Rob Bloxom Reports from the General Assembly

The 2025 Session had a rocky start, not because of any political maneuvering but because Mother Nature decided to show her strength. The snow and ice were a headache to deal with but the loss of water in Richmond really made us come to a halt. All government buildings Tuesday were closed and off limits to enter. Luckily, I worked a full day Monday and submitted all my legislation. The following day I received an email telling me that all legislators were to go home and return Monday to start our work. There was no date as to when it would be safe to drink the water in Richmond. I will highlight my legislation in the upcoming weeks. The deadline for budget amendments is Friday at 5:00 pm.

The first order of business after we organize, receive our committee assignments, and listen to the Governor’s State of the Commonwealth Address will be to hear the three proposed constitutional amendments. One is on the issue of abortion, another on gay marriage, and the last is on voting right restoration to felons. Each of these have had volumes written on them so I will try to summarize the process as well as the politics.

The first is the actual process. The constitutional amendments must pass the House on a simple majority vote. They then proceed to the Senate like any other bill. The Senate may either amend or accept. If they choose to amend, the House would need to either accept or conference to reach an agreeable compromise. At that point, the language is set as it would appear on the ballot. We then would have to have an election and vote on the amendments next year with the newly elected delegates. The amendments would not be able to be changed at all. It would either be a yes or no vote. The governor would have no voice in this process.

Now, the politics. The Democrats are betting that these are winning issues for them. The amendments are a compromise within their caucus. One could see the differences between the original introduced legislation and the substitutes that were presented in committee. I still feel they go beyond what the average Virginian desires, but the Senate has not adjusted the amendments. Before redistricting, I would have said the Senate would have pushed the amendments toward the middle more, but I am not so sure now.

As always, feel free to contact me while I am in Richmond with any questions or concerns. The Richmond office can be contacted by phone at (804) 698-1000, email: delrbloxom@house.virginia.gov or at my district office in Mappsville at (757) 824-3456. If you are coming to Richmond, I encourage everyone to take the time to visit the General Assembly Building and my office which is room number 711.

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