Virginia State Senate District 33 special election, 2019

Education

• As the mother of two daughters and a former PTA board member, I’ve worked for years to strengthen our local schools.
• As the Education Aide for Supervisor John Foust, I worked with Dranesville District schools and nonprofits to provide necessities for children from families with limited financial resources - including weekend food bags, winter coats, shoe drives, bike helmets and more.
• As a legislator, I’ve continued this work on behalf of our children, adding menstrual supplies to the items provided to our students.
• As Parent Education Chair for the Unified Prevention Coalition, I organized events and programs to discuss ways to prevent alcohol and drug abuse with our teens, the importance of sleep and stress management, and the overall health and wellness of our students.
• Proud to have been awarded Virginia Education Association’s “Solid as a Rock” for my voting history on education.
• Will continue to support increased funding for Virginia schools
  • I know it is essential that the state fully meet its constitutional responsibility to adequately fund K through 12 education.
  • State direct aid per student, adjusted for inflation, is up 16% in Loudoun County and up 14% in Fairfax County.
  • We need to do more: statewide per-pupil funding, adjusted for inflation, for K-12 education has declined 9 percent since the 2008-2009 school year while the student population is projected to have grown by more than 53,000 students and staffing has declined by 1,242 positions.
  • Support innovative teaching and increased autonomy in the classroom.
• I’ve worked in the General Assembly to help teachers gain autonomy in the classroom and help our students move away from the focus of standardized multiple-choice tests instead of being able to focus on critical thinking and problem solving.
• I was proud to cosponsor the recess bill passed last session.
• One of my new initiatives is to bring mindfulness, yoga and other stress management techniques to alleviate the high stress of our students and teachers..
• I support legislation to address inequities in treatment of minorities and special education students.
  • Cosponsored legislation to stop the school to prison pipeline for minorities by requiring alternatives to suspension and expulsion and unequal harsh consequences for minorities
  • Working to stop the use of isolation and restraint as discipline tools; support the use of de-escalation techniques and trauma-informed training
  • Working the deaf and hard of hearing community to ensure that language goals are identified and met

Healthcare and Human Services

• Last session we passed Medicaid expansion, arguably one of the most important pieces of legislation I will ever have the honor of helping to pass. With that we are opening up the opportunity for up to 400,000 more Virginians to receive health care in Virginia.
• We must support increased funding for human services. When we take care of our most vulnerable residents it shows we have a commitment to our entire community. We can do better.
  • Provide early intervention therapeutic services for infants and toddlers, the Commonwealth of Virginia has long contracted with the Community Services Boards statewide.
  • Provide services for the growing numbers of adults aging out of the school system with intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • Fund additional medicaid waivers.
    • While we increased medicaid waiver slots last year, we still have a significant waiting list for families. I work with parents in our community who are facing these issues and who are desperately seeking these services for their children, but are unable to, due to lack of funding.
    • The Medicaid waiver should provide critical home and community based services for qualified individuals.
    • Virginia ranks seventh in per capita income and yet is 47th in Medicaid spending for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities. States nationwide set their own income and asset eligibility criteria within federal guidelines.

Environment

• I am proud of my 100% voting record with the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. I am fortunate to have the support of many experts in energy and environmental science, law and policy during the legislative session and throughout the year. I am a part of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and have a strong commitment to improving our environment as we face climate change.
• Clean water and clean air should not be partisan issues. We need to work across the aisle to ensure that we are protecting nature’s most valuable resources. I am committed to cleaning up our rivers, lakes, and streams, continuing with, and improving our clean water and our air. No one should worry whether their drinking water is safe. No one should struggle with asthma made worse by air pollution. As we work on transportation and energy issues, clean water and clean air must be a priority.
• Virginia must transition rapidly to renewable sources of energy, including wind and solar power.

Investing in new forms of energy throughout our state will not only be better for the environment, but also will create more jobs and help boost the economy.

• • As we increase our reliance on solar and wind energy, we must also work to improve energy storage and energy efficiency.
  • I will continue to work with the experts who are running renewable energy companies, energy storage businesses, and energy efficiency businesses, the experts who work in our universities and at nonprofits to ensure that Virginia is identifying and overcoming challenges in the transition to full reliance on renewable energy.
  • I will continue to sponsor and support bills supporting this transition and to bring these businesses to Virginia.
• Further, I will work to bring the benefits of renewable energy, energy storage, and energy efficiency to all Virginians, including those with limited financial resources. The modernization of our electric grid is a massive endeavor and we must work together to address the reality of climate change and the impact of fossil fuels on human health and our environment.
• I did significant work on environmental issues in my community work for Dranesville Supervisor John Foust. I was part of an inter-jurisdictional transportation team where we identified small, reasonable future road connections in the Dulles region rather than advocating for large new highways working with VDOT, WMATA, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Town of Herndon staff. I helped craft the language for the Comprehensive Plans for the Dranesville District (APR) Area Plan Review process, with a strong emphasis on environmental standards and considerations, assuring that language was included that stipulated the need for LEED certified buildings and to make assurances for adequate storm water management in any new land use.
• Animal welfare legislation fits well with my social justice philosophy - animals need us to speak up for them for they are at our mercy.
  • Chief Patron, bill passed, requires alternative to animal testing where available, does not apply to medical research or FDA regulated products other than cosmetics
  • Chief Patron, allow localities to limit sales/transfer of cats and dogs in pet stores to rescues
  • Copatron, limits on outdoor tethering of animals, provision of shelter

On the ACP and MPV I have really struggled with them but after all of the study that I’ve done and the benefit of hearing from so many people, I’m very concerned about them, and I’m very concerned for the environmental degradation for our land. I’m very concerned about that slope that the pipelines are going in in the mountainous regions. I’m concerned for the personal property of folks like Red Terry, and I am concerned about the long-term reliability of natural gas, when we need to be focusing on renewables. I did a whole big meeting where I got everybody together to talk about how we can get to the next level so that we can to get to a zero carbon renewable energy economy and that’s really where I’d like to be focusing our energy.

On a personal level, I am a vegetarian and drive a hybrid car because we all know that air quality is impacted by the methane created by farm animals and vehicle emissions are the top contributors of greenhouse gas.

Equality

• Social justice is a way of life. My father is a retired Episcopal priest and my mother worked as a nurse and I grew up in the Deep South. My parents raised me with a strong sense of social justice. I worked my whole life as a grassroots activist to stand up for those who face discrimination. From the time I was in the 6th grade, working to make our crossing guard patrol coed at my school to the past ten years helping create the group HEART (Herndon Embraces All with Respect and Tolerance), I’ve consistently been a voice for fairness and inclusion. My husband and I placed a priority on raising our girls to be open-minded and to stand up for others as well.
• In every race I have run in the past, I have been endorsed by Equality VA, and other pro equality groups.
• In every race in the past I have been endorsed by New Virginia Majority.
• I have dedicated my adult life to standing up for others because I believe that diversity and inclusivity are hallmarks of a healthy community. A diverse community has the capacity to make us all richer as we learn from one another.
• I embrace and welcome all people in my community - racial, socioeconomic, LGBTQIA+, cultural, and faith differences are part of who we are. Every person should have the fundamental right to make decisions for themselves about their most personal and private family issues. I am proud of the legislation that I’ve carried and look forward to the very near future when the General Assembly in Virginia passes legislation that protects diversity and outlaws discrimination and hateful actions.
• I will fight and vote for Virginia to ratify the ERA!
• My equal pay legislation protects an expanded class of Virginians: "Protected class" means a group of persons distinguished by race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, or age.”

Gun Violence Prevention

I share the concerns of the many constituents who write to me afraid for their families and angry that gun violence continues to take so many lives. We cannot let gun violence, active shooter drills in schools, and vigils for lost lives be our normal.

• Polling shows that more than 90% of Virginians support universal background checks, including the majority of gun owners.
• Passionate, educated, experienced advocates have been working to pass gun violence prevention legislation for years. In Richmond, the Educational Fund & Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Everytown Against Gun Violence, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and Giffords have worked tirelessly. The March for Our Lives Students have told their stories and those of allies so well that we all know that we need change now.
• I am a member of the Joint Caucus to Prevent Gun Violence and have been active with the House Safe Virginia Initiative, listening to residents of our communities around the Commonwealth to hear their priorities.

So why haven’t we solved this problem? In the 2018 legislative session, I introduced legislation to incentivize background checks. My bill, HB 273 allowed for liability to be imposed on a firearms seller or transfer if it was used to commit a crime and no background check was completed. I was also the co-patron of many other bills regarding gun safety.

• HB 41 would have prohibited bump stocks
• HB 43 would have required gun owners to report to police if their gun had been lost or stolen
• HB 68 would have allowed localities to adopt ordinances to prohibit guns in libraries
• HB 717 would have closed the “gun show loophole” and required background checks at gun shows
• HB 720 would have prohibited anyone who was convicted of a hate crime from obtaining a firearm in the five years after their conviction. We have research to show that this legislation would save lives.

All of these bills and many others were killed on a 4-2 party-line vote despite passionate testimony from those affected by gun violence, including a survivor of the Las Vegas shooting. Four delegates decided the fate of these bills. So how can we make sure that these bills pass and we save lives in Virginia? The political party with the majority of legislators in the House and the Senate is the party that determines committee leadership and membership and determines whether bills are heard and voted on. Change is coming. Universal background checks and gun violence risk orders will be two of the first bills passed.

Immigration

• Long time grassroots activist for immigrants.
  • English as a second language volunteer
  • Health clinic volunteer
  • Have connected many immigrants to legal services, health care, and our federal elected officials.
• I’ve spoken up over the past decade to show my support, even when it was not politically advantageous. I have been a consistent and long-time advocate on immigration issues because to me it has always been a question of doing the right thing. It’s not just a political position.
• Sponsored legislation to ensure that DREAMERs, young people who have lived here for years and were brought here as children, should be eligible for in-state tuition at Virginia’s colleges and universities.
• Sponsored legislation to allow all people in Virginia to carry a driver’s license or privilege card regardless of their immigration status.
  • We need safe, insured drivers on our roads.
  • Immigration status should not make it more difficult to work, go to school or care for family members

Jobs & the Economy

• The 33rd DIstrict is moving from government contractor centered economy to a new Virginia economy. For many years, the economic health of this region has been driven largely by the Federal government and government contractors. Since the Sequestration and Federal government shutdown and continued threats of shutdown, numerous local businesses and residents have been disproportionately and adversely affected. In response, we have worked hard to diversify the region’s economic base and have seen these efforts succeed. I am proud of my work bringing people together to grow their businesses. We are fortunate to live and work amongst many highly educated, creative, and dedicated entrepreneurs.
• Support economic development targeting scientific research, health care, renewable energy, energy storage, and energy efficiency companies and work to recruit them to this region.
• Encourage new startup businesses to locate in the Dulles Corridor. Small businesses are the principal source of new jobs in Northern Virginia in the coming decades and are vital to our economy.
• Work closely with our excellent colleges and universities make sure that our graduates are ready to take the high quality jobs available and are prepared for employment.
• Our community college system provides an affordable, high quality education and opportunities to transfer and graduate from four year schools.
• I will continue to work with the business community on policies designed to attract and retain a talented workforce in Northern Virginia.
• As we strengthen and diversify our economy in Northern Virginia, I have not forgotten the many people in our community who work hard for low pay, often working two and even three jobs.
• All jobs must be paid fairly.
  • Chief patron, Equal Pay Act - updates the 1974 equal pay act which isn’t working - the wage gap for women, minorities and other protected classes is evidence of the need for specific direction to employers; also copatroned other legislators bills that included a piece of the comprehensive bill.
  • Chief patron, comprehensive equal pay act for state employee.
  • Chief patron, strengthening of the laws protecting employees from classification as independent contractors and associated loss of wages and benefits and workplace protections
  • Chief copatron of bill eliminating racist Jim Crow law and tipped employee exemptions
  • Copatron of minimum wage bill, $15 by 2022 plus annual Consumer Price Index increase thereafter
  • Copatron, require payment of prevailing wage for public works contracts
  • Copatron of minimum wage bill, $10 by 2019 with biennial CPI increases
• Our education and workforce development programs meet the needs of all Virginians.
• I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with my union brothers and sisters fighting for worker protections and supporting labor unions.
  • The fight for fair wages (Fight for $15) and working conditions will continue to be a major priority.
  • From attending union meetings, meeting with workers, press conferences and rallies with union members and leaders to sponsoring legislation to increase the minimum wage, get rid of racist Jim Crow exceptions to the minimum wage, and updating the 1974 Equal Pay Act law to get rid of the gender wage gap, I have a history of fighting for equal opportunity and fair treatment for all workers.
• Broadband internet must be available for all Virginians, including those in rural areas of Virginia. I’ve met with businesses in Fairfax County and Loudoun County that will benefit when healthcare and education and telework are available to all Virginians via the internet. These are equity issues. I recently spoke at the NCSL’s 2018 Broadband & Cable Policy Summit about our efforts to streamline permitting for broadband in Virginia. Local governments will now consider broadband infrastructure in comprehensive planning and work continues on a Dig Once program thanks to my 2018 legislation.

Transportation

• Experienced with transportation planning
  • Before serving in the House of Delegates, I spent five years at the table with elected officials, community representatives and senior staff from the region, identifying and planning the best land use and transportation solutions surrounding our Herndon and Innovation Center Metro stations.
  • Innovation Station Task Force - this year, I served on Supervisor Foust’s planning efforts once again to reassess the comprehensive plan around the Innovation Station.
  • Creating new Transit Oriented Development regions, with multi-modal access will help get cars off the road and allow residents to live, work and play closer to home. In my capacity as aide to Supervisor Foust I worked to ensure that surrounding business leaders and residents have also been a part of the conversation.
• Metro funding is critical to the strength of our transportation sector and I am proud to support funding for it in the General Assembly.
• I was in strong support as we passed a bill to put a “floor” on the gas tax so that when gas prices drop the Commonwealth does not lose a substantial revenue source.
• I copatroned legislation to return HOV hours on I-66 to pretolling times and was quick to speak out on behalf of my constituents who are unable to join carpools and cannot afford the I-66 tolls. I will continue to work with VDOT and my colleagues to make sure that there are affordable and efficient transportation options for everyone in our community.

Voting and Redistricting

• Favor redistricting by an independent, nonpartisan redistricting commission. Serving on the House Privileges and Elections Committee, I’ve had a front row seat as the Republicans refused to put an end to gerrymandering.
• Support legislation that makes it easier to vote in Virginia, including
  • Cosponsored no excuse absentee/early voting
  • Sponsored legislation to allow registrars to call or email when voter registration applications are rejected for minor errors. GMU students requested the legislation because many students do not have street addresses and do not regularly check their campus mailboxes.
  • Will support same day voter registration/would have voted for 2018 bills but they were killed in committee.
  • Cosponsored legislation to remove the disqualification of felons for voting
• Support campaign finance reform
  • Cosponsored legislation to online media ads to disclose who place and/or promoted the ad.
  • Cosponsored bill to prohibit the personal use of campaign funds, which despite bipartisan support, failed in Senate
  • Limit PAC spending and donations.

Women's Rights

• I support Roe vs. Wade and the right to a safe, legal abortion and access to contraception. I believe this should be a settled issue. Contraception should be available to all who need it. I also spoke out on the floor in favor of funding for the LARC program which passed last May.
• Serve on the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council which is providing leadership nationwide to protect and advance reproductive rights, health and justice.
• I have and will continue to sponsor of the Whole Woman’s Health Act to remove abortion from Virginia’s criminal code and to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion.
• I have worked closely at the grassroots level with NARAL and Planned Parenthood since I was a college student at Hollins University in the mid 1980’s and this collaboration continues in the General Assembly.
• Menstrual Equity - women need menstrual supplies to leave home during menstruation, a natural process over which we have no control. My bill to eliminate the sales tax is The Dignity Act. There is not justification for taxing something that only women need. We now have several menstrual equity bills.
  • HB 24 , chief patron, exemption from sales tax for menstrual supplies
  • HB 25, chief patron, adds menstrual supplies to 3 day tax free weekend (good fit with school supplies and clothing, and with emergency storm supplies)
  • HB 83, copatron, passed, free menstrual supplies in jails and prisons
  • HB 1384 menstrual supplies free in schools^[16]

Transportation

Joe May is a longtime champion of transportation innovations and solutions to reduce congestion, stabilize tolls, save taxpayers millions of dollars and improve the quality of life of Northern Virginians.

May was the driving force behind passage of the 2013 Transportation Bill that provided millions of dollars of transportation and infrastructure improvements and maintenance projects in the 33rd Senate District, including the project to widen and improve Belmont Ridge Road.

During his tenure as chairman of the Transportation Committee, May also spearheaded the creation of the Rural Rustic Roads policy which has saved taxpayers millions of dollars and enhanced the beauty of Virginia’s rural roadways by changing VDOT’s mowing practices.

May is also responsible for the Virginia DEQ’s RapidPass program that implemented roadside emissions testing, which has saved up to 30 percent of Virginia’s drivers from having to wait in line at testing centers for emissions inspections. Following the implementation of the program, AAA awarded May a lifetime achievement award.

As our senator, May will continue to develop innovative solutions to tackle our transportation challenges, save hardworking families time and save taxpayer dollars.

May has an innovative plan to stabilize tolls on the Dulles Greenway and stop the out-of-control toll hikes that are disproportionately hurting commuters and those on a fixed-income.

May will seek to revamp the vitality of the Virginia Transportation Accountability Commission to eliminate waste and ensure transportation projects are streamlined.

May will also seek to reintroduce the VDOT study of implementing Quiet Pavement, that can save millions of taxpayer dollars being spent to build expensive and unsightly roadside sound barriers.

Jobs

A successful businessman and technologist, Joe May has spent more than 30 years building a business in Northern Virginia that supports over 250 jobs. Joe May knows the issues and challenges facing Virginian businesses and has the right experience and approach to grow jobs, increase wages and expand economic development to create more prosperity for Northern Virginia families.

As an independent-minded leader in Richmond, May’s efforts built bipartisan support to prioritize investment in our region and state and to adopt policies to enhance job growth and increase wages.

In the General Assembly, May worked alongside now-Attorney General Mark Herring to secure commercial space launches at Wallops Island – bringing millions in investment and economic development to Virginia.

May has been named a “Champion of Free Enterprise” by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce for his efforts to support jobs and small businesses.

As our senator, May will work to reform excessive regulations that hamper growth and investment and seek to streamline and consolidate state and local economic development efforts to maximize results and attract jobs. May will fight to protect Virginia’s common-sense, pro-business climate and oppose extreme proposals from radical politicians seeking to appease an out-of-touch far-left base.

Education

Joe May is a longtime champion of strong public schools, robust STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs and access for Virginians to our state’s colleges and universities.

May has championed VAST programs which provide STEM opportunities for Virginia students and has regularly accompanied VAST participants to NASA’s Langley facility to learn more about the aerospace industry.

May personally supports students in STEM fields. His family foundation recently funded a program at Virginia Tech to increase engineering admissions for over 300 first generation Virginia students. The program is designed to identify talented students from all over Virginia starting in the ninth grade and support them through graduation.

As a delegate, May fought to protect access to the world-class education offered by Virginia’s public colleges and universities for Virginia students, supporting measures to limit the rate of out-of-state admissions.

As our senator, May will fight tirelessly to strengthen our schools and ensure Northern Virginia gets its fair share of state education funding.

Health Care

Joe May will work across the aisle to support policies that improve the quality, availability and affordability of health care for all Virginians.

May will support measures to remove regulatory hurdles and access barriers to innovative telemedicine solutions that can improve care, reduce costs and enhance a patient’s quality of life, including for mental health and addiction treatment.

May will always fiercely protect seniors’ Medicare benefits and support access to health care coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.^[16]