House GOP Cuts Off Critical Tools to Fund School Construction; McClellan on Black History Month; Last Anti-CBA Bill Goes Down
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
Recently, we shared in the daily update what happened in the House Subcommittee on the school construction sales tax bills. There’s been a lot of coverage since then by media and we want to share these articles from around the Commonwealth with all VEA members. Below are some of the critical stories. The three bills (SB37, SB298, SB472) would have given localities the opportunity to run a voter referendum to levy up to a 1% sales tax for local school construction. Despite heartfelt testimonies from around the state, including mayors, representatives of large education groups and coalitions, and a student attending a school with leaking ceilings, committee Republicans all voted against the bills and killed each one. There was no public opposition to the bills.
‘Painful setback:’ Charlottesville sales tax bill dies in committee | Education | dailyprogress.com
House subcommittee tables school construction bill (wdbj7.com)
House subcommittee kills 3 sales tax for schools bills | NewsRadio WINA
On Monday, Senator Jennifer McClellan closed out the celebration of Black History Month with a passionate speech and reminder that we must address equity in our education system. Watch Sen. McClellan’s speech HERE.
On Monday, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted 12-3 to Pass-by-Indefinitely a bill that would have prohibited a county, city, or town from entering into a collective bargaining contract with a labor union or other employee association representing law-enforcement officers or employees of a law enforcement agency. HB790, sponsored by Delegate Dave LaRock, was the last anti-collective bargaining bill of the 2022 General Assembly that attempted to roll-back permissive collective bargaining protections for public workers in Virginia. We applaud the members of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee for standing up and protecting these laws to allow public workers and localities the option to collectively bargain. Watch the hearing on HB790, HERE.
Teacher shortages are a serious issue across the country. Here in Virginia, there are currently over 3,648 unfilled teaching positions. (FY23)
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