General Assembly update: Sales tax bill still alive; Legislation to expand photo-speed cameras continued until 2025

We’re now past the halfway mark for the 2024 General Assembly, an annual frenzy where hundreds of bills are processed within a brief period of time. What started four weeks ago today will be complete on March 9 when both Houses adjourn for six weeks while Governor Youngkin decides what he’ll sign and what he will veto.

Perhaps one of the most important bills for localities across Virginia is one that would allow any locality across Virginia to hold a referendum to ask voters if they would consent to a sales tax increase to fund schools. Several jurisdictions across Virginia have this authority due to specific requests that were approved when Democrats held both chambers , such as Danville. 

After the Republicans regained the House of Delegates in time for the 2022 session, a bill to allow Charlottesville the ability to hold a referendum died in a subcommittee. Go back and read the story.

A bill from Senator Jeremy McPike (D-29) would give blanket permission to all localities to put the question to the public. SB14 reported out of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on a 10 to 4 vote and passed the Senate on a 27 to 13 vote. 

Now on to legislation that has been continued on to the next session. 

• HB20 would have allowed localities to place photo-speed cameras in any location rather than just in school zones and highway work zones. A House of Delegates transportation subcommittee has continued this legislation until the 2025 session. 
• A similar bill, HB521, was incorporated into HB20 and is also thus continued until 2025. 
• HB33 would have directed the Commissioner of Health to convene a work group to study microplastics in drinking water and made recommendations. A panel of the Rules Committee continued the bill to 2025 on a voice vote. 
• HB41 would have required the Board of Education to create a Standard of Learning for civics and local government. The K-12 subcommittee held a voice vote. 
• HB228 would have amended the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to prevent the sale of sale of containers or packaging that is labeled as recycling unless the material is officially recognized by the Virginia Waste Management Board. 
• HB524 would have required applicants for federal permits for natural gas lines with a diameter of 24 inches to also file with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Currently the DEQ does review permits greater than 36 inches in diameter. 
• HB658 would expand ranked choice voting to any elected office in a locality, not just a City Council or a Board of Supervisors. Also continued to 2025. 
• HB747 would have created standards for developers of “artificial intelligence.” A substitute was developed, but that’s been continued to 2025. 
• HB900 would have required a locality to include in its zoning ordinance a provision for allowing accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones. This was continued through action in the Counties, Cities, and Towns Committee.
• HB922 would have allowed “common interest communities” such as homeowners’ associations to ban the use of pesticides. 
• HB961 would have established a tax credit program for the sustainability of local newspapers. Fun fact: I looked this up on news.google.com and there were no hits. Maybe in 2025? 
• HB1091 would have required the Virginia Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education to recommend best practices for introducing career and technical education into elementary school. 
• HJ24 would have created a 13-member joint subcommittee to study the Dillon Rule and its impact on Virginia localities. Maybe again in 2025. 
• SB124 would have allowed betting on sports played by Virginia college and university teams. This reported out of the General Laws and Technology on a 12 to 2 vote but the Finance and Appropriations Committee continued the bill to 2025. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the February 8, 2024 edition of the newsletter and podcast. This post is backdated to February 8 but was posted on February 11. Why? Oh gosh, I don’t know. This is all an experiment!

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