By Brandon Jarvis
The final week of the legislative session might run into some trouble with a large snowstorm being forecasted for the Richmond area. We are still days away, and predictions usually change, but this storm looks like it could be a big one for Richmond. The General Assembly has only had two snow days in more than 50 years.
Meteorologist Sean Sublette reported Saturday on what he currently believes could happen: “if I had to make a guess now and then disappear into a cave for a week, I’d say something like 6-10 inches. But more data will be available over the weekend, which will give us plenty of time to see if the data trends in a specific direction — up or down — by Monday.”
The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, but lawmakers still have a lot of work to do, including conforming both chambers’ budgets into one identical bill.
What could happen is the Speaker calls a pro forma session, gavels in, does the prayer with any members who are present and then gavels out for the day.
“Usually, it’s the Speaker and one of the locals of the same party. In a DIRE emergency, it’s whoever can get there,” said one longtime Republican staffer.
The staffer said the state police could work with the National Gaurd to get members into the chamber shortly after if the roads are still bad the next day.
“They will do everything they can to get it in,” a lobbyist with years of experience said. “They pride themselves on no snow days.”
In 2010, records show that legislators did not meet on Friday, Feb. 5, due to the North American Blizzard that dropped 8-14 inches of snow in the Richmond area.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said that was the only time he has seen the General Assembly miss a workday due to snow in his time. He has been in the General Assembly since 2010.
The General Assembly has only called one more snow day, and that was in 2016.
Stay tuned, as this will be a developing story.