Local legislators file first bills for 2024 General Assembly

The General Assembly begins in eight days and Albemarle and Charlottesville both have new legislators starting at the same time. Delegate Katrina Callsen (D-54) will represent all of Charlottesville and a portion of Albemarle, and Delegate Amy Laufer (D-55) will represent the rest of Albemarle. 

Creigh Deeds will represent the new 11th Senate District, which covers all of Charlottesville and Albemarle, as well as all of Amherst and Nelson County. Deeds also represents the western portion of Louisa County. 

Both of the new Delegates have filed their first bills. 

• Delegate Laufer has filed a bill that would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to possess a weapon into a mental health services facility, or to transfer a weapon into such a place. (HB23)
• Delegate Callsen has filed a bill that would establish the Kinship as Foster Care Prevention Program allowing an alternate pathway for some children who need homes. (HB27)
• Laufer and Callsen are both co-patrons of a Constitutional Amendment to restore voting rights to those convicted of felons upon their release. Deeds is a co-patron of a similar amendment in the Senate. (HJ2) (SJ2)
• Callsen is also a co-patron of legislation filed by Senator Jeremy McPike (D-29) that would allow all localities to hold a sales tax referendum to provide revenue for school construction. Senator Deeds is also a co-patron. (SB14)
• Senator Deeds is the chief patron of a bill that would make it a class 1 misdemeanor to  buy, possess, sell, or otherwise transfer an assault firearm. (SB2)
• Deeds is also a co-patron of legislation to increase Virginia’s minimum wage (SB1), a bill to prohibit extradition to other states for crimes related to reproductive health (SB15), and a prohibition on search warrants to find a person’s menstrual health (SB16). He’s also a co-patron of a constitutional amendment to guarantee an individual’s right to making their own choices on reproductive health. (SJ1)

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