The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee advanced legislation Tuesday morning that would require insurance companies to provide coverage under any health insurance contract, policy or plan that includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis, for contraceptive drugs and contraceptive devices. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William.
On Monday, the Public Education Subcommittee PBI’d Sen. Emily Jordan, R-Isle of Wight, opportunity scholarship legislation.
While a subcommittee’s actions are not binding, the subcommittee will recommend killing the bill to the full Senate Education Committee.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been pushing this legislation, that would provide 10,000 $5K vouchers for either tuition or extra assistance from private schools.
A family must be at 200% below the federal poverty level to be eligible for the scholarship.
Youngkin responded to the subcommittee’s actions in a statement Monday.
“Opportunity must not be reserved for only some, but today on a party-line vote a Senate subcommittee voted to kill Virginia Opportunity Scholarships,” he wrote on social media. “Three people should not block opportunity for 10,000 low-income families for $5,000 scholarships. Call your Senator and Delegate and tell them to support Virginia Opportunity Scholarships.”
A Senate General Laws Subcommittee did not advance legislation to establish the framework for legal skill games in Virginia on Monday.
The bill, from Sen. Christie New Craig, R-Chesapeake, did not a even receive a vote after it failed to receive a “second” on bringing it to a vote. Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, moved to report it, which then requires a “second” from another member of the committee.
“See you net year,” New Craig said after it was clear a vote was not going to take place.
However, the bill is expected by its supporters to receive more consideration in the full committee meeting this week.
The same subcommittee voted to move forward with legislation from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax that would begin the process of allowing for a casino to be built in Fairfax.
The full Senate is taking their final vote on three constitutional amendments Tuesday that would enshrine abortion access and the restoration of voting rights into the Constitution. They also will take up a vote to remove the defunct ban on same-sex marriage, which remains in the Constitution, despite the United States Supreme Court ruling years ago allowing for same-sex marriage in the country.
Republicans offered multiple amendments to these proposals, including requiring parental notification if a child receives an abortion and also requiring life-saving measures to be given to a baby who survives an abortion. Democrats killed those amendments.
Democrats, specifically Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, said the Republicans are fear-mongering and that state code already provides this protection.
Republicans also proposed only automatically restoring voting rights for nonviolent felons, and after full restitution has been paid, but Democrats killed these changes to the amendments as well.
When asked during a press conference Tuesday morning, Sen. Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, did not directly answer if Republicans would have supported the amendments if Democrats accepted their proposed changes.
“Clearly, that’s not something that we have to worry about because they didn’t,” McDougle said. “They’re pretty rational amendments, the positions that they’ve taken as far as not accepting them, we think are extreme.”
The chamber is expected to take its final vote on these amendments at noon. You can stream the vote on the Senate website. (Click the link with regular session on the list.)
The House of Delegates already passed these amendment proposals.
Constitutional amendments have to be passed by the General Assembly in the same form twice, with a House election in between. House elections take place later this year.
If the proposals make it that far, then the proposals go to all Virginia voters for a referendum vote.