of the Attorney General’s Office on more than criminal justice to many problems Virginians face. I hope that all Virginians will join me in re-electing him to a third term on June 8 or by voting early. Please email me at scott@scottsurovell.org if you have any feedback.
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May 14, 2021
We continue meeting among our stakeholder group working out a strategy to maximize the potential that River Farm will remain in public ownership. Here is what is going on.
You can watch the press conference with Attorney General Mark Herring, Supervisor Dan Storck and Delegate Paul Krizek here:
River Farm Press Conference With Attorney General Mark Herring
News Coverage About River FarmSeveral media outlets covered Attorney General Herring's investigation of River Farm. Some of the top stories are highlighted below:
Washington Post: Virginia attorney general says state aims to protect historic River Farm as donor wished
Alexandria Living: Officials Investigating River Farm Sale by AHS
Washington Business Journal: Virginia could block controversial sale of historic River Farm, attorney general warns
WAMU/DCist - VA & DC Investigate The Sale of River Farm for Potentially Breaking State Law
American Horticultural Society Board Of Trustees MeetingThe Board of Trustees of the American Horticultural Society is meeting today. Five of 10 members have indicated that they oppose the sale of River Farm.
Letter from AHS Trustees About River Farm
Grassroots GroupThe Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) organized a grassroots effort called Save River Farm to build support and raise private funds to support the purchase of River Farm by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA). The website is here - Save River Farm Website
If you care about saving River Farm, it is important that you do two things right now:
#1 - Sign up for email updates from the group:
EMAIL SIGN UP HERE
#2 - Donate funds to help build private support. 80% of funds will be used for land acquisition, 10% for public advocacy, and 10% for administration. Donations are 100% tax deductible.
DONATE HERE
The NVRPA has also begun the process of seeking up to $2 million in grants from various public sources such as Virginia's Land Conservation Fund, but private support will also be helpful and support from other land trusts will be necessary to complete the transaction.
Governor Northam has also written to AHS to work with our group to place River Farm into public ownership.
Letter from Governor Ralph Northam
Fairfax County to Restrict Development OptionsThe Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has already placed an historic zoning overlay district on the property and is set to further enhance that district using authority in legislation I passed in the 2021 General Assembly Session. Supervisor Dan Storck and Chairman Jeff McKay have scheduled the final vote before the Board of Supervisors on June 8.
Fairfax County BOS Historic Zoning Overlay Board Matter
At this point, over 3,000 people have signed our petition. Please continue ask friends and neighbors to sign as a show of grassroots power!
Thank you for your interest and all of your support.
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