While the General Assembly Building was generally quiet last Monday due to the winter storm that left Richmond covered in ice, House Democrats wasted no time pressing forward with their attempt to bypass Virginia’s non-partisan redistricting process. Their bill to authorize an April vote to gerrymander Virginian’s congressional districts passed the House floor on Monday. As you may recall, Democrats wish to ignore and undo Virginia’s non-partisan redistricting reform that voters passed in 2020 and instead install a 10-1 Democratic congressional delegation. This action would come with a $5 million, taxpayer-funded price tag for the gerrymandered election.
The bill is remarkable for how brazen it is – not only does it set a time for the vote, but it also sets the ballot question for the referendum in the most biased way possible. Worse yet, it takes concrete steps to derail a lawsuit against this action that was already decided in Tazewell County, which ruled against their gerrymandering efforts. The attempt went poorly for House Democrats, with a judge deriding the Democratic case. So, they are now attempting to change that law and court decision, in addition to forcing a venue change from Tazewell to the City of Richmond. While we do not know how an appeals court would react to this, we do know that courts tend to look poorly on forum shopping. At the end of the day, Democrats started their gerrymander scheme too late, and they are now desperate to change the rules to let their poor planning become policy.
I mentioned last week the legislation filed by House Democrats that would raise sales taxes on services and admissions to certain businesses, and troubling legislation continues to be sponsored by the majority party. For example, HB 1369 would prohibit a state agency responsible for the administration of federal funds from imposing any requirement on a nonprofit charitable organization providing a federal public benefit to determine, verify, or otherwise require proof of eligibility of any applicant for such benefits. I cannot understand how this legislation would not cause a rife situation for waste, fraud, and abuse in administration of public benefit funds – it is truly astounding.
I’m pleased to announce that some of my legislation passed through the House of Delegates last week, and in particular, House Bill 101 and House Bill 107. HB 101 updates Virginia Code to make clear that applicants for Concealed Handgun Permits (CHPs) may apply for them electronically, and it passed the House of Delegates on a 98-1 vote. HB 107 seeks to streamline the process in which you may receive payment if involved in a catastrophic auto accident with an underinsured motorist, and it passed the House of Delegates on a unanimous vote. I also presented my 2026 budget priorities to the House Appropriations Committee, to include funding for the Andrew Johnston House in Giles County, and funding for a Veterans Honor Guard fund to ensure our Honor Guards have the financial support they need to continue serving our Veterans and their families at military funerals. While legislators were not given enough time to speak to all our priorities, I would also like to mention that I requested state funding to assist Pulaski County recoup funds related to the cost of responding to emergency calls on the I-81 corridor, among other items. Stay tuned for more information on what is happening in the House of Delegates in next week’s update!
As the Delegate representing the 42nd House District in the Virginia General Assembly, your concerns are my greatest priority. If ever I may be of assistance to you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at DelJBallard@House.Virginia.Gov. You can also follow me on Twitter @JasonBallardVA or like my Facebook page, Jason Ballard for Delegate, to keep up to date with what I am doing in Richmond and in our community on your behalf.
