Comments Document

Businesses oppose HB 118. Testimony attached.

I believe HB118 will lead to higher energy prices and thus a lower standard of living, especially for those least able to pay.

Give the SCC the authority to decide wind and solar power decisions

I do not believe the actions proposed by this bill would provide the relief you’re looking for. There are many downsides to destroying farmland and wilderness just to put up a bunch of solar panels and windmills. We still have sufficient oil, gas, and coal and hydroelectric plants that do not pollute the air. Mother Earth would like you to leave her beautiful spaces as they are. Birds don’t like windmills or solar panels either.

Opposed.

Opposed.

Virginia Legislators: Please end the foolish VCEA. VCEA is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. It will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. It will hit poorer families the hardest. It will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. It will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. VCEA will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Thank you,

Dominion has no plan that complies with VCEA and provides reliable electricity. In their 2020 IRP they said they would have to import up to 10,000 MW in winter because solar was completely unreliable. But then in their 2021 IRP Update they say that imports like this are not feasible because everyone is going solar. The only alternative is huge amounts of storage, hundreds of thousands of MWh, costing hundreds of billions of dollars, but their plan only provides 16,000. It is completely unreliable, beginning next winter. VCEA simply cannot work. See my article for details: https://www.cfact.org/2022/01/21/vcea-makes-virginias-electric-grid-dangerously-unreliable/

Comments Document

This is a comment on HB 118 on the VCEA. I urge the legislature to modify VCEA so that DEQ and others can audit the review and oversight process for large-scale solar and assess environmental damage from projects already completed or in train, and not to continue blindly down the path of widespread industrial-scale solar. Several projects began construction even before DEQ reviewed and approved the submissions, contrary to law, with no subsequent penalty. Moreover, responsibility for assessing a project's impact on the environment, wildlife, archaeological sites, and watersheds rests solely with developers, per VCEA’s terms, with DEQ providing zero oversight to ensure that developers' submissions are accurate and include meaningful mitigation to environmental problems. Indeed, DEQ approval letters never require developers to actually do anything but merely "urge" them to mitigate potential damage and protect wildlife. Where are the checks in the system to ensure that the process is respected and followed? And why does DEQ not have the authority to compel compliance from developers in advance? A very concerning aspect of large-scale solar is its destruction of topsoil, as documented by the American Planning Association, that will prevent land used for solar from being restored to full agricultural or forestry uses after panels are removed, despite solar developers’ claims to the contrary. Solar panels are impermeable surfaces and have created massive runoff problems in every single large-scale project so far, silting up streams and lakes, and flooding (and damaging) neighboring properties, including in Louisa, Mecklenburg, Spotsylvania, and Essex Counties. Much runoff flows directly into the Chesapeake Bay watershed, undermining efforts to protect the bay. Heavy solar development is planned for southside and southwest Virginia, where the resulting runoff will damage the Nottoway, New, Banister, and Roanoke River basins. Yet few developers have been penalized in any meaningful way for their abject failures thus far. Where is the environmental oversight for watershed protection? Developers must file written plans and post security to defray future decommissioning costs yet are allowed to deduct what they claim are the monetary gains of salvaging or recycling the equipment, often resulting in zero money being posted. Yet recycling of these panels is very labor-intensive, with little demonstrated salvage value, making it unlikely to happen. Who will pay to remove literally millions of panels if developers are allowed to minimize and even eliminate their own financial commitments and cash-poor counties lack the financial resources to cover the costs? Written decommissioning plans also claim that used panels will be returned to their manufacturers, over 90% of whom are in China, but if those companies no longer exist in 30 years or refuse to accept the panels, where will they end up? Answer: in Virginia landfills, many of which adjoin historically black towns and communities, including at least one Rosenwald school. Where is the environmental justice for them? Enough projects have been completed to allow us to halt further development and audit every single project to revalidate the process, tighten compliance and enforcement, and provide the oversight needed to protect Virginia’s precious natural resources. True environmental responsibility demands nothing less of Virginia's General Assembly and State Senate.

Comments Document

February 2, 2021 RE: Virginia Businesses Support the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), Regional Greenhouse Gas Program (RGGI), and Clean Cars Dear Chair Byron and Members of the House Commerce and Energy Committee: Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with major companies and investors to build economic solutions to climate issues. We write today to share the position of the business community in Virginia on the bills before the Committee that propose to modify the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) as well as Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and Advanced Clean Cars ("Clean Cars") program. Members of Ceres BICEP Network* with operations in Virginia include Adobe, Ball Corporation, IKEA, JLL, Kaiser Permanente, Lyft, Mars Inc., McDonald’s, Microsoft, Nestle, Salesforce, Unilever, Workday, and Worthen Industries. As large employers and energy users, businesses understand how Virginia’s energy policy affects the cost of doing business. Maintaining market-friendly climate policies like the VCEA, RGGI and Clean Cars will enable Virginia to make critical progress on pollution and decarbonization while investing in a competitive, resilient economy. The VCEA is an attractive policy for companies looking to power their operations with renewable energy to make investments in Virginia. Energy efficiency and renewable standards keep energy costs low, consistent, and predictable over the long-term, allowing companies to plan ahead. That’s why 97 companies in Virginia have committed to power all of their corporate operations with 100% renewable energy. Continuing to participate in RGGI will ensure that state’s clean energy transition includes critical financial support to vulnerable coastline communities through flood mitigation programs and to vulnerable households statewide through funding for low-income energy efficiency programs. Further, predictable, stable energy policy sends a signal to new businesses that Virginia is a good place to invest. On behalf of seven businesses and four higher education institutions, I am pleased to share the attached letter urging the Virginia Legislature to maintain and build upon the considerable progress made in recent years to confront the climate crisis and build a competitive in-state clean energy market. The following companies, Hannon Armstrong, Lutron, Mars, Inc., Nestlé, Unilever, Workday, and Worthen Industries, and higher-ed institutions Sweet Briar College, University of Lynchburg, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and Virginia Wesleyan University share their support in the letter for the VCEA, RGGI, and Clean Cars, citing the significant business benefits of these policies, such as lower energy costs, new in-state investments, and programs that will help them meet their own climate goals. The signatories urge legislators to maintain a hospitable environment for clean energy investments going forward. Thank you for your time and consideration, and please be in touch with any questions. Sincerely, Mel Mackin Manager, State Policy Ceres mackin@ceres.org *The Ceres Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (“BICEP”) Network is a group of nearly 80 companies that support policies to prevent the dire financial and material risks of the climate crisis. BICEP members are committed to advocating for stronger climate and clean energy policies at the state and federal levels.

Solar and wind is not environmentally friendly when thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of acres will be destroyed to install the inefficient so-called power producers. Wind turbines kill birds, required massive amounts of concrete. Solar panels in huge installations destroy the homes of small animals and deprive larger animals with food. This does even include the costs to the humans now and in the future.

Comments Document

ACP Written Testimony in Opposition to HB 118

Comments Document

Written opposition testimony for HB 73, HB 74, HB 118 and HB 172

Virginia Legislators: Please end the foolish VCEA. VCEA is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. It will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. This will hit poorer families the hardest. It will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. This will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. VCEA will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Respectfully,

Public comments on HB118 HB118 is critical to maintaining competitive electric rates in Virginia, and to maintaining reliable power generated in the Commonwealth. Key components of the bill repeal Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), and returns power to the State Corporation Committee to protect electric customers from excessive rate increases. Our analysis shows without HB118 electric rates may rise 60% to 100% by 2030, and the negative impact on the economy could be $10 to $16.5 billion a year. Virginia’s RGGI carbon tax started in January 2021, and solar power generation more than doubled to 4% of electric demand as the impact of the VCEA kicked in. Consequently, According to the US Energy Information Agency, ten months of real data shows the fallacies of Virginia’s RGGI carbon tax program when compared to the same ten months in 2020. In-state electric generation fell 9% as natural gas-fired power plants lost against regional electric grid bids from non-carbon tax states with 10% to 13% lower cost. Virginia generators will lose about $330 million in generation revenue in 2021. The bottom-line result was residential electric bills would likely rise to $80 per year in just the first year. The RGGI tax actually increased global emissions by about 390,000 tons as imports have higher emissions after transmission losses, and the generation system mix are considered. Increased solar generation replaced zero-emitting nuclear and hydroelectric power 58% of the time, with the balance of offsets coming from low emission natural gas leading to, at best, 340,000 tons of emission savings. So, in reality, there may have been no emissions savings as intermittent solar power usually requires increased backup power from less efficient, fast start oil and natural gas generators. Even if the 14 million ton emission goal for 2030 was met, an EPA calculator shows global temperatures would only fall 0.004° F. The loss of in-state generation will continue as RGGI allowance prices continue to rise and perhaps double. Importing power adds cost to cover the greater transmission losses and congestion at key transmission sub-stations. Well-paying jobs at the power plants would be lost, which has secondary impacts on the economy. RGGI may have a cumulative direct negative impact on Virginia’s economy of $4.5 to $7.2 billion by 2030, or $10.3 to $16.5 billion if indirect and induced effects are included. Local power plants are needed to maintain voltage stability for reliability, and longer transmission lines could face more likely storm damage and outages. Dominion Energy provides 80% of Virginia’s electricity and plans to replace natural gas generation with wind, solar, and battery backup power to meet the VCEA state mandates. The utility commission determined that the plan would raise residential electric rates by $800 a year by 2030, with industrial rates rising by millions. The residential cost estimate rises to $1,500 a year, adding in needed transmission and distribution line additions to bring wind and solar power from distant locations, using actual residential demand, and removing the utility commission assumption customers in North Carolina will share the cost. Large increases in industrial electric bills would likely lead to companies moving elsewhere taking high-paying jobs with them.

I am writing to ask that HB118 be passed to eliminate the VCEA legislation. The VCEA will increase my electric bill above an already large part of my monthly fixed income. As a senior, I am reeling from constant price increases from food, cable. phone, and other necessary things to live with. The VCEA will help turn our commonwealth into an ugly landscape loaded with solar farms and windmills, and put our power generation at risk, when there is no need to do so. We cannot allow this landscape destruction to happen. Please pass HB118 and save Virginia's taxpayers from the VCEA. Thank you. Mr. Vance

We need to use our oil, natural gas, & abundant resources as they are very available & dependable resources. Meanwhile continue development of solar & wind, which hopefully will eventually become more dependable.

Comments Document

I am James Taylor, president of The Heartland Institute. We believe the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act will have a devastating impact on Virginia household incomes while accomplishing very little environmental or climate impact. For 2021, Virginia was one of the states generating the highest percentage of electricity from conventional energy and the lowest percentage from wind and solar power. This is a primary reason why the average price of electricity in Virginia is currently 18 percent below the national average. By comparison, electricity prices in California, which is heavily dependent on wind and solar power, are more than double those of Virginia. High electricity prices serve as an enormously regressive tax on Virginians. Virginia can learn a good lesson from the costly experiences of Kansas and Iowa. In 2010, neither state was heavily invested in wind or solar power. The average price of electricity in Iowa in 2010 was 7.66 cents per kilowatt hour. In Kansas, the average price was 8.23 c/kwh. The average price nationally was 9.88c/kwh in 2010. Between the two, the average price of electricity was 7.95 c/kwh, or 20 percent below the national average. Now, after ramping up their wind and solar power, the average price of electricity in the two states is 9.92 c/kwh, versus a national average of 11.20 c/kwh. In just over a decade, rather than having electricity priced 20 percent below the national average, the price of electricity in the two states is just 11 percent below the national average. In other words, the price of electricity in Iowa and Kansas is rising 50 percent faster than the rest of the nation. Virginia will almost certainly suffer the same fate, or a worse fate, under the renewable power mandates in the recently enacted Virginia Clean Economy Act. For a Virginia household paying $300 per month in electric bills, a 20-percent increase in electricity prices to reach the national average price would amount to an extra $60 per month – or an extra $720 per year – in household direct electricity bills. A conservative estimate of the costs that Virginians will pay catching up to national electricity prices would be at least $1,000 per household per year. The above numbers are merely for Virginians to catch up to the current national average price of electricity, in which merely 12 percent of national electricity is generated by renewable energy sources. The Virginia Clean Economy Act, however, mandates the Virginia economy utilize 100-percent renewable energy, which is much more than current national generation. As such, a conservative estimate of the costs for full implementation of the Virginia Clean Economy Act would be at least $3,000 to $7,000 per household per year. The United States produces less than 14 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Virginia produces only about 2 percent of U.S. emissions. As such, Virginia accounts for less than 2/10ths of 1 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The primary motivation for passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act was carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, yet the Clean Economy Act has an incredibly small impact on global emissions and an impact on global temperatures that is too small to be measured. Imposing $3,000 to $7,000 in higher costs per Virginia household per year is a very steep price to pay to accomplish no measurable impact.

It would be disastrous to pass this bill!

Dear People, All the noise being made about climate control and the carbon footprint is just that - noise. Their computer models are built on estimations instead of facts! And, it is a real fact that what this bill seeks to do will do more harm to our people than you have thought about, and absolutely nothing to help the climate. Our people are struggling already, and this is one more silly offer from people to far away from our reality to notice. Fossil fuels are by far the best way for us to heat our homes and transport to work. Please, stop listening to the people who think up this crap in offices but never have to live with their own ideas. If they did, they'd shut up. Thanks

Vote No - Way too expensive for homeowners.

I had the privilege to serve as the Virginia State Climatologist from 1980 to 2007, including a term as President of the American Association of State Climatologists. I tender my comments on HB118 after this considerable time in public service. HB118 mitigates some provisions in the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act, but it does not go far enough. While I support its passage, I believe that a clean and simple repeal of the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act will ultimately be more in order, because all systematic emissions reductions programs in Virginia are both expensive and climatically futile. The standard model to assess the climate impact of proposed policies is housed at the Biden Administration’s EPA, and is called the “Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-Gas Induced Climate Change.” Under standard and common assumptions about future climate change (which themselves may be questionable, likely assuming too much warming), the EPA model calculates that if total US emissions were reduced to zero in the early 21st century, and then kept there until 2100, the amount of global warming that would be prevented from now until then is around 0.13⁰C. But Virginia’s emissions are only about 3% of the US total, which means that nearly a century of zero Virginia emissions would result in a reduction in global warming of approximately 0.004 of a degree (C). For comparative purposes, China’s emissions are currently about twice those of the US, and they are likely to stabilize around 2030, when they will easily be three times ours. India is also rapidly electrifying via coal-fired generation. In this perspective, the US is rapidly on the way to being a minor player in global carbon dioxide emissions, with a truly negligible contribution from Virginia. By 2030, China’s emissions alone will climatically swamp any US reductions every year. While I think HB118 should pass the House of Delegates, it may have a difficult time in the Senate. A cleaner future Bill, in what is likely to be a very different political climate (both Houses of the General Assembly are likely to be Republican), would be a simple repeal of the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act in the 2024 legislative session, which will then be signed into law by Governor Youngkin. Passing HB118 is a first step in this direction, despite its uncertain future in this Session.

Virginia Legislators: Please end the foolish VCEA. VCEA is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. It will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. It ill hit poorer families the hardest. It will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. It will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. VCEA will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) is clearly the most radical and wasteful energy and climate legislation ever passed in the history of our Commonwealth. It will most direly impact Virginia's poorer families, since it will cost Virginia families and businesses a ridiculous $2 billion per year -- which works out to $800 annually for a family of four! And, it requires the destruction of 770 square miles of farmlands and forests, which is over 30 times the size of New York City. While seeming to be noble and full of great potential, solar and wind energy have proven time and time again to be unreliable and intermittent when most needed, causing grid destabilization and blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Virginia needs to act wisely and learn from these mistakes. I strongly urge the passage of HB118, to roll back the dangerous statewide Green New Deal initiatives.

Regarding HB 118, renewable energy projects need to be subject to full-blown environmental reviews. They should not be exempt from any related regulatory or public involvement processes. Environmental reviews of renewable energy projects should include an assessment of whether the project would impact the critical habitat of Federally listed endangered species, or potentially result in a prohibited taking of these species. There are many such species listed in Virginia. In addition, environmental reviews of solar projects must include an assessment of the impacts of erosion that may result from clearing land for solar farms, resulting in increased stormwater runoff carrying sediment that may harm the water quality of streams, lakes, and the Chesapeake Bay, and smother associated fish and wildlife aquatic habitat. The environmentally damaging procedural flaws in VCEA require that it be repealed.

Think carefully about this energy bill. You don't want to end up like Germany. Shutting down working nuclear power plants and then trying to make do with solar panels in a climate that is not suitable for them. (Cloudy days and snow.) Wind energy requires an enormous investment in battery technology and takes up large swaths of land while killing large numbers of birds. At the same time, Germany is also becoming dependent on Russia for natural gas, which is going to cost them in the long run. Let the free market determine what works.

Green energy should be left to succeed on it's own merits and not forced upon a population ill suited to adapt. Like petroleum replaced whale oil and other things evolved over time. in truth I suspect this is driven more by patronage and favor than by any real concern. There are huge amounts of money at stake and the welfare of the general population will be sacrificed in the process without regard. Practical thinking must prevail. Do any of the politicians in favor of this course of action realize that they may still be in office when the devastating effects take place ? They should have to answer for themselves. The foresight they claim is only for their benefit.

I see there is a bill, HB 118, to repeal and replace the misbegotten Virginia Clean Economy Act. I urge you to pass it. "Clean" energy is extremely expensive and wasteful energy, and not even particularly clean. Solar and wind are intermittent, cutting out or falling sharply when the wind blows too weakly or strongly, or when clouds block the Sun. They cannot provide the reliable baseload power a modern economy needs in order to operate. Batteries are low power and expensive. Hence, the backup for the intermittent windmills and solar panels is usually fossil fuels, but consumed in wasteful stop/start mode instead of efficient baseload mode. This means essentially paying for double coverage of your electrical system. Check with the Germans and Danes about the cost. Their residential electric total costs are more than twice the average of the US. They were three times as high before we moved further down the insane road of mandating huge amounts of wind and solar. Wind and solar are also low power and dispersed, chewing up an awful lot of land, serving as eyesores, and requiring both tremendous amounts of wiring to collect the electricity needed to supply a city, and even more high-voltage transmission lines, which are politically very unpopular and require huge lawsuits to get built anywhere. And both involve huge amounts of toxic materials to manufacture and then pose huge headaches for disposal at the end of their relatively short useful lives. Fossil fuels and nuclear are more economical and far more reliable and controllable. Global warming exists and rising CO2 is probably adding to it, but the warming trend is a mere 0.14 degrees C (0.25 F) per decade, a ten-year warming you would not notice sitting in a room from one minute to the next. The science sections of the badly mis-summarized Assessment Reports on climate explicitly state that there is low confidence in any global upward trends in disastrous weather resulting from this moderate warming. We may not want to keep it up forever, but we easily have decades to find alternative energy sources as economical and reliable as fossil fuels - more likely safer and cheaper future versions of nuclear power. On these grounds, I urge the passage of HB 118. Thank you for the opportunity to comment! Ralph Mullinger

Good to pass to lower energy costs for citizens.

To the honorable men and women of the Virginia legislature. While I am not a resident, I ask that you pass HB 118. Destroying vital land for the placement of solar panels and windmills is folly of the highest order. Even on a perfect day, renewable energy is not capable of supplying the amounts of electricity that is currently being provided, and even with all of the taxpayer subsidies, it certainly isn't cost effective. Electricity rates have been rising just like Mr. Obama pledged they would and the most vulnerable are paying the price. Maybe this was planned so as to get more people dependent on the federal government. Then too, solar panels tend to get hot and therefore kill off valuable insect life such as bees. Wind turbines kill an untold number of birds, including our national symbol, Bald Eagles. Here in MN the energy companies brag about doing flight path studies before placing the turbines, but what they glaringly omit is the fact that they requested and were granted an exemption for killing eagles and other protected species. Another overlooked but important aspect is the rare earth materials needed to make the socialist energy Nirvana come to pass are located in areas of the world that aren't exactly our best friends. Add to that, the biggest producer of rare minerals China, is building coal fired generating plants a fast as they can, thereby offsetting any potential climate gains we might hope for with so called "renewable / clean" energy. With the increasing costs of electricity in this country due to the stupidity of politicians forcing their economy destroying agenda, how can we even think of being competitive on the world manufacturing stage? In other and simpler words, high energy costs mean businesses move away and leave unemployed Americans in their wake. So yeah, if you want to continue to destroy this exceptional nation and the livelihoods of thousands upon thousands of Americans, continue down the clean energy primrose path.

CO2 is not a problem. Wind and solar energy are not viable solutions to anything. Scrap the plans to destroy Virginia land.

Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

HB118 is a terrible Bill and there would not be enough space here to note all of its problems. Just VOTE NO on this Bill

We need to think over Virginias Energy Policy. Currently, legislation allows 700+ acres of farm and woodland to be destroyed to make way for solar and wind farms. Renewable energy is not efficient or reliable. Additionally, it is not environmentally friendly. Wind farms destroy counless numbers of birds. Additionally windmills destroy the viewshed of the farms and mountains of this beautiful state. Plus---WHY , if you want clean, safe, reliable and cheap energy, why isn't there a plan to build new reactors?

HB 118 should be passed to prevent damage that would be done by implementing the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) that was passed last year. VCEA requires the expenditure of billions of dollars on unreliable solar and wind energy. Wherever large-scale solar and wind energy projects have been tried (e.g. California, Germany), electric rates have been raised significantly to pay for those projects, but those sources are not reliable. Existing fossil-fuel, nuclear and hydro power must be maintained to have a reliable source of electricity. There would be a trivial reduction of carbon dioxide resulting from solar and wind energy in Virginia. The reduction would be too small to measure. Climate change has been occurring throughout the earth's 4.5-billion year history. The predictions of climate catastrophe are based on climate models that do not correspond to the actual climate record. Our goal should be to use those sources of energy that best promote human flourishing - fossil fuels, nuclear and hydro. To understand the issue further, please visit https://energytalkingpoints.com Thank you.

Sir/Madam: Though not a resident of your state, I highly encourage you vote for a bill that would lift the heavy hand of government from Virginia's electricity generation, and make the grid more reliable, and lower prices for everyone. Thank you! Windmills will not do it, and they are actually a danger to the environment and terribly expensive, raising the cost of electricity!

100 percent renewable energy is impossible. Much money will be wasted in this foolish endeavor. We will always need reliable backup supply. If you want "clean" energy then embrace Nuclear.

As a citizen of North Carolina I am asking that this piece of legislation should not be passed. When you ruin your state everybody starts leaving. They come here and start ruining my state. I also like Virginia the way it is. Its nice to drive through when I have to travel north. I like the scenery which is beautiful. These wind farms only last a few years, maybe because they are built of Chinese parts and Chinese steel, and wind up as rusted twisted derelicts after a hurricane blows through. It's bad enough when I have to drive through Baltimore and New Jersey. Don't extend the ugly scenery any farther south.

I am not a full time resident of Virginia, however, I do regularly visit, and I am writing in favor of this new bill. My family and I have enjoyed the coast, the island of Chincoteague, Williamsburg, and the western mountains on our numerous trips to Virginia. It seems to me that as a state you would be cutting off your nose to spite your face if you let the present law stand. I certainly would not be coming to see the windmill and solar farms that are not a pretty sight; rather I would much prefer to come and see the beautiful natural spaces for which Virginia is known and loved. Wait for the technology to advance enough to make it possible to for wind and solar to be viable energy sources, and in the meantime, do not destroy the wonders that draw so many of us to Virginia.

RE: HB118 The Virginia "Clean" Economy Act is a dangerous mistake. Methods for employing renewable energy need to be developed and improved systematically over time as technology permits, and not be forced upon the masses before their time. If not, overemployment of renewable energy will turn out to be a failure and a destructive disaster for all of us. Bob in Glen Arm, Md

Dear Legislators, Virginia "Clean" Economy Act is a dangerous mistake no one can afford. VCEA is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. I hope you will consider the effects of this dangerous bill and choose not to pass it. Best Regards, Neal Ala

Approve this bill! We need to spend money on things that work and keep energy affordable!

This regulation is fraught with erroneous information taken as facts. It is time to ask the engineers to do a real life cycle costing and use common sense to see how ridiculous this proposal is.

Renounce any and all Green New Deal, renewable e Gerry bills. No one can afford the price. See Paul Driessen and his analysis.

I am against the taking of 770 square miles of Virginia farm and forest land for ridiculously expensive and unreliable solar and wind farms. While politicians brag about how wonderful these farms are, they completely ignore the huge amount of pollution from rare earth mining and refining taking place to build the infrastructure, and again the huge amount of pollution caused by trying to recycle the wind turbines and solar panels after their relatively short lifespan. Politicians ignore the citizens who will be stuck paying higher energy bills for less dependable energy. I have read that a family of four will see their energy bill increase $800 a year to pay for this senseless attempt to control the earth's climate based on biased hand-picked data.

I am against the taking of forest and farmland for the purpose of building expensive and unreliable solar and wind farms. I certainly will not vote for anyone pushing this agenda.

They did this to us in Texas (and are still doing it) You saw the results last winter. It killed quite a few people to include a ten year old boy who froze in his house in South Texas. Are you stupid? The green energy programs do not work. From an engineering perspective, (you know - numbers/calculations) Wind and solar panels are only capable of producing about 30% of what the promoters say they do. It is physically impossible. It only works with government money. Do not pass this bill.

Please vote "NO" on this bill. This legislation: "Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100."

HB 118 ; Mandating clean energy sources harms more than it helps. It is an unreliable source of energy, destroys farmland and hurts the consumer as it raises costs on everything. It makes such an insignificant change to CO emissions. Besides, plants thrive on it. Sincerely, Sharon.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

Not one, wind or solar, are self sufficient without subsidies! It cause the price per kilowatt to rise plus with subsidies your paying at least twice the amount for kilowatt than a gas plant or coal or nuclear! To build these units is proven more harmful to the environment from pollution to killing birds and animals! These lies about global warming needs to quit now! You politicians are killing this country, just look at how many you killed with a vaccine, especially kids!

Virginia "Clean" Economy Act is a dangerous mistake no one can afford. A terrible waste of taxpayer dollars and will only add unstable electricity to the grid which will still need power stations we currently have. Not a plausible idea - might as well throw all that money in a pit - or here's an idea - use it to put in compact and safe small nuclear reactors....

This bill will restore common sense to energy policy and reduce rates for everyone. Please pass it.

VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

This bill will do nothing to help people and will cause death and destruction to the people of VA Do not pass the insane bill Respectafully Mr. Morrow

End VCEA The goal to reduce the Commonwealth’s carbon emissions to zero by 2045 and would achieve its ends by bulldozing large amounts of farmland and wilderness to foist the construction of massive new solar and windfarms. VCEA: Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Support HB 118 to lift the heavy hand of government from Virginia's electricity generation, protect the environment, make the grid more reliable, and lower prices for everyone. Thank You

This is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Watching politicians talk about science is about like watching monkeys have sexual relations with a football. To believe that CO2 is a poisonous gas or that it is bad for the environment is simply ignorant. Without CO2 green vegetation would die and so would most life on earth. This preoccupation with CO2 is a distraction from curbing serious pollution in the world.

So many high-level political policies, mandates, and acts are being predicated on lies, misconceptions and 'elites' ill-conceived agendas. House Bill 118 seeks to roll back one such policy and I support it. The truth is CO2 is not a poison but necessary for life on earth and without it we'd all be dead. Are humans creating too much of it? No, not possible. The best we can do is 4% of the world's CO2 production and when only one volcano burps it nullifies even the 4% humans at best can take credit for. Former President Reagan once expressed that, "...Freedom is a fragile thing...and it comes only once to a people." The elites, evil powers of this world, and the Democrat party want to take it away from us and rule America with power and control over everything we do, everywhere we go and anything we want to become. False environmentalism, Covid19, and lies upon lies are their tools that they implore. It's time for a whole hell of a lot of pushback and the HB118 does that and I support it.

This radical VCEA needs to be eliminated. It has nothing to do with climate. It's all about power and control. Man cannot change the climate or destroy the earth. Only God can do any of that. Thank you.

Pls shut this bill down now. It will hurt low income VA families the most and do nothing to change the climate.

The Virginia Clean Energy Act is a disaster that does nothing to combat climate change but will result in a large cost to all Virginians and especially the most needy families. This experiment has been tried in the UK and other places and has been a total disaster. We need to continue to utilize our fossil fuel resources and let these so called green initiatives develop as they become cost effective. I as a taxpayer should not have to pay to speed them along.

VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

Stop the Nonsense! Wind Turbines Killing Birds, catching fire, and not producing enough renewable energy plus an eyesore is a waste of taxpayers Hard Earned Money!

When are we going to elect people that ACTUALLY go by REAL science before imposing their ridiculous and insane ideas on everyone else? We are constantly told to 'follow the science' - yet, those telling us to 'follow the science' don't even know what 'science' is - they only know what gibberish they are fed by people with an 'agenda' instead of actually doing their own research. Get a damn clue before ruining peoples lives!!!!

Ridiculous. Climate cannot be changed by humans. Only God has control of it.

Please pass this Bill to remove the yoke of government from the Electrical Industry. Legislators in Virginia should note that VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100 If this Bill is enacted it may reverberate in other State Legislatures (e.g., RI).

Please stop bill HB 118 . It will be horribly expensive and won't help the environment one bit, but will destroy much land in the process. Thank you. Don Feller

This bill VCEA we do not want as it will not help people living in Va. The bill HB118 will help with regulation.

VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

The goal was to reduce the Commonwealth’s carbon emissions to zero by 2045 and would achieve its ends by bulldozing large amounts of farmland and wilderness to foist the construction of massive new solar and windfarms....cluttering the landscape with junk and putting an even greater strain on existing land/resources. Global Warming in nothing but a hoax, the 'climate' is constantly changing, and nothing man can do will alleviate this. Remember back in the 80s, these same 'scientists' were screaming from the rooftops that were headed for another Ice Age!

This bill will raise prices, cause harm to the environment, and create dependency on unreliable power sources, wind and solar. Thank you for your consideration

Please pass HB118 as soon as possible. The Virginia Clean Economy Act is the worst mistake Virginia ever made. It causes nothing but harm. Facts: 1. The climate is not getting too warm. In fact, it's too cold! Massive volcanoes such as Vesuvius spewed so much volcanic ash into the atmosphere that they caused a mini ice age that has never abated.. If the climate were actually getting warmer (which it isn't), it would only be returning to normal. 2. NONE of the dire predictions from the climate alarmists have any truth whatsoever. Before Vesuvius et al. plunged us into the current mini ice age, polar ice caps didn't melt, coastlines didn't flood, polar bears weren't extinct, and none of the other nightmare scenarios ever happened. There is absolutely NO reason to expect they would happen this time if the climate DID return to normal. 3. Carbon dioxide (and it's not "carbon", that's an entirely different substance) is NOT harmful. it's what plants make food from. It is NOT a "greenhouse gas", WATER is. Water absorbs over 99.97% of the sun's energy, but CO2 can only absorb less than 1/40% of the sun's energy. Atmospheric CO2 and other so-called "greenhouse gasses" aren't even a drop in the ocean compared to H2O, 4. Even if there really was anything we could do about the climate (which there isn't), a warmer climate would actually be beneficial as it would result in increased plant growth, and thus increased food production. Plants grow faster in a warm environment; that's why gardeners use greenhouses. 5. Geologic core samples show that the current level of atmospheric CO2 is less than 1/20th of normal. A rise in CO2 level would only be a return to normal (and would be good for food production). These same core samples show ABSOLUTELY NO correlation between CO2 levels and climate. Al Gore's "doom and gloom" claims about CO2 levels and climate are a total MYTH. Al Gore was a politician, not a scientist or engineer. Don't listen to him - he knows LESS about climate than a pet rock does. (A pet rock is just a rock. It knows nothing. Al Gore's "knowledge" about climate is not just wrong, it's FALSE. Thus he knows LESS than nothing - less than a pet rock!) 6. "Renewable" energy sources such as wind and solar are NOT environmentally friendly. Solar panel manufacture is extremely toxic, using chemicals such as arsenic and sodium hydroxide. And turbines should really be called "bird choppers" because of what they do to birds. Also, ALL "renewable" energy sources use VASTLY more land (which could otherwise be used for better purposes such as farming) than traditional energy sources.

HB118 should not be past it will raise the heat and electric bills for all citizens. There are better ways to solve this problem please read the book “FALSE ALARM” to find real solution that help humanity as a whole.

Foolish bill does more harm than good and should be put in the dumpster.

This is not just a Virginia issue. Everywhere in the world that government has shuttered efficient fossil fuel energy sources and forced people into wind and solar -- prices have risen, the environment suffers, and reliability is destroyed. • Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. • Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. • Will hit poorer families the hardest. • Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. • Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. • Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

This bill must not be passed - read all of the books on the other side of the global warming hysteria - this is a foolish bill - energy production needs to be practical, reliable, and redundant - and affordable. I love to be efficient, and environmentally responsible - but there is no such thing as a free lunch - everything has its costs -

Ottawa, Canada is following Germany’s Failed Climate Goals. The city’s government has learned very little from others that have inflicted huge costs for electricity onto their citizens. As the City of Ottawa pursues electrification of it grid from breezes and sunshine, and electrification of its vehicles, at any cost, it remains oblivious to the real world needs of its most vulnerable citizens to put their plans in place to achieve its “net-zero by 2050 target, regardless of its impact on the lifestyles of its citizens. https://www.eurasiareview.com/25012022-ottawa-canada-is-following-germanys-failed-climate-goals-oped/

The are only three viable forms of "green energy": geothermal, hydro and nuclear. Of the three, Small Modular Reactors (SMD's) are the only practical way to provide electrical energy in the near and middle term. Solar and Wind are far too wasteful (areas of land required) and polluting (end of life decommissioning) and require far too many subsidies. SMD's do require significant up-front costs but have far longer productive lifetimes and can be scaled to meet local needs without consuming large tracts of land. Far, far fewer waste products are a result as well as much, much higher efficiencies. Please review information on SMD's and kill HB118 for the sake of Earth's future.

Just the footprint in acreage, and non recyclable elements of massive windmill and solar installations is a non starter compared to fossil fuel and nuclear installations. Solar and wind are just another massive gov't. boondoggle to spend the taxpayers money for a negative result, ie.--increased cost to the consumer, while wasting the consumer/taxpayer money. R. SKORA

We need consistent energy, not intermittent. We need food produced by farmlands. Wind producers kill birds, destroying the ecological system. Do not pas this bill.

Sharply raises cost, complexity with negative benifit.

Please do not pass this bill

Everywhere in the world that government has pursued efficient fossil fuel energy sources and forced people into wind and solar -- prices have risen, the environment suffers, and reliability is destroyed. VCEA will hit poorer families the hardest. VCEA will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, and other countries. Please stop this misguided direction.

Reject HB118. There's a saying, "Protect Farmland; pavement is forever". Clean energy is a pipe dream in the sense of replacing what works with 'wind or solar' at the expense of food productive farms, so the so-called evil 'fossil fuels' are the savior of a society that needs this vital energy source along with nuclear and hydroelectric; to do otherwise is akin to putting us back to the dark ages. Until the 'renewable' resources are viable on their own without forced taxpayer subsidies, they're not reliable. Demonization of what works before we have something viable to replace it effectively, efficiently and cost effective is insanity. Wind and solar are woefully ineffective, non-recyclable, expensive and environmentally hazardous to humans, wildlife and create an eyesore and maintenance nightmare that their proponents ignore as they gleefully sing its praises, never mind the consequences and astronomical high price both to the public and environment. In other words as a good book goes on to detail, wind and solar are "Dumb Energy".

"Clean" renewable energy will come as the technology matures and becomes competitive. America is a great example of reducing emissions without draconian measures. Artificial deadlines and increased energy costs are not the fair or proper way to a "Green New World." Even looking at the supposed benefits of draconian steps that will hurt economies across the planet, the effect on global temperatures is not sufficient anyway. Trashing our economic system thus does not make sense. A more gradual economically driven shift does.

The benefits of limiting emissions by drastic restrictions cannot be demonstrated by any measurements. The threats of global warming are empty, as seen by the facts--our globe is cooling down. Please get facts from both sides of the issue.

The VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. It Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Please vote against this terrible bill!!! It Will hit poorer families the hardest. It Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. It Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. It Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

Legislators in Virginia, VCEA Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. We all too well that inefficient, intermittent wind and solar are terribly destructive, expensive, and unreliable.

This bill is a waste of time and taxpayer money and will do nothing to affect validate change. Destroying important farmland and forestry which is more important to minimizing the impacts of fossil fuel emissions

Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

Please support HB 118 bill and not the VCEA bill which is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Thank you, Sincerely Rebecca

VCEA: Is the most radical energy and climate legislation ever passed in the Commonwealth’s history. Will cost Virginia families and businesses a whopping $2 Billion per year – which amounts to $800 annually for a family of four. Will hit poorer families the hardest. Will cause the harmful destruction of farmlands and forests – a whopping 770 square miles, which is 33 times the size of New York City. Will destabilize the grid by relying on intermittent, unreliable solar and wind energy that has led to blackouts in Texas, California, Europe, and Australia. Will do nothing to impact climate change as even EPA modeling shows if Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

Please pass HB 118. Please cancel the Virginia Clean Economy Act. If you need proof that solar energy is not the solution, at this time, please watch: "Planet of the Humans"..... which is supported by Michael Moore.

It's time to stop allowing the radical left to tear down America. We have been in a spiraling downfall ever since pResident Brandon was installed and began dismantling all the positive actions that President Trump took to get us back on a solid, prosperous footing.

Please abolish VCEA

Comments Document

In support of HB118. RGGI IS CLIMATICALLY MEANINGLESS - VIRGINIA SHOULD EXIT RGGI AND REPEAL THE VCEA. As author of books, studies and articles on these issues for 45 years, I can say with confidence that wind, solar and battery facilities are clean, renewable and sustainable IN VIRGINIA only if their cropland, habitat, scenic, wildlife, human health and other impacts are ignored. But this is a GLOBAL issue. These technologies require extensive mining, fossil fuel use, emissions and environmental impacts in foreign countries that provide the necessary raw materials and manufacturing. Offshore turbines require 14 times more materials per MW than combined-cycle gas turbines; solar panels and backup batteries also require massive amounts. VCEA offshore wind turbines alone will need 20,000 tons of copper, which means mining and processing 4,500,000 tons of copper ore, after removing 7,000,000 tons of overburden. One 3-MW onshore turbine foundation uses 1,500 tons of concrete plus rebar. These technologies also require huge amounts of steel, aluminum, lithium, cobalt, rare earth metals, plastics and other materials – and so mining, processing and manufacturing, mostly in China or by Chinese companies in other countries, using fossil fuels and under pollution control, reclamation, workplace safety, and child/slave labor rules far below US standards. Onshore wind turbines, solar panels and battery modules have 15 or 20-year life spans; offshore turbines far less than that, due to salt corrosion. Virginians need answers to questions never raised regarding the RGGI and VCEA. How much electricity will these VCEA-mandated facilities actually generate daily? annually? Who gets to decide where they go? under what environmental reviews and safeguards? How many could be destroyed in a hurricane, tornado or ice storm? How long will it take to repair or replace them? Where will electricity come from in the meantime? Since most components cannot be recycled, where will worn-out and wrecked turbines, turbine blades, solar panels, batteries and concrete foundations be disposed of? How much will repairs, replacement, removal and landfilling cost? Who pays? How will wildlife habitats, raptors, bats, and other endangered species be protected as these industrial-scale installations proliferate? What fines and penalties will be assessed for violations? How many tons of metals, minerals and other materials will be required to build all these “clean economy” facilities? How many tons of ore will have to be mined? Where? How much coal, oil, diesel and natural gas will be required? How much land? Will Virginia insist that more mining be done in the US, so that we are not dependent on China, Russia and other unfriendly foreign sources? How many African, Asian and Latin American children and parents will work in the mines, processing plants and factories that provide these VCEA technologies? How will Virginia ensure workplace health and safety, fair living wages and human rights for them? The VCEA will do nothing to address “dangerous manmade climate change.” (a) All these overseas operations will emit enormous amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. (b) Under the RGGI and VCEA, Virginia will shutter 6,000 megawatts of coal-based electricity, while China alone will soon have 200 times that amount just in coal-fired generation AND is building coal and gas power plants in Asia and Africa. Virginians will pay high energy bills for unreliable energy and no benefits.

In support of HB118 RGGI IS CLIMATICALLY MEANINGLESS - VIRGINIA SHOULD REPEAL THE VCEA Governor Glenn Youngkin raised quite a kerfuffle when, even before he took office, he said he would extricate Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). It is the right thing to do. While he's at it, he ought to propose that the Virginia Legislature repeal the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). To see how unpopular RGGI and the VCEA may be when put into action, the Governor should look across the pond to the UK, which is about to throw out Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose energy policies are making it unaffordable for many Britons to heat their homes. States like Virginia and California are proposing many of them same things that are being executed by Mr. Johnson and by Western Europe (save France). The power shortages caused by heavy reliance on intermittent windmills and remarkably inadvisable solar (the sun is below the horizon half the time) are forcing Germany to burn more coal and to buy tons of natural gas from Russia at high prices, which will then use Germany's "green" policies to push that country around politically. Many Germans, like Britons, are also politically restless, and Virginians may be as well. Speaker Todd Gilbert captured the situation well when he said "RGGI costs the public significant amounts of money for no tangible benefit", a conclusion which applies equally to the VCEA. The Democrats were left with nothing to say except prattling on about "climate change". For years the US Environmental Protection Agency has used a computer model called the "Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Induced Climate Change (MAGICC) to determine the climactic effect of CO2 reduction proposals. The model predicts that if all US emissions - that is, every CO2 emission (electricity, automobiles, construction, agriculture) - were reduced to zero today ( immediately), the amount of global warming that even this impossible policy would "save" is a minuscule 0.13C, which is no more than background noise in the natural variation of climate temperature. RGGI and VCEA are even more futile, as they apply only to Virginia, and only to electricity and automobiles. Their claimed reductions are simply a drop in the bucket, and even if attempted are swamped by China's insistence on burning more coal, and adding more new coal plants than all of Western Europe combined. As past President of the American Association of State Climatologists, I can confidently say that the vast majority of my former colleagues would agree with me that the climate mitigation underlying RGGI and the VCEA is undetectable. Virginia should reject both of them.

Climate change and Virginia - In support of HB 118 Statement prepared by Gregory Wrightstone; executive director of the CO2 Coalition based in Arlington. He is a geologist and an expert reviewer for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Below is a summary of a paper prepared by a team of respected experts assembled by the CO2 Coalition. This landmark study reviews the scientific basis for the previous administration’s entry in the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). The paper’s principal author is CO2 Coalition senior fellow, Dr. Patrick Michaels who was former Virginia State Climatologist. This paper has been provided to the committee in its entirety for your review. Justifications for Virginia to impose increased regulations and taxation on fossil fuels and fossil fuel-generated energy are based on dire warnings of existing and future CO2-driven catastrophes. Within our paper we assess claims of looming disaster that have been used by former-Governor Northam and supporters of the extensive deployment of expensive and unreliable “renewable” energy sources. We show that assertions of current and future harm from emissions of carbon dioxide are unsupported by the facts. Our finding is that Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is climatically meaningless, as is the overall VCEA program itself. But the costs and inconvenience imposed by VCEA would be economically very meaningful. Rather than increasing as climate alarmists claim, severe weather events have been generally decreasing. In the case of heat waves, there is little dispute that their greatest frequency in both the United States and in Virginia occurred in the 1920s and 1930s. A full 68 percent of all record highs in the state were set in the period 1922 to 1941, and no records have been set in the last 20 years. There is no connection between heat waves and carbon dioxide emissions. In Virginia the sea-level rise is amplified by the well-documented isostatic rebound along the eastern seaboard responding to glacial melt at the end of the last ice advance. Land-subsidence rates in the mid- and northeast Atlantic coastal regions are between two and five mm/year, which yields 21st-century sea level rises of 7.8 to 19.7 inches from non-climatic processes that cannot be arrested. However, despite increasing temperatures, there is no acceleration in the actual rise of sea level according to tide-gauge records. Concerning agricultural decline driven by carbon dioxide-induced climate change, the reality is that Virginia, along with most of the globe, has seen a dramatic increase in crop production over the last several decades. Increased production is consistent with higher levels of carbon dioxide — an essential plant food — and moderate warming, both of which have contributed to an overall greening of Earth. Conclusion Using EPA’s own “Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Induced Climate Change”, If Virginia were to eliminate 100% of its carbon dioxide emissions, it would only reduce temperature by 0.0021degrees Celsius by the year 2100 (sensitivity of 2.0), a measurement so small as to be meaningless and well below our ability to even measure. The only thing meaningful about the Virginia Clean Economy Act is that it costs consumers and businesses a lot of money by increasing the price of energy. Virginia should follow the science and withdraw from VCEA.

HB 1201 Unemployment benefits should be carefully controlled. We must avoid providing disincentives to work.

HB 118 Yes, include solar!

HB 1243 Mammography must be optional, based on the woman's choice. For a lot of thinking women it is wrong (does not make sense) to invade breasts with radiation in an effort to "detect" breast cancer.

HB 126 Yes, by all means.....Proton therapy works, I think.

HB 1288 Yes, by all means.....And rate reviews must allow for the power of solar to help us save the environment.

HB 153 Yes, by all means.....no state funds should be paid to workers illegally impaired.

HB 1160 I am in favor of this----a necessity nowadays to keep our communities healthy.

HB 263 If this bill will help to ensure that banks will be able to help people save money in virtual currency and add that to FDIC-like assurances for saving consumers......it has my blessing.

HB 225 -- It is a good idea to carefully define this disorder in the bill. Make sure NOT to simply repeat psychiatric jargon in the wording of the law, or it will be uninterpretable by the public that is being served. At a minimum, provide a clear definition of autism in plain English in the bill.

SUVGOP supports Republican candidates and causes concerning fundamental, kitchen table issues that matter most to Virginians. The SUVGOP newsletter reaches 25,000 subscribers every Monday morning. We support HB 118 - repeal of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). The VCEA is the most radical and partisan piece of legislation regarding energy policy ever codified in Virginia. Like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), it purports to be energy legislation, but in fact is a tax on energy consumption imposed on Virginia families and businesses which will cost consumers over $2 Billion per year - $800 per year for the average Virginia family. It not only mandates the particular types of energy generation that must be adopted by Virginia's public utilities, but also completely removes any meaningful oversight capability of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to determine if such generation modes are affordable and reliable for Virginia consumers. Many Virginians are struggling to pay for their electricity. The Virginia Legislature recently was required to avert a crisis of household electricity termination by requiring Dominion Energy to forgive over $200 million of past due electricity bills. The VCEA's burden on electricity costs will weigh most heavily on low income communities, minority households, and seniors living on fixed incomes. This legislation was based on a questionable premise that has been opposed and refuted by over 31,000 distinguished American scientists, including 801 Virginians, and also by the former State Climatologist, Dr. Patrick Michaels.The VCEA will cause clearcutting and erosion by solar factories placed on vast amounts of Virginia farmland and forests - 770 square miles, 33 times the size of New York City. Now Virginia has the most proposed solar projects in the Country - 450 of them - even though we rank only 24th among all States in the amount of sunshine. The VCEA burdens Virginia with the worst of all worlds: the most unreliable form of energy - solar, which is then coupled with by far the most expensive - offshore wind. Moreover the VCEA obliterates the lynchpin of any sound energy policy - reliability - the dependability which should assure a consistent supply of electricity no matter what kind of weather prevails. As Republicans, we are guided by the words of our new Governor Glenn Youngkin, who consistently said throughout his campaign that "We need an electrical grid which is stable, and we absolutely have to change direction. We must change direction from the VCEA, because it is not doable, affordable, or good for Virginia". He also promised to "reduce the cost of living" for Virginians. Repeal of the VCEA is a key element in fulfilling that goal. All the Governor's pledges are jeopardized by an energy policy which promises ever-spiraling electricity costs, environmental degradation, and danger to reliability. Our vision is that, far from being the supplicant for energy supplied by other States, the Commonwealth of Virginia, by expanding its impressive existing assets - nuclear, natural gas, and others, will become the reliable supplier of energy for the mid-Atlantic region. The VCEA should be repealed, and Virginia should return to its prior energy status.. The Youngkin Administration should be given the opportunity to frame the kind of energy grid which it believes is both affordable and reliable,

Comments Document

Please find attached a discussion of HB118, repealing the Virginia Clean Energy Act.

Comments Document

Since the time the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) was enacted in 2020, the premises underlying this ill-conceived, poorly crafted legislation have been suspect. The VCEA was founded upon highly questionable scientific claims. It was rammed through the Virginia legislature without adequate consideration of its economic costs and demonstrable harm to Virginia’s forests and farmland. Right now there are 440 solar projects in 70 counties pending governmental and regulatory approval. If all these projects are constructed to help meet Green energy pledges, they would cover an area of 778 square miles, equal to 330,00 football fields, 35 times the size of New York City, larger than Albemarle County, and 1.5 times the size of Loudoun County. They are not being constructed on land zoned for industrial or commercial use. Rather, in most cases the developers have chosen to seek special use permits from counties to site them on land zoned and master planned for agricultural and forest use. The reason why is simple. Rural forest and farmland are abundant and cheap. But this kind of land is zoned that way for a reason -- to preserve the rural atmosphere of the counties for the benefit of their citizens. Industrial facilities should be placed in or near other industrial and commercial zones. Solar factories require the clear cutting and topsoil removal of most of the acres of the proposed factory. And each acre will be covered with approximately 300 solar panels, weighing a total of over 5 tons. Most of these solar panels are made in China. At the end of their useful life, they must be removed -- another extensive undertaking being that they contain toxic chemicals, such as cancer-causing cadmium. We have seen from recently constructed solar factories, like the massive, 6,000-acre Fawn Lake facility in Spotsylvania County, that it is unclear whether the developers have provided an adequate escrow fund to finance the removal of the panels at the end of their useful life. If not, Spotsylvania County and Virginia are facing a potential superfund cleanup site. The VCEA also removes the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) from effective oversight of solar facilities. The law contains the so-called “permit by rule,” which exempts from DEQ regulation solar projects less than 100 megawatts in size, approximately 90% of the total. This means that the DEQ is effectively neutered from regulating the stream siltation and soil erosion which have been documented in many of the solar projects constructed to date. For these and other reasons, this record clearly establishes that the VCEA is bad for consumers, bad for the environment, and based on fundamentally flawed public policy. -- The above comment is on behalf of CFACT (www.cfact.org), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., and founded in 1985 with the purpose of promoting safe, free market technological solutions to address environmental and energy concerns. CFACT has an extensive scientific and policy advisory board, a recognized NGO to the United Nations climate change summit (COP), sponsors a national college student outreach program (Collegians For a Constructive Tomorrow), and participates in the public policy world on multiple fronts. CFACT also has several thousands of citizen supporters in the state of Virginia.

Dear Committee,  As a Roanoke native and a Salem resident, I urge you as you favorably consider legislation during this term of the General Assembly that seeks to mitigate global warming, especially that reduces our Commonwealth's greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change-related disasters in the US last year cost us some $158 billion, another in a string of years of multibillion-dollar extreme weather disasters. Despite the pandemic, our US emissions went up 6% last year. Currently, it is summer in South America where there is a heatwave of extraordinary characteristics, creating historical records for Argentina temperatures and persistence of heat.  I urge you to please listen to the scientists who are asking all of us to "Look UP" – so, yes, we really do need to take the climate-extinction crisis seriously. It is sensible now to require certain large public buildings to include solar-ready roofs in new construction or significant renovations, saving energy and taxpayer money when solar is added. A study conducted for Fairfax County Public Schools showed that new schools built to net-zero standards recover the added construction cost in just 10 years, while schools renovated to that standard recover the cost in 15 years.   Please support legislation that develops Virginia's renewable energy infrastructure, legislation our children deserve that will give them a chance. Thank you for the good work you do on our behalf, Michael L. Bentley EdD312 N. Broad St.Salem, VA 24153

Good afternoon, honorable members of the Commerce and Energy Committee. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, and HB 790, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

Harlie White - Good afternoon, my name is Harlie White - . and I’m a Traffic and Lights technician in the city of Alexandria. I am speaking in opposition of HB 883 which would repeal collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and remove the rights of municipalities like the City of Alexandria from entering into collective bargaining agreements. As an employee in the city of Alexandria, my work isn’t just a job it is a calling. I care deeply for my community. In April of last year, my coworkers and I worked with the city of Alexandria Council members to enact the first collective bargaining ordinance in the Commonwealth in almost forty years. The freedom to collectively bargain enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB 883 would take us backward by repealing a 2020 law that empowers localities to give public service workers the freedom to join a union, and local municipalities the autonomy to enact union agreements as they see fit. I stand in opposition to HB 883 with other city of Alexandria AFSCME members. Thank you for your time.

Hi, my name is Luis Velez Sr. I am an Equipment Technician for Arlington County and AFSCME member. I am speaking in opposition to repealing collective bargaining rights and HB 337 As a resident of Alexandria, and a public employee with Arlington County, I am responsible for and rely on the quality public services that Northern Virginia’s communities are known for. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the importance of public service workers and our dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. The freedom to collective bargaining enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB (337) would chip away at my right to collectively bargain and freedom to join a strong union. I stand in opposition to HB 337

To whom it may concern, Please vote No on the bill that infringes on teachers rights for collective bargaining. Collective Bargaining is an important part of a teachers voice and to be able to negotiate our salaries. Collective bargaining gives teachers a seat at the table for our voices to be heard and our ability to have a say in important decisions for our students and families. Thank you Mrs. Abdale

VMA supports HB270 - modernizing the VEC is a necessity. VMA supports HB336, 337, 341- 51% approval is a near universal democratic standard for bargaining unit approval and union activities, including collecting dues, should be a cost of the union, not the taxpayer. VMA supports HB414 - the Commonwealth must have a reliable electric grid. VMA opposes HB1355 - the Commonwealth must have a diversified energy portfolio that is affordable, reliable, secure, and sustainable.

As a President of the Virginia Beach Education Association, My members and I strongly oppose House Bills 336, 337, 341, 790, & 883 which ban collective bargaining for local public employees. My members are deeply concerned about the future of our students’ education and firmly believe that collective bargaining rights for educators are a win for everyone. Collective bargaining rights lead to the kind of high-quality schools our children and communities deserve by making students our primary focus. It capitalizes on the expertise of seasoned educators in decision making around such issues as lowering class sizes, adding important positions like school counselors and nurses, and providing extra resources for students, as well as other benefits for employees. Solving problems in education must involve the people who work with students daily. They are the ones with first-hand knowledge of how issues affect students’ learning. We know that the working environment of educators is the learning environment of students. When we elevate both of these, educational programs can expand their capacity to prepare students to be work-ready, making them productive and involved citizens who in turn contribute to the success of their communities. We need teachers to be part of this decision making process in building excellent public schools. Collective bargaining rights also help retain experienced educators, attract new highly qualified educators, and encourage young adults to enter preparation programs to work in this essential field of public service. We currently have a state with many unfilled public education openings and there are not nearly enough students in preparation programs coming to fill them. Students in today’s colleges and universities are aware of how the right to collective bargain will affect their quality of life and earning potential over the course of their chosen career. They are making informed decisions about their career choices and how those in leadership support or oppose actions that will affect those choices. Collective bargaining for all public employees results in better services, retention of employees, and enhances the appeal of our communities to new business and industry. Please commit to supporting education professionals and students and our other essential workers in Virginia by embracing collective bargaining and voting against HB 336, 337, 341, 790, and 883. Thank you.

Dear Commerce and Energy - Subcommittee #1 members, my name is Tyvon Bates, and on behalf of American Federation of Teachers Virginia, I am writing to urge you to oppose HB 336 chief patroned by Delegate Freitas. This legislation would impose an anti-democratic definition of an “electoral majority” just for the purpose of union elections, that is different from the normal definition and rules used for all elections in the Commonwealth. It would also require local governments to de-certify existing unions that were democratically elected, which would undermine stability in labor relations. I hope you will join me in opposing HB 336. Thank you,

Good afternoon honorable members of Subcommittee #1. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

I am against these bills and against the limiting of collective bargaining rights in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The recent gains made in collective bargaining rights are incredibly important for workers—and employers—in the state. As a teacher, I am well aware of the fact that Virginia is near the bottom in teacher salaries. This is leading to many problems in our schools, including a shortage of teachers and trouble attracting and retaining new teachers. The teacher pay gap is just one thing that can be effectively—and cooperatively addressed through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining has time and time again been shown to lead to improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions. We need this in Virginia. Please vote “No” on these bills.

Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining. Employees in the state of VA deserve Collective Bargaining. Teachers, firefighters and Policeman deserve a position in determining what happens in their profession. For too long they have had to sit back and let others who are not part of their profession, decide what happens in their profession. Give them a voice to determine what is in the best interest for their profession. Teachers work day and night to provide what is in the best interest of students- no one knows better then they do how to achieve this- they deserve a voice in the decision-making We will lose the best teachers, firefighters and policemen if we take away this critical opportunity for them to have a voice in their professions. Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining.

Good morning honorable members of the Committee, Massachusetts is often said to have the strongest public schools in the nation. Did you also know that Massachusetts Educators also have strong collective bargaining rights. Massachusetts invests in education. With the current staffing shortages, show Virginia families and educators that you are in strong support of education by supporting collective bargaining rights. Virginia educators earn 7k below the national average and many are abandoning the profession. Can you blame them? Sincerely Brian McGovern

Please move to report HB336, 337, 341, 790, 883. Thank you.

I urge you to vote NO on these bills that will silence the voices of educators. Educator negotiated contracts lead to quality educator recruitment and retention with improved classrooms and better working conditions. Please give us a seat at the table to maintain the integrity of our profession. Thank you.

PLEASE VOTE NO ON HB336, HB337, HB341 AND HB790. During these challenging times, legislators need to support public employees -- and this is particularly true for law enforcement officers. Police departments are woefully understaffed, and morale for all public employees -- particularly officers -- is at an all-time low. Measures such as these proposed bills will only serve to make matters worse. Collective bargaining is the best tool to allow employees to be part of the process, and is an excellent tool to help employers streamline communications with their employees. So much of the rhetoric is simply fear of the unknown. I've had the privilege of representing the MWAA police union, which has had collective bargaining rights and a collective bargaining agreement for decades. The ability to have everything in black and white for all parties is immensely helpful for everyone involved.

Educator voices are important to assist in classroom improvements educator voices are crucial in the recruitment and retention of qualified classroom teachers. Educator voices are vital in the improvement of working conditions for students and public school staff. I urge you to vote NO on the above House Bills. Thank you for your attention.

I have never understood why having a honest discussion and a signed agreement between employees and management is so scary that management must deny employees their collective voice. Is it because management is afraid that they will have to acknowledge that their employees are people not widgets? Will employers have to treat their employees as valued partners who are necessary for management’s success? Will management have to admit the employees doing the work really understand how the work is done over the management who only knows how it was done a long time ago? It is past time for employees representatives and management to talk and come to a MUTUAL agreement.

We know what are students need more than anyone. I work out Special Education students every day. They always asking why do we have to do this or that. They ask why people who don't know them make them take test they know that they will pass. I want to speak for these students who fight a different type of battle every day. Let us who know what to do have a say. Most of you have no idea what special needs children fights every day because you have never been around my students.

The educators within the Commonwealth deserve to have a voice in negotiating their contracts, working conditions, wages, salaries, or anything else that affects their work whether in the classroom or on a school bus. Working together with school boards for the betterment of all leads to happier educators, school boards, parents and the community is a must for the success of our children. It’s all for the children in the end. Virginia is #4 best in education so let’s keep it that way so we can work towards being #1.

As a public school teacher for the last 24 years, I have been advocating and working toward collective bargaining in Virginia. As a professional, it is important to have a voice in the present and future conditions of my profession. Teachers need to have input in working conditions, time management, and documentation. When the needs of the teachers are met, we can meet the needs of the students. Our children is what this is all about. Our working conditions are our children's learning conditions. Please continue to support collective bargaining for teachers. Thank you.

Please vote "No" on these bills. Virginia teachers have been punished enough. We service children and do so with open hearts and minds. Please do not revoke the rights that have been so hard won. Political agendas do not belong in our public school systems!

Vote No on these bills. I ask you to think about teachers. By voting NO on these bills you are helping teachers, not just our classroom and working conditions but by keeping teachers in the classroom.

Please keep Collective Bargaining. Collective Bargaining is very important and a needed meansof communication for RPS teachers/staff to have a voice in what happens for our school system. Please do not support any bills or legislature that would undermine the ability for RPS teachers/staff to come to the table through Collective Barganining. I implore you to not support the bills that have the goal to undermine Collective Barganining. PLease join hands with the Richmond City Schools teachers and staff to work together through Collective Bargaining and vote against any bill or legislature that has the goal of eradicating it or diminishing Collective Barganinings ability to allow RPS teachers/staff to come to the table and have a voice in meeting the needs of teachers/staff as we work to educate and support all the students in our system. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. have a

At a time when we should be empowering workers to improve working an living conditions for the citizens of the Commonwealth, these bills purposely seek to strip power from the middle class. Introduced by a party supposedly against government over-reach, these bills go directly against the mantra of local control. This is as unAmerican as it gets: stifling the ability of workers to ban together to improve their working conditions as a whole. In this case, it's even more damaging, as these bills seek to limit the power of the workers who are in charge of educating and protecting the public in the state of Virginia. In a time when we are struggling to fill these positions statewide, it is nonsensical to add another barrier to the recruitment and retention of highly-qualified and talented individuals. This is not the time nor the place for political posturing. This is the time for common-sense legislating. Therefore, you must vote NO on these measures.

Dear Legislators, Teachers must have a voice when it comes to collaborating working with the government. We have been through a period that has illuminated so many problems in the education system. It is ludicrous to leave us out of the conversation. We are the ones that know what works best for our students. People who make administrative decisions, including you, that have never been in the classroom in the last few years do not have the information to accurately make decisions in students' best interest. Sincerely, Amanda Wolfe

I am writing in opposition to any actions that would rescind or undermine education workers' recently-won collective bargaining rights. In many localities around the state, it is highly unlikely that education workers will be able to meet the requirements set forth in the bill as currently written. I am proud to live and work in the first Virginia locality to recognize our collective bargaining rights. This recognition did not come easily. My colleagues and I worked hundreds of unpaid hours to gain these rights, which will help improve our working conditions and our students' learning conditions. To change the playing field after we have invested so much of our personal time and resources into securing these rights would honestly be a slap in the face; not just my own face but the faces of my colleagues, the school board, and the students of Richmond Public Schools. The desire to change the rules when one does not like the outcome is a sign of poor character; I urge you to display your better natures as you debate these bills.

Delegates, As a high school teacher in Winchester, VA, I ask that you avoid repealing any positive movement towards collective bargaining. Education is incredibly difficult, and having the support of a union, a union representative, or a collectively bargained contract can be very helpful. Collective bargaining gives educators the back up in the face of shifting political headwinds, and allows for teachers to focus on what their job entails: teaching Virginia's youth. These bills before you would stall or reduce the momentum that educators in VA have worked towards over the past years. If you are "for" teachers or education, you need to be for collective bargaining. Thank you, Mike Siraguse

Teachers' jobs are incredibly difficult. Collective Bargaining and educator-negotiated contracts are essential for improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions.

These bills will repeal educators' progress toward gaining collective bargaining. They will silence educators' voices. School decisions will not be able to capitalize on the experiences and skills of their experts in their school systems, the educators. Why deny educators a seat at the table? Why squelch expert input? Educators are the experts in our schools. Bargaining with educators benefits our students' learning conditions. It improves educator working conditions, and ultimately benefits our Virginia communities. Bring the experts to the table. I urge you to vote no on these bills. Sincerely,

As an elementary school teacher working in a school with a large population of students who are of low economic status collective bargaining is key to ensure the best for our educators and students. Collective bargaining must be maintained and expanded. This will allow teachers to work with their school boards to have competitive wages in turn attracting the best educators possible to our schools. It will allow teachers to have a voice in negotiating our contractors. It is about working with school boards not against them to create a better environment for educators allowing us to provide our students with the high quality education they deserve. This also help with retaining high quality educators, which is so important to our students success. I implore you vote no to any legislation that will limit or take away our right to collective bargaining. Thank You for your time.

As a former teacher and current leader of an education union, I understand that when the folks who know the names of our students have a seat at the table, great things can happen. Educator-negotiated contracts help recruit and retain the top-notch teachers that our students deserve. Educators have used contract negotiations in the past to secure smaller class sizes, increase one-on-one attention for students from professionals like nurses and counselors, and make improvements on safety issues. No contract should be one-size-fits-all. Educator-negotiated contracts provide school districts with the freedom to tackle each school's local challenges head on. All Virginia workers should have the right to join a union and the right to bargain collectively so that they have a voice at work. The right to bargain collectively for a contract is not only a better bargain for our public service workers, it’s also a better bargain for our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public sector workers and their dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. Our nurses, first responders, teachers, and many more stepped up, putting their lives on the line to ensure that we all continued to thrive and survive. These workers are our situational experts and without their expertise, we would have been lost during the pandemic. Collective bargaining rights enable public workers to fight for better services for the communities they serve. Public service employees work for the state, its cities, and counties, providing vital services such as law enforcement and protections, healthcare, sanitation, and education. They advocate for things that benefit the entire community: up-to-date equipment for emergency responders, smaller class sizes, classroom resources, adequate training, and better staffing ratios in hospitals to name a few. Collective bargaining will also mean stronger local economies. Virginia public service workers make 14% less than the national average and 18% less than private sector employees right here in Virginia. It is not the time to repeal the collective bargaining progress we have made, but instead support and strengthen it so that hard-working public service workers can support their families and put money back into our local economies.

Good afternoon, honorable members of the Commerce and Energy Committee. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, and HB 790, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

Harlie White - Good afternoon, my name is Harlie White - . and I’m a Traffic and Lights technician in the city of Alexandria. I am speaking in opposition of HB 883 which would repeal collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and remove the rights of municipalities like the City of Alexandria from entering into collective bargaining agreements. As an employee in the city of Alexandria, my work isn’t just a job it is a calling. I care deeply for my community. In April of last year, my coworkers and I worked with the city of Alexandria Council members to enact the first collective bargaining ordinance in the Commonwealth in almost forty years. The freedom to collectively bargain enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB 883 would take us backward by repealing a 2020 law that empowers localities to give public service workers the freedom to join a union, and local municipalities the autonomy to enact union agreements as they see fit. I stand in opposition to HB 883 with other city of Alexandria AFSCME members. Thank you for your time.

Hi, my name is Luis Velez Sr. I am an Equipment Technician for Arlington County and AFSCME member. I am speaking in opposition to repealing collective bargaining rights and HB 337 As a resident of Alexandria, and a public employee with Arlington County, I am responsible for and rely on the quality public services that Northern Virginia’s communities are known for. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the importance of public service workers and our dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. The freedom to collective bargaining enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB (337) would chip away at my right to collectively bargain and freedom to join a strong union. I stand in opposition to HB 337

Good Afternoon. My name is Charlotte Malerich and I am a Library Assistant for Arlington Public Library and EVERY DAY, one of my patrons tells me how much the library means to them, like the elderly patron, who told me how everyone in her retirement community is frightened and despondent She told me how much she appreciates that she can still check out books because they give her an escape from that fear and isolation. As a library worker, I live for those moments -- and I know my coworkers do too. But if I get sick with Covid, if I pass it to my coworker who has diabetes, or who is pregnant, or who's a cancer survivor, no amount of pats on the back can make that right. My coworkers and I need actual, concrete support: sick leave, childcare, flexible schedules, teleworking for the things we can do at home (like answer phone calls from our patrons), and PPE for things we can't do at home (like empty the book drop and put the books back on the library shelves). And we need to have a voice at work to tell our managers what those needs are. Collective Bargaining and union rights give us that freedom. I stand in opposition to bills HB 337 with AFSCME members across Northern Virginia and other labor unions. This bill is a direct attack on our collective bargaining rights and freedom to join a union.

To whom it may concern, Please vote No on the bill that infringes on teachers rights for collective bargaining. Collective Bargaining is an important part of a teachers voice and to be able to negotiate our salaries. Collective bargaining gives teachers a seat at the table for our voices to be heard and our ability to have a say in important decisions for our students and families. Thank you Mrs. Abdale

VMA supports HB270 - modernizing the VEC is a necessity. VMA supports HB336, 337, 341- 51% approval is a near universal democratic standard for bargaining unit approval and union activities, including collecting dues, should be a cost of the union, not the taxpayer. VMA supports HB414 - the Commonwealth must have a reliable electric grid. VMA opposes HB1355 - the Commonwealth must have a diversified energy portfolio that is affordable, reliable, secure, and sustainable.

My name is Carol Bauer, and I have been an elementary teacher for 27 years, and I currently serve as the VEA VP. I urge you vote against HB 337. Partnerships and collaboration is how we accomplish great things. This bill would limit the ability to develop trusting relationships to collectively bargain on a level playing field. Anytime workers are denied the opportunity to meet with employers to discuss working conditions no one benefits. If you have ever seen the TV show Undercover Boss then you know exactly what I mean. Employers benefit and companies prosper when they listen to their employees and build stronger and more effective work places. Anytime restrictions are placed on the ability of an employer to pay their workers who are working to develop stronger, safer, and more equitable workplaces, you infringe on the employer’s ability to create stronger, safer, and more equitable working places. HB 337 would create wrongful pressure on employees when engaging in collective bargaining. HB 337 would interfere in employees’ right to organize and conduct collective bargaining. This legislation is a slap to dedicated employees who advocate for what is best for co-workers and who want to bargain for the common good. My name is Carol Bauer, and I have been an elementary teacher for 27 years, and I currently serve as the VEA VP. It is no secret that education workers are feeling the stress of the pandemic acutely. Workers need a voice at the table now. In a recent survey referenced by Forbes, 48% of all educators considered leaving the profession in the last 30 days. One obvious way to help lessen this crisis is take things off educators’ plates. HB 341 would do just the opposite, by creating additional obstacles that overtaxed educators would have to be overcome to organize, collectively bargain, and have their voice heard. Payroll deductions are essential to employees when securing benefits like health insurance, job security, and fair wages which are the very benefits that the Union and employee associations do in advocating for their members. Eliminating payroll deduction eliminates access for employees to representation and advocacy. Additionally, there is no need to create legislation to fix a problem that does not exist. It does not take HB 341 to allow employees to stop paying dues when requested. The legislation is simply not needed. HB 341 eliminates the ability for Unions and employee associations to effectively provide a voice for their members. HB 341 would continue to create conditions that lead to educator burnout and unsafe working conditions. It restricts the rights of workers. HB 341 is harmful and an overreach of government. HB 341 not only creates an unfair labor advantage but is an unnecessary additional obstacle that educators and employees would have to overcome to have their voice represented by requiring employees to authorized collective bargaining before dues are collected.

As a President of the Virginia Beach Education Association, My members and I strongly oppose House Bills 336, 337, 341, 790, & 883 which ban collective bargaining for local public employees. My members are deeply concerned about the future of our students’ education and firmly believe that collective bargaining rights for educators are a win for everyone. Collective bargaining rights lead to the kind of high-quality schools our children and communities deserve by making students our primary focus. It capitalizes on the expertise of seasoned educators in decision making around such issues as lowering class sizes, adding important positions like school counselors and nurses, and providing extra resources for students, as well as other benefits for employees. Solving problems in education must involve the people who work with students daily. They are the ones with first-hand knowledge of how issues affect students’ learning. We know that the working environment of educators is the learning environment of students. When we elevate both of these, educational programs can expand their capacity to prepare students to be work-ready, making them productive and involved citizens who in turn contribute to the success of their communities. We need teachers to be part of this decision making process in building excellent public schools. Collective bargaining rights also help retain experienced educators, attract new highly qualified educators, and encourage young adults to enter preparation programs to work in this essential field of public service. We currently have a state with many unfilled public education openings and there are not nearly enough students in preparation programs coming to fill them. Students in today’s colleges and universities are aware of how the right to collective bargain will affect their quality of life and earning potential over the course of their chosen career. They are making informed decisions about their career choices and how those in leadership support or oppose actions that will affect those choices. Collective bargaining for all public employees results in better services, retention of employees, and enhances the appeal of our communities to new business and industry. Please commit to supporting education professionals and students and our other essential workers in Virginia by embracing collective bargaining and voting against HB 336, 337, 341, 790, and 883. Thank you.

Dear Commerce and Energy - Subcommittee #1 members, my name is Tyvon Bates, and on behalf of American Federation of Teachers Virginia, I am writing to urge you to oppose HB 337 chief patroned by Delegate Freitas. This legislation would undermine public employees’ ability to advocate for improvements to our working conditions, and the services that we provide by taking away workers’ ability to use official time to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, represent our coworkers in grievances, or engage in other union work. A local government body should be free to decide that their communities would benefit from employees working together in employee unions and associations for specified purposes during work hours. I hope you will join me in opposing HB 337. Thank you,

Good afternoon honorable members of Subcommittee #1. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

I am against these bills and against the limiting of collective bargaining rights in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The recent gains made in collective bargaining rights are incredibly important for workers—and employers—in the state. As a teacher, I am well aware of the fact that Virginia is near the bottom in teacher salaries. This is leading to many problems in our schools, including a shortage of teachers and trouble attracting and retaining new teachers. The teacher pay gap is just one thing that can be effectively—and cooperatively addressed through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining has time and time again been shown to lead to improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions. We need this in Virginia. Please vote “No” on these bills.

Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining. Employees in the state of VA deserve Collective Bargaining. Teachers, firefighters and Policeman deserve a position in determining what happens in their profession. For too long they have had to sit back and let others who are not part of their profession, decide what happens in their profession. Give them a voice to determine what is in the best interest for their profession. Teachers work day and night to provide what is in the best interest of students- no one knows better then they do how to achieve this- they deserve a voice in the decision-making We will lose the best teachers, firefighters and policemen if we take away this critical opportunity for them to have a voice in their professions. Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining.

Good morning honorable members of the Committee, Massachusetts is often said to have the strongest public schools in the nation. Did you also know that Massachusetts Educators also have strong collective bargaining rights. Massachusetts invests in education. With the current staffing shortages, show Virginia families and educators that you are in strong support of education by supporting collective bargaining rights. Virginia educators earn 7k below the national average and many are abandoning the profession. Can you blame them? Sincerely Brian McGovern

Please move to report HB336, 337, 341, 790, 883. Thank you.

I urge you to vote NO on these bills that will silence the voices of educators. Educator negotiated contracts lead to quality educator recruitment and retention with improved classrooms and better working conditions. Please give us a seat at the table to maintain the integrity of our profession. Thank you.

PLEASE VOTE NO ON HB336, HB337, HB341 AND HB790. During these challenging times, legislators need to support public employees -- and this is particularly true for law enforcement officers. Police departments are woefully understaffed, and morale for all public employees -- particularly officers -- is at an all-time low. Measures such as these proposed bills will only serve to make matters worse. Collective bargaining is the best tool to allow employees to be part of the process, and is an excellent tool to help employers streamline communications with their employees. So much of the rhetoric is simply fear of the unknown. I've had the privilege of representing the MWAA police union, which has had collective bargaining rights and a collective bargaining agreement for decades. The ability to have everything in black and white for all parties is immensely helpful for everyone involved.

Educator voices are important to assist in classroom improvements educator voices are crucial in the recruitment and retention of qualified classroom teachers. Educator voices are vital in the improvement of working conditions for students and public school staff. I urge you to vote NO on the above House Bills. Thank you for your attention.

I have never understood why having a honest discussion and a signed agreement between employees and management is so scary that management must deny employees their collective voice. Is it because management is afraid that they will have to acknowledge that their employees are people not widgets? Will employers have to treat their employees as valued partners who are necessary for management’s success? Will management have to admit the employees doing the work really understand how the work is done over the management who only knows how it was done a long time ago? It is past time for employees representatives and management to talk and come to a MUTUAL agreement.

We know what are students need more than anyone. I work out Special Education students every day. They always asking why do we have to do this or that. They ask why people who don't know them make them take test they know that they will pass. I want to speak for these students who fight a different type of battle every day. Let us who know what to do have a say. Most of you have no idea what special needs children fights every day because you have never been around my students.

The educators within the Commonwealth deserve to have a voice in negotiating their contracts, working conditions, wages, salaries, or anything else that affects their work whether in the classroom or on a school bus. Working together with school boards for the betterment of all leads to happier educators, school boards, parents and the community is a must for the success of our children. It’s all for the children in the end. Virginia is #4 best in education so let’s keep it that way so we can work towards being #1.

As a public school teacher for the last 24 years, I have been advocating and working toward collective bargaining in Virginia. As a professional, it is important to have a voice in the present and future conditions of my profession. Teachers need to have input in working conditions, time management, and documentation. When the needs of the teachers are met, we can meet the needs of the students. Our children is what this is all about. Our working conditions are our children's learning conditions. Please continue to support collective bargaining for teachers. Thank you.

Please vote "No" on these bills. Virginia teachers have been punished enough. We service children and do so with open hearts and minds. Please do not revoke the rights that have been so hard won. Political agendas do not belong in our public school systems!

Vote No on these bills. I ask you to think about teachers. By voting NO on these bills you are helping teachers, not just our classroom and working conditions but by keeping teachers in the classroom.

Please keep Collective Bargaining. Collective Bargaining is very important and a needed meansof communication for RPS teachers/staff to have a voice in what happens for our school system. Please do not support any bills or legislature that would undermine the ability for RPS teachers/staff to come to the table through Collective Barganining. I implore you to not support the bills that have the goal to undermine Collective Barganining. PLease join hands with the Richmond City Schools teachers and staff to work together through Collective Bargaining and vote against any bill or legislature that has the goal of eradicating it or diminishing Collective Barganinings ability to allow RPS teachers/staff to come to the table and have a voice in meeting the needs of teachers/staff as we work to educate and support all the students in our system. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. have a

I am a public school teacher in Virginia. I have never asked for thanks, nor do I consider my job heroic. It has become an endurance test against the accumulation of external accountability that is determined by those less invested in educational outcomes but heavily invested in political and financial outcomes. Since my first year teaching in Virginia (2003) the layers of expectations have grown disproportionate to what should be normal. Teachers are not represented. The effort to make collective bargaining nearly impossible in Virginia is a play for status quo power in the hands of politicians and interest groups that profit from standardized tests and budget money going to testing platforms. Add to that, the absurd hysteria over political footballs such as CRT and a pandemic response meant to be protective of all people in crowded schools. Because the changing climate of education seems to be drifting further from what’s best for students, it is important that teachers have a voice strengthened through collective bargaining from which they can have a chance to do what’s best within the environment they know best.

At a time when we should be empowering workers to improve working an living conditions for the citizens of the Commonwealth, these bills purposely seek to strip power from the middle class. Introduced by a party supposedly against government over-reach, these bills go directly against the mantra of local control. This is as unAmerican as it gets: stifling the ability of workers to ban together to improve their working conditions as a whole. In this case, it's even more damaging, as these bills seek to limit the power of the workers who are in charge of educating and protecting the public in the state of Virginia. In a time when we are struggling to fill these positions statewide, it is nonsensical to add another barrier to the recruitment and retention of highly-qualified and talented individuals. This is not the time nor the place for political posturing. This is the time for common-sense legislating. Therefore, you must vote NO on these measures.

Dear Legislators, Teachers must have a voice when it comes to collaborating working with the government. We have been through a period that has illuminated so many problems in the education system. It is ludicrous to leave us out of the conversation. We are the ones that know what works best for our students. People who make administrative decisions, including you, that have never been in the classroom in the last few years do not have the information to accurately make decisions in students' best interest. Sincerely, Amanda Wolfe

I am writing in opposition to any actions that would rescind or undermine education workers' recently-won collective bargaining rights. In many localities around the state, it is highly unlikely that education workers will be able to meet the requirements set forth in the bill as currently written. I am proud to live and work in the first Virginia locality to recognize our collective bargaining rights. This recognition did not come easily. My colleagues and I worked hundreds of unpaid hours to gain these rights, which will help improve our working conditions and our students' learning conditions. To change the playing field after we have invested so much of our personal time and resources into securing these rights would honestly be a slap in the face; not just my own face but the faces of my colleagues, the school board, and the students of Richmond Public Schools. The desire to change the rules when one does not like the outcome is a sign of poor character; I urge you to display your better natures as you debate these bills.

Delegates, As a high school teacher in Winchester, VA, I ask that you avoid repealing any positive movement towards collective bargaining. Education is incredibly difficult, and having the support of a union, a union representative, or a collectively bargained contract can be very helpful. Collective bargaining gives educators the back up in the face of shifting political headwinds, and allows for teachers to focus on what their job entails: teaching Virginia's youth. These bills before you would stall or reduce the momentum that educators in VA have worked towards over the past years. If you are "for" teachers or education, you need to be for collective bargaining. Thank you, Mike Siraguse

Teachers' jobs are incredibly difficult. Collective Bargaining and educator-negotiated contracts are essential for improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions.

These bills will repeal educators' progress toward gaining collective bargaining. They will silence educators' voices. School decisions will not be able to capitalize on the experiences and skills of their experts in their school systems, the educators. Why deny educators a seat at the table? Why squelch expert input? Educators are the experts in our schools. Bargaining with educators benefits our students' learning conditions. It improves educator working conditions, and ultimately benefits our Virginia communities. Bring the experts to the table. I urge you to vote no on these bills. Sincerely,

As an elementary school teacher working in a school with a large population of students who are of low economic status collective bargaining is key to ensure the best for our educators and students. Collective bargaining must be maintained and expanded. This will allow teachers to work with their school boards to have competitive wages in turn attracting the best educators possible to our schools. It will allow teachers to have a voice in negotiating our contractors. It is about working with school boards not against them to create a better environment for educators allowing us to provide our students with the high quality education they deserve. This also help with retaining high quality educators, which is so important to our students success. I implore you vote no to any legislation that will limit or take away our right to collective bargaining. Thank You for your time.

As a former teacher and current leader of an education union, I understand that when the folks who know the names of our students have a seat at the table, great things can happen. Educator-negotiated contracts help recruit and retain the top-notch teachers that our students deserve. Educators have used contract negotiations in the past to secure smaller class sizes, increase one-on-one attention for students from professionals like nurses and counselors, and make improvements on safety issues. No contract should be one-size-fits-all. Educator-negotiated contracts provide school districts with the freedom to tackle each school's local challenges head on. All Virginia workers should have the right to join a union and the right to bargain collectively so that they have a voice at work. The right to bargain collectively for a contract is not only a better bargain for our public service workers, it’s also a better bargain for our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public sector workers and their dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. Our nurses, first responders, teachers, and many more stepped up, putting their lives on the line to ensure that we all continued to thrive and survive. These workers are our situational experts and without their expertise, we would have been lost during the pandemic. Collective bargaining rights enable public workers to fight for better services for the communities they serve. Public service employees work for the state, its cities, and counties, providing vital services such as law enforcement and protections, healthcare, sanitation, and education. They advocate for things that benefit the entire community: up-to-date equipment for emergency responders, smaller class sizes, classroom resources, adequate training, and better staffing ratios in hospitals to name a few. Collective bargaining will also mean stronger local economies. Virginia public service workers make 14% less than the national average and 18% less than private sector employees right here in Virginia. It is not the time to repeal the collective bargaining progress we have made, but instead support and strengthen it so that hard-working public service workers can support their families and put money back into our local economies.

Good afternoon, honorable members of the Commerce and Energy Committee. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, and HB 790, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

Harlie White - Good afternoon, my name is Harlie White - . and I’m a Traffic and Lights technician in the city of Alexandria. I am speaking in opposition of HB 883 which would repeal collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and remove the rights of municipalities like the City of Alexandria from entering into collective bargaining agreements. As an employee in the city of Alexandria, my work isn’t just a job it is a calling. I care deeply for my community. In April of last year, my coworkers and I worked with the city of Alexandria Council members to enact the first collective bargaining ordinance in the Commonwealth in almost forty years. The freedom to collectively bargain enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB 883 would take us backward by repealing a 2020 law that empowers localities to give public service workers the freedom to join a union, and local municipalities the autonomy to enact union agreements as they see fit. I stand in opposition to HB 883 with other city of Alexandria AFSCME members. Thank you for your time.

Hi, my name is Luis Velez Sr. I am an Equipment Technician for Arlington County and AFSCME member. I am speaking in opposition to repealing collective bargaining rights and HB 337 As a resident of Alexandria, and a public employee with Arlington County, I am responsible for and rely on the quality public services that Northern Virginia’s communities are known for. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the importance of public service workers and our dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. The freedom to collective bargaining enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB (337) would chip away at my right to collectively bargain and freedom to join a strong union. I stand in opposition to HB 337

To whom it may concern, Please vote No on the bill that infringes on teachers rights for collective bargaining. Collective Bargaining is an important part of a teachers voice and to be able to negotiate our salaries. Collective bargaining gives teachers a seat at the table for our voices to be heard and our ability to have a say in important decisions for our students and families. Thank you Mrs. Abdale

VMA supports HB270 - modernizing the VEC is a necessity. VMA supports HB336, 337, 341- 51% approval is a near universal democratic standard for bargaining unit approval and union activities, including collecting dues, should be a cost of the union, not the taxpayer. VMA supports HB414 - the Commonwealth must have a reliable electric grid. VMA opposes HB1355 - the Commonwealth must have a diversified energy portfolio that is affordable, reliable, secure, and sustainable.

My name is Carol Bauer, and I have been an elementary teacher for 27 years, and I currently serve as the VEA VP. I urge you vote against HB 337. Partnerships and collaboration is how we accomplish great things. This bill would limit the ability to develop trusting relationships to collectively bargain on a level playing field. Anytime workers are denied the opportunity to meet with employers to discuss working conditions no one benefits. If you have ever seen the TV show Undercover Boss then you know exactly what I mean. Employers benefit and companies prosper when they listen to their employees and build stronger and more effective work places. Anytime restrictions are placed on the ability of an employer to pay their workers who are working to develop stronger, safer, and more equitable workplaces, you infringe on the employer’s ability to create stronger, safer, and more equitable working places. HB 337 would create wrongful pressure on employees when engaging in collective bargaining. HB 337 would interfere in employees’ right to organize and conduct collective bargaining. This legislation is a slap to dedicated employees who advocate for what is best for co-workers and who want to bargain for the common good. My name is Carol Bauer, and I have been an elementary teacher for 27 years, and I currently serve as the VEA VP. It is no secret that education workers are feeling the stress of the pandemic acutely. Workers need a voice at the table now. In a recent survey referenced by Forbes, 48% of all educators considered leaving the profession in the last 30 days. One obvious way to help lessen this crisis is take things off educators’ plates. HB 341 would do just the opposite, by creating additional obstacles that overtaxed educators would have to be overcome to organize, collectively bargain, and have their voice heard. Payroll deductions are essential to employees when securing benefits like health insurance, job security, and fair wages which are the very benefits that the Union and employee associations do in advocating for their members. Eliminating payroll deduction eliminates access for employees to representation and advocacy. Additionally, there is no need to create legislation to fix a problem that does not exist. It does not take HB 341 to allow employees to stop paying dues when requested. The legislation is simply not needed. HB 341 eliminates the ability for Unions and employee associations to effectively provide a voice for their members. HB 341 would continue to create conditions that lead to educator burnout and unsafe working conditions. It restricts the rights of workers. HB 341 is harmful and an overreach of government. HB 341 not only creates an unfair labor advantage but is an unnecessary additional obstacle that educators and employees would have to overcome to have their voice represented by requiring employees to authorized collective bargaining before dues are collected.

As a President of the Virginia Beach Education Association, My members and I strongly oppose House Bills 336, 337, 341, 790, & 883 which ban collective bargaining for local public employees. My members are deeply concerned about the future of our students’ education and firmly believe that collective bargaining rights for educators are a win for everyone. Collective bargaining rights lead to the kind of high-quality schools our children and communities deserve by making students our primary focus. It capitalizes on the expertise of seasoned educators in decision making around such issues as lowering class sizes, adding important positions like school counselors and nurses, and providing extra resources for students, as well as other benefits for employees. Solving problems in education must involve the people who work with students daily. They are the ones with first-hand knowledge of how issues affect students’ learning. We know that the working environment of educators is the learning environment of students. When we elevate both of these, educational programs can expand their capacity to prepare students to be work-ready, making them productive and involved citizens who in turn contribute to the success of their communities. We need teachers to be part of this decision making process in building excellent public schools. Collective bargaining rights also help retain experienced educators, attract new highly qualified educators, and encourage young adults to enter preparation programs to work in this essential field of public service. We currently have a state with many unfilled public education openings and there are not nearly enough students in preparation programs coming to fill them. Students in today’s colleges and universities are aware of how the right to collective bargain will affect their quality of life and earning potential over the course of their chosen career. They are making informed decisions about their career choices and how those in leadership support or oppose actions that will affect those choices. Collective bargaining for all public employees results in better services, retention of employees, and enhances the appeal of our communities to new business and industry. Please commit to supporting education professionals and students and our other essential workers in Virginia by embracing collective bargaining and voting against HB 336, 337, 341, 790, and 883. Thank you.

Dear Commerce and Energy - Subcommittee #1 members, my name is Tyvon Bates, and on behalf of American Federation of Teachers Virginia, I am writing to urge you to oppose HB 341 chief patroned by Delegate Freitas. This legislation is a direct attack on public employees in the Commonwealth’s ability to create and sustain organizations to improve our lives and public services. It would impose barriers to authorizing dues deduction and arbitrary deadlines for changing payments that we authorized to our unions, going far beyond the practices of other states, and of federal policy. I hope you will join me in opposing HB 341. Thank you,

Good afternoon honorable members of Subcommittee #1. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

I am against these bills and against the limiting of collective bargaining rights in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The recent gains made in collective bargaining rights are incredibly important for workers—and employers—in the state. As a teacher, I am well aware of the fact that Virginia is near the bottom in teacher salaries. This is leading to many problems in our schools, including a shortage of teachers and trouble attracting and retaining new teachers. The teacher pay gap is just one thing that can be effectively—and cooperatively addressed through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining has time and time again been shown to lead to improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions. We need this in Virginia. Please vote “No” on these bills.

Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining. Employees in the state of VA deserve Collective Bargaining. Teachers, firefighters and Policeman deserve a position in determining what happens in their profession. For too long they have had to sit back and let others who are not part of their profession, decide what happens in their profession. Give them a voice to determine what is in the best interest for their profession. Teachers work day and night to provide what is in the best interest of students- no one knows better then they do how to achieve this- they deserve a voice in the decision-making We will lose the best teachers, firefighters and policemen if we take away this critical opportunity for them to have a voice in their professions. Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining.

Good morning honorable members of the Committee, Massachusetts is often said to have the strongest public schools in the nation. Did you also know that Massachusetts Educators also have strong collective bargaining rights. Massachusetts invests in education. With the current staffing shortages, show Virginia families and educators that you are in strong support of education by supporting collective bargaining rights. Virginia educators earn 7k below the national average and many are abandoning the profession. Can you blame them? Sincerely Brian McGovern

Please move to report HB336, 337, 341, 790, 883. Thank you.

I urge you to vote NO on these bills that will silence the voices of educators. Educator negotiated contracts lead to quality educator recruitment and retention with improved classrooms and better working conditions. Please give us a seat at the table to maintain the integrity of our profession. Thank you.

PLEASE VOTE NO ON HB336, HB337, HB341 AND HB790. During these challenging times, legislators need to support public employees -- and this is particularly true for law enforcement officers. Police departments are woefully understaffed, and morale for all public employees -- particularly officers -- is at an all-time low. Measures such as these proposed bills will only serve to make matters worse. Collective bargaining is the best tool to allow employees to be part of the process, and is an excellent tool to help employers streamline communications with their employees. So much of the rhetoric is simply fear of the unknown. I've had the privilege of representing the MWAA police union, which has had collective bargaining rights and a collective bargaining agreement for decades. The ability to have everything in black and white for all parties is immensely helpful for everyone involved.

Educator voices are important to assist in classroom improvements educator voices are crucial in the recruitment and retention of qualified classroom teachers. Educator voices are vital in the improvement of working conditions for students and public school staff. I urge you to vote NO on the above House Bills. Thank you for your attention.

I have never understood why having a honest discussion and a signed agreement between employees and management is so scary that management must deny employees their collective voice. Is it because management is afraid that they will have to acknowledge that their employees are people not widgets? Will employers have to treat their employees as valued partners who are necessary for management’s success? Will management have to admit the employees doing the work really understand how the work is done over the management who only knows how it was done a long time ago? It is past time for employees representatives and management to talk and come to a MUTUAL agreement.

We know what are students need more than anyone. I work out Special Education students every day. They always asking why do we have to do this or that. They ask why people who don't know them make them take test they know that they will pass. I want to speak for these students who fight a different type of battle every day. Let us who know what to do have a say. Most of you have no idea what special needs children fights every day because you have never been around my students.

The educators within the Commonwealth deserve to have a voice in negotiating their contracts, working conditions, wages, salaries, or anything else that affects their work whether in the classroom or on a school bus. Working together with school boards for the betterment of all leads to happier educators, school boards, parents and the community is a must for the success of our children. It’s all for the children in the end. Virginia is #4 best in education so let’s keep it that way so we can work towards being #1.

As a public school teacher for the last 24 years, I have been advocating and working toward collective bargaining in Virginia. As a professional, it is important to have a voice in the present and future conditions of my profession. Teachers need to have input in working conditions, time management, and documentation. When the needs of the teachers are met, we can meet the needs of the students. Our children is what this is all about. Our working conditions are our children's learning conditions. Please continue to support collective bargaining for teachers. Thank you.

Please vote "No" on these bills. Virginia teachers have been punished enough. We service children and do so with open hearts and minds. Please do not revoke the rights that have been so hard won. Political agendas do not belong in our public school systems!

Vote No on these bills. I ask you to think about teachers. By voting NO on these bills you are helping teachers, not just our classroom and working conditions but by keeping teachers in the classroom.

Please keep Collective Bargaining. Collective Bargaining is very important and a needed meansof communication for RPS teachers/staff to have a voice in what happens for our school system. Please do not support any bills or legislature that would undermine the ability for RPS teachers/staff to come to the table through Collective Barganining. I implore you to not support the bills that have the goal to undermine Collective Barganining. PLease join hands with the Richmond City Schools teachers and staff to work together through Collective Bargaining and vote against any bill or legislature that has the goal of eradicating it or diminishing Collective Barganinings ability to allow RPS teachers/staff to come to the table and have a voice in meeting the needs of teachers/staff as we work to educate and support all the students in our system. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. have a

At a time when we should be empowering workers to improve working an living conditions for the citizens of the Commonwealth, these bills purposely seek to strip power from the middle class. Introduced by a party supposedly against government over-reach, these bills go directly against the mantra of local control. This is as unAmerican as it gets: stifling the ability of workers to ban together to improve their working conditions as a whole. In this case, it's even more damaging, as these bills seek to limit the power of the workers who are in charge of educating and protecting the public in the state of Virginia. In a time when we are struggling to fill these positions statewide, it is nonsensical to add another barrier to the recruitment and retention of highly-qualified and talented individuals. This is not the time nor the place for political posturing. This is the time for common-sense legislating. Therefore, you must vote NO on these measures.

Dear Legislators, Teachers must have a voice when it comes to collaborating working with the government. We have been through a period that has illuminated so many problems in the education system. It is ludicrous to leave us out of the conversation. We are the ones that know what works best for our students. People who make administrative decisions, including you, that have never been in the classroom in the last few years do not have the information to accurately make decisions in students' best interest. Sincerely, Amanda Wolfe

I am writing in opposition to any actions that would rescind or undermine education workers' recently-won collective bargaining rights. In many localities around the state, it is highly unlikely that education workers will be able to meet the requirements set forth in the bill as currently written. I am proud to live and work in the first Virginia locality to recognize our collective bargaining rights. This recognition did not come easily. My colleagues and I worked hundreds of unpaid hours to gain these rights, which will help improve our working conditions and our students' learning conditions. To change the playing field after we have invested so much of our personal time and resources into securing these rights would honestly be a slap in the face; not just my own face but the faces of my colleagues, the school board, and the students of Richmond Public Schools. The desire to change the rules when one does not like the outcome is a sign of poor character; I urge you to display your better natures as you debate these bills.

Delegates, As a high school teacher in Winchester, VA, I ask that you avoid repealing any positive movement towards collective bargaining. Education is incredibly difficult, and having the support of a union, a union representative, or a collectively bargained contract can be very helpful. Collective bargaining gives educators the back up in the face of shifting political headwinds, and allows for teachers to focus on what their job entails: teaching Virginia's youth. These bills before you would stall or reduce the momentum that educators in VA have worked towards over the past years. If you are "for" teachers or education, you need to be for collective bargaining. Thank you, Mike Siraguse

Teachers' jobs are incredibly difficult. Collective Bargaining and educator-negotiated contracts are essential for improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions.

These bills will repeal educators' progress toward gaining collective bargaining. They will silence educators' voices. School decisions will not be able to capitalize on the experiences and skills of their experts in their school systems, the educators. Why deny educators a seat at the table? Why squelch expert input? Educators are the experts in our schools. Bargaining with educators benefits our students' learning conditions. It improves educator working conditions, and ultimately benefits our Virginia communities. Bring the experts to the table. I urge you to vote no on these bills. Sincerely,

As an elementary school teacher working in a school with a large population of students who are of low economic status collective bargaining is key to ensure the best for our educators and students. Collective bargaining must be maintained and expanded. This will allow teachers to work with their school boards to have competitive wages in turn attracting the best educators possible to our schools. It will allow teachers to have a voice in negotiating our contractors. It is about working with school boards not against them to create a better environment for educators allowing us to provide our students with the high quality education they deserve. This also help with retaining high quality educators, which is so important to our students success. I implore you vote no to any legislation that will limit or take away our right to collective bargaining. Thank You for your time.

As a former teacher and current leader of an education union, I understand that when the folks who know the names of our students have a seat at the table, great things can happen. Educator-negotiated contracts help recruit and retain the top-notch teachers that our students deserve. Educators have used contract negotiations in the past to secure smaller class sizes, increase one-on-one attention for students from professionals like nurses and counselors, and make improvements on safety issues. No contract should be one-size-fits-all. Educator-negotiated contracts provide school districts with the freedom to tackle each school's local challenges head on. All Virginia workers should have the right to join a union and the right to bargain collectively so that they have a voice at work. The right to bargain collectively for a contract is not only a better bargain for our public service workers, it’s also a better bargain for our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public sector workers and their dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. Our nurses, first responders, teachers, and many more stepped up, putting their lives on the line to ensure that we all continued to thrive and survive. These workers are our situational experts and without their expertise, we would have been lost during the pandemic. Collective bargaining rights enable public workers to fight for better services for the communities they serve. Public service employees work for the state, its cities, and counties, providing vital services such as law enforcement and protections, healthcare, sanitation, and education. They advocate for things that benefit the entire community: up-to-date equipment for emergency responders, smaller class sizes, classroom resources, adequate training, and better staffing ratios in hospitals to name a few. Collective bargaining will also mean stronger local economies. Virginia public service workers make 14% less than the national average and 18% less than private sector employees right here in Virginia. It is not the time to repeal the collective bargaining progress we have made, but instead support and strengthen it so that hard-working public service workers can support their families and put money back into our local economies.

I appreciate the Delegate's efforts on this legislation. The funding mechanism it contains fits with discussions held during study committee meetings. That section of the bill is appropriate. However, I am appalled to see that political organizations are being exempted from the provisions of it. Citizens DO NOT want any political organization to be able to collect and process our data. This was not discussed in the study committee. The Delegate has steadfastly refused to change his legislation. This last minute addition is making a bad situation worse. The public is tired of being targeted by various entities. The public does not want private data used to allow any political entity to target us. We don't want political parties, committees or anyone else to use out data in any way!!!! Please vote against this portion of HB714! Adding political organizations to the list of entities exempt from this legislation is being sneaked into the bill at the last minute. If this idea had been floated earlier, people would have risen up to oppose it. This bill was promoted as one to make technical changes that arose from the study committee. Exempting political organizations is NOT a technical change and it was not discussed during study committee proceedings. It is a substantive change that has not been fully aired. Consumers were already going to be angry when they discovered that the Consumer Data Protection Act is really just industry protection and that it will be very hard for the average person to avoid entities' collection and use of our data. When they realize that political organizations don't have to even give them the right to have data not collected, they will be extremely angry. Please do not do this! Irene Leech Virginia Citizens Consumer Council vaconsumeradvocate@gmail.com

Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining. Employees in the state of VA deserve Collective Bargaining. Teachers, firefighters and Policeman deserve a position in determining what happens in their profession. For too long they have had to sit back and let others who are not part of their profession, decide what happens in their profession. Give them a voice to determine what is in the best interest for their profession. Teachers work day and night to provide what is in the best interest of students- no one knows better then they do how to achieve this- they deserve a voice in the decision-making We will lose the best teachers, firefighters and policemen if we take away this critical opportunity for them to have a voice in their professions. Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining.

Good morning honorable members of the Committee, Massachusetts is often said to have the strongest public schools in the nation. Did you also know that Massachusetts Educators also have strong collective bargaining rights. Massachusetts invests in education. With the current staffing shortages, show Virginia families and educators that you are in strong support of education by supporting collective bargaining rights. Virginia educators earn 7k below the national average and many are abandoning the profession. Can you blame them? Sincerely Brian McGovern

We know what are students need more than anyone. I work out Special Education students every day. They always asking why do we have to do this or that. They ask why people who don't know them make them take test they know that they will pass. I want to speak for these students who fight a different type of battle every day. Let us who know what to do have a say. Most of you have no idea what special needs children fights every day because you have never been around my students.

These bills will repeal educators' progress toward gaining collective bargaining. They will silence educators' voices. School decisions will not be able to capitalize on the experiences and skills of their experts in their school systems, the educators. Why deny educators a seat at the table? Why squelch expert input? Educators are the experts in our schools. Bargaining with educators benefits our students' learning conditions. It improves educator working conditions, and ultimately benefits our Virginia communities. Bring the experts to the table. I urge you to vote no on these bills. Sincerely,

Good afternoon, honorable members of the Commerce and Energy Committee. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, and HB 790, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

To whom it may concern, Please vote No on the bill that infringes on teachers rights for collective bargaining. Collective Bargaining is an important part of a teachers voice and to be able to negotiate our salaries. Collective bargaining gives teachers a seat at the table for our voices to be heard and our ability to have a say in important decisions for our students and families. Thank you Mrs. Abdale

Dear Commerce and Energy - Subcommittee #1 members, my name is Tyvon Bates, and on behalf of American Federation of Teachers Virginia, I am writing to urge you to oppose HB 790 chief patroned by Delegate LaRock. This legislation is a cynical attempt to advance an anti-worker agenda and weaken unions in the guise of addressing police abuses. Every working person should have the right to pursue equality, opportunity, and a voice on the job by forming a union and bargaining collectively for a better life. The power of a union, including a bargained contract, should not be exploited as a shield by police against abusive, discriminatory, or violent behaviors. I hope you will join me in opposing HB 790. Thank you,

As a President of the Virginia Beach Education Association, My members and I strongly oppose House Bills 336, 337, 341, 790, & 883 which ban collective bargaining for local public employees. My members are deeply concerned about the future of our students’ education and firmly believe that collective bargaining rights for educators are a win for everyone. Collective bargaining rights lead to the kind of high-quality schools our children and communities deserve by making students our primary focus. It capitalizes on the expertise of seasoned educators in decision making around such issues as lowering class sizes, adding important positions like school counselors and nurses, and providing extra resources for students, as well as other benefits for employees. Solving problems in education must involve the people who work with students daily. They are the ones with first-hand knowledge of how issues affect students’ learning. We know that the working environment of educators is the learning environment of students. When we elevate both of these, educational programs can expand their capacity to prepare students to be work-ready, making them productive and involved citizens who in turn contribute to the success of their communities. We need teachers to be part of this decision making process in building excellent public schools. Collective bargaining rights also help retain experienced educators, attract new highly qualified educators, and encourage young adults to enter preparation programs to work in this essential field of public service. We currently have a state with many unfilled public education openings and there are not nearly enough students in preparation programs coming to fill them. Students in today’s colleges and universities are aware of how the right to collective bargain will affect their quality of life and earning potential over the course of their chosen career. They are making informed decisions about their career choices and how those in leadership support or oppose actions that will affect those choices. Collective bargaining for all public employees results in better services, retention of employees, and enhances the appeal of our communities to new business and industry. Please commit to supporting education professionals and students and our other essential workers in Virginia by embracing collective bargaining and voting against HB 336, 337, 341, 790, and 883. Thank you.

PLEASE OPPOSE HB790. These bills are not about transparency or accountability. They are about denying the due process rights of thousands of dedicated public servants. As to several of the key provisions: 1. There are hundreds of police officers in Virginia who serve honorably despite long ago minor disciplinary matters. 2. Psychological research also tells us that giving a person 24-48 hours to process traumatic events before providing a statement will lead to a more accurate statement. 3. Almost all experienced investigators would agree that letting a witness review video footage of an incident before giving a written statement leads to better fact-finding. Requiring the officer to give a statement before seeing the footage is just a trap to catch the officer being inaccurate about a minor fact so that internal affairs investigators can accuse the officer of lying. 4. Impartial adjudication of disciplinary matters is important. There is a long history of police department management- like the management of any organization- using the disciplinary process as a means of retribution, political game playing, or favoritism. The matters addressed in the bill are best left to the localities to decide what makes sense for their communities. Thank you for your attention. Justin P. Keating Beins, Axelrod & Keating, P.C.

I am against these bills and against the limiting of collective bargaining rights in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The recent gains made in collective bargaining rights are incredibly important for workers—and employers—in the state. As a teacher, I am well aware of the fact that Virginia is near the bottom in teacher salaries. This is leading to many problems in our schools, including a shortage of teachers and trouble attracting and retaining new teachers. The teacher pay gap is just one thing that can be effectively—and cooperatively addressed through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining has time and time again been shown to lead to improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions. We need this in Virginia. Please vote “No” on these bills.

Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining. Employees in the state of VA deserve Collective Bargaining. Teachers, firefighters and Policeman deserve a position in determining what happens in their profession. For too long they have had to sit back and let others who are not part of their profession, decide what happens in their profession. Give them a voice to determine what is in the best interest for their profession. Teachers work day and night to provide what is in the best interest of students- no one knows better then they do how to achieve this- they deserve a voice in the decision-making We will lose the best teachers, firefighters and policemen if we take away this critical opportunity for them to have a voice in their professions. Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining.

Good morning honorable members of the Committee, Massachusetts is often said to have the strongest public schools in the nation. Did you also know that Massachusetts Educators also have strong collective bargaining rights. Massachusetts invests in education. With the current staffing shortages, show Virginia families and educators that you are in strong support of education by supporting collective bargaining rights. Virginia educators earn 7k below the national average and many are abandoning the profession. Can you blame them? Sincerely Brian McGovern

Please move to report HB336, 337, 341, 790, 883. Thank you.

I urge you to vote NO on these bills that will silence the voices of educators. Educator negotiated contracts lead to quality educator recruitment and retention with improved classrooms and better working conditions. Please give us a seat at the table to maintain the integrity of our profession. Thank you.

PLEASE VOTE NO ON HB336, HB337, HB341 AND HB790. During these challenging times, legislators need to support public employees -- and this is particularly true for law enforcement officers. Police departments are woefully understaffed, and morale for all public employees -- particularly officers -- is at an all-time low. Measures such as these proposed bills will only serve to make matters worse. Collective bargaining is the best tool to allow employees to be part of the process, and is an excellent tool to help employers streamline communications with their employees. So much of the rhetoric is simply fear of the unknown. I've had the privilege of representing the MWAA police union, which has had collective bargaining rights and a collective bargaining agreement for decades. The ability to have everything in black and white for all parties is immensely helpful for everyone involved.

Educator voices are important to assist in classroom improvements educator voices are crucial in the recruitment and retention of qualified classroom teachers. Educator voices are vital in the improvement of working conditions for students and public school staff. I urge you to vote NO on the above House Bills. Thank you for your attention.

I have never understood why having a honest discussion and a signed agreement between employees and management is so scary that management must deny employees their collective voice. Is it because management is afraid that they will have to acknowledge that their employees are people not widgets? Will employers have to treat their employees as valued partners who are necessary for management’s success? Will management have to admit the employees doing the work really understand how the work is done over the management who only knows how it was done a long time ago? It is past time for employees representatives and management to talk and come to a MUTUAL agreement.

We know what are students need more than anyone. I work out Special Education students every day. They always asking why do we have to do this or that. They ask why people who don't know them make them take test they know that they will pass. I want to speak for these students who fight a different type of battle every day. Let us who know what to do have a say. Most of you have no idea what special needs children fights every day because you have never been around my students.

The educators within the Commonwealth deserve to have a voice in negotiating their contracts, working conditions, wages, salaries, or anything else that affects their work whether in the classroom or on a school bus. Working together with school boards for the betterment of all leads to happier educators, school boards, parents and the community is a must for the success of our children. It’s all for the children in the end. Virginia is #4 best in education so let’s keep it that way so we can work towards being #1.

As a public school teacher for the last 24 years, I have been advocating and working toward collective bargaining in Virginia. As a professional, it is important to have a voice in the present and future conditions of my profession. Teachers need to have input in working conditions, time management, and documentation. When the needs of the teachers are met, we can meet the needs of the students. Our children is what this is all about. Our working conditions are our children's learning conditions. Please continue to support collective bargaining for teachers. Thank you.

Please vote "No" on these bills. Virginia teachers have been punished enough. We service children and do so with open hearts and minds. Please do not revoke the rights that have been so hard won. Political agendas do not belong in our public school systems!

Vote No on these bills. I ask you to think about teachers. By voting NO on these bills you are helping teachers, not just our classroom and working conditions but by keeping teachers in the classroom.

Please keep Collective Bargaining. Collective Bargaining is very important and a needed meansof communication for RPS teachers/staff to have a voice in what happens for our school system. Please do not support any bills or legislature that would undermine the ability for RPS teachers/staff to come to the table through Collective Barganining. I implore you to not support the bills that have the goal to undermine Collective Barganining. PLease join hands with the Richmond City Schools teachers and staff to work together through Collective Bargaining and vote against any bill or legislature that has the goal of eradicating it or diminishing Collective Barganinings ability to allow RPS teachers/staff to come to the table and have a voice in meeting the needs of teachers/staff as we work to educate and support all the students in our system. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. have a

At a time when we should be empowering workers to improve working an living conditions for the citizens of the Commonwealth, these bills purposely seek to strip power from the middle class. Introduced by a party supposedly against government over-reach, these bills go directly against the mantra of local control. This is as unAmerican as it gets: stifling the ability of workers to ban together to improve their working conditions as a whole. In this case, it's even more damaging, as these bills seek to limit the power of the workers who are in charge of educating and protecting the public in the state of Virginia. In a time when we are struggling to fill these positions statewide, it is nonsensical to add another barrier to the recruitment and retention of highly-qualified and talented individuals. This is not the time nor the place for political posturing. This is the time for common-sense legislating. Therefore, you must vote NO on these measures.

Dear Legislators, Teachers must have a voice when it comes to collaborating working with the government. We have been through a period that has illuminated so many problems in the education system. It is ludicrous to leave us out of the conversation. We are the ones that know what works best for our students. People who make administrative decisions, including you, that have never been in the classroom in the last few years do not have the information to accurately make decisions in students' best interest. Sincerely, Amanda Wolfe

I am writing in opposition to any actions that would rescind or undermine education workers' recently-won collective bargaining rights. In many localities around the state, it is highly unlikely that education workers will be able to meet the requirements set forth in the bill as currently written. I am proud to live and work in the first Virginia locality to recognize our collective bargaining rights. This recognition did not come easily. My colleagues and I worked hundreds of unpaid hours to gain these rights, which will help improve our working conditions and our students' learning conditions. To change the playing field after we have invested so much of our personal time and resources into securing these rights would honestly be a slap in the face; not just my own face but the faces of my colleagues, the school board, and the students of Richmond Public Schools. The desire to change the rules when one does not like the outcome is a sign of poor character; I urge you to display your better natures as you debate these bills.

Delegates, As a high school teacher in Winchester, VA, I ask that you avoid repealing any positive movement towards collective bargaining. Education is incredibly difficult, and having the support of a union, a union representative, or a collectively bargained contract can be very helpful. Collective bargaining gives educators the back up in the face of shifting political headwinds, and allows for teachers to focus on what their job entails: teaching Virginia's youth. These bills before you would stall or reduce the momentum that educators in VA have worked towards over the past years. If you are "for" teachers or education, you need to be for collective bargaining. Thank you, Mike Siraguse

Teachers' jobs are incredibly difficult. Collective Bargaining and educator-negotiated contracts are essential for improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions.

These bills will repeal educators' progress toward gaining collective bargaining. They will silence educators' voices. School decisions will not be able to capitalize on the experiences and skills of their experts in their school systems, the educators. Why deny educators a seat at the table? Why squelch expert input? Educators are the experts in our schools. Bargaining with educators benefits our students' learning conditions. It improves educator working conditions, and ultimately benefits our Virginia communities. Bring the experts to the table. I urge you to vote no on these bills. Sincerely,

As an elementary school teacher working in a school with a large population of students who are of low economic status collective bargaining is key to ensure the best for our educators and students. Collective bargaining must be maintained and expanded. This will allow teachers to work with their school boards to have competitive wages in turn attracting the best educators possible to our schools. It will allow teachers to have a voice in negotiating our contractors. It is about working with school boards not against them to create a better environment for educators allowing us to provide our students with the high quality education they deserve. This also help with retaining high quality educators, which is so important to our students success. I implore you vote no to any legislation that will limit or take away our right to collective bargaining. Thank You for your time.

As a former teacher and current leader of an education union, I understand that when the folks who know the names of our students have a seat at the table, great things can happen. Educator-negotiated contracts help recruit and retain the top-notch teachers that our students deserve. Educators have used contract negotiations in the past to secure smaller class sizes, increase one-on-one attention for students from professionals like nurses and counselors, and make improvements on safety issues. No contract should be one-size-fits-all. Educator-negotiated contracts provide school districts with the freedom to tackle each school's local challenges head on. All Virginia workers should have the right to join a union and the right to bargain collectively so that they have a voice at work. The right to bargain collectively for a contract is not only a better bargain for our public service workers, it’s also a better bargain for our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public sector workers and their dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. Our nurses, first responders, teachers, and many more stepped up, putting their lives on the line to ensure that we all continued to thrive and survive. These workers are our situational experts and without their expertise, we would have been lost during the pandemic. Collective bargaining rights enable public workers to fight for better services for the communities they serve. Public service employees work for the state, its cities, and counties, providing vital services such as law enforcement and protections, healthcare, sanitation, and education. They advocate for things that benefit the entire community: up-to-date equipment for emergency responders, smaller class sizes, classroom resources, adequate training, and better staffing ratios in hospitals to name a few. Collective bargaining will also mean stronger local economies. Virginia public service workers make 14% less than the national average and 18% less than private sector employees right here in Virginia. It is not the time to repeal the collective bargaining progress we have made, but instead support and strengthen it so that hard-working public service workers can support their families and put money back into our local economies.

Please vote NO on HB883 before this bill comes to the House Commerce and the Energy Committee. Public employees have the right to engage in collective bargaining efforts. This is about huge number of families' struggle! Thank you.

Good afternoon, honorable members of the Commerce and Energy Committee. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, and HB 790, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

As a teacher in the Commonwealth, I feel it necessary to voice how important it is for teachers and school staff to collectively bargain. The process of collective bargaining is necessary due to the lack of specificity in Virginia contracts. If negotiating cannot happen, teachers are pushed to breaking points that have already been noticeable for years. Without collective bargaining, students suffer from a lack of confident, supported teachers. Collective bargaining allows everyone to have a voice, and all of Virginia's teachers create rooms for students to have a voice. We should give the same opportunity to our teachers and staff. Thank you.

The law was changed to allow collective bargaining by teachers for a reason. I fear that by once again denying teachers the right to collectively bargain we will be clearly demonstrating a lack of respect and care for our teachers without whom, as the pandemic showed, society would rapidly fall apart. Right now our public school system is in danger, the department of education has provided data showing that we are already seeing educators leaving in droves. Now is not the time to tell our teachers, who are already dealing with ever increasingly stressful times teaching this year, that they aren't important enough or trustworthy enough to deserve being allowed to collectively bargain in good faith with their school boards.

Please vote to OPPOSE HB883. When educators have a seat at the table, they bargain for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community. This bill would totally repeal the right of public employees to engage in collective bargaining efforts. Please OPPOSE. Anne Geraty

I am writing in opposition to bill HB883 which would repeal the right of public employees to engage in collective bargaining efforts. As a public school teacher, I should be able to negotiate wages and other conditions of my employment. This is a valuable right that I take seriously. If this bill passes my right to collective bargaining would be removed. This action should not be legal. I would like to request that you vote no to bill HB883. Respectfully, Jean Marie Mendelis

Teachers are in short supply & kids are just not learning what they need! Why would we want legislature to reduce their possible education? Why pass a bill that will further inhibit teachers and not only prevent retention of quality teachers, but un-incentivize new teachers? I say “NO” to bill HB883!

Collective bargaining is so crucial to provide a quality education for children. With a national teacher shortage and an antiquated education system, we teachers need ways to advocate for our students. Don't silence teachers.

If you value education at all you will vote NO on bill HB883! There’s already a dangerous teacher shortage. We can’t afford to lose anymore teachers! They should have the right to participate in collective bargaining. Haven’t you stripped enough away? Teachers have rights too!

Harlie White - Good afternoon, my name is Harlie White - . and I’m a Traffic and Lights technician in the city of Alexandria. I am speaking in opposition of HB 883 which would repeal collective bargaining agreements, prevailing wage requirements, and remove the rights of municipalities like the City of Alexandria from entering into collective bargaining agreements. As an employee in the city of Alexandria, my work isn’t just a job it is a calling. I care deeply for my community. In April of last year, my coworkers and I worked with the city of Alexandria Council members to enact the first collective bargaining ordinance in the Commonwealth in almost forty years. The freedom to collectively bargain enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB 883 would take us backward by repealing a 2020 law that empowers localities to give public service workers the freedom to join a union, and local municipalities the autonomy to enact union agreements as they see fit. I stand in opposition to HB 883 with other city of Alexandria AFSCME members. Thank you for your time.

Hi, my name is Luis Velez Sr. I am an Equipment Technician for Arlington County and AFSCME member. I am speaking in opposition to repealing collective bargaining rights and HB 337 As a resident of Alexandria, and a public employee with Arlington County, I am responsible for and rely on the quality public services that Northern Virginia’s communities are known for. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the importance of public service workers and our dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. The freedom to collective bargaining enables public service workers to fight for better services for the communities we serve. HB (337) would chip away at my right to collectively bargain and freedom to join a strong union. I stand in opposition to HB 337

Leaving educators out of the decision-making process is something we continually lambaeste government officials for doing when creating educational policy. I applaud those of you that oppose House Bill 883. This Bill doesn’t seem to fit Virginia and Governor Youngkin’s vision of better public education for our students. As we learned last year, public education is more important now than ever. Collective bargaining for public education staff will improve working conditions, which in turn, will provide a better educational environment for our students, smaller class sizes, and will lead to less turnover in our schools. Staff are continually asked to do more each year. Without collective bargaining, staff will continue to be stretched which will ultimately affect students across Virginia as educators continue to leave the profession more and more. All we are asking for as educators, is for the Virginia House and Senate to support us, believe in us, and allow us to continue to have the right to gain collective bargaining so we can continue to improve working conditions in our public school systems. Trust us to continue the work that is needed to improve our schools across the Commonwealth by voting down this Bill - thank you.

Collective bargaining is the right of the employee and when educators do so, they bargain for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves embarrassing educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community.

We are saying No to this Bill Thank you

It is very disappointing to see coward such a dissponsor this bill are still trying to refuse public employees the right of elective bargaining. We have won this road in Virginia, and you so quickly taken away again is aid dastardly move, and shows how much those on the right tear us using our voice to stand up for what is right.

Vote No!

Members of the Committee- My name is Katherine Lekbad and I am a middle school social studies teacher in Prince William. I urge you to vote no on HB 883. I urge you to give teachers the respect and acknowledgment they so richly deserve. I appeal to your desire to provide the best education possible to the youth of our Commonwealth. Teachers all across the Commonwealth are in the process of obtaining collective bargaining (CB). For this committee to preemptively shut down this process with this egregious legislation would be a slap in the face for all these teachers. You all must consider the following- Virginia ranks 50th in teacher pay in the USA. 50th!! Can you understand how that will impact future procurement of quality teachers? Virginia already faces a CRITICAL shortage of teachers. Do you want to increase that shortage? I assume you all understand that having quality teachers is one of the largest determiners of a quality education. Virginia is already a Right to Work state. Unions are not mandatory. Teachers can be a part of an association or not. There is no ability to strike as leverage. Indeed, even the Janus decision of the US Supreme Court prohibits unions to charge fees for CB. What is the fear of CB? It is the teachers who are the experts on how to provide quality education. It is the teachers who best understand what the schools and classrooms need. It is teachers who should have representation when contracts are written. Teachers have the best interests of our students at heart. CB will benefit BOTH staff and students! When your staff feels appreciated, respected, and acknowledged for the experts they are, the quality of their work product improves. Isn’t this a basic understanding? Please stop HB 833 now. Please show me and all other professional educators in the Commonwealth that acknowledge and respect our expertise and value. Let the CB organizing continue and allow CB improve the future of education here in Virginia. Respectfully, Mrs. Lekbad

Both I, a public school teacher in Fairfax County, and the Virginia Education Association OPPOSE HB 883. This destructive bill would totally repeal the right of public employees to engage in collective bargaining efforts.

When educators have a seat at the table, they bargain for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community.

To whom it may concern, Please vote No on the bill that infringes on teachers rights for collective bargaining. Collective Bargaining is an important part of a teachers voice and to be able to negotiate our salaries. Collective bargaining gives teachers a seat at the table for our voices to be heard and our ability to have a say in important decisions for our students and families. Thank you Mrs. Abdale

It is no secret that teachers across the US are underpaid and that VA teachers are particularly underpaid. As of July 2021, VA teachers, along with DC teachers, were ranked last in the country in salary. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/new-report-virginia-dc-teacher-pay-ranks-last-country/65-72f34f95-ca7d-4707-9c77-fc413a50105e As someone who taught in VA public schools for 43 years, I can attest to the fact that VA teachers do NOT work any less hard nor give any less time to school related matters than teachers anywhere else in this country. After many years of hard work, VA teachers have won the right to bargain collectively. This is the only way they have any chance of being paid fairly for all they do for their students. Good pay attracts teachers, which is important during a time when many college students are eschewing teaching as a profession due to such low pay for work that continues after school hours, during holidays, and even during what some people think is a long summer vacation. Please put partisan politics aside and vote no on HB883, a bill that would completely repeal the rights of public employees to engage in public bargaining. VA will not descend into bankruptcy if teacher pay is raised.

Please vote no on HB883. Collective bargaining for teachers will improve the education for students in Virginia. It gives a process for school boards and teachers to collaborate on improving schools and will improve the moral of educators. They will no longer feel that they are being ignored in decision making in schools. Keep collective bargaining and give it a chance to succeed.

When this bill comes before the House Commerce and Energy Committee this week, please vote NO on HB883. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, but it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community.

The right to collectively bargain must be maintained. Please do not infringe upon it, this right it is already entirely too constricted in this state as it is. Teachers are constantly at the forefront of this conflict but understand that Instructional Assistants have little ability to defend themselves at present and some of our conditions and wages in any other industry would be considered criminal.

When educators have a seat at the table, they bargain for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community. Please vote NO on HB883! This destructive bill would totally repeal the right of public employees to engage in collective bargaining efforts.

When educators have a seat at the table, they bargain for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community. vote no on HB 833

Please do not take the right to collective bargain from teachers. We are all ready to leave the profession because of years of mistreatment. If we work together through collective bargaining we will be able to better benefit the students and repair the broken system. Otherwise it will continue to break.

Please vote NO Allow public workers bargaining power for their jobs Thank you

Please do not quash collective bargaining for public workers. All workers deserve the right to negotiate the terms of their employment. Forcing public service workers into contracts in which they have no say is patently unfair. I'm sure you would not like to work somewhere where you can't negotiate the terms of your employment at all. The only reason to disallow collective bargaining is because you enjoy exploiting our workforce.

As an educator, I can guarantee that teachers across the state already feel as though we are not heard. Our Governor is setting up programs to replace and report us and the maximum wage in my district, after 30 years of service with a Masters degree, is the same as someone who comes out of trade school the first year. Ask why schools are failing, better ask why anyone would want to spend $80,000 going to college to come out and make $40,000 for the first 8 years with no opportunity for promotion? If educators aren’t paid more money, and sooner, you are going to have to lower teacher requirements to an Associate’s degree level requirement. You already see the effects in places like New Mexico, where they are using National Guard volunteers as subs, and others that are using police. If nothing is done there won’t be any teachers left in 10 years.

I have been a Prince William County high school teacher for 18 years and have been trying to get all of us a seat at the table to make choices about education. It is not right that the majority of people making those decisions are not educators or even in the educational community. Month after month, I go in person to the the PWC School Board Meetings and I'm allocated 3 minutes to speak. It is the only way for the public to hear what we want and what we are lacking in our schools. The SB has to pay attention when you're on television. It should not be that way. Part-time SB members who are business women, men and others outside of education should not have the sole to power to determine what regulations, policies are made that affect all of us who are actually in the schools and have to enforce said policy. I respectfully request that you allow collective bargaining or at least a shot at it go forward. Thank you. Shannon M. Geraghty Woodbridge, Va. Teacher of 34 years Forest Park High School Government

When educators have a seat at the table, they bargain for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community. Vote NO on HB883!

HB883 destroys the Commonwealth’s valuable opportunity to improve public education statewide. I’m a retired educator and former president of our local association. I know firsthand how the lack of collective bargaining hinders a community’s improvement for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community.

The Commonwealth's citizens do not derive any benefit from a refusal to authorize a locality to recognize a labor union. In some areas, such as food service, businesses struggle to attract workers owing to a failure to offer appropriately livable working conditions, wages, or benefits. In other sectors, such as education, teachers and classified employees have worked in service for our Commonwealth's youngest citizens for compensation that has not always been equitable to what should be expected for performance, job description, experience, and geographical area. While allowing for collective bargaining does not guarantee any gains for employees in various careers, these employees would retain a voice in their working conditions, as is the case in most other states. To repeal the recognition of labor unions and the ability of employees to engage in collective bargaining will quash opportunities to improve the livelihoods of employees, including those who serve our children, whose need for financial stability is greatest. There is no competing benefit for our citizens in advancing this bill.

When educators have a seat at the table, they bargain for the common good. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community. Tell your legislator today - Vote NO on HB883! When this bill comes before the House Commerce and Energy committee this week, tell them to vote NO on HB883. This destructive bill would totally repeal the right of public employees to engage in collective bargaining efforts.

No.

Please vote "NO" on HB883. Teachers and all public servants deserve the right to have collective bargaining. This destructive bill would totally repeal the right of public employees to engage in collective bargaining efforts.

I respectfully ask you to vote NO on House Bill 883. Educators deserve a seat at the table. With the extended hours that are put in and the struggles of the pandemic I want to see you the leadership of Virginia to respect that in all that you do this session. Teacher retention is a major issue for school districts. Not only does collective bargaining attract and retain more educators, it also improves student learning conditions, increases test scores, improves educator wages, and positively impacts the whole community. Vote NO on HB883! Respectfully Submitted Jackie Wilson Atkins, VA

Support of HB883 is anti-democratic. Allow workers to have a seat at the table and allow collective bargaining.

Why are you trying to get rid of collect bargaining? This is something that could raise teacher pay in a time of crisis and teacher shortage. Burnout is high and teachers are tired of being treated like we are disposable. Please do not create a crisis by taking away such a fundamental right.

I am a Special Education paraprofessional who has gone above and beyond working at a local high school with special needs students. Every educator whether it’s a teacher or paraprofessional deserves a raise with every thing that we’ve had to endure over these last few years with the pandemic. The amount of money that we currently make is barely enough to live off of when the cost of living continues to go up. Add on the fact that there are many educators who have no choice but to get multiple jobs just to make ends meet. We should be fighting FOR those in education vs trying to tear things down and let things continue the way that they are with people getting burned out due to being stretched thin with everything that they’re doing to help students reach their full potential. Bill HB883 can’t be passed because it would prevent educators from being able to fight for the things that we have desperately needed for a long time & the number one thing is a better living wage compared to what it currently is.

The right to collectively bargain, regardless of profession, is vital to the protection of workers against potential abuses by employers. It is, simply, a moral imperative that ensures all people are treated fairly and equally. In schools, the ability to collectively bargain allows schools to attract and retain qualified and dedicated staff by providing the security of knowing that they will be allowed to provide the best possible learning conditions for students. Teachers’ working conditions ARE students’ learning conditions, and collective bargaining protects both.

Do not vote to get rid of collective bargaining.

Dear Commerce and Energy - Subcommittee #1 members, my name is Tyvon Bates, and on behalf of American Federation of Teachers Virginia, I am writing to urge you to oppose HB 883 chief patroned by Delegate Byron. Repeals in its entirety permissive legislation passed in 2020 that overturned Virginia’s long time ban on collective bargaining for local public employees. I hope you will join me in opposing HB 883. Thank you,

As a President of the Virginia Beach Education Association, My members and I strongly oppose House Bills 336, 337, 341, 790, & 883 which ban collective bargaining for local public employees. My members are deeply concerned about the future of our students’ education and firmly believe that collective bargaining rights for educators are a win for everyone. Collective bargaining rights lead to the kind of high-quality schools our children and communities deserve by making students our primary focus. It capitalizes on the expertise of seasoned educators in decision making around such issues as lowering class sizes, adding important positions like school counselors and nurses, and providing extra resources for students, as well as other benefits for employees. Solving problems in education must involve the people who work with students daily. They are the ones with first-hand knowledge of how issues affect students’ learning. We know that the working environment of educators is the learning environment of students. When we elevate both of these, educational programs can expand their capacity to prepare students to be work-ready, making them productive and involved citizens who in turn contribute to the success of their communities. We need teachers to be part of this decision making process in building excellent public schools. Collective bargaining rights also help retain experienced educators, attract new highly qualified educators, and encourage young adults to enter preparation programs to work in this essential field of public service. We currently have a state with many unfilled public education openings and there are not nearly enough students in preparation programs coming to fill them. Students in today’s colleges and universities are aware of how the right to collective bargain will affect their quality of life and earning potential over the course of their chosen career. They are making informed decisions about their career choices and how those in leadership support or oppose actions that will affect those choices. Collective bargaining for all public employees results in better services, retention of employees, and enhances the appeal of our communities to new business and industry. Please commit to supporting education professionals and students and our other essential workers in Virginia by embracing collective bargaining and voting against HB 336, 337, 341, 790, and 883. Thank you.

Good afternoon honorable members of Subcommittee #1. My name is William Boger and I am an active firefighter in Henrico County, Virginia with nearly 20 years in my profession. I am president of Henrico Professional Fire Fighters Association and a district vice president with the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters representing over 9,000 of the firefighters who protect our Commonwealth. I am also a third generation union member. I have witnessed first hand the benefits union membership has had on working families and the sustainment and development of the middle class. I am here today to speak against HB 883, which seeks to repeal the freedom of workers like firefighters to collectively bargain terms of their employment, as well as HB 336, HB 337, and HB 341, which are all attacks against the freedom of public service employees to join together in a union and bargain collectively for a contract. Many people wrongly believe collective bargaining is all about money. It is not. Collective bargaining is about working conditions, safety, benefits, training, equipment and so much more. As frontline workers who have faced the Covid-19 pandemic daily, we are able to provide beneficial insight into what we need to keep our communities safe. And as firefighters and EMS providers, we know first hand what it takes to provide the best services possible. Since the law passed in 2020 allowing collective bargaining in Virginia, communities like Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Prince William County and others have begun the process. Please don’t repeal legislation of which communities are already seeing the benefit and that they desire. You can have a pro-business economy and a pro-worker economy. Collective bargaining is not against making Virginia the best place for business. Collective bargaining is a means for workers to have a voice in their employment. Through collaboration, employers and the communities they serve will see the benefit of having important decisions shared. Collective bargaining makes for stronger communities, where employees are not seen as simply line items on a budget, but as assets to the communities in which they live, work and raise their families. Thank you for this opportunity to speak against HB 883.

I am against these bills and against the limiting of collective bargaining rights in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The recent gains made in collective bargaining rights are incredibly important for workers—and employers—in the state. As a teacher, I am well aware of the fact that Virginia is near the bottom in teacher salaries. This is leading to many problems in our schools, including a shortage of teachers and trouble attracting and retaining new teachers. The teacher pay gap is just one thing that can be effectively—and cooperatively addressed through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining has time and time again been shown to lead to improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions. We need this in Virginia. Please vote “No” on these bills.

Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining. Employees in the state of VA deserve Collective Bargaining. Teachers, firefighters and Policeman deserve a position in determining what happens in their profession. For too long they have had to sit back and let others who are not part of their profession, decide what happens in their profession. Give them a voice to determine what is in the best interest for their profession. Teachers work day and night to provide what is in the best interest of students- no one knows better then they do how to achieve this- they deserve a voice in the decision-making We will lose the best teachers, firefighters and policemen if we take away this critical opportunity for them to have a voice in their professions. Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining.

Good morning honorable members of the Committee, Massachusetts is often said to have the strongest public schools in the nation. Did you also know that Massachusetts Educators also have strong collective bargaining rights. Massachusetts invests in education. With the current staffing shortages, show Virginia families and educators that you are in strong support of education by supporting collective bargaining rights. Virginia educators earn 7k below the national average and many are abandoning the profession. Can you blame them? Sincerely Brian McGovern

Please move to report HB336, 337, 341, 790, 883. Thank you.

I urge you to vote NO on these bills that will silence the voices of educators. Educator negotiated contracts lead to quality educator recruitment and retention with improved classrooms and better working conditions. Please give us a seat at the table to maintain the integrity of our profession. Thank you.

Educator voices are important to assist in classroom improvements educator voices are crucial in the recruitment and retention of qualified classroom teachers. Educator voices are vital in the improvement of working conditions for students and public school staff. I urge you to vote NO on the above House Bills. Thank you for your attention.

I have never understood why having a honest discussion and a signed agreement between employees and management is so scary that management must deny employees their collective voice. Is it because management is afraid that they will have to acknowledge that their employees are people not widgets? Will employers have to treat their employees as valued partners who are necessary for management’s success? Will management have to admit the employees doing the work really understand how the work is done over the management who only knows how it was done a long time ago? It is past time for employees representatives and management to talk and come to a MUTUAL agreement.

We know what are students need more than anyone. I work out Special Education students every day. They always asking why do we have to do this or that. They ask why people who don't know them make them take test they know that they will pass. I want to speak for these students who fight a different type of battle every day. Let us who know what to do have a say. Most of you have no idea what special needs children fights every day because you have never been around my students.

The educators within the Commonwealth deserve to have a voice in negotiating their contracts, working conditions, wages, salaries, or anything else that affects their work whether in the classroom or on a school bus. Working together with school boards for the betterment of all leads to happier educators, school boards, parents and the community is a must for the success of our children. It’s all for the children in the end. Virginia is #4 best in education so let’s keep it that way so we can work towards being #1.

As a public school teacher for the last 24 years, I have been advocating and working toward collective bargaining in Virginia. As a professional, it is important to have a voice in the present and future conditions of my profession. Teachers need to have input in working conditions, time management, and documentation. When the needs of the teachers are met, we can meet the needs of the students. Our children is what this is all about. Our working conditions are our children's learning conditions. Please continue to support collective bargaining for teachers. Thank you.

Please vote "No" on these bills. Virginia teachers have been punished enough. We service children and do so with open hearts and minds. Please do not revoke the rights that have been so hard won. Political agendas do not belong in our public school systems!

Vote No on these bills. I ask you to think about teachers. By voting NO on these bills you are helping teachers, not just our classroom and working conditions but by keeping teachers in the classroom.

Please keep Collective Bargaining. Collective Bargaining is very important and a needed meansof communication for RPS teachers/staff to have a voice in what happens for our school system. Please do not support any bills or legislature that would undermine the ability for RPS teachers/staff to come to the table through Collective Barganining. I implore you to not support the bills that have the goal to undermine Collective Barganining. PLease join hands with the Richmond City Schools teachers and staff to work together through Collective Bargaining and vote against any bill or legislature that has the goal of eradicating it or diminishing Collective Barganinings ability to allow RPS teachers/staff to come to the table and have a voice in meeting the needs of teachers/staff as we work to educate and support all the students in our system. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. have a

I am a public school teacher in Virginia. I have never asked for thanks, nor do I consider my job heroic. It has become an endurance test against the accumulation of external accountability that is determined by those less invested in educational outcomes but heavily invested in political and financial outcomes. Since my first year teaching in Virginia (2003) the layers of expectations have grown disproportionate to what should be normal. Teachers are not represented. The effort to make collective bargaining nearly impossible in Virginia is a play for status quo power in the hands of politicians and interest groups that profit from standardized tests and budget money going to testing platforms. Add to that, the absurd hysteria over political footballs such as CRT and a pandemic response meant to be protective of all people in crowded schools. Because the changing climate of education seems to be drifting further from what’s best for students, it is important that teachers have a voice strengthened through collective bargaining from which they can have a chance to do what’s best within the environment they know best.

I am not providing an attachment however I am opposed to this bill because it guts all worker rights if working for the Commonwealth in any capacity. It makes treating workers with dignity optional everywhere.

At a time when we should be empowering workers to improve working an living conditions for the citizens of the Commonwealth, these bills purposely seek to strip power from the middle class. Introduced by a party supposedly against government over-reach, these bills go directly against the mantra of local control. This is as unAmerican as it gets: stifling the ability of workers to ban together to improve their working conditions as a whole. In this case, it's even more damaging, as these bills seek to limit the power of the workers who are in charge of educating and protecting the public in the state of Virginia. In a time when we are struggling to fill these positions statewide, it is nonsensical to add another barrier to the recruitment and retention of highly-qualified and talented individuals. This is not the time nor the place for political posturing. This is the time for common-sense legislating. Therefore, you must vote NO on these measures.

Dear Legislators, Teachers must have a voice when it comes to collaborating working with the government. We have been through a period that has illuminated so many problems in the education system. It is ludicrous to leave us out of the conversation. We are the ones that know what works best for our students. People who make administrative decisions, including you, that have never been in the classroom in the last few years do not have the information to accurately make decisions in students' best interest. Sincerely, Amanda Wolfe

I am writing in opposition to any actions that would rescind or undermine education workers' recently-won collective bargaining rights. In many localities around the state, it is highly unlikely that education workers will be able to meet the requirements set forth in the bill as currently written. I am proud to live and work in the first Virginia locality to recognize our collective bargaining rights. This recognition did not come easily. My colleagues and I worked hundreds of unpaid hours to gain these rights, which will help improve our working conditions and our students' learning conditions. To change the playing field after we have invested so much of our personal time and resources into securing these rights would honestly be a slap in the face; not just my own face but the faces of my colleagues, the school board, and the students of Richmond Public Schools. The desire to change the rules when one does not like the outcome is a sign of poor character; I urge you to display your better natures as you debate these bills.

Delegates, As a high school teacher in Winchester, VA, I ask that you avoid repealing any positive movement towards collective bargaining. Education is incredibly difficult, and having the support of a union, a union representative, or a collectively bargained contract can be very helpful. Collective bargaining gives educators the back up in the face of shifting political headwinds, and allows for teachers to focus on what their job entails: teaching Virginia's youth. These bills before you would stall or reduce the momentum that educators in VA have worked towards over the past years. If you are "for" teachers or education, you need to be for collective bargaining. Thank you, Mike Siraguse

Teachers' jobs are incredibly difficult. Collective Bargaining and educator-negotiated contracts are essential for improved classrooms, educator recruitment and retention, and better working conditions.

These bills will repeal educators' progress toward gaining collective bargaining. They will silence educators' voices. School decisions will not be able to capitalize on the experiences and skills of their experts in their school systems, the educators. Why deny educators a seat at the table? Why squelch expert input? Educators are the experts in our schools. Bargaining with educators benefits our students' learning conditions. It improves educator working conditions, and ultimately benefits our Virginia communities. Bring the experts to the table. I urge you to vote no on these bills. Sincerely,

As an elementary school teacher working in a school with a large population of students who are of low economic status collective bargaining is key to ensure the best for our educators and students. Collective bargaining must be maintained and expanded. This will allow teachers to work with their school boards to have competitive wages in turn attracting the best educators possible to our schools. It will allow teachers to have a voice in negotiating our contractors. It is about working with school boards not against them to create a better environment for educators allowing us to provide our students with the high quality education they deserve. This also help with retaining high quality educators, which is so important to our students success. I implore you vote no to any legislation that will limit or take away our right to collective bargaining. Thank You for your time.

As a former teacher and current leader of an education union, I understand that when the folks who know the names of our students have a seat at the table, great things can happen. Educator-negotiated contracts help recruit and retain the top-notch teachers that our students deserve. Educators have used contract negotiations in the past to secure smaller class sizes, increase one-on-one attention for students from professionals like nurses and counselors, and make improvements on safety issues. No contract should be one-size-fits-all. Educator-negotiated contracts provide school districts with the freedom to tackle each school's local challenges head on. All Virginia workers should have the right to join a union and the right to bargain collectively so that they have a voice at work. The right to bargain collectively for a contract is not only a better bargain for our public service workers, it’s also a better bargain for our communities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public sector workers and their dedication to the jobs that protect our community and fuel our economy. Our nurses, first responders, teachers, and many more stepped up, putting their lives on the line to ensure that we all continued to thrive and survive. These workers are our situational experts and without their expertise, we would have been lost during the pandemic. Collective bargaining rights enable public workers to fight for better services for the communities they serve. Public service employees work for the state, its cities, and counties, providing vital services such as law enforcement and protections, healthcare, sanitation, and education. They advocate for things that benefit the entire community: up-to-date equipment for emergency responders, smaller class sizes, classroom resources, adequate training, and better staffing ratios in hospitals to name a few. Collective bargaining will also mean stronger local economies. Virginia public service workers make 14% less than the national average and 18% less than private sector employees right here in Virginia. It is not the time to repeal the collective bargaining progress we have made, but instead support and strengthen it so that hard-working public service workers can support their families and put money back into our local economies.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

To whom it may concern, Please vote No on the bill that infringes on teachers rights for collective bargaining. Collective Bargaining is an important part of a teachers voice and to be able to negotiate our salaries. Collective bargaining gives teachers a seat at the table for our voices to be heard and our ability to have a say in important decisions for our students and families. Thank you Mrs. Abdale

I have been ignored in the workplace while having seizures because people did not recognize them and some did not know what to do. This could have harmed me and it did in some cases because I was scrutinized at my job by fellow employees and it held me back from advancing and a number of times cost me my career. Signs need to be put up in every workplace for not only the protection of the individuals with epilepsy, but for others to assist them also

Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining. Employees in the state of VA deserve Collective Bargaining. Teachers, firefighters and Policeman deserve a position in determining what happens in their profession. For too long they have had to sit back and let others who are not part of their profession, decide what happens in their profession. Give them a voice to determine what is in the best interest for their profession. Teachers work day and night to provide what is in the best interest of students- no one knows better then they do how to achieve this- they deserve a voice in the decision-making We will lose the best teachers, firefighters and policemen if we take away this critical opportunity for them to have a voice in their professions. Say NO to the bills that take away Collective Bargaining.

Good morning honorable members of the Committee, Massachusetts is often said to have the strongest public schools in the nation. Did you also know that Massachusetts Educators also have strong collective bargaining rights. Massachusetts invests in education. With the current staffing shortages, show Virginia families and educators that you are in strong support of education by supporting collective bargaining rights. Virginia educators earn 7k below the national average and many are abandoning the profession. Can you blame them? Sincerely Brian McGovern

We know what are students need more than anyone. I work out Special Education students every day. They always asking why do we have to do this or that. They ask why people who don't know them make them take test they know that they will pass. I want to speak for these students who fight a different type of battle every day. Let us who know what to do have a say. Most of you have no idea what special needs children fights every day because you have never been around my students.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

These bills will repeal educators' progress toward gaining collective bargaining. They will silence educators' voices. School decisions will not be able to capitalize on the experiences and skills of their experts in their school systems, the educators. Why deny educators a seat at the table? Why squelch expert input? Educators are the experts in our schools. Bargaining with educators benefits our students' learning conditions. It improves educator working conditions, and ultimately benefits our Virginia communities. Bring the experts to the table. I urge you to vote no on these bills. Sincerely,

HB 1201 Unemployment benefits should be carefully controlled. We must avoid providing disincentives to work.

HB 118 Yes, include solar!

HB 1243 Mammography must be optional, based on the woman's choice. For a lot of thinking women it is wrong (does not make sense) to invade breasts with radiation in an effort to "detect" breast cancer.

HB 126 Yes, by all means.....Proton therapy works, I think.

HB 1288 Yes, by all means.....And rate reviews must allow for the power of solar to help us save the environment.

HB 153 Yes, by all means.....no state funds should be paid to workers illegally impaired.

HB 1160 I am in favor of this----a necessity nowadays to keep our communities healthy.

HB 263 If this bill will help to ensure that banks will be able to help people save money in virtual currency and add that to FDIC-like assurances for saving consumers......it has my blessing.

HB 225 -- It is a good idea to carefully define this disorder in the bill. Make sure NOT to simply repeat psychiatric jargon in the wording of the law, or it will be uninterpretable by the public that is being served. At a minimum, provide a clear definition of autism in plain English in the bill.

My name is Eric Goplerud. I am the Board Chair of the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, representing more than 2,600 faith-based activists from over 190 faith communities. We support Bill 1054. Many members of our faith communities are elderly, disabled, low income or have young children. This bill would set standards for utility (electric, gas, water) disconnections during crises (e.g., pandemic) and severe cold and heat periods. Giving people a grace period during crises and extreme weather just makes sense. It's humane. It is the right thing to do. The utilities are publicly regulated monopolies. It is not a hardship for them to receive delayed payments. It is a life threatening crisis if members of our faith communities and other poor Virginians do not have vital service during a crisis or extreme weather emergency.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that between 1980 and 2019, CO2 emissions increased by 11 percent. Despite great progress in air quality improvement, approximately 97 million people nationwide lived in counties with pollution levels above the primary NAAQS in 2020. HB1204 will slow the adoption of clean energy in Virginia and gut the Renewable Energy Credit (RECs), and rooftop solar/distributed generation market, putting us further behind in our efforts to decarbonize our grid. Additionally, the bill rolls back the long-standing authority of the Air Pollution Control Board to make determinations related to minor new source review (air pollution) permits. Virgnina’s Air Pollution Control Board meets and deliberates in public, while receiving input and votes from citizens in the Commonwealth of Virginia. By allowing HB1204 to pass, it will minimize public engagement & participation as well as government transparency that occurs with the full review by the Air Pollution Control Board. And it is for these reasons, CCAN Action Fund opposes this bill HB1204.

Comments Document

Dear Members of the House Commerce and Energy - Subcommittee #3, on behalf of the Virginia Conservation Network I urge you to vote "no" on HB894 and HB1326, and to vote "yes" on HB1054. For your convince I am attaching combined talking points on each bill.

The continuous debate on whether waste coal can be reused as a sustainable source of electricity is not only a fallacious belief, but also a hazardous option for electricity generation. Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Coal contains trace amounts of naturally-occurring radioactive elements. The process of burning coal at coal-fired power plants, called combustion, creates wastes that contain small amounts of naturally-occurring radioactive material (NORM). If such waste is reused to produce electricity that is utilized in areas with high volume, people can become exposed to these radioactive elements. This bill will undermine previous climate and clean energy adoption bills Virginia has committed to.Thus, CCAN Action Fund opposes HB1326.

The price of energy affects the poor and working man much more than it does any rich politician or or entitled class. The idiocy espoused by the Biden administration and the leftist politicians in America is it is not just laughable, it is anti-American and impacts impacts each one of us in a negative way. Stop the spread of communism in our country. Put America First. Let us together make America Great Again.