Delegate Matt Fariss

As I am settling back into the district, it is the time of year for meetings with businesses and community groups to discuss the 2016 General Assembly Session and give an update on the work that was done.  

With the 2016 General Assembly Session one week in the books, I wanted to spend some time in this newsletter detailing some issues that were tackled this session.  Legislators completed their work, passing over 800 bills, approving a balanced two-year biennial budget, and electing a new justice to the Supreme Court of Virginia.

This past week was a productive week for the House of Delegates. In addition to finishing our committee work, we are reviewing amendments from the Senate, as well as wrapping up our work on the budget. The 2016 General Assembly adjourned Friday.  For the second year in a row, the Republican-led General Assembly finished its work early – a stark contrast to how business is done in Washington. The early adjournment will save taxpayers over $25,000.

We are now one week away from the scheduled end of our 60-day legislative session.  This week was a productive week for the House of Delegates. We are finishing committee work, reviewing amendments from the Senate, and continuing to work on the budget.  As we wind down our General Assembly session, I want to update you on a few important areas.

There are just two weeks left in the 2016 General Assembly session, but we continue at a fast pace here in Richmond. This past week, the House passed a new two-year state budget. The budget is the most important work we do each year at the State Capitol. 

The 2016 General Assembly session officially reached the halfway point this week, known as “Crossover.”  The Republican-led House of Delegates is making good progress on the issues that matter most to you and your family: jobs, education, healthcare, transportation and public safety. The House of Delegates is also working to craft a conservative and responsible state budget that prudently spends your taxpayer dollars while making strategic and targeted investments in the core functions of state government. The House continues to defend and advance conservative principles. We brokered a bipartisan agreement to secure the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, advanced legislation to protect religious liberty, are fighting back against federal government overreach, and defeated major pieces of the McAuliffe-Clinton agenda.

We are approaching the halfway point of the General Assembly Session known as “Crossover.”  Crossover is the day when each chamber must finish work on its own legislation and then may only consider legislation from the other body. This year Crossover is on Tuesday, February 16, which means that the House must complete all of its work on House bills before the end of that day while the Senate must do the same for bills that originate in the Senate.  The State Capitol is as busy as it has been all year with late night committee meetings and longer floor sessions as we try to finish work before crossover.

We are wrapping up the fourth week of the 2016 General Assembly Session. This was a busy week in the House on an issue that I know is very important to you and your family: jobs and economic growth. 

As we wrap up the third week of Session, I want to update you on the work we are doing in Richmond. All legislators are busy meeting with constituents, attending committee hearings, and making up for time lost due to last week’s snow storm.

Our first full week of the General Assembly Session was cut short due to the significant winter storm headed our way. For the first time since 2010, the House of Delegates cancelled a floor session. It was announced during Thursday’s Floor Session that the House would adjourn until Monday, January 25^th at noon.