HAMPTON, Va. — Scores of people came together online, and in person, for a regional watch party about environmental legislation that’s set to come up in Virginia’s General Assembly.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation hosted an event in Hampton Saturday morning on behalf of the environmental group, the Virginia Conservation Network. It's called a "General Assembly Preview."
The Foundation’s Grassroots Coordinator Lisa Renee Jennings said with newly elected officials in the General Assembly, environmentalists want to focus on outreach and make sure their issues remain top of mind.
“This morning we are gathering folks to learn about environmental issues that are going to be coming up in the General Assembly," she said. “We have 44 new elected officials coming in so we have a lot of catch-up to do to teach about these issues... Education is power.”
There are a lot of important issues on the table. For environmentalists, they’re focused on bills that ensure a clean and sustainable future for the Commonwealth.
"We’re going to run through everything from solar siting, water quality issues, agriculture funding," Jennings said.
The Virginia Conservation Network teamed up several environmental groups, including the Foundation to host the event in multiple locations across the state. Environmental advocates could join virtually from home and watch via Zoom, or attend in person to watch the session.
Saturday’s meeting in Hampton was one of 13 in-person meetings across the state on the topic.