The overwhelming majority of residents of the state and country have supported PERMANENT STANDARD TIME. For some reason, the opposite keeps getting proposed. Now is the time to END DAYLIGHT SAVINGS forever, and use real time. It is evidentially and scientifically better for all humans.

Please do not vote to change to permanent Daylight Savings Time. This is unnatural and unhealthy. Please freeze time on permanent STANDARD time.

NO to HB9 Dear Committee, please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. It would make sunrise later than 8am from November into February, and around 8:30am in January. That much morning darkness would be depressing and dangerous. Permanent DST is against federal law because it was a disaster for schools, businesses, and commuters when tried in 1974. We need instead permanent Eastern Standard Time, which is pre-approved by federal law, and which is naturally better for sleep, health, mood, safety, education, and economy. No on HB9. Amend to EST. Thank you!

Committee, please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. It would make sunrise later than 8am from November into February, and around 8:30am in January. That much morning darkness would be depressing and dangerous. Permanent DST is against federal law because it was a disaster for schools, businesses, and commuters when tried in 1974. We need instead permanent Eastern Standard Time, which is pre-approved by federal law, and which is naturally better for sleep, health, mood, safety, education, and economy. No on HB9. Amend to EST. Thank you!

Committee, please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. It would make sunrise later than 8am from November into February, and around 8:30am in January. That much morning darkness would be depressing and dangerous. Permanent DST is against federal law because it was a disaster for schools, businesses, and commuters when tried in 1974. We need instead permanent Eastern Standard Time, which is pre-approved by federal law, and which is naturally better for sleep, health, mood, safety, education, and economy. No on HB9. Amend to EST. Thank you!

Dear Committee, please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. It would make sunrise later than 8am from November into February, and around 8:30am in January. That much morning darkness would be depressing and dangerous. Permanent DST is against federal law because it was a disaster for schools, businesses, and commuters when tried in 1974. We need instead permanent Eastern Standard Time, which is pre-approved by federal law, and which is naturally better for sleep, health, mood, safety, education, and economy. No on HB9. Amend to EST. Thank you!

Dear Committee, please do oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. According to the is detrimental to human health and safety.. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is opposed to permanent Daylight Savings Time https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.878The Virginia Academy of Sleep Medicine, of which I am a member, also opposes permanent Daylight Savings Time. Instead,8 the VASM supports permanent Standard Time which in the case of Virginia would be permanent Eastern Standard Time. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/cf6d1ccc-ecaf-4370-b202-d9d43f0a9549/downloads/VASM_DST%20position_7.27.2021.docx.pdf?ver=1769708995635 Please vote No on HB9. Please Amend to EST. Thank you!

I ask that you support HB9 in the interest of safety. The time change causes a disruption in sleep and regular patterns. Whether keeping the time to standard or daylight does not matter. As a school teacher I know that learning is disrupted for several weeks after the change. Those disruptions twice a year cost valuable opportunities. Also, traffic accidents are more frequent. Please support HB9. Thank you.

Dear Committee, please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. It would make sunrise later than 8am from November into February, and around 8:30am in January. That much morning darkness would be depressing and dangerous. Permanent DST is against federal law because it was a disaster for schools, businesses, and commuters when tried in 1974. We need instead permanent Eastern Standard Time, which is pre-approved by federal law, and which is naturally better for sleep, health, mood, safety, education, and economy. No on HB9. Amend to EST. Thank you!

Dear Committee, please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. It would make sunrise later than 8am from November into February, and around 8:30am in January. That much morning darkness would be depressing and dangerous. Permanent DST is against federal law because it was a disaster for schools, businesses, and commuters when tried in 1974. We need instead permanent Eastern Standard Time, which is pre-approved by federal law, and which is naturally better for sleep, health, mood, safety, education, and economy. No on HB9. Amend to EST. Thank you!

Vote NO to HB9. NO to permanent daylight savings time. In Virginia, Eastern Standard Time is the most normal, easy to live with time and I would prefer it, permanently. If reason for extending the already late sunset time in the months of June, July, and August, then consider a switch to "daylight savings" just for those months. Allow us to enjoy the early morning light when it returns in April! Thank you. Karen Knopes, Fairfax Station 22039

No on HB9. My son’s development is hurt by daylight saving time. Adequate sleep is non-negotiable to prevent brain and blood disorders. Teens are vaping to get energy. Sleep regulates glucose -metabolism which can affect development of diabetes. I am a licensed home health aide paid by Medicaid and Medicare. Elderly are requesting schedule change to 10:00 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m. to sleep. We are not paid the $14 or $15 for that hour. I am looking for a new job it already pays too little anyway. Showering elderly and draining catheter bags for $15/ hour. Southern Indiana is on same time zone as Long Island parents are putting their children to bed at 8:30 it is still light out during daylight saving time. Lots of reasons no one wants to be a parent anymore too expensive and difficult. Government doesn’t even support children or parents. Also harder to get my teen to 10:00 Mass. Church is emptier during daylight saving time. Stop playing God and changing the time! Children have a right to standard time.

Dear Committee, Please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara. I am a board certified Sleep Medicine physician, who lives in Washington DC, and works in Northern Virginia every day of the week. additionally, I sit on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine advocacy committee. This bill would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently into winter. It would make sunrise later than 8am from November into February, and around 8:30am in January. That much morning darkness would be depressing and dangerous. Permanent DST is against federal law because it was a disaster for schools, businesses, and commuters when tried in 1974. We need instead permanent Eastern Standard Time, which is pre-approved by federal law, and which is naturally better for sleep, health, mood, safety, education, and economy. No on HB9. Amend to EST. Thank you! Ashtaad Dalal, MD

No on HB9! Standard time is best!

Dear Members of the Committee, please oppose HB9, from Delegate McNamara for many reasons. Permanent Daylight Saving time goes against our natural sleep cycle. In fact even having Daylight Saving time for part of the year is unhealthy. We have tried this and it failed. Daylight Time is not the preferred time. When we consider changing the calendar to keep one time year-round, it should be Standard Time. It's even in the name, "Standard." To manipulate the clocks to appeal to a small segment of the population is unfair, unhealthy, and dangerous. I strongly encourage you to follow science including the American Medical Association and not follow these small business interests who have decided that their bottom financial line is more important than the health of millions of Americans. Please, I urge you, ditch Daylight Saving Time and move to permanent Standard Time. Thank you. Warmly, Michael Riley

Dear Committee Members, I urge you to oppose HB9. As a sleep clinician, a sleep researcher, and a parent of young school‑aged children, I cannot overstate how harmful permanent Daylight Saving Time would be for the health, safety, and daily functioning of Virginians. My perspective comes not only from lived experience as a parent, but from a career spent studying sleep, circadian rhythms, and their impact on public health. I have published over 160 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts (the majority focusing on sleep health), worked directly with patients struggling with sleep disorders, contributed to national conversations on evidence‑based sleep policy, and am the former Director of the Behavioral Medicine Clinical Psychology doctoral program at Virginia Commonwealth University. The scientific literature is unequivocal: aligning social schedules with biological timing is essential for healthy sleep, cognitive performance, and safety. HB9 would push winter sunrises past 8:00 a.m. for months, and to nearly 8:30 a.m. in January. That level of morning darkness is not a minor inconvenience—it directly conflicts with human biology. Children, adolescents, and adults rely on morning light to regulate circadian rhythms, support alertness, stabilize mood, and ensure safe driving and learning. Removing that light during the hours when millions of Virginians must commute or attend school is a predictable recipe for more fatigue, more crashes, and poorer academic performance. We have already seen the consequences. Permanent DST was attempted nationally in 1974 and was quickly abandoned because it created dangerous conditions for students, workers, and commuters. Federal law still prohibits permanent DST for this reason. The science has only grown stronger since then. If Virginia wishes to take action, the evidence overwhelmingly supports adopting permanent Eastern Standard Time—an option already permitted under federal law. Standard Time aligns with human circadian biology and is consistently associated with better sleep, better health, improved mood, safer roads, and stronger educational outcomes. It is the only choice that protects public health rather than undermining it. For the wellbeing of our children, our workforce, and our communities, I respectfully but strongly urge you to vote No on HB9 and amend any time‑change legislation to adopt permanent Eastern Standard Time instead. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Joseph M Dzierzewski, PhD Senior Vice President, Research and Scientific Affairs National Sleep Foundation

Please oppose HB9 (from Delegate McNamara), a bill to extend Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanently into winter, as is federally prohibited, is opposed by nearly all nonprofits, and is shown by history and science to be worse than the status quo. Please amend to permanent Standard Time, as is sought by SB541 (from Senator Stuart). HB9’s permanent DST (fast time), has long been federally prohibited because it would be worse than biannual clock changes. It would delay Virginia sunrise past 8am (when most school/work starts) for 2–4 months, as late as 8:45am. It has failed repeatedly, with disruption to business and loss of life. DST is a false clock, set an hour ahead of Standard Time. Moving clocks to DST acutely deprives sleep; leaving clocks on DST chronically deprives sleep. DST’s circadian misalignment increases accidents, illnesses, and health costs. It decreases learning, productivity, and earnings. Permanent DST doesn’t alleviate harms, it magnifies them. It deprives sunlight from mornings, when it’s needed most by working families. It reverts benefits of starting school later. It increases residential heating and air conditioning. It delays AM radio news broadcasts until most people begin work. It disrupts sun-timed prayers. It’s a hidden mandate to wake an hour early all winter in cold darkness. Anyone wanting DST should simply start his/her own day earlier. SB541’s permanent Standard Time (natural time) instead is the only federally permitted way to end disruptive clock changes, as most voters wish. Standard Time aligns clocks more honestly to the sun, which balances morning and evening sunlight for everyone. Its benefits to circadian health improve immunity, longevity, mood, alertness, and performance in school, sports, and work. Standard Time protects start times and preserves the morning sunlight that’s essential for schoolchildren, commuters, outdoor laborers, and service personnel. It lets most people sleep naturally past dawn year-round, and it makes bedtimes easier for families. It has been observed without incident in Arizona, Hawaii, all US territories, and most nations for many decades. Mexico restored permanent Standard Time in 2022. Canada is now considering it, as are DC, Kentucky, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, New York, and many more. Government should set clocks objectively to the sun, then let the public set schedules from there. Gallup finds plurality public support for permanent Standard Time (48%), not for permanent DST (24%). Countless organizations and advocates on the left and right oppose permanent DST and endorse permanent Standard Time. Among these are the Southern Sleep Society, National Safety Council, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Research Society, Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, National Sleep Foundation, American Academy of Neurology, American Thoracic Society, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Canadian Sleep Research Consortium, Canadian Sleep Society, Canadian Society for Chronobiology, editorial boards of Bloomberg, Orlando Sentinel, Minnesota Star Tribune, Oregonian, contributors to Daily Wire, PragerU, Human Events, Cato, Breaking Points, and more. Please hear the nonpartisan consensus of history and science. Save time, money, and lives. End the harms of artificial DST, and restore naturally healthful permanent Standard Time. Vote no on HB9, or amend to match SB541.

My comments relate to two bills: HB 9 and HB 285. I've read numerous reports about the time change and its effects on our circadian rhythm. After so many years of living with time changes, I am more than ready for our state to stick with standard time. Permanent daylight savings time is not the answer. I urge the committee members to vote no on HB 9. I urge committee members to endorse HB 285, which will recommend measures to coordinate and expand Distributed Energy Resources (DER) deployment in the state. VA needs to align its policy with PJM’s 2027 requirements, and remove barriers to market-driven solutions. DER has, when allowed to do so, a great track record in rapid deployment at lower costs than infrastructure such as gas and nuclear plants. The bill's proposed membership—state agencies, utilities, DER companies, local governments, energy customers, and consumer advocates—ensures broad input while avoiding utility veto power. This approach allows Virginia to build a coherent state strategy for DER growth, which is badly needed, especially for Virginia schools. Virginia will also be able to enhance grid reliability and affordability, and remain competitive in the Mid-Atlantic’s rapidly evolving energy landscape.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

Honorable Delegates, I oppose HB9. Daylight saving time (DST) may be popular by association with summer, but it does not work well in winter. When the US tried year-round DST in 1974 to mitigate a foreign oil embargo, the public found the darker winter mornings unsafe, and Congress had to cut the experiment short. Since then, energy usage has changed; human responses to light and darkness have not. The attached maps show the latest sunrise times and the number of days with sunrise at 8:00 AM or later under year-round Eastern standard time (EST) or Eastern daylight time (EDT) in Virginia. Doctors [5] and biologists [6], finding that morning light is the strongest factor in establishing a healthy circadian rhythm, have determined that year-round standard time is more healthful than either seasonal or year-round DST. In a 7-year study during which Russia had each of those policies, Borisenkov et al. [1] found that adolescents experienced the most seasonal depression under year-round DST. Other studies have found elevated rates of cancer [3], diabetes [4], and fatal accidents [2] where civil time is far ahead of solar time. In Virginia, depending on location, EST is 1 to 34 minutes ahead of mean solar time, and EDT is 61 to 94 minutes ahead. Current US law [7] gives states two options: seasonal DST on the national schedule, or year-round standard time as in Hawaii and Arizona. Year-round DST is neither of those; in states which have enacted laws for it anyway, residents wonder why they still change clocks up to 8 years later. The leading bill in Congress, the "Sunshine Protection Act," would require year-round DST in every state which isn't already opting out, making those state laws redundant. For those who truly just want to stop changing clocks, year-round standard time as in SB541 would actually achieve that for Virginians, without darkening winter mornings, increasing chronic health problems, or waiting for Congress. HB9 is not the way. I respectfully ask the committee not to advance it. References: [1] Borisenkov et al. 2017. Seven-year survey of sleep timing in Russian children and adolescents: chronic 1-h forward transition of social clock is associated with increased social jetlag and winter pattern of mood seasonality. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09291016.2016.1223778 [2] Gentry et al. 2022. Living in the wrong time zone: Elevated risk of traffic fatalities in eccentric time localities. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0961463X221104675 [3] Gu et al. 2017. Longitude position in a time zone and cancer risk in the United States. https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/26/8/1306/283057/Longitude-Position-in-a-Time-Zone-and-Cancer-Risk [4] Koopman et al. 2017. The association between social jetlag, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the general population: The New Hoorn study. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0748730417713572 [5] Rishi et al. 2024. Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.10898 [6] Roenneberg et al. 2019. Why should we abolish daylight saving time? https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0748730419854197 [7] 15 US Code §260a. Advancement of time or changeover dates. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/260a

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Sick and tired of clock switching and procrastinating and getting mugged at the dead of night at 8PM!

Delegates, I am writing to express my support for HB9, which would move Virginia to permanent Daylight Saving Time if permitted under federal law. I support this bill because keeping consistent, year-round daylight in the evenings aligns with how most Virginians live and work today. Extended evening daylight encourages outdoor activity after work, supports local businesses, and improves public safety during peak travel and recreation hours. Research has shown that additional evening daylight is associated with lower rates of certain crimes, increased consumer spending, and greater participation in outdoor and community activities. Many families benefit from safer, brighter evenings for walking, exercising, and youth sports. From an economic standpoint, small businesses—particularly in retail, hospitality, and recreation—benefit when people are more likely to be out in their communities after work. I believe HB9 represents a practical, forward-looking approach that reflects modern schedules and evidence-based outcomes. I appreciate the General Assembly’s consideration of this issue and respectfully urge you to support HB9. Thank you. Julie Atwater Christiansburg VA

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

This is an excerpt from my retirement speech on 11 December 2025, after teaching at VMI for 33 years. It states the case for VMI. “In September 1962, I entered Jackson Arch for the first time as a cadet. The ceiling caved in, as it had for so many cadets over the past hundred-plus years, with upperclassmen yelling in both ears, asking why I was walking on that hollow ground, asking me to make a decision while asked a dozen questions. VMI is not an ordinary college. Things that are not important at other colleges and universities are very important at VMI, like shining shoes, getting a haircut, shaving, or even attending classes. The Commandant’s Office says these are required for good order and discipline, but I know it’s more than that. What it’s doing is forming a foundation for the decision-making process that cadets will use for the rest of their lives. Cadets have a choice: do they shine their shoes for an inspection or study for a test? Once they make a decision, they have to live with the consequences. And we know that sometimes they don’t make the right choice. When I was a cadet, many of the professors were World War II veterans from D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, Tarawa, and Iwo Jima. Most had earned their PhDs through the GI Bill. They held us to strict academic standards, but they also helped build us into young men ready to go out into the world, because they knew the world could present many things we did not expect. After four short years, it was time for the Class of 1966 to graduate. When I went up to receive my diploma, I didn’t realize I was embarking on a 60-year career teaching, mentoring, and leading young people. ’66 was a strong class; 90 percent of us ended up receiving commissions. Of course, when we received those commissions, we all knew there was a good chance we had a ticket to Vietnam. Unfortunately, many of my classmates didn’t get a return ticket. Our class suffered the highest number of KIA of any class in the Vietnam War, and when you look at the numbers, we also had one of the highest casualty rates of any class to pass through VMI. Less than nine months after graduating, I was in Vietnam. We were under heavy fire, and I turned around to see all these young faces looking at me and asking, “What now, Lieutenant?” That’s when my VMI experience kicked in. I was no longer making decisions that would result in demerits or a low test grade; these were life-and-death decisions. I pray every night that the decisions I made helped bring my Marines back to their loved ones.” If there is another war and your sons and daughters have to go, pray that a VMI graduate commands them.”

I have worked here for a short 7 years but I've seen the cadets that VMI turns out each year and the manners and graciousness that they have and project outward is just amazing. I am proud to say I work for VMI and can be a part to help these cadets move forward with their lives. To see the networks they will have once they graduate and become citizens in this country - they are far and above what many colleges and universities have. It would be a great disservice to even think of closing VMI - too many lives have been changed for the better because of it. HB1377

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

I do not believe a dedicated board using taxpayer funds should be used for this task. This should be a sub action of public engagement as a whole and not as a dedicated portion of the executive.

Public Comment in Support of HB285 As a Virginia public school division, I support efforts that improve clarity and coordination around Distributed Energy Resources (DER), particularly as they relate to energy resilience, emergency preparedness, and long-term cost management for public facilities. Establishing a statewide DER Task Force will help ensure that schools, local governments, utilities, and state agencies can collaboratively evaluate best practices and policy considerations as these technologies continue to evolve. HB285 represents a thoughtful, non-mandated approach to understanding how DER can better serve communities and critical facilities across the Commonwealth.

PEC supports more buildout of distributed solar in VA, which has a number of benefits over other types of renewable energy. A robust taskforce wold be a critical foundation from which we can build sensible policy and incentives that have the buy in of a wide range of stakeholders. Being close to where energy is needed and used, it is faster to connect to the energy grid and brings down the overall demand we need. The more we can install this type of energy generation, the larger scale generation and transmission projects we need- all of which have their own significant ratepayer impacts. It preserves prime agricultural lands, which contribute to local economies and aid in regional food security. It connects energy much more quickly to the grid, often in a matter of months, rather than the 5-10-year timelines for larger scale solar and gas. At a time when we are importing more energy than any other state in the U.S., and bills continue to skyrocket, this benefit is critical. It preserves forestland, which filters pollutants from the air and groundwater and contributes to healthy ecosystems. In addition to its direct environmental benefits, it can have additional indirect environmental benefits. For example, on warm days, parking lot solar canopies can have cooling effects for cars and buildings beneath them, potentially reducing the energy and emissions needed for air conditioning. It employs around 10 times more people than much larger solar facilities. It’s typically a much more efficient use of land, generating more power per acre than larger solar facilities. It can save individual families and businesses tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars over time in electric bills. As utility bills continue to rise due to rapidly increasing data center loads, those whose energy costs are locked in with solar will save even more over time. When combined with battery storage, solar insulates homes, farms and businesses from grid outages, allowing the owner to run essential functions with the combination of solar and storage. And, increasingly, some states are using “virtual power plants” to pay homeowners for their batteries. More specifically, virtual power plants pull a bit of power off of each in a collective of consumer batteries. When done at scale, this can achieve the same amount of power as a gas peaker plant at less cost. Virtual power plants have recently saved Texans hundreds of millions of dollars in electricity costs and kept their grid up during high stress events. Although distributed generation currently makes up less than 2% of Virginia’s energy mix, there is potential for much more. The National Renewable Energy Lab estimates that Virginia could generate around 20% of its electricity with rooftop solar alone. University research studies have found that solar on every parking lot could produce 50% of Virginia’s energy. And, if the state made it easier to install small agrivoltaics on its nearly 40,000 farms, it could generate even more energy. A small 1 megawatt project on each farm would total 40 gigawatts, which is more than current Dominion peak load. Even if we achieved 10% of this varied potential, the collective impact would be significant. All of this – all through a more robust volume of small projects that benefit the citizens and resources of Virginia and help mitigate impacts of climate change.

Members of the subcommittee: I am writing in support of HB285 (sponsored by Delegate Helmer) which mandates the creation of a Distributed Energy Task Force to advance local, affordable energy for Virginians across the state. Major US utilities have long feared the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into their service area portfolios because they believe DERs threaten the profitability goals of their business models. That's changing, fast. Many US utilities, including Green Mountain Power, National Grid, and Consolidated Edison have been running incentive programs that support micro-grids, commercial rooftop solar, customer-owned battery storage and other smart devices that stand up to the rigors of 21st century power demands. While Virginia has been leading the nation in data centers by packing them into every corner of the commonwealth, other states and utilities have realized that -- data centers or not -- today's electricity demand needs a modernized approach to providing it. These forward-looking utilities have also learned to operate under performance-based regulatory structures, which measure utilities by their ability to meet customer needs cheaply and efficiently, rather than merely guaranteeing them a fixed return on investment that pays off regardless of how they perform. It's hard to turn down a free lunch, which Dominion Energy now gets through its guaranteed ROI for energy investment under the current regulatory structure. If other utilities can adjust to changing times, so can Dominion. The advantages of DERs are many. The VA Distributed Solar Alliance points out that "DERs can be deployed in under a year and provide power where it is needed most. DERs reduce peak demand, improve reliability, and lower costs for all customers by deferring expensive grid upgrades. They also strengthen resilience while hedging energy costs for schools, hospitals, local governments, and small businesses." DERs enable the adoption of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and can be effectively managed through Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) -- software that takes the guesswork out of increasingly intermittent supply and demand levels. The attached articles show how Texas has been leading the nation in using DERs as a key component in their green energy expansion efforts. Texas is as red-state as they come, and could care less about the climate. They're doing this for hard-core financial reasons. It's just good business. With the growth of data centers threatening the stability of power supplies for every electricity user in the state, it's only common sense to do what this bill asks for: study the opportunity offered by DERs from a Virginia perspective, and make an intelligent and data-supported recommendation for the path forward.

My comments relate to two bills: HB 9 and HB 285. I've read numerous reports about the time change and its effects on our circadian rhythm. After so many years of living with time changes, I am more than ready for our state to stick with standard time. Permanent daylight savings time is not the answer. I urge the committee members to vote no on HB 9. I urge committee members to endorse HB 285, which will recommend measures to coordinate and expand Distributed Energy Resources (DER) deployment in the state. VA needs to align its policy with PJM’s 2027 requirements, and remove barriers to market-driven solutions. DER has, when allowed to do so, a great track record in rapid deployment at lower costs than infrastructure such as gas and nuclear plants. The bill's proposed membership—state agencies, utilities, DER companies, local governments, energy customers, and consumer advocates—ensures broad input while avoiding utility veto power. This approach allows Virginia to build a coherent state strategy for DER growth, which is badly needed, especially for Virginia schools. Virginia will also be able to enhance grid reliability and affordability, and remain competitive in the Mid-Atlantic’s rapidly evolving energy landscape.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

Moving forward with the Distributed Energy Task Force to Advance Local, Affordable Energy makes great sense. It brings together the full body of stakeholders to advance energy affordability for all ratepayers, leverages the experience of other states, and will help us move forward to increase market access and reduce barriers to interconnection for DERs pursuant to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 2222. Approving this shows our legislature is forward thinking, and wants an improved energy future for Virginia.

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Please Pause the data center initiative in the West creek TOD

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Good afternoon, My name is Colleen DeLeo, and I am writing to express my strong support for HB839, which would allow the Judicial Council of Virginia to review court failures related to Kayden’s Law and Grace’s Law. I am reaching out because I would be honored to assist with the efforts to advance this legislation and to share my personal testimony if it would be helpful. I am a mother, an elementary education major at Regent University, a Substitute Teacher with Virginia Beach City Public Schools, and an advocate for children, families, and survivors of domestic violence, with over 10 years of experience in early childhood education. Through both my professional work and my lived experience as a survivor, I understand how court failures impact children and families and the lasting trauma these systems can create. Prior to relocating to Virginia Beach in August, I was part of a coalition in Massachusetts that helped pass the coercive control law. Through my testimony and advocacy as part of that coalition, I contributed to efforts that have helped thousands of survivors of domestic violence obtain orders of protection in Massachusetts, strengthening safety and legal accountability for victims and their children. As a direct result of that legislation—and after a two-year divorce and custody battle—I was awarded my divorce and sole legal and physical custody of my child. Those protections, alongside federal safeguards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), were instrumental in helping me secure safety, stability, and the ability to rebuild our lives and relocate to Virginia Beach. Since moving to Virginia, my children and I have been thriving, and I am deeply grateful for the community we have found here. However, my continued advocacy work has shown me that many families are still facing similar court failures. I currently advocate for children and families navigating these systems, and I see the urgent need for accountability, review, and reform. As an educator working toward Virginia teacher licensure and as someone who has spent the past two years advocating for children and families, I strongly believe that HB839 is a necessary step to ensure children’s safety and prevent future harm. Kayden’s Law and Grace’s Law deserve careful review so that court failures are identified and addressed before more families are harmed. I will be organizing and leading an Advocacy Day on February 16 through my organization, Rooted by the Shore, and would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your staff to discuss HB839, Kayden’s Law, Grace’s Law, and how these efforts align with the intent of VAWA. I am also willing to provide testimony or additional context at any time. https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-deleo-rootedbytheshore/ Thank you for your time, your service, and your commitment to protecting children and families across the Commonwealth. I sincerely appreciate your consideration and hope to connect soon. Sincerely, Colleen DeLeo Founder Rooted By The Shore

I am a former resident of Winchester, VA. In 2010 I was abducted, assaulted, and raped which resulted in pregnancy by someone that I knew or so I thought. I pressed charges against him and he was jailed and later took a plea deal. He asked if I would let him take a plea and in turn he would not interfere with raising of the child. I was given a 2 year protective order for me and my child but that did not stop the torment. I moved with permission of the court to Texas and he followed me here. He continued abuse and threats to kill me. He eventually went back to Virginia, but maintained residency in Houston, TX. He has utilized litigation abuse and has drug me back and forth to Virginia. My son and I have not been protected on any level. My son is currently with our abuser with assistance of a system that was supposed to protect us. My case has been going on for 13+ years and the abuse caused my son PTSD as well as myself. I reached out multiple avenues for help with nothing. I would be glad to give further testimony about all of the things that have happened including a judge that I consulted with refusing to recuse himself and hearing the things I consulted with him about (how to protect my son and myself having been raped). I was told to basically play nice and it has put my family in danger. The courts have denied us due process and have violated our constitutional rights and the laws that are supposed to govern Virginia. It is truly criminal to be victims of Domestic/Family Violence then to be failed by the courts and further abused and traumatized by those who took an oath to the constitution and follow the law. We urgently need HB839 for Judicial Council of Virginia to evaluate how the courts have failed our children and us as victims of family abuse.

VOTE YES FOR HB839 and all other bills that align with Biden’s 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and oppose any bills that mandate “shared parenting”, “equal parenting”, and use “parental alienation” and fail to address the gender and racial biases intentionally written into our laws. I am the founder and lead policy advisor for MRCI. The “study group” for HB839 is required by the House Subcommittee for the Courts of Justice, due to their failure to form one in 2024 for Kayden’s Law, “Keeping Children Safe from Violence”, and punt the problem to the “Family Law Coalition”, which is a severe conflict of financial interest, protect family law attorneys, future judges, GALs, custody evaluators, parent coordinators, etc. if VA adopts Kayden’s Law, it will unlock $25 million federal dollars. This study group must be composed of 49% or judges, family law attorneys, and anyone else who have conflicts of interest and profits from any component of child custody proceedings and rulings. The research data and information this Judical Council of Virginia needs already exists, so their work should be a minimal burden. Practically all laws, policies, and guidance pertaining to child abuse and domestic violence in Virginia are not in compliance with VAWA. Fairfax County is in gross violation of VAWA, despite receiving almost $16 million federal dollars from VAWA but has the LEAST number of DV and victim advocate services available to children and women, of all the regions in Virginia.

VOTE YES TO HB839. I am the protective mother of a daughter who was wrongfully removed from my custody on June 7th 2022 due to numerous false allegations of “kidnapping” by my ex-husband and due to multiple constitutional rights violations, namely due process. These kidnapping charges were eventually dismissed after 2.5 years of court-ordered torture and stalking/cyberstalking/hacking/deleting evidence from my electric devices and so much more. Both my daughter and I suffer from severe complex PTSD and dissociative seizures. Why did he do this? It’s simply due to lack of self-love, a love for others, and a moral compass. And because I am an exceptional mother by any metric and my ex-husband had minimal physical access to me after we separated, so he continued to weaponize our own daughter as revenge for me refusing to be a stay-at-home mother and refusing to allow him to control every part of me, including my own body and mind, attempted strangle/rape me, imprison us inside our own home multiple times, including forcing me to wear his clothes and shoes so I couldn’t run away, tricked me into his car, and essentially kidnapped me in the middle of the night on April 30, 2015 to the ER, and said there was a surprise inside there for me. Later he said I didn’t commit myself to a psychiatric ward and do other things he demanded, I would never see our daughter again. I was so traumatized, I seized over and over again for hours and the ER staff was unable to figure out what was wrong with me and perplexed. I was misdiagnosed me with “postpartum psychosis”, aka the Andrea Yates baby killer syndrome, because my ex lied and told them I was “manic” “off my meds”, had “postpartum depression”, and “suicidal”. Not one ER staff member asked me any questions about my medical history or took me aside privately to screen me for domestic abuse. For years, my ex threatened, manipulated, and weaponized our daughter against me. My ex-husband repeatedly told me I would never see her again if I didn’t obey him and other highly disturbing When I sought help, the courts failed us. My reports of abuse were dismissed, while I was arrested on false allegations. The result: court-ordered trauma, stolen birthdays, and a lifetime of fear and instability. This abuse is part of a documented pattern called Child and Mother Sabotage (CAMS). Research shows: • Gendered Pattern: Over 97% of cases involve fathers deliberately undermining mothers and sabotaging the mother-child relationship. • Strategic Control: Abusive fathers manipulate children, extended family, and professionals to isolate mothers, often using sexist stereotypes to paint mothers as “hysterical” or “vindictive.” • Weaponization of Children: Children are coerced to align with the abusive parent; courts sometimes honor children’s expressed “wishes” despite clear histories of abuse. • Severe Impact: Children experience loss of contact with their safe parent, trauma, and often become suicidal. Post-separation abuse is a pervasive societal problem. Studies of 48 U.S. and Canadian cases (2011–2022) show fathers use psychological, legal, and economic abuse — including weaponizing children — putting mothers and children at serious risk of trauma and deprivation of basic needs. HB 839 is about accountability. Protection from harm is not optional and only for the privileged, wealthy, white, and male. It is a basic human right for all children, all women, ALL HUMANS.

My name is lacey swift my sons name is odin swift hes 5 years old. I had sole legal and physical custody of odin for 4 years. Until his father punished me for moving on. My ex filed false reports that were proven false and used those false reports to file false paperwork for custody. Cumberland County Virginia should have only transferred my custody to chatham va since we no longer lived in Cumberland County. They didnt instead they illegal took my son in 2 hearings in 6 months without real cause. My son should be returned to my care immediately and his father and all parties involved the gal his attorney the judges involved should all be held responsible for violating my constitutional rights and my parental rights. They also should be prosecuted for perjury as both of them committed perjury. I tried to get the court hearing records and the clerks office informed me they dont keep records of hearings. There is a huge lack of accountability and it runs so deep that reporting to other agencies is a dead in . Cps in Cumberland County defended hoarding . The victims witness coordinator didnt help me . Theres no help or justice for families hurt by the judges gals and other government officials. They are supposed to uphold the laws and constitutional rights not strip them away from me. The police did not help when i finally had the courage to speak up about the things my ex had been doing to me for years. Should we all sue the countys and officials responsible because the amount of damages caused by these judges will absolutely cause the government financial collapse. And we deserve to be compensated for our pains and suffering and injustice. This is not a dictatorship but it sure does seem like its being run like one. We the people want our kids back we want accountability for the judges responsible. Thank you for your time i truely hope you hear my plea and understand that you do have the power to make things right so do it .

I am writing to express support for HB839 and to urge its advancement as a critical step toward protecting children and survivors of family abuse. I speak from both professional experience and firsthand knowledge. I have witnessed the devastating impact that domestic violence has on children as they navigate fear, instability, and trauma in environments they cannot control. Far too many children fall victim in domestic violence situations, experiencing not only physical harm but also profound psychological and emotional abuse. Many become primary or secondary victims of violence, carrying lifelong trauma that shapes their development, behavior, and future opportunities. Research confirms what advocates and survivors have long known. Most child abuse occurs within the family and is often perpetrated by a parent or caregiver. Intimate partner violence and child abuse overlap in the same families at rates between 30 and 60 percent. Children who witness intimate partner violence are approximately four times more likely to experience direct maltreatment than children who are not exposed to such violence. Alarmingly, a child’s risk of abuse often increases after a perpetrator separates from an intimate partner, even when the perpetrator has not previously directly abused the child. Through my work as a domestic violence advocate, I have seen firsthand how children are impacted. Too often, children are the ones who end up hurt. The court system, while essential, can be confusing, retraumatizing, and ill-equipped to fully recognize the dynamics of power, control, and manipulation that exist in abusive relationships. The cycle of abuse is vicious. This is why the work group proposed in HB 839 is so vital. Understanding the complex realities of family abuse and how they intersect with custody decisions is essential to meaningful reform. The bill’s focus on examining power dynamics in custody cases, the misuse of court proceedings as tools of harassment, and the perceptions and biases that influence outcomes reflects a deep and necessary awareness of the challenges survivors face. It is also critically important that judges recognize and apply the principles outlined in HB 839. Judges play a pivotal role in determining whether children remain in environments where violence and trauma persist. Children cannot control their circumstances or advocate for their own safety in the way adults can. When courts fully understand the intent of this bill and act decisively, they have the power to interrupt cycles of abuse and remove children from situations where they are being traumatized and victimized. By studying improvements such as expanded access to legal representation for survivors, mandatory judicial education on trauma and abuse, enhanced guardian ad litem training, increased accountability measures, and the potential limitation of custody for alleged abusers when credible allegations exist, HB 839 offers a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to reform. Supporting HB 839 is not merely a policy decision—it is a moral obligation. Protecting children from violence within their homes is fundamental to building safer families, stronger communities. This bill represents hope for children whose voices are often unheard and whose safety depends on the decisions made within our courts. For these reasons, I urge you to support Virginia House Bill 839 and the creation of this essential work group.

I am a 36 year old mother of 7. I have been in and out of court for the past 3 years and I’ve encountered some very dangerous and alarming behavior in this town. We have people in positions of power who are unlawfully and inhumanly taking children from good loving homes. There is no due process. There is no evidence. There is no help for us parents who have been affected. There are several key players who have been active in several different cases all needing up with the children being removed. Judge Nancie Williams is one of the worst criminals I have ever seen. Please investigate her. We as a group have so much evidence against her and we are continuously ignored. Karen Holeman GAL. Is also just as guilty of criminal activity. Please investigate her. There are no laws in place to protect families from vicious and damning allegations in jdr court. There are no cameras in court to record these heinous crimes.there is no record of what was said by who. There are no transcripts of these hearings and these people have NO ONE to answer to! Nancie Williams took my 13 and 11 year old from me on august 22,2023 and I’ve been fighting ever since. My kids where given to MY ABUSER. The gal never did a home visit. I have so much evidence and so many people to come testify to my character and Nancie Williams threw every single bit of it out and wouldn’t hear from ANYONE. The law firm Bauchbaugher and Mcquire has never lost a custody case and I was pro se for much of my trial. There where so many allegations made against me by my ex and this law firm and Nancie Williams took every single allegation to heart and punished me SEVERELY! I went from having my kids to only seeing them every other weekend from 10am to 5pm. She tried to throw me in jail for posting on Facebook about this! She even court ordered my ex and my abuser to be aloud to DRUG TEST ME AT EVERY VISIT ! He himself! Not a professional lab! There are so many red flags in my case and in the families around me! Please help us! These bills have to change! There are laws that need to be put in place to prevent this from happening. There are other laws that need abolished to prevent physical misconduct and abuse at the highest level! My family and I have been through absolute HELL because of our local government. Please help me!

This bill is absolutely necessary. As a domestic violence survivor who fled due to what was happening to my children, I’ve seen first hand how the system treats victims of coercive control. We have a 90% chance of losing custody to the abuser. In my case, I was labeled as malicious for reporting, as a mandatory reporter who faced fines and jail time for not reporting, only 4 of the hundreds of things my children told me their father did or continued to do. I ultimately got put on supervised visitation for this because I was emotional and no proof was ever looked at. The evidence and studies are clear on coercive control and domestic violence but the courts, GAL’s and CPS have no idea what is going on. He who has the most money and can remain calm (after years of abuse), wins. This in no way goes to the best interest of children and causes them further harm, which also harms the future of our Commonwealth and takes more tax dollars in the long run. Due to my extreme experience with the system, I vowed to prevent this from happening to anyone else. I am on the Parent Advisory Council for VDSS, the Family First Workgroup and various other groups to help reform the family justice system for domestic violence survivors and victims of child abuse and coercive control. I have spent time and money building relationships with legislators to help protective survivors and their children while reforming the system so that it does the job it was tasked to. I also work with children who have behavioral issues and are on the spectrum since I have the experience trying to help my children navigate through the violence and coercive control they have and are currently experiencing. In spite of this, one judge, who did not get complete information from one GAL who did not do her job, was able to label me as something I am not based solely on the word of my violent ex-husband. Something needs to change in our system and this bill is one of the best chances we have to make that change. Thank you for your time and consideration of my experience.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Dear Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Rules Committee and Subcommittee on Studies), I'm writing to request your support for HB 839. This study is urgently needed to examine how Virginia’s juvenile and domestic relations courts handle child custody cases involving family abuse and to move Virginia toward implementation of federal law under Title VX, Keeping Children Safe from Family Violence. In October 2012, my fifteen month old son Prince was murdered by his father Joaquin Rams in Manassas, VA on his fourth unsupervised visitation. Despite the fact that several witnesses testified that Rams was abusive to both women and children, and a police officer admitted in open court that he was the sole suspect in the murder of his older son's mother (Shawn Mason) and possibly the murder of his other mother (Alma Collins), a judge gave him unsupervised visitation. While my case straddled Maryland and Virginia, Maryland has made progress on this issue in the last decade in ways that Virginia has lagged behind. After a similar working group years ago in Maryland, child protective legislation has been passed (Such as legislation to ensure judges are properly trained to handle child custody cases involving domestic violence). I urge you to consider investing in obtaining a better understanding of the civil rights crisis that our children are facing in family court. If you'd like to learn more information about the case that happened in your own backyard, I invite you to visit my website www.heramcleod.com and check out my book "Defying Silence: A Memoir of a Mother's Loss and Courage in the Face of Injustice". Link to where you can find the book is here: https://heramcleod.com/books/defying-silence/ Thank you so much for taking the time today to read a little about my story and thank you for considering putting your support behind this bill. Sincerely, Hera McLeod

I am a survivor of domestic violence, including coercive control and psychological abuse, and I share a child with my abuser. Although I left the relationship over ten years ago, the abuse did not end. It shifted into the family court system, where my child has been used as a means of control. Despite credible concerns, the focus has repeatedly been placed on the abuser’s convenience rather than my child’s safety, health, education, and emotional well being. HB 839 is critically needed to study how power dynamics, post separation abuse, and bias against protective parents affect custody outcomes in Virginia. This bill is an important step toward aligning Virginia practice with federal law under Title VX, Keeping Children Safe from Family Violence. I urge you to support HB 839 so children can be better protected in custody proceedings.

Monday, February 2, 2026 testimony by Kathy Shenkle with her Shenalfax pet club newsletter readers Ref. HB 856 designating “rescue and shelter cats and dogs” as our “state pet” Ref. HJ Res 711 “commending no-kill animal rescues and shelters" Mr. Chairman. Virginia is for pet lovers. I am in favor of designating “rescue and shelter cats and dogs” as our “state pet.” You passed a resolution last year to commend “no-kill animal rescues and shelters for their commitment to helping cats and dogs get adopted by loving families.” My support is noteworthy because I really wanted to designate the orange tabby as our state cat right now. The American Foxhound has been our state dog for 60 years, but we have no state cat. My Shenalfax pet club newsletter is published in honor of my orange tabby rescue Fritzy Schnickelfritz. The title reminds us where he was rescued, adopted and lived – Shenandoah, Alexandria and Fairfax. Over 1,000 people read, “Is Virginia’s Dog a Dying Breed?” but over 12,000 fans read my story on Diesel, the German Shepherd Dog who was adopted from a shelter, trained, and became a famous actor. Animal rescues and shelters rely on staff and pet fosters to keep their resident cats and dogs well-treated, family-ready and ready to play. Let’s make the cats and dogs served by these dedicated caretakers be our state pet. Hopefully, this will encourage people to adopt cats and dogs from rescues and shelters in Virginia. You can adopt one of the 25,000 cats and dogs now at a rescue or shelter in Virginia today. I looked it up on petfinder, and so can you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

COMMENT 4 (should be first) +++ Let’s designate the “orange tabby” as our “state cat” now & name “rescue and shelter cats and dogs” as our “state pet” too, either now or next year. +++ We have had a state dog for 60 years (1966), but no cat. Other states have state cats named for their breed or color pattern such as the Maine Coon, tabby & calico. Orange cats & other tabby colors are found in every cat breed & even in the same litter of kittens. +++ There are precedents. We have a state dog. A patron changed the category from “state bee” to “state pollinator” & the nominated bee from a native one to an imported European honeybee despite objections. +++ Many times, we designated more than 1 thing at a time in the same amendment to this designation bill (2 fish, Shakespeare festivals, outdoor plays, cabins, drinks, flowering Dogwood trees & 3 state songs). Therefore, we can have 2 designations in 1 bill. Please name the state cat first, or in the same amendment relating to official emblems and designations. +++ A BILL to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; Cat — Orange tabby, Pet — Rescue and shelter cats and dogs. +++ A BILL to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; Cat — Orange tabby. +++ A BILL to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; Pet — Rescue and shelter cats and dogs. +++ Here is how it would be in your agenda: HB856 – Status: In Subcommittee – Rescue and shelter cats and dogs; designating as official state pet. Official emblems and designations; state pet; rescue and shelter cats and dogs. Designates rescue and shelter cats and dogs as the official state pet. AND/OR - Orange; designating as official state cat. Official emblems and designations; state cat; orange. Designates the orange cat as the official state cat. OR - Orange Tabby; designating as official state cat. Official emblems and designations; state cat; orange tabby. Designates the orange tabby as the official state cat. OR - Tabby; designating as official state cat. Official emblems and designations; state cat; tabby. Designates the tabby as the official state cat. +++

You might want to know that my orange, domestic shorthair tabby, Fritzy Schnickelfritz was the inspiration for this bill. In the past five years, he was expected to be named the state cat, after the pony and the bee. Possible designations for the state cat included many types of cats, such as orange tabby, tabby, domestic shorthair, Fritzy Schnickelfritz or Fritzy. The wording of “rescue and shelter cats and dogs” being a state pet is meant to include Fritzy despite it being a large category, unlike the state dog – the American Foxhound. After being released from an animal testing lab, he was rescued in Woodstock at the Prosser’s new house. Labs are supposed to give adoptable cats and dogs to a shelter when they are done with their experiments. He had scars on his belly and was not afraid of humans, cats or dogs, so he expected everyone to be nice. It looked like he was missing the third eyelid that cats usually have, and he had a scar on one eye. Unlike every other cat I know, he would not eat meat. He only ate one type of dry cat food. He drank water from buckets and bowls around the house. He was nose-to-nose with visiting cats through screens and windows without reacting to the cats who visited us, even if they were making territorial sounds. Fritzy never marked his territory and never tried to exit the house. Those are most of the clues that he was a released lab cat – including two veterinarians suggesting it. It was heart-wrenching when he died when he was only nine years old. In his honor (and his memory), I created my Shenalfax pet club and newsletter to encourage people to love, train, play with and respect cats and dogs. I spend much of my day researching cats and dogs and editing websites for animal shelters in Virginia, California and New Jersey. Shenalfax is often filled with photos of adoptable pets at shelters including Fairfax, Alexandria, Shenandoah County, King George County and Richmond. One day there were 30,000 orange cats ready to adopt near Richmond. I wish I could adopt them all. Maybe we could build a women’s retirement home and cat shelter. What I really wish is that I could have my cat back, but obviously that is not possible. With diminishing vision, it might be best to have a dark cat, or a plush toy cat as I have now. That sounds silly, but it is fun. I think all families should have pets and learn how to take care of them properly. If I can’t have my own pet, then I will help everyone else’s pets. Well, thank you for recognizing rescue and shelter cats and dogs.

Poem and Photos by Kathy Shenkle, © Kathy Shenkle and © Shenalfax, 2025 I wrote this poem to honor the cats and dogs who lived with or visited us (nine in Virginia) in over eighty years: Joe Button / Fluffy & Puffy / Mary Mary & Brownie / Butterball & Juliet / Muffin & Biscuit / Fritzy Schnickelfritz / and visitors: Bengal Brown Tabby / Ding Dong Ollie & Tuxedo Max / Calico Calli. Kathy Shenkle’s Pet Poem for Rescue and Shelter Cats and Dogs Loved by my family over eight decades NEAR EVERY cat that we may see appeared at home in time of need. THEIR VARIED fur was short and neat. Their meows and purrs were cute and sweet. THE TABBIES six were three, two, one with stripes of orange or gray or brown. TWO OR three wore formal tux - one gray, two black with white, a touch. ONE SOLID white with tie and tail was by the sea without a sail. THESE CATS were known in south or north with trails to take on their right course. WE LOVE the cats who came as guests and wish all cats the very best. WITH EACH of them at sleep or play, they all were loved on every day. TO DOGS we now do throw a bone. Two also lived with us at home. A TERRIER of foxy wire with pedigree of champ grandsire WOULD JUMP and dig his way aground and make his way around the town. A COCKERPOO that ate zucchini, without the singing of Puccini, A MUFFIN with touch of brown, he also liked to get around. NOW ONE might like to eat a Triscuit. Our next pet feline was named Biscuit. RIDING IN the car was pleasant. They were not provided pheasant. THEY RODE in style from south to north and back again from north to south. WELL AS you know, that does not rhyme so wish me better luck next time. WE WISH these tales would never end. Just think of pets as our dear friends. Poem and Photos by Kathy Shenkle, © Kathy Shenkle and © Shenalfax, 2025

Monday, February 2, 2026 by Kathy Shenkle and Shenalfax Pet Club Newsletter Readers Good morning committee members. Virginia is for pet lovers, especially rescue and shelter cats and dogs. Along with 12,000 readers of my Shenalfax pet club newsletter, I support House Bill 856 designating “rescue and shelter cats and dogs” as our “state pet.” My support is significant because I wanted my own cat or his type to be our state cat. Ten months ago, you passed House Joint Resolution Number 711 commending no-kill animal rescues and shelters for their commitment to helping cats and dogs get adopted by loving families. Shenalfax was created to honor my orange rescue cat Fritzy Schnickelfritz, and to showcase cats, dogs, horses, and those who love them. The name Shenalfax honors the places where Fritzy was rescued, adopted and lived – Shenandoah, Alexandria and Fairfax. Over 12,000 webpage visitors read my Shenalfax issue on the famous shelter German Shepherd Dog, Diesel. About 1,000 people read my article, “Is Virginia’s Dog a Dying Breed?” Fritzy and I were watching the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving in 2013 when we learned that the American Foxhound developed by George Washington has been our state dog since 1966. Thirty percent of shelter pets are purebred, so our state dog is included. Pet rescues are animal shelters without walls. Shelters rely on rescues and pet foster parents to help future pets stay socialized and give them a temporary break from the shelter. Let’s make the cats and dogs served by all of these dedicated caretakers be our state pet. Designating rescue and shelter cats and dogs together as our state pet is a good way to recognize Virginia’s favorite pets and those who will love them. Thank you for your time and support.

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

HB 858 – Indigenous Peoples’ Day; Honoring Culture, Resilience, and History From first contact in 1607 through today, Virginia’s Indian Tribes have been a core component of the history of Virginia; integrally intertwined in the story of the development of the Colony of Virginia and the Commonwealth, almost leading to their extinction. Their resilience has led to resurgence, and now a positive look forward. Virginia should celebrate the history and culture of the Virginia Indian Tribes in remembrance, recognition, reconciliation and respect. At some point Virginia decided to blindly follow the Federal holiday schedule with a legal holiday “to honor Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), a discoverer of the Americas”. Why does Virginia celebrate Columbus, who had absolutely no connection to or impact on any aspect of the development of the Commonwealth of Virginia? For so many reasons Columbus is not an iconic hero worthy of celebration with a holiday in Virginia, including Columbus didn’t step foot on any part of the USA and had no concept of the land now called Virginia. This is a Kairos moment in time for the Commonwealth of Virginia – approving this cultural reorientation has always been the right thing to do, and 2026 is absolutely the right time to do it, honoring Virginia’s Indian Tribes and America’s 250th. Approval of this cultural reorientation will unleash a torrent of pent-up energy and enthusiasm, from Virginia tribal members and from folks of all ages across Virginia who have been waiting for years for this change. The attachment submitted is a one-pager in support of HB 858 delivered to the offices of Delegates and Senators in the 2026 Virginia General Assembly.

Dear Delegate Helmer and associates, I am writing to express my strong opposition to HB1377 and to urge you to reject this unnecessary and politically motivated legislation targeting the Virginia Military Institute. VMI is one of the Commonwealth’s most successful and respected public institutions, with more than 180 years of demonstrated excellence in producing leaders of character. Its mission—to develop disciplined, ethical, and resilient citizen-leaders—has remained consistent and effective across generations. The Institute’s graduates have served Virginia and the nation with distinction in both military and civilian roles, and its outcomes speak for themselves. The performance of VMI cadets is not theoretical or ideological—it is measurable. VMI consistently produces highly capable commissioned officers, and its graduates excel in demanding professional environments well beyond the military. Employers and communities value VMI alumni precisely because of the Institute’s rigorous standards, emphasis on accountability, and culture of shared responsibility. These results are the product of VMI’s proven system, not administrative programs layered on top of it. The suggestion that VMI’s value to the Commonwealth should be questioned because it has eliminated DEI initiatives ignores its long and documented history of graduating outstanding citizens of all races, genders, and backgrounds. VMI has achieved this by holding every cadet to the same high standards and by fostering unity through shared hardship and merit-based achievement. That approach has worked for decades and continues to work today. HB1377 represents a troubling shift away from outcome-based governance toward ideological enforcement. Conditioning state funding on political preferences rather than institutional performance sets a dangerous precedent for all of Virginia’s public colleges and universities. If allowed to stand, this bill invites future legislatures to single out institutions for punishment based on shifting political agendas rather than public value or effectiveness. At a time when Virginia should be strengthening institutions that demonstrably serve the Commonwealth, HB1377 instead threatens to undermine one of its most successful. The General Assembly should be supporting VMI’s mission—not subjecting it to a politically driven review process that solves no real problem and risks real harm. For these reasons, I strongly urge you to oppose HB1377 and to affirm Virginia’s continued support for the Virginia Military Institute and its proven record of excellence. Respectfully, Paul Koneczny Floyd, Virginia

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

I am representing the State Corporation Commission on HB903 in the event there are any questions from the Committee. The bill does have a fiscal impact statement since a consultant is required to facilitate the work group, requiring funding of approximately $150,000.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

I object to HB932 as introduced and request that it be amended to remove Article 10, “Virginia-Israel Advisory Board”, from code 30.1. The Virginia Israel Advisory board is a state agency that has no oversight, gets preferential treatment over other advisory boards and commissions, and represents the interests and agenda of a foreign government at the expense of Virginians. It should not exist, let alone be nestled in our legislature and receiving an office, staff and at least $342K this year alone from our tax dollars.

My name is Nancy Wein. I am co-chair of the Virginia Coalition for Human rights. I am here today to request an amendment to this legislation HB932 is basically the recodification of title 30 within the Code of Virginia. It calls for revision of the code, now designated to be designated as 30.1. I have no problem with that. However, what a wonderful opportunity to make a small amendment to this bill in order to correct something within our state government which needs to be fixed. And that is the removal of article 10 which establishes a state agency that never should have been established in the first place – a golden opportunity to fix something that’s been broken for a long time. Article 10 establishes the Virginia Israel Advisory Board, which serves essentially as a state taxpayer-funded chamber of commerce bringing Israeli companies to Virginia often at the expense of local companies. VIAB diverts millions of dollars each year in state, federal, and private grants towards Israeli corporations. It collaborates with state-funded entities like colleges and universities in projects designed to benefit Israel instead of Virginia students, residents or business. And many of these companies that are brought to Virginia, such as Elbit systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, are involved in providing arms which aid in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. So we see this as an opportunity for the state legislature to do the right thing. Prior to passing this legislation, let’s put in a simple amendment – remove article 10 from the code and free Virginians from the power of this long-standing blight on our state. Let’s dismantle VIAB and remove it from our state government. This is the right thing to do and this is the time to do it – quickly and surgically and in the spirit of good governance!

I am here to speak in opposition of HB932 - Specifically I am asking that HB932 is amended to remove article 10 - the Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB). The inclusion of article 10, the Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB) in the legislative code of Virginia shouldn’t just outrage the constituents, this should be a central focus of critical concern for all members of the General Assembly that work on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth that a foreign country was able to infiltrate the Virginia Government and exploit our resources to this extent. It is no secret that some of its leadership and board members served in the Israeli forces and were directly appointed by the Israeli government to increase Israel's presence in Virginia. It is also no secret that they are outrageously given staff and office literally in your midst. You all know that Advisory boards fall under the executive branch of government and get minimal if any funding. That includes the African American Advisory Board, the Latino Advisory yet Israel and its proxies were able to move it to the legislative branch. Israel was able to entrench itself so well that not only does it get hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars (specifically from our legislative budget!), it works outside of the VEDP unlike all other foreign governments. Unlike other foreign governments who do business with Virginia do so through the Virginia Economic Development Program Israel does it from within. Not enough time to to talk about their inflated numbers and lack of transparency I do not have time in this testimony to begin to talk about the inflated numbers they claim or the complete lack of transparency and accountability this foreign state agency enjoy at the expense of Virginians. Even if you are able to sit there and ignore 2.5 years of genocide that Israel is committing and 78 years of brutal colonization and occupation of Palestine, How can you in good conscience know that this blatant encroachment by a foreign government on Virginia’s political, economic, education systems exists and not only ignore it, but vote to fund it and further legitimize its infiltration? I ask you to amend HB932 to remove Article 10- the Virginia Israel Advisory Board. **P.S. The subcommittee only allowed 1 minute for all testimony combined for the bills. That in itself is undemocratic and undermines that serious narrative on so many important bills.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

HB1377 should be struck down immediately. Virginia Military Institute is a nationally respected institution with a proven record of excellence. VMI is ranked the #4 public liberal arts college in the nation and consistently produces leaders of character and competence. VMI graduates more generals than any ROTC program and, outside the federal academies, more Army generals than any other college. More than half of its graduates serve in the military. Its model works. There is no demonstrated problem this bill solves and would be an embarrassment to our Commonwealth. HB1377 is unnecessary and should be rejected.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Oppose another divisive group. Should we have a German Advisory Board? Hope about Russian Advisory Board or Australian Advisory Board? Please stop creating more division in groups? Just have the agency’s name on it. Ex: Transportation Advisory Board. The leftist party continues to put people into groups based on race, gender, religion, political affiliation, education status… it is disgraceful

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Please find wealthy donors who have the financial resources to help pay for this project. Virginians should not be forced to pay for this nonessential matter. I support historical studies, but right now we have to safe even more because of the current Virginia administration and Democrats making everything unaffordable.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Sheriff Javier J Smith served Charles City County with a rare balance of unwavering duty and genuine empathy. He led with integrity, distinction, and a deep compassion for all citizens. His tenure was marked by gentle demeanor, caring attention, and a commitment to community well-being. He didn't just enforce the law; he led with his heart. I am in support of HB1322. Sincerely, Penny Wynn Charles City Resident

Javier J Smith was a true asset to the citizens of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe as well as the Charles City County residents. I am in support of HB1322. Sincerely, Chief Stephen R Adkins Chickahominy Indian Tribe

My father, Javier Smith, served Charles City County not just as Sheriff, but as a protector, a leader, and steady presence in the lives of the people he swore to serve. He dedicated his life to public safety, integrity, and community trust, showing up every day with a sense of duty that went beyond the badge. His leadership helped shape a safer, stronger county, and his commitment to the people never wavered. Naming the bridge in his honor would stand as a lasting symbol of the connection he built between law enforcement and the community - a reminder of a man who spent his life bridging gaps serving selflessly and putting others before himself. It would ensure that future generations remember not only his service, but the character, sacrifice, and heart behind it. Thank you, Shane Smith

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

I believe that bill HB 1322, Sheriff Javier J Smith Memorial Bridge, should be passed to help place a point of remembrance for a person that meant a lot to his community and family. My father spent many years serving Charles City as Sheriff helping create a safer community for everyone I hopes or a better future, by naming this bridge after Javier J. Smith we would do more than memorialize a person, we would honor a legacy of service. I ask that you pass this bill to ensure my father Javier J. Smith’s dedication is never forgotten. Thank you, Lyric Smith

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

It's me Conner, I am requesting to place an independent staff person on the Virginia Disability Commission. The VDC does great work and has the potential to do even more and an independent staff person will be key to help make that happen. People with disabilities need support which leads to hope, and I believe having an independent staff person is an accommodation we can all get behind. Please and thank you, Conner Cummings and my mom Sharon.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

LeadingAge Virginia is the only association in the Commonwealth representing the full continuum of not-for-profit aging services and supports. The impact of private equity in health care—particularly in nursing homes and hospice—is a critical issue for the field. As mission-driven providers focused on quality of care, we offer an important perspective on how these issues impact quality, access, and outcomes. For these reasons, we strongly support House Bill 1458 and would welcome the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to this important effort. Therefore, we urge you to support the bill.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Pause data centers. Enough is Enough!!

Dear Virginia Legislators, A moratorium on on any final approvals of applications for rezoning, special exception or special use permits, site plans or development of the siting of new data centers by a locality until the pending requests for electric connections for data centers already approved until July 1, 2028 is an excellent idea! Prince Williams and Loudoun are over-inundated already with data centers...and approved ones that have no access to power for many years. Let's let what is already approved play out. We have no idea right now how this is all going to turn out. We need to be thoughtful about over-committing our state. Deborah Skahill Warrenton, Virginia Protect Remington.org

I live in Botetourt County n I am completely against a data center coming into our county. Prayers for all working against data centers.

Pause data center construction. Goochland County wants to have data centers. They do not fit with the rural setting of the county. The proposed location will affect home values, many of which are occupied by senior citizens. They produce noise pollution. They consume too much power and use too much water.

PLEASE. No Data Centers in Goochland County West Creek TOD We were so excited to move to Goochland 5 years ago. Now it seems Goochland is just interested in additional tax dollars and not about their residents. I really pray the data center proposals do not go thru Thanks Rob

Dear Delegates, Please vote for HB1515 and put a moratorium on data centers in Virginia! We are all aware of the overgrowth of data centers in Northern Virginia, now of which are moving south along I-95 and I-64, like a cancer. As citizens in Goochland County, we have been fighting against the County Board of Supervisors for the past 7 months, in an effort to prevent placement of data centers directly behind our homes. Our emails, phone calls and hundreds of presentations at public hearings have been ignored by the 5 members of the Goochland County Board of Supervisors, who ultimately voted in November 2025 to impose a “Technology Overlay District” on the properties behind us, which would allow the county to incentivize sale of the properties to companies who want to build data centers in Goochland. The impact on the environment, quality of life and health, residential electrical costs and property values to the thousands of residents who live next to these identified sites will be devastating. Please vote for HB1515 and put a moratorium on data centers in Virginia. Sincerely, Kathleen and John Beyrau Goochland County, Virginia

Please support a bill that places a stay on Data Center zoning and siting until the PJM infrastructure is in place to support. Instead just Build the DC along the interstates next to power lines where possible. We need to stop this random land use failure of wise land planned land use where the DC are zoned next to residential communities.

Local approval of data centers: temporary moratorium is an important first step. Thank you for addressing the critical need to develop state-wide energy regulations regarding data centers before their further heavy encroachment in VA. The fast-growing and free-wheeling nature of this industry has already resulted in untold health, environmental, and other concerns in communities around the state — and energy shortages and the attendant costs will quickly become critical. I applaud the Assembly’s first step and am strongly in favor of state-wide regulations to protect the energy grid.

As a concerned citizen in Botetourt County I ask that you pass Bill HB 1515 as it is written. A two year study is too long as the state is being bombarded daily by companies such as Google to put a data center in darn near every town, county. Please stop the destruction of our beautiful rural areas before it is too late!!! We need the moratorium now!!!

Representing the Prince William Conservation Alliance and our members in the prince william county, we support this bill.

We do not need/want more data centers. They MUST be heavily regulated and not permitted to ruin historical land.

I write in strong support of HB 1515 and urge its passage quickly. This bill takes a responsible step by calling for a pause on new data center development until Virginia’s electric grid can reliably support what has been approved. This is not opposition to technology or economic growth. It is an acknowledgment that infrastructure must come before expansion, not after. Virginia residents are feeling the strain. Electricity costs continue to rise, and families are absorbing those increases monthly. During recent cold temp warnings, utilities asked residents to conserve power to prevent stress on the grid. These were not theoretical concerns. They were real-time signals that our system is operating near its limits. That leads to an unavoidable question: If extreme cold can strain the grid, what will happen during an exceptionally hot summer? High temps drive sustained air-conditioning demand across homes, schools, hospitals, and small businesses. Data centers operate continuously and at enormous scale, add a constant load that doesn't ease during peak events. Without adequate planning, this combination risks grid instability, higher costs, and reduced reliability for the people. When the grid is stressed or fails, data centers rely on diesel backup generators. During emergency events, these generators can run for extended periods, producing significant air and noise pollution. Communities near these facilities bear the consequences of degraded air quality, increased particulate matter, and round the clock noise that affects sleep, health, and quality of life. These impacts aren't evenly distributed. They fall on neighborhoods, schools, and rural communities that were never planned to host industrial scale energy systems. During emergencies, residents are already coping with extreme weather. Generator pollution compounds those stresses at exactly the worst possible moment. HB 1515 recognizes that relying on emergency generation as a routine backstop is not a sustainable plan. There is also a longer-term economic concern. The technology sector is known for cycles of rapid expansion followed by contraction. If Virginia builds massive electrical generation and transmission infrastructure to support today’s data center demand, what happens if that demand declines? We risk creating fields of empty buildings supported by permanent infrastructure costs that don't disappear when the market shifts. Those costs will be borne by ratepayers and taxpayers long after the boom has passed. For smaller counties, these risks are magnified. We do not have unlimited land, unlimited water, or unlimited public safety capacity. While HB 1515 focuses on electric reliability, electricity is only one part of the picture. Large-scale data center development also affects water basin management, land preservation, loss of rural character, fire and emergency services required to protect massive facilities When development moves faster than planning, communities are left managing the consequences. HB 1515 provides a prudent pause. Ensure the grid is reliable, costs are controlled, and communities are protected before additional approvals are granted. It allows Virginia to grow thoughtfully, rather than reacting to preventable crises after the fact. For these reasons, I urge you to pass HB 1515 without delay. Acting now is the most responsible path forward for residents, local governments, and the Commonwealth as a whole.

Please pause data center builds, so regulations can be made. For example: not building adjacent to residential developments we all know the detrimental effects to the residents Health, quality of life and property values.

Please pause data center builds, and institute regulations than keep the data centers from being built adjacent to residential properties. I think we all know the detrimental effects on quality of life, health and property values Thanks

Protect Virginians. Vote Yes on 1515! Virginia’s electricity grid is on a collision course with the math and physics of a power demand that is risking the reliability and affordability for everyday ratepayers. Listen to the words of our own retired SCC Judge and previous Director of FERC. “The risk of black outs were once on the horizon, they are across the street” He has been warning us for months the risk is on our doorstep. Please pause anymore data center approvals until we can “reasonably “ manage the 47 gigawatts already promised by Dominion Energy!

In March 2025 my wife and I bought a new home in the Mosaic subdivision in eastern Goochland County. In July 2025 the county announced plans for a Technology Overlay District (TOD) to welcome data centers to the property surrounding our neighborhood and others residential developments ignoring the unanimous voice of their constituents against the TOD. A developer now wants to add 900 acres to the TOD for an 8 building data center campus literally next door to our neighborhood. This parcel is not served by existing power lines so it is exactly what HB1515 seeks to address. Please vote to approve HB1515 to stop the unfettered development of data centers in Virginia. We need a thoughtful examination of data centers to preserve our quality of life, to keep our cost of living in line, and to manage new growth that prioritizes the lives of all Virginians over the profits of data center developers. Thank you, Nick Klym

Pause data centers until resources (energy and water) are assessed to minimally impact adjacent neighborhoods. Citizens should not bear the financial burden of major companies like Google and Amazon

While I understand the need for Data Centers, I feel that the State is grabbing the money without long term planning necessary to support these monstrosities. Predictive models need to be used to understand the impact of water usage over 10+ years. What happens to these DC when technology evolves, which it will, and these data centers become obsolete? Why can we not dual purpose solar farms and DC? What benefits are the citizens of these communities getting besides a possible park or improved emergency services? Those do not out weigh the reduction in our home values. While Data Centers appear attractive from a short term cash influx, it will deter future growth of the localities where these are built from a residential aspect

Requesting support on HB 1515 as the Botetourt County Board approved a data center with zero transparency and zero public input. We need the moratorium to be able to access the impact on our community and environment. Thank you

I am asking you vote for this MORATORIUM on data centers. The UN recently stated we are in a water crisis. We need to consider our children and their children’s futures. Will they have drinking water? Not at the rate we are going. This bill will allow our state to do the research and make the bills and laws needed to protect our commonwealth. Please keep Virginias safe. Data centers are a current unregulated infrastructure profiting and relies on our natural and man made resources. They currently get tax breaks and have no standards of operation. Let us lead in technology that is sustainable for all. My daughter recently spoke against the Google data center in the process of being put in Bortetourt using Carvins Cove drinking water. She deserves clean safe and sustainable drinking water. Thank you Delegate Shin for introducing this bill, and thank you all for your vote yes to the Moratorium for data centers in VA.

Respectfully, I encourage you to support this bill. AI data centers are invasive industrial entities that are encroaching on residential communities and schools. They pose a significant risk to citizens who are already suffering the effects of brown outs. Given the severe winter, imagine if citizens experienced brown outs because of the energy these data centers require. Thank you for your consideration. ~ Margaret K. Levet

"Move fast and break things" may only officially be Facebook's philosophy, but it is the modus operandi for the tech industry as a whole. "Disruption" has been their mantra for over a decade, and there is no clearer example of it than the current gold rush for data center construction, moving into localities as quickly and quietly as possible in order to establish a foothold, regardless of the long-term consequences for the communities. This is what has happened in the Roanoke Valley area, with the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors spending a year and a half on a deal with Google without public input, and the Western Virginia Water Authority rubber-stamping the company's water usage a few months later with little fanfare. These proposals need to be put on hold, so that communities aren't having to play catch-up as we are. Disrupt the disruptors. Pass HB1515.

As a former environmental planner for the state of Virginia, citizen, parent and grandparent I am in support of a moratorium on further development of data centers, as the current rate of developments and impacts are becoming nightmarish to dozens of communities in Virginia and the nation.. There is a need for refined planning, policies, and development standards before continuing to encroach on communities in the manner currently taking place. Va. Law protects health, safety, welfare of its citizens, especially those that are protected and unrepresented , such as elderly people living adjacent to proposed data centers. I urge you to honor your commitment to serve citizens. Please vote for tne moratorium.

Having served as a clergyperson for 34 years in the Richmond area, and having been born, raised and educated in this beautiful state, I am horrified to see the area known as Data Center Alley continue its spawl southward. My son eldest serves this nation through the State Department. He never had bronchitis until he moved to South Riding. The data centers are not only poorly sited but they belch fumes and imperil the electrical grid. Dominion Energy has overpromised power, PJM is in a precarious state, and the elected leaders of my state must get our runaway data center industry under control. A lack of regulation allows the wealthiest companies on earth to impoverish our health, scar our landscape, historic sites and residential neighborhoods, run transmission lines next to elementary schools and make citizens pay for these insults. My community in rural Goochland is too under threat of all these data center insults in our backyard. No parent would let a child plan the life, health and finances so poorly. You legislators must take the role of parent and put some boundaries on the spoilt child/industry that has known no boundaries and like a teen who drinks and drives, can and will do inordinate harm to our state and us who live here because until recently, Virginia was so well managed. We desperately need a "time out" to teach the data center industry this is not the way you behave in our home and for all the adults in the room, you legislators, to decide on some basic "house" rules. The industrial revolution saw pollution, squalor and disease. The AI revolution brings pollution, physically invasive build out, and harms to human health and the environment, not to mention a failing electrical grid. A moritorium on data centers is long overdue and an obligation this state owes its citizens. I am not against economic growth--I am against economic greed that would endanger the stability of our state. Please, please pause the approvals of any more data centers until we have some adequate regulation to guide growth an an infrastructure equiped to provide power. I miss the time when our state was associated not with data center alley but rather the blue ridge mountains. Make it that way again! Rev. Lisa Sykes Dr. Seth Sykes

I support HB1515 because it applies established planning best practices to the siting of large-scale data centers, while protecting communities and critical infrastructure. The pace of data center development has exceeded the capacity of existing electric distribution systems and outstripped the availability of completed interconnection, load forecasting, and cumulative impact studies. Consistent with best practices in comprehensive planning and infrastructure concurrency, this bill appropriately sequences land-use approvals with verified utility capacity by temporarily prohibiting final approvals until existing interconnection requests are fulfilled or until July 1, 2028. This defined planning window allows utilities and local governments to conduct necessary technical studies, evaluate cumulative community impacts such as noise, water use, and land-use compatibility, and update zoning and comprehensive plans based on documented system constraints. The temporary moratorium promotes orderly growth, safeguards grid reliability, and ensures that host communities are not subjected to the unintended consequences of premature approvals.

I’m in favor of supporting HB1515 and believe that it is necessary due to the currently known list of inter connections by Dominion and AEP. I don’t believe that two years is sufficient to catch up on the backlog, it is a start.

We have witnessed first hand local government breaking Virginia law to quickly change land use rules in the data center bonanza. When the utilities are not even available, we are giving false hopes to land owners that might find another use or development type and upsetting the residents surrounding their land. A pause in the processes would allow all parties some room to better consider the rules that will govern these developments as well as providing ample local input. After all the electricity is not readily available and should be provided to those localities and developers that are in queue and have followed the law. Please approve this pause.

I support HB 1515. I witnessed how the voices and recommendations of constituents and the Planning Commission were silenced, and the Board of Supervisors have shown to residents that the data center industry is leading the county’s land use policy. The Board of Supervisors threw away balanced residential safeguards and data center industry flexibility, reduced the set back to 100 ft. and rejecting the public hearing. Adding insult to injury the Board gave special treatment to pending public utility applications, ensuring they will not have to follow even the new weak standards. I demand our state legislators to vote yes for HB 1515 to put the safeguard We The People need.

Please vote to delay any construction of data centers until at least 2028 so that more studies and analysis can be done to determine the full effects on the population the environment and the cost to consumers thank you

I am in Support of a Moratorium. PLEASE CONSIDER ELIMINATING ALL ILLEGAL DATA AS PER THE TAKE IT DOWN ACT You will free a very large amount of Data Space and VIRGINIA will lead the way to a brighter tomorrow

I am a retired biologist. I strongly support HB 1515. Virginia is in a severe drought. We need to pause approval of new data centers until interconnection of previously approved data centers is completed. We need the pause to see how many data centers Virginia can sustainably accommodate regarding available power generation, transmission infrastructure and water supply.

I strongly support this bill because there is a disconnect between local approvals and energy availability, and this bill seeks to address that problem.

Please continue to support HR1515 and place a moratorium on new data centers. Virginians are experiencing incredible and unaffordable increases in electric bills to subsidize the onslaught of new data centers.

Please stop the data centers - our electricity bills are killing us - do you seriously not care about your constituents?

Dear Delegate Shin, Thus far, Virginia's Legislature has been unable to slow the surge in new data centers. Our grid is now failing, and residential customers are being charged for the bill. Localities cannot slow the onslaught on their own. A Temporary Moratorium on Local Approvals of Data Centers makes good sense. HB 1515 would prohibit final approval of any application for a rezoning, special exception, special use permit, site plan, or plan of development for the siting of a new data center by a locality until the earlier of (i) the fulfillment of all pending requests for interconnection to distribution service by an electric utility customer that is a data center or (ii) July 1, 2028.” This is a smart bill and deserves your support. Vote "yes" on HB1515 David Gibson Warrenton VA

I am strongly in support of this bill as DCs are growing too fast near residential neighborhoods. The full impact on neighborhoods is not known and we need to protect citizens. It would help put a stop on aggressive land speculations and income speculations of counties which are not willing to listen to their citizens . Thank you Dr. Buettner 7022 Bisque Terrace Richmond, VA 23238

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! To many in this area its a big country send some Data Center to other countries and states -- I support HB 1515 - VOTE YES!!!!

Hello. My name is Natalie Pien, a 40+ year resident of Loudoun County writing to ask your support for HB 1515. I am a retired public-school teacher and a former environmentalist in the public sector. I am a grandmother with 3 very young granddaughters. They, and all life, deserve a livable future. HB1515 pauses local land use approvals of new data centers until existing interconnection requests for electricity have been fulfilled, or until July 2028, whichever comes first. There are numerous data centers already built in Northern Virginia that are waiting for power, and many other facilities under construction. This bill offers a practical and reasonable approach that will help to reduce speculative and sprawling data center development in the Virginia real estate market.

As a resident already experiencing rising utility costs, I write, briefly, in support of this good sense legislation which will help control costs created by DATA CENTERS for all individual Virginians. Here at last is a bill that can direct the costs of future technology back to those who will profit from that technology. Please support this legislation for the good of all residents who have no control over these developments.

This is a necessary bill to allow our electrical grid a water resources to catch up to existing and already approved data centers.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

I write in support of HB 1515. The proliferation of data centers and pressure on our electric grid (and bills) must be checked until the impact can be assessed. Please pass this bill.

I am a resident of Goochland and I am very concerned about the environmental impact of data centers. I think we are moving far too quickly without adequate consideration of the impact on residents. We must impose a moratorium on any further approvals until we have given adequate thought to how to prevent residents from the impacts of noise, air pollution, water shortages, and the inevitable increase in electricity costs. Our representatives must not allow the seduction of possible tax revenues over the protection of its citizens. Our Goochland District Supervisors are not listening to us, their constituents, I am hoping to have a voice. Thank you for submitting this bill. Please support HB1515.

I am very concerned about the environmental impact of data centers. I think we are moving far too quickly without adequate consideration of the impact on residents. We must impose a moratorium on any further approvals until we have given adequate thought to how to prevent densely populated areas from the impacts of noise, air pollution, water shortages, and the inevitable increase in electricity costs. We must not allow the seduction of possible tax revenues to impact our common sense about the protection of our commonwealth's citizens.

I am writing in favor of HB1515. I am a resident of Chesterfield County, the site of the first of eight or more new methane gas power plants that Dominion Energy proposes to build to meet unrestrained data center development. That data center development is straining our electricity grid and raising our electric bills to cover the cost of the new electricity infrastructure. These new gas plants built by utilities along with the diesel backup generators used by the data centers are degrading our air quality that Virginians have fought so long and hard to improve. The pause in new data center development under HB1515 would give the General Assembly and the new Spanberger Administration a couple years to sort out the mess we currently find ourselves in. Please support HB1515. Thank you. Glen Besa

I am Carol Isvak, a new resident of Virginia (November 2024) and Mosaic (April 2025), an over 55 community in Goochland County and stand in favor of HR 1515. After thorough research of these type communities across the US and after revisiting Mosaic many times over several years, I found no other place as charming with all the amenities I wanted. However, no one informed me of the possible data center buildout during this timeframe, so I was surprised at all the sudden community activity and residential concern about new access roads, traffic flow, emissions, potential higher electric rates, impact on emergency services, and acoustic noise. All these activities would have definitely influenced my decision to buy a home in this area/county! More time to assess the impact (costs and health concerns) of these projects will be extremely beneficial not only to the residents of Mosaic, but also to nearby property owners of the proposed utility and data center construction. Thank you.

Please support this bill to balance the importance of residents and the industry. This is essential for the future of our state and generations to come as the current pace is unsustainable and with unrealistic electric grid demands. Thank you for your consideration for quality of life of all Virginians.

As a citizen residing in Goochland County, and learning about data centers being proposed for this part of Goochland County (District 5), I strongly support a moratorium on data center development in the state. Data centers use large amounts of electricity and water, cause noise pollution and decrease homeowner property values. The electricity use causes rates to rise for all taxpayers. There should be a thoughtful and more deliberative process for siting data centers and allowing them to connect to public utilities. Thank you for supporting this bill. Sincerely, Karen M Sanders

Virginia has more data centers than there are countries in the world. We import more energy in Virginia than any other state in the nation. Our state is beautiful, but has gotten ahead of itself. Not all progress is good progress. Combining additional oversight, transparency, ratepayer protection, and sustainability and mitigation measures, Bill 1515 would bring transformational data center reform to what has become a dangerously chaotic situation. Please don't give up hope on these bills. Don't let the corruption that is vetoing these protections keep you down too. Be a louder voice for your people, starting with your vote. Be so loud, that corruption's forged dismay cannot spread any longer. You say you do this occupation because you want to make Virginia a better place? Fortunately, there is a great way to start before you now... with HB 1515. Do your duty. Remember who you serve. Your people are watching. Your children are watching.

I want to thank Delegate Shin for her commitment to ensuring that Virginians have reliable and affordable power and lend my support to her common sense approach in HB1515. Data center facilities, no matter where they are located, take a toll on all Virginians, including households and small businesses. HB1515 focuses on protecting power grid reliability and helps keep electricity bills from spiraling upward for Virginia families. Data cneters are driving a massive surge in electricity demand, overwhelming our power grid and fueling a rush to build new gas-fired power plants. The breakneck pace of data center construction— with even more in the pipeline—has outstripped utilities’ ability to deliver reliable power. HB1515 hits pause on local approvals for new data centers until existing requests to connect to the electric grid are fulfilled. By curbing speculative land grabs for sprawling data center campuses, Please support HB1515 for all Virginians,

I support HB 1515

Good morning. My name is Art Howe and I'm submitting this comment on behalf of SaveOrangeCountyVA, a grassroots organization of residents concerned about the impacts of data center development on our rural community. I urge the subcommittee to support HB1515. This bill does not stop data center development—it simply pauses new local land use approvals while Virginia addresses the unprecedented backlog in Dominion Energy's interconnection queue. Projects with approved site plans can still move forward. Currently, Dominion prioritizes power delivery based on engineering constraints, not application order. This has incentivized speculative "wildcatting"—developers proposing projects near transmission infrastructure hoping to jump the queue, regardless of actual demand. The result is land speculation that harms both communities facing development pressure and the industry itself, with some projects facing 7-year delays while others connect within months. A two-year pause would bring order to a chaotic process, allowing the approximately 10GW of projects already in final contract stages to proceed while preventing new speculation from further straining the grid and our communities. Thank you for your consideration.

I support the pause on data center development that this bill proposes. Common sense dictates that we do everything to make sure our power grid is capable of handling new data center and the pause would allow Virginian’s a chance to ensure that. Please enact this bill.

Nature Forward strongly supports HB1515. With more data centers than anywhere in the world, this bill isn’t going to stop data center development – it is continuing every day. But it would allow Virginia to catch its breath, so to speak, pause new approvals of data centers, and allow critical time for Dominion Energy to address the already massive queue it has for delivering electricity without getting even more behind. Please vote “yes” in support of HB1515.

I wholeheartedly support anything that will slow the growth, if not stop the growth, of data centers in Virginia. It is all happening TOO FAST without well devised plans or adequate forethought. Virginia already has its fair share of data centers, why ruin more of our beautiful landscape, especially here in Goochland, with more noise generating, resource hogging data centers?!?! If you look at how Goochland has approached it, their plan IS NOT fully thought out nor does it have the adequate impact studies to support them in Goochland. It was rushed, rushed, rushed for the sake of the almighty dollar and totally against what over 99% of the population supports. Please stop this before a huge mistake is made! Once the data center is built, there is no turning back. I ask you to please STOP or significantly slow the growth of more data centers in Virginia.

Data center energy demand has left us with utility companies having to import a large percentage of their power from other states and an inability to keep up with the demand. There is no long-term plan for sustainability. Not for the industry itself. Not for the utilities. Please vote YES on HB1515 which will temporarily pause data center development until pending requests for connection to the grid are fulfilled. It will allow valuable time for good decision making and development of a long-term strategy.

My comments are in support of HB 1515. A relatively short moratorium will allow time to consider appropriate controls, as well as reducing rampant land speculation for data center development. There is a deficit of power here in Virginia. There are numerous data centers already built in Northern Virginia that are waiting for power, and other facilities under construction. Allowing further development without resolution of power issues will harm our natural resources and residents. Thank you for your consideration.

Please support this to control the reckless building of data centers. I am concerned with the loss of farmland and the environmental impact on our water and the abuse of the power grid. They may become the next useless fixtures built by this greedy society on false promises of jobs and economic improvement. Denise Hargraves

I am in strong support of this bill that will pause further growth of data centers. We need a better way to manage and approve more data centers due to issues related to air and water pollution and power needs.

This bill does not stop data center development it forces organization to what has become chaos. There are 47GWs of load in the queue with Dominion Energy in Virginia, a seven year wait for some data center customers in Northern Virginia, and numerous fully constructed data centers awaiting power. There are data center developers facing 7 year waits for power while new players wildcat along proposed transmission lines and near power generation facilities. This is not an anti-data center bill, it’s a pro-orderly development bill.

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Submitted by Sub-Chief Gary Price Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia I submit this statement in support of House Joint Resolution 17 (HJ17), which proposes to extend state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. Our Tribe has been seeking state recognition through Virginia’s established processes for more than ten years. Throughout that time, our community has remained continuous. Our families are still here. Our leadership is still here. Our cultural traditions are still being practiced and passed on. What has changed over the years is the process used to evaluate recognition. At one point, our recognition efforts moved forward through the House of Delegates. After that, the recognition process shifted. A new review structure was created, and our Tribe was placed into a system that now requires documentation standards that closely resemble federal recognition rules, even though we are seeking state recognition only. This standard does not reflect Virginia’s own recognition history. With the sole exception of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, every federally recognized tribe in Virginia was recognized through an Act of Congress, not through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ modern federal acknowledgment process. Those federal standards were not the path used for recognition in Virginia, yet they are now being applied to tribes like ours at the state level. Virginia’s history must also be acknowledged. During the early–mid twentieth century, state policies under the Walter Plecker era deliberately removed Native identity from public records. Birth certificates, marriage records, and other official documents were altered or destroyed. The effects of those actions remain today and directly impact the availability of the documentation now being required. Despite these barriers, the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe has continued to engage with the Commonwealth in good faith. We formally entered Virginia’s current recognition process in 2019. We have been open and transparent. We have demonstrated who we are through our museum, our educational programs, our community outreach, and our service to the people of Virginia. House Joint Resolution 17 does not seek federal recognition, sovereignty, gaming rights, or special legal status. It seeks state recognition only—acknowledgment by the Commonwealth of a Native community that has endured, remained intact, and contributed to Virginia’s cultural and educational life. State recognition is a decision that rests with the Commonwealth of Virginia. We respectfully ask that this decision be made based on Virginia’s history, Virginia’s authority, and the facts before the General Assembly. On behalf of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia, I respectfully urge the advancement of House Joint Resolution 17. Respectfully submitted,

In Support of House Joint Resolution 17 (HJ17) I respectfully submit this written public comment in support of House Joint Resolution 17 (HJ17), which proposes to extend state recognition to the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe of Virginia. The Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe has been seeking state recognition for more than a decade, including prior legislative efforts that advanced through the Virginia House of Delegates. The Tribe’s status and continuity did not change during that time. What changed was the recognition process itself. Following earlier legislative advances, the Commonwealth adopted a more formal recognition framework, including the creation of the Virginia Indian Advisory Board. While this framework was intended to promote consistency and transparency, in practice it has required tribes seeking state recognition to satisfy federal BIA-style evidentiary standards, even though the recognition sought here is state recognition only, not federal recognition or sovereignty. This creates a fundamental inconsistency when viewed against Virginia’s own recognition history. Every federally recognized tribe in Virginia except the Pamunkey Indian Tribe achieved federal recognition through an Act of Congress, rather than through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ modern Federal Acknowledgement Process. Those tribes were not required to meet the BIA criteria that are now being effectively imposed on tribes seeking state recognition in Virginia. At the same time, Virginia’s historical record presents a unique and unavoidable reality. During the Walter Plecker era, the Commonwealth systematically erased Native identity from official public records through state policy. Birth certificates, marriage records, and other documents were altered or destroyed, creating lasting documentation barriers for Native communities. The evidentiary standards now being applied rely heavily on records that the Commonwealth itself eliminated. Despite these structural challenges, the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe formally entered Virginia’s modern recognition process in 2019 and has participated fully and in good faith. The Tribe has demonstrated: continuous organizational and community presence as a Virginia nonprofit since 2006; sustained public cultural and educational engagement, including operation of the Wolf Creek Cherokee Museum and Tribal Center and statewide educational programming since 2015; and clear cultural continuity and self-identification, maintained despite historical documentation loss caused by state action. It is also important to recognize that state recognition is a sovereign legislative decision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. While perspectives may be offered by individuals or organizations outside the Commonwealth, Virginia’s recognition determinations have historically rested on Virginia-based records, Virginia-based institutions, and the independent judgment of the General Assembly. Hj17 represents a measured, state-limited acknowledgment fully within the authority of the General Assembly. HJ17 provides a responsible and equitable path forward—one that restores fairness, clarity, and forward movement to a process that has extended for many years. I respectfully urge the Subcommittee to advance House Joint Resolution 17 for consideration by the full House of Delegates. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this comment for the record. Respectfully submitted,

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

I am writing in strong support of HJ20 and to thank Delegate Glass for introducing legislation that centers people — not just property — in Virginia’s response to sea level rise. As flooding and rising waters increasingly threaten homes across the Commonwealth, too many low-income, elderly, Black, Indigenous, and rural families face the risk of losing generational land. For many, this land represents far more than a physical structure; it is a source of cultural identity, family history, stability, and the primary form of intergenerational wealth. When disaster strikes, families are often left with few options beyond unsafe conditions, debt, or buyouts that undervalue their property and sever long-standing community ties. HJ20 is important because it recognizes that conversations about “managed retreat” must be rooted in justice, dignity, and informed choice. Without intentional planning, climate adaptation strategies can unintentionally repeat historic patterns of displacement that have already harmed vulnerable communities across Virginia. Studying equitable approaches now gives us the opportunity to do better. I strongly support this bill’s focus on exploring best practices, cost-sharing models, and community-scale planning strategies that protect homeowners while reducing long-term disaster recovery costs for the state. Proactive investment in flood mitigation, nature-based solutions, and voluntary relocation options is not only more humane — it is fiscally responsible and essential to building long-term resilience. HJ20 honors the elders who built these communities and acknowledges that true stewardship of the land must include protecting the people connected to it. I urge the General Assembly to advance this important resolution and ensure that Virginia’s climate response does not leave its most vulnerable residents behind.

I am writing in support of this House Resolution 22 on behalf of Virginia Beach Restaurants, most of which are independently owned and operated. Stand at the center of this opportunity. Unlike national chains, these establishments reflect local history, regional ingredients, and family traditions passed down through generations. Recognizing Virginia as the Birthplace of American Cuisine creates a platform to drive diners into locally owned restaurants, encourage food-focused travel itineraries, and support complementary industries such as agriculture, seafood, wineries, breweries, lodging, and retail. This designation also has the potential to extend visitor stays, promote off-season travel, and distribute tourism dollars beyond major attractions into neighborhoods, rural areas, and historic communities. Food is often the entry point for visitors, and restaurants frequently serve as the first and most lasting impression of a destination. By formally recognizing Birthplace of American Cuisine Day, Virginia can celebrate its culinary heritage while simultaneously supporting small businesses, strengthening tourism, creating jobs, and reinforcing the Commonwealth’s reputation as a premier destination for history, culture, and hospitality.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

Dear Members of the Virginia General Assembly, I am writing to express my strong support for House Joint Resolution 22 (HJ22), designating April 27, 2026, and each succeeding year, as “Birthplace of American Cuisine Day” in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a partner in the Lynnhaven Oyster Club based in Virginia Beach, I am deeply committed to preserving and promoting the Lynnhaven Oyster experience and the broader culinary heritage of Coastal Virginia. The events of April 27, 1607—when English settlers first encountered Native Americans roasting oysters near present-day Cape Henry—represent a foundational moment in American food history. This early exchange, rooted in oysters and shared knowledge, is widely recognized as one of the earliest recorded instances of prepared food in what would become the United States. In accounts previously recorded by others, the Nanticoke Indians were “fond of raking up large piles of fresh oysters from creek bottoms with forked sticks and indulging in feasts that sometimes lasted several days.” (1981 The Oyster Wars of Chesapeake Bay. Tidewater Publishers, Centreville, Maryland). Indeed the "oyster roast" is a ubiquitous tradition in many coastal regions and is our history repeating itself. These events continue to evolve and fuse our culinary traditions with popular modern cuisine. HJ22 appropriately honors Virginia’s unique role as the birthplace of American cuisine, celebrating the fusion of Native American, European, and African traditions that shaped our nation’s enduring food culture which continues to thrive. Just as importantly, this designation has meaningful economic implications, supporting Virginia’s farmers, watermen, aquaculture producers, restaurants, and tourism partners. Several recent reports quantify the economic significance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbBECmqe7A8 https://www.vims.edu/research/units/centerspartners/map/shellfish-aquaculture/about/ Recognizing “Birthplace of American Cuisine Day” affirms Virginia’s leadership in American culinary history and provides an opportunity to educate, celebrate, and strengthen our food-based economy—particularly in Coastal Virginia, where oysters remain both a cultural symbol and a working livelihood. I anticipate that this annual designation to be celebrated by many, including those individuals and organizations that fight for sensible environmental policy that ensures a healthy future for Virginia seafood. As an oyster grower, I would be remise in not pointing out the positive feedback loop that Virginia's shellfish economy also has on our coastal environment and ecosystems. From shoreline stabilization, erosion control and ecosystem restoration, to cleaner water and carbon sequestration, Virginia's sustainable aquaculture industry is doing a lot of good behind the scenes. We often describe to our oyster club as a "farm to fork & table" culinary experience. In truth, it is more circular: from farm to table to farm again. Thank you for your consideration of this important resolution and for your continued service to the Commonwealth. With Respect, Chris Schellhammer Cofounder Lynnhaven Oyster Club Virginia Beach, Virginia

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

I support HJ26 (light rail) and HJ28 (public transit). I am a 24-year-old law student from Virginia Beach who plans to return to the region after graduating. Many of my friends, however, have left for other cities. A common reason they cite is the lack of strong public transit and a broader sense that Hampton Roads is not fully investing in its future. Instead, they are moving to metro areas like Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and New York City, all of which have robust transit systems and are widely seen as more forward-thinking. I love Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads, but I share their concern. If we want to build a prosperous, unified region that reaches its full potential, Virginia Beach must collaborate with the rest of Hampton Roads on regional transit solutions rather than remaining isolated by short-sighted leadership. These studies will provide a clearer roadmap for how expanded transit can be achieved. Public transit allows low-income residents to fully participate in society (the average annual cost of owning and operating a car now exceeds $11,000), increases convenience for all residents, and promotes economic development, especially when paired with smart zoning around stations. The 2016 light rail referendum reflected public opinion on a specific project at a very different political moment. Since then, Virginia Beach has changed significantly. Tens of thousands of residents have moved in, moved out, or come of age, including myself, as I was only 15 at the time. Treating that vote as a permanent mandate effectively disenfranchises tens of thousands of current residents. Supporting HJ26 and HJ28 will help modernize Virginia Beach, strengthen regional unity, and move Hampton Roads into the 21st century.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

My name is Michael Kamtman, and I am a proud and loving descendant of Eliza Kortright Monroe Hays, my great-great-great-great-great grandmother. I come to you today to express my enthusiastic support for HJ Resolution 47 to make May 21st Eliza Kortright Monroe Hay Day. In just a few short years, Eliza, daughter of our 5th President James Monroe and the last of our Founding Fathers, has been brought from obscurity to recognition thanks to the exemplary work of Barbara VornDick and many others. In her short but extraordinary life, Eliza exemplified the depth of her humanity through her selfless nursing care of others and her unflagging devotion to her family. And she served as First Lady during her father’s presidency on multiple occasions when her mother Elizabeth was ill. In 1840, while visiting Paris for health reasons, Eliza died after a lengthy illness, alone and in extreme poverty. It has taken 185 years for Eliza to be returned to her family and to the nation she always called home. Eliza is an unsung heroine of our national heritage. By creating May 21st to commemorate Eliza, her story will never again return to obscurity but will live on as a legacy to inspire others to live their best lives for generations to come.

My name is Michael Kamtman, and I am a proud and loving descendant of Eliza Kortright Monroe Hays, my great-great-great-great-great grandmother. I come to you today to express my enthusiastic support for HJ Resolution 47 to make May 21st Eliza Kortright Monroe Hay Day. In just a few short years, Eliza, daughter of our 5th President James Monroe and the last of our Founding Fathers, has been brought from obscurity to recognition thanks to the exemplary work of Barbara VornDick and many others. In her short but extraordinary life, Eliza exemplified the depth of her humanity through her selfless nursing care of others and her unflagging devotion to her family. And she served as First Lady during her father’s presidency on multiple occasions when her mother Elizabeth was ill. In 1840, while visiting Paris for health reasons, Eliza died after a lengthy illness, alone and in extreme poverty. It has taken 185 years for Eliza to be returned to her family and to the nation she always called home. Eliza is an unsung heroine of our national heritage. By creating May 21st to commemorate Eliza, her story will never again return to obscurity but will live on as a legacy to inspire others to live their best lives for generations to come.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.

United Cherokee Indian deserve recognition stop playing with us .. our history speaks stop playing with us again you steady playing with us in our faces oblivious you folks need to step down from your position due to your actions ain’t working

My name George Craig and I live in Winchester,, VA. I am writing in favor of HB 8 and ask for your support and "yes" vote. It is important for Virginia to be prepared when there is an Article V convention called and to ensure the commissioner sent follow the limitation of their authority. Thank you.