RICHMOND, Va. — Just days into the General Assembly and there are already hundreds of bills on the table. Many of them pertain directly to issues right here in Hampton Rods, like the May 31st mass shooting.
'VB Strong' License Plate
That bill, SB87, is sponsored by Sen. Bill DeSteph. He wants to create a 'VB Strong' license plate.
The plate would cost you an extra $10, like most specialty plates.
There's no clarification in the bill text, however, if the revenue from the plate will go towards the shooting victims and families. So, we called Sen. DeSteph.
His team tells us the proposal comes at the request of some Virginia Beach city councilors.
He did not propose a $25 revenue-generating specialty plate, because that would require at least 350 pledging to buy it and the senator wants this plate available quickly and to everyone so they can show support for Virginia Beach.
There's no mock-up of the plate yet, but Sen. DeSteph's legislative aide said it will likely have the same 'VB Strong' branding look as what's been used since the shooting.
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Youth and Gang Violence Grant
Another bill out of Hampton Roads is the Youth and Gang Violence Grant bill, HB422, from Delegate Marcia Price on the peninsula.
According to the bill, five Virginia cities, including Norfolk, Hampton, and Newport News, can apply for grant money to combat these issues in their communities.
An amount of $25,000 would be awarded at a time, with a total annual grant fund cap of $125,000.
'Virginia Hurricane and Flood Risk Reduction Authority'
From the desk of Delegate Joe Lindsey in Norfolk comes HB24.
The bill would establish the 'Virginia Hurricane and Flood Risk Reduction Authority;' a group of legislators and other relevant actors to tackle things like flood awareness, lowering insurance premiums and promoting higher building standards to reduce the risk of flooding.
It would even help communities most impacted by flooding, whether it's high tide, hurricane-caused or otherwise, to attract and retain economic investors.
The bill goes on to say Virginia would become a non-federal sponsor of projects with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to combat flooding.