Successes
Since I was elected in November of 2023, I have been working hard on your behalf—representing your interests to the state legislature in Richmond. It has been an eventful two sessions! Together, we have had great successes through my first two sessions, and it has truly been an honor to be your Delegate—but the work is not finished!
Working for You – First Term Successes
Passed Legislation Requiring Schools to Notify Parents of Opioid Overdoses within 24 Hours
We passed a bill that I introduced to require public and private schools to notify parents of suspected school-connected opioid overdoses within 24 hours. This critical piece of legislation codifies our Governor’s executive order, ensuring that parents are notified and informed of dangers facing their children at school, and allows them to have the tough conversations to keep their children safe from dangerous drugs.
Successfully Prevented a New Transmission Line Right of Way Through the District
A few days after my election, Tom Donahue knocked on my door to let me know about NextEra’s proposal to the PJM to put a new transmission line right-of-way directly across Western Loudoun. From that day forward, I set out to ensure that did not happen. This line would have destroyed dozens of historic sites and cut across countless acres of conservation easements. After at least six meetings with NextEra, numerous meetings with hundreds of constituents, and your help, we were successful in ensuring that this line would create no new right-of-way in our district! Now, we are continuing to work with Dominion and First Energy to do everything in our power to keep these new lines within the existing easements and minimize impact in the district and on your properties.
Passed Legislation Banning Seven Certain Dangerous Food Dyes from School Meals
I teamed up with a large group of legislators to ban seven harmful food dyes with no nutritional value from school meals, taking a tremendous step to protect the health of our children and standing up for parents. This is just a step, and I will be back next year to build on this legislation and continue my work to make Virginia healthier!
Passed Legislation Improving Worker Safety Surrounding Asbestos
I worked with the Department of Labor on HB 1215 to fix the code to ensure that asbestos remediation permit funds could be used to ensure that remediation is actually successful and that the air is safe afterward. Before, these funds were just sitting unused, and too often, folks were just left to guess if their air was safe to breathe, but now the red tape is lifted, and these funds can be used for testing.
Passed Important Public Safety Legislation to Increase Penalties for Firearm Threats
I worked with my colleagues to pass key public safety legislation to make it a felony to threaten to discharge a firearm at a building or vehicle. Threats of violence have no place in our society, and responsible gun ownership is a key tenet of the Second Amendment. I hope this legislation will deter violence and give our legal system a greater ability to bring justice to folks engaging in domestic terrorism.
Passed Legislation Allowing Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities to Curbside Vote
We were also able to pass a bill I introduced in partnership with The ARC of Virginia and Conner Cummings that allows individuals with developmental disabilities to curbside vote. Curbside voting is safe and secure, and now individuals with developmental disabilities are able to vote in a way that is comfortable for them. I will always advocate for our disability community.
Stood Up for Homeschoolers, Ensuring They Can Participate in JROTC
I carried and passed a bill (HB 1231) to ensure homeschool students can participate in JROTC. Federal law had required public schools to allow homeschool participation, but many school districts were not complying, forcing homeschool parents to challenge decisions and even hire legal representation. Now, thanks to my bill, there is no more confusion, and each school board has been told to allow homeschool students into JROTC.
Freed Up Previously Restricted VDOT Funding to Improve our Gravel Roads
Many gravel roads in our district have been neglected thanks to an arguably incorrect interpretation of the law by VDOT that has led them to either pave or not pave, instead of using the rural and rustic road money for gravel road improvements. I introduced a bill and worked with other delegates to ensure that this money could be used for safety, drainage and improvements to our gravel roads. I will continue working on the implementation of this to ensure these improvements happen as quickly as possible.
Allowed State Parks to be More Self-Sufficient and Profitable
In 2024, I carried a bill to allow our State Parks to generate more funds by exempting their retail sales from the procurement act so that they could sell their own merchandise for higher profits, like our National Parks do. After passing the General Laws committee unanimously, it was killed on a partisan vote in Appropriations, despite having no fiscal impact. Fortunately, we were able to help get this enacted administratively. While Democrats in Richmond will play partisan games with our parks, I will always roll up my sleeves and work with anyone to get the job done.
Helped Countless Constituents Navigate State Agencies
Our office has helped many constituents navigate problems they have had with state agencies, and we are constantly working on casework to ensure our constituents are properly served by the State government. If we can be of service to you, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Key Bipartisan Initiatives Killed Despite Broad Support
Unfortunately, these last two sessions by all accounts saw the most partisanship to date, and as a result, many great bills that I and others introduced met their demise on party-line votes or did not even receive hearings thanks to ugly partisan political games. In fact, almost 150 Republican bills were not even given a hearing, including 5 bills of mine.
School Safety Legislation To Prevent Violence in Schools
I carried three very important pieces of school safety legislation aimed at preventing school violence or saving lives in the case of violence. I worked with Max Schachter, father of Alex Schachter, whom we lost in the Parkland Shooting, on these vital bills. Unfortunately, neither my bill to improve active shooter response training for armed school safety officers nor my bill to place panic buttons in every classroom received hearings. (As an aside, we do have panic buttons in every legislator’s office, but we won’t put them in our classrooms…) Shockingly, my bill to implement a see something, say something app was killed on a party-line vote after limiting testimony.
Establishment of a Parental Bill of Rights
For two years in a row, I have carried the bill to establish a formal Parents’ Bill of Rights to enumerate a parent’s rights to make decisions involving their child and play a role in their child’s education. Unfortunately, two years in a row, the majority party has killed this bill, displaying that they do not believe in the rights of parents to freely raise and educate their own children.
Expanding Access to Online Learning Materials for Students
This one is especially confusing, but I carried a bill to expand Virtual Virginia online learning materials to all public school students. Currently, it is already developed and available, but restricted to high school students. This initiative was brought to me by a Loudoun father whose middle school son wanted to learn additional material on his own time in order to get ahead, but was prohibited. Somehow, this bill was killed on a party-line vote because some Delegates were afraid that kids might learn math that was “inappropriate” or too advanced! Ironically, the next bill heard in the committee was intended to restrict access to inappropriate pornographic materials by underage children, and it was voted down on party-lines as well. So, pornography is “appropriate” for our children, but advanced math is not
Keeping New Transmission Lines Within Existing Right-of-Way Easements
I carried two bills aimed at keeping new transmission lines within the existing easements along the current rights of way – one that made this a formal consideration of the SCC and added advanced conductors to the equation, and another that improved notice in order to give localities more time to work on routing alternatives. Despite this being a critical issue for not only our District, but districts around the Commonwealth, the majority party killed these two bills without one word of opposition. These bills were ardently supported by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, the Piedmont Environmental Council, dedicated constituents like Tom Donahue, and even the utility companies! These bills were killed not on their merits, but thanks to vindictive partisan games.
Protecting Our Vineyards and Farms From Invasive Species & the Spotted Lanternfly
After working with constituents, I brought forth legislation aimed at curbing the spread of the invasive Tree of Heaven, which is the reason we have issues with the Spotted Lanternfly (another invasive species) throughout our district. The Spotted Lanternfly is a serious issue for our wineries, especially as it destroys the grapes. My bill would have made sure that VDOT knew how to properly remove the Tree of Heaven so that it gets rid of it within their right of way rather than further spreading it. Somehow, the majority party decided that protecting our wineries and agritourism was not important. We will be back with this one and all of these bills.
Banning Sanctuary Cities and Prohibiting the Obstruction of Federal Immigration Enforcement
I introduced a bill to ban sanctuary policies and prohibit any locality from restricting the enforcement of federal immigration law. Despite our area being shaken by multiple homicides and a rape perpetrated by criminal illegal immigrants who should have been deported, this bill never got a hearing. We are lucky in Loudoun and Fauquier to have great Sheriffs who work closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but unfortunately, they cannot stop radicals in Fairfax from continuing to release criminal illegal immigrants into our communities.
Banning Men in Women’s Sports and Locker Rooms
I brought forth a bill in both sessions to protect the integrity of women’s sports and the safety of women’s spaces by banning biological men from unfairly competing in women’s sports or entering women’s locker rooms. The first time, the bill was not given a fair hearing as it was lumped with a completely unrelated bill and summarily killed after limited testimony. The second time, it was never given a hearing at all. While this issue is receiving attention at the federal level, it is still a huge issue in Loudoun, as Policy 8040 welcomes students to use opposite locker rooms with zero concern for student safety or privacy
I will continue to be your strongest advocate for commonsense policies that improve education, foster a stronger business environment, lower taxes, and make our Commonwealth safer.
Resolutions Passed
Memorializing Firefighter Trevor Brown
I was honored to join the Loudoun Delegation in passing a Memorial Resolution for Firefighter Trevor Brown, who courageously gave his life in service to our County last month. I also had the privilege of attending his incredibly moving Celebration of Life at Cornerstone Chapel alongside Governor Youngkin, Senator Perry, and our Countywide Electeds. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Firefighter Brown for his ultimate sacrifice, and I ask you to join me in continuing to pray for his beautiful family. Read the Resolution here. If you’d like to contribute, do so here.
Commending Woodgrove High School Wrestling Team
As a former wrestler, I was very excited to pass a Resolution with the support of the entire delegation to commend the Woodgrove High School Wrestling Team, who won the State Championship a few weeks ago and became the first-ever Loudoun team to win States for wrestling. The Woodgrove Wolverines won in a dominating fashion, receiving an impressive 177 points and finishing an astounding 44 points in front of the runner-up. Read the Resolution here.
Commending Eugene M. Scheel
I was proud to pass a Commending Resolution to honor my good friend Eugene M. Scheel, a pillar of our District who has dedicated much of his life to preserving, protecting, and chronicling the history of greater Loudoun and Fauquier Counties through his books and hand-drawn cartography. Eugene has written nine books on Virginia History as well as drawn more than 50 detailed historical maps of Virginia as well as other states and countries. Read the resolution here.
Commending Loudoun Therapeutic Riding
I was excited to pass a Commending Resolution to recognize Loudoun Therapeutic Riding’s 50 years of service to Loudoun County and all of Northern Virginia. For half a century, the Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Center has been a fixture of our community, focused mainly on helping children with disabilities and more recently veterans, but truly helping anyone who could benefit from the holistic healing that horses can provide. You can read the resolution here.
Commending Lew Parker
I was honored to pass a resolution to commend Lew Parker on his 40-year anniversary of bringing wine to Loudoun County as well as his years of economic development and philanthropy, you can read the resolution here. As a result of Lew Parker’s vision, Loudoun boasts the number one county for the agritourism industry in the Commonwealth, and our district would look significantly different without his contributions.
Commending the Middleburg Orange County Beagles
I was proud to pass a resolution commending the Middleburg Orange County Beagles on their great history, preservation of field sports and lands, and active service to young people, their families, and our community. Founded in 1961 by famed horsewoman and conservationist Eve Fout, the MOC Beagles are led today by her daughter and Olympic gold medalist, Nina Fout.
Commending Donna T. Rogers
I was honored to pass a resolution commending the legendary Donna T. Rogers on a lifetime of service and accomplishments. Donna is a tremendously respected Loudoun County farmer, equestrian, conservationist, and Master of the Hunt. Donna and her husband are responsible for conserving thousands of acres of Western Loudoun, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for helping to preserve our beautiful District!
Celebrating the Life of Lewis S. Wiley
I was honored to be able to pass a resolution to celebrate the life of Lewis S. Wiley, a widely respected horseman and cattle farmer and longtime Fauquier County resident, who passed away peacefully at his family’s home, Gordonsdale Farm, in The Plains on August 11, 2024, at the age of 86. Lewis was a revered member of The Plains community, whose kindness, compassion, and generosity touched countless lives.
Commending Kayla Nguyen
I was excited to pass a resolution commending now ninth-grader Kayla Nguyen, a distinguished student leader from Aldie who was awarded the Sgt. Moses Adams Memorial Middle School Brochure Contest Award for the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2024. Kayla Nguyen’s award-winning brochure thoughtfully explored the profound effects of the Declaration of Independence on American history, and her entry finished 5th in the Nation!
