Nearly 30 people turned out for a neighborhood meeting with our local state legislators Monday night.
State Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg (D) and Delegate-elect May Nivar (D) fielded questions at the meeting hosted by Neighbors for Change.
Schuyler VanValkenburg says he is feeling energized about the General Assembly session that starts next month, now that Democrats have taken over the Governor, Lt, Governor, and Attorney General seats. “I’m really excited about (Governor-elect) Abigail Spanberger. She’s going to be great – a breath of fresh air about getting the job done, being focused on the issues in Virginia.”
The two legislators fielded questions about affordability, data centers, clean energy, protecting the migrant population, voting reform, and safeguarding our data, among others during the hour-long session.
VanValkenburg lists affordability for Virginians as his top priority this session. “Affordability with housing and energy. Trying to lower the cost by increasing the supply, so I’ll have a bunch of housing and energy supply bills this year”.
Nivar says she is looking forward to driving positive change after her swearing in next month. One of her top priorities is education, “I’m very passionate about career technical education. We need to really bring back trades. Blue collar jobs are very stable and secure and make good money”. She also lists women’s reproductive freedom, affordability and public safety among her top priorities. “I’ll be honest, it’s going to be a tough year budget wise because we’re going to have to fill the holes that the federal government has caused. We want to make sure that Virginians have healthcare and food on the table”, says Nivar.
VanValkenburg says he will also focus on education and election law, “over the last four years we’ve had a lot of legislation vetoed by (Republican Governor) Glenn Youngkin on election law, so we’ll be bringing those back”.
Both VanValkenburg and Nivar said they are excited to start with the three constitutional amendments on the table: the reproductive freedom amendment, the voting rights amendment, and the marriage equality amendment.
The General Assembly convenes January 14, 2026.
Take Action
- This is the time to let your legislators know what’s important to you. For example, if you care about incentives to attract and keep great teachers, let them know. If you value affordable housing or If you care about transparency in local government decision making, let them know. If you want protection from data center over-development, let them know. If they don’t hear from you, they don’t know what’s important to their constituents.
Learn More
- Delegate Elect Nivar mentioned committee positions – For those interested in a position on Virginia’s State Boards and Commissions, Click Here for details for all current boards and seats available:
https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/va-government/boards-and-commissions/comprehensive-board-listing/
