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VAPLAN

@vaplan.bsky.social

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Virginia Progressive Legislative Alert Network: tracking and reporting on the Virginia General Assembly sessions

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VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · Mar 12

🥁🥁2025 scorecard is out! Most progressive:
H: @ebpforva.bsky.social, @henson4virginia.bsky.social, @delegatecallsen.bsky.social, @adelemcclure.bsky.social & @ireneforva.bsky.social
S: Sen Bagby, @adamebbin.bsky.social, @pwcdanica.bsky.social, @creighdeeds.bsky.social & @scvanvalkenburg.bsky.social

It's here: the 2025 VAPLAN scorecard! - VAPLAN

Every year VAPLAN’s legislative tracking culminates in a scorecard, ranking legislators from most “progressive” to least, across policy areas. We score votes on dozens of ....

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 1h

Okay, fam, what substantive policy questions are you hoping will be asked tomorrow during the gubernatorial debate between Sears and Spanberger?

a cartoon drawing of a tv screen with the words debate watch party on it

ALT: a cartoon drawing of a tv screen with the words debate watch party on it

media.tenor.com

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 1h

Awww, thanks! I'm here, just trying to mostly stay in my lane (policy) and not veer too much into the election-side. But dang they make it hard sometimes!

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 1h

How, exactly, is Mamdani--someone born in 1991 in Uganda the "twin" of Sen Hashmi, who was born in 1964 in India? Or is this just some bigoted nonsense from the N@zi-porn-loving guy whose own party leaders avoid being seen with him and who's trying to pretend he's some moderate?

Screen cap of tweet from John Reid, reading "Just wondering has anyone bothered to ask Ghazala anything about her NYC twin’s socialist agenda and which parts she embraces and which parts she doesn’t?

Is that not a fair question given their party affiliation, their radical “progressive” alignment, and their religious connection? "

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 2d

I've heard some things for sure...

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 2d

💔 Our hearts grieve with @candimundonking.bsky.social; losing a child like this is horrific, we are holding your whole family in our thoughts. Candi has worked for years to improve awareness, tracking, and treatment of sickle cell disease, passing 4 bills this year: www.wtvr.com/news/local-n...

How four new Virginia laws impact those living with sickle cell disease: 'This will raise awareness'

On July 1, four new laws go into effect that directly impact those living with sickle cell disease and those who are unaware that they may have the disease and/or be a carrier of the trait.

Reposted by VAPLAN

Blue Virginia @bluevirginia.bsky.social · 27d

Video, Highlights: “TL:DR of House Emergency Committee on Federal Cuts: Virginia’s economy is screwed” – Federal job cuts, SNAP & Medicaid cuts, etc. (For his part, Youngkin seems to think this is all a "positive externality," "good news") bluevirginia.us/2025/09/vide... h/t @vaplan.bsky.social

Video, Highlights: “TL:DR of House Emergency Committee on Federal Cuts: Virginia’s economy is screwed” – Federal job cuts, SNAP cuts, Medicaid cuts, etc.

See below for video and a few highlights from this morning's Joint Meeting of the Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions and the Appropriations Committee. Also,...

bluevirginia.us

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

@lopez4va.bsky.social asks at House Emergency Committee mtg (joint w Approps): What does expiring farm bill & programs plus tariffs do for agricultural jobs, businesses, and prices etc. in Virginia? Agriculture is single largest sector, billions of dollars of economic activity in Virginia.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

A fiery Delegate Torian (Approps Chair) says in Joint House Emergency Committee mtg: We will NOT run to our reserve funds. We will work hard to appropriate the resources where they are needed: healthcare, education, increasing our workforce, protecting vital interests.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

.@Lopez4VA asks at House Emergency Committee mtg (joint w Approps): What does expiring farm bill & programs plus tariffs do for agricultural jobs, businesses, and prices etc. in Virginia? Agriculture is single largest sector, billions of dollars of economic activity in Virginia.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

@candimundonking.bsky.social
cites the number of people just in her district losing SNAP funding and replies "For the families facing these cuts, the sky IS falling."

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

"How much is the sky actually falling," Del Hodges asks at House Emergency Committee mtg. Spouts Youngkin talking points re: surplus (which ofc wouldn't even BEGIN to cover VA's losses).

(Response: revenue ok for now but job losses are in VA's highly productive core industries.)

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

@marcussimon.com in House Emergency Comm mtg: If you know there's an accident up ahead, you don't barrel ahead at 80mph hoping it clears before you get to it, you plan ahead, slow down. That's what we need to do here, prepare for impact. And rainy day funds aren't for a crash you KNOW is up ahead.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

Important policy suggestions coming from House Emergency Committee on Federal Cuts:
✅ Allow fired workers to end leases early
✅ Eviction reduction program
✅ Temporarily extend & increase unemployment benefits
✅ VA re-employment bonus
✅ Workforce training
✅ Hiring tax credit

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

TL:DR of House Emergency Committee on Federal Cuts: Virginia's economy is screwed. Unemployment rising, job growth slowed, falling labor force participation rate (discouraged workers), and we are just beginning to feel the impacts of tariffs, on prices & small business closures.

Slide titled Key State Economic Metrics Are Concerning; Overall Impact Unclear, cites unemployment rate rising, employment growth slowing, labor force participation rate decreasing and unclear what impact tariff policy changes will have.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

9,500 Virginians who lost their federal jobs between January and July. A "positive externality" and "good news" according to Youngkin.

Graph shows federal government and state government jobs in Virginia between 2023 and present, with a steep drop in federal jobs between January and July of this year.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

The 5 main areas where federal budget bill HR1 will affect Virginia's costs:
🟥 SNAP cuts
🟥 Medicaid cuts
🟥 premium tax credit
🟥 higher education access and affordability
🟥 federal tax policy changes

Many are not one-time but ongoing costs--so cannot replace using rainy day funds.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

Stat from today's presentation at House Emergency Committee on Federal Cuts (Joint today w House Approps): 24% of Virginia's economic activity is reliant on the federal government, as an employer, a consumer, and an investor.

Federal government spending is inextricably linked to Virginia's economy.

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 27d

Unemployed after long career in federal public service?

Lost funding for critical life-saving research?

In letter to House Emergency Committee members, Youngkin calls that "good news" and "one of many positive externalities resulting from federal decisions to reduce spending."

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · 28d

While Del Feggans and @philforvirginia.bsky.social have "passed new laws that SUPPORT active-duty military members, veterans and their loved ones...

"HR1 creates barriers that will take food and health care away from those who have served this country in uniform, and their families..."

Delegate Phil Hernandez @philforvirginia.bsky.social · 29d

In the Richmond Times Dispatch today:

A joint op-ed authored by me and Delegate Michael Feggans explaining how Trump's cuts to SNAP and Medicaid will do harm to Virginia's veterans & military families.

Link to the op-ed is here: https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_8c8803ab-87ec-4bd0-9ff9-17c47ce928eb.html

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · Sep 8

All you need to know about the GOP candidate for governor:

"Earle-Sears agreed to an interview at the Mercury's office in downtown Richmond but canceled on the day of and has not responded to reschedule requests and other questions."

virginiamercury.com/2025/09/08/o...

On the record: Winsome Earle-Sears • Virginia Mercury

Part one of The Virginia Mercury’s On the Record series examines Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears’ positions on some of the state’s most pressing issues: immigration, education, ...

virginiamercury.com

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · Sep 4

So, let me see if I understand...we'll use the $10b in surpluses, $9b of which we've given back to taxpayers already, to replace the $26b hospitals are going to be losing.

This is some CREATIVE math.

And when $1b<$26b and hospitals cut services, somehow nobody will lose care?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 3

Winsome Earle-Sears: "From what I understand, there are no Virginians who are going to lose their Medicaid coverage in Virginia unless that's something that they choose, because under the BBB you will be required to at least 40 hours per month of some sort of activity."

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · Sep 3

Typical crime reporting designed to imply laxness due to policy choices. But a) the sentence is determined by the judge/jury, and b) being eligible for parole means next to nothing in Virginia, where about 2% of those eligible actually are granted it (including elderly, sick, youth, etc.).

The Virginian-Pilot @pilotonline.com · Sep 3

Just months after being sentenced, Virginia Beach murderer already eligible for parole trib.al/W2O2mFT

Just months after being sentenced, Virginia Beach murderer already eligible for parole

James Richard King, 72, was sentenced in February to two life terms for the 2020 murder of Lexie Walters. Because of his age and the amount of time he’s served since his arrest, he’s al…

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · Sep 2

We really need a STRONG Attorney General who will stand up for VIRGINIA, not cowtow to the whims of Trump. Someone who will fight for Virginians' rights. I'm voting for @jonesjay.bsky.social, not this 👇Trump sycophant: www.meetjasonmiyares.com

Weak Jason Miyares

Jason Miyares has caved to Trump on Cuts to Healthcare and Jobs, Raised Prices, and Abortion Bans. He's just too weak to be our Attorney General.

www.meetjasonmiyares.com

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · Sep 1

There's no one person who's going to swoop in and save us. We are going to save ourselves, starting at Labor Day events in Falls Church, in Arlington, in Alexandria, by collective action and applying the principles of unions that took us out of the last "gilded age." @marcussimon.com

VAPLAN @vaplan.bsky.social · Aug 28

It's interesting that Sears is running a Corey Stewart sort of campaign, which didn't even resonate with Virginians back in 2018, as opposed to a Glenn Youngkin sort of campaign.

Screen capture of Sears tweet saying that Spanberger "supports naked men in girls locker rooms, protects illegal thugs from deportation, won't cut the car tax."