Photo: Andreas Breitling via Pixabay
The Virginia General Assembly is now in session and considering several thousand bills. In the conservation area, there are bills addressing tree preservation, climate change, energy conservation, plastic pollution, water quality and more. Many committees are headed by Northern Virginians this year.
State legislators need to hear from their constituents, to know they care.
Here are some resources on the Virginia General Assembly website to assist you:
Know who your Senator or Delegate is and how to contact them. You can find yours by using Who's My Legislator. In addition, a biographical page on each delegate and senator is on the General Assembly's homepage.
Using the Legislative Information System (LIS) (https://lis.virginia.gov/) , you can track legislation and review committee agendas prior to a meeting.
The Lobbyist-in-a-Box allows you to select bills that are important to you, and send you updates as the bill moves through the legislative process.
Other Actions
Many state legislators are having town meetings during the session. Check with yours, show up, ask questions and advocate.
The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN), of which ASNV is a member, monitors and advocates for conservation bills. Visit www.vcnva.org. VCN is having a conservation lobbying day on January 28. Sign up on their website.