Legislators pushing out-of-touch, extreme agendas

January 9, 2012

Conservative lawmakers in Virginia are prefiling extreme right-wing legislation. Del. David Albo wants to expand anti-immigrant citizen checks, and Del. Richard Bell wants to require drug tests for anyone receiving, or asking for, public assistance. Del. Bob Marshall wants to eliminate the HPV vaccine requirement for students, and Del. Barbara Comstock is prioritizing corporations over workers and public safety. Del. Mark Cole wants to limit low-income women's access to abortion care.

Progressive Point: Extreme legislation in the General Assembly demonstrates how out of touch Virginia's conservative legislators are with their constituents. Virginia families need representatives who are focused on fixing our economy and creating jobs. Instead, many far-right representatives are pushing bills centered on serving their conservative base rather than strengthening support for the middle class.

The best way to help Virginia's economy is to invest in job training, good schools, and fixing our roads and bridges. Jobs and the economy are pressing issues for Virginians. Its time for our representatives to work for our future instead of attempting to implement a far-right Tea Party agenda. That future depends on legislators who invest in classroom priorities that build the foundation for student learning like early childhood education, smaller class sizes and equal school funding so our kids are ready to compete for 21st century jobs.

Get the Facts:

• Del. David Albo bill will expand citizen checks to include anyone who is arrested. (HB 89)

• Del. Richard Bell wants to require drug tests for anyone receiving or asking for public assistance (HB 73)

• Del. Mark Cole wants to repeal funding for abortions for women on medical assistance even when the "fetus would be born with a gross and totally incapacitating physical deformity or mental deficiency (HB 62)

• Del. Bob Marshall wants to eliminate "the requirement that children receive the human papillomavirus vaccine [HPV] for school attendance." (HB 65)

• Delegate Barbara Comstock is trying to make it even harder for labor organizations to do business with state agencies in Virginia and in so doing prioritizing corporations over workers and public safety. (HB 33)

Tweet it: Virginia must demand that our representatives work for our future http://bit.ly/zsN7ga via @ProgressVA

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