State senators prepare for General Assembly’s Reconvene Session

Editor's note: The video above aired on Tuesday, April 1 before the General Assembly's Reconvene Session.

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — As legislators prepare for the General Assembly's Reconvene Session, one senator is on board with Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s revisions to his bill, while another senator plans to fight his changes.

On Wednesday, April 2, the General Assembly will meet for its reconvened session. Both the Senate and House floor sessions are currently scheduled to begin at noon to consider Youngkin’s bill changes.

Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D-Henrico) led efforts to pass Senate Bill 1221, which is designed to protect tenants from unfair fees and ensure they understand how to maintain their housing eligibility. 

However, Youngkin cut language from the bill about not charging tenants fees for damages they didn't cause and ensuring tenants would not be required to pay a bond if they appeal an eviction and don’t have enough money. 

“The governor felt that this legislation was a loophole when ultimately I see it as a lifeline,” Aird said. “If you've never experienced housing vulnerability, you don't know what it feels like to have the threat of losing your home, to have the threat of having nowhere to go. And that is the reality for too many families here in the city and throughout my district and throughout Virginia.”

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1408, authored by Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Orange County), would punish water operations that don’t report water plant malfunctions — whether they be major or minor — to the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water in a timely manner.

Youngkin shortened the timeline to notify problems from six to two hours, which Reeves said he approves.

“I think two hours is reasonable to just report it because, you know, once you report it, then you're going to get all the other people that are going to come in and bring those resources that they need quicker than waiting six hours,” Reeves said.

Reeves is happy this bill is another step closer to holding operations accountable.

“As we found out in Orange County, Virginia and in the City of Richmond, that [when] we don't have water, it's worse than COVID. Everything stops, buildings closed down, toilets don't flush, people start to panic,” Reeves said.

FULL NEWS COVERAGE: Richmond Area Water Crisis

On Wednesday, the recommendations to Aird's bill were rejected by senators on bipartisan lines. Senators approved Reeves' bill unanimously.

However, both bills will have to go through the House before they are sent to Youngkin's desk for his approval.