By Del. Carrie Coyner
Wednesday, January 8th was a historic day for our commonwealth as Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn gaveled the House of Delegates into session as the first woman and Jew to be Speaker of the House, and Charniele Herring became the first African American woman to serve as Majority Leader in the House. 2020 is a historic year for all women as we celebrate the centennial of women’s right to vote, and women have the highest state elected representation in history with 41 total females.
These first few days of session have been chaotic with so many changes in leadership, but I did receive my committee assignments Thursday, January 9th. The Speaker makes all committee assignments, and I will be serving on Counties, Cities and Towns dealing with local government issues and on Public Safety (formerly Militia, Police and Public Safety) dealing with police, militia, gun legislation, and public safety concerns. These two committees meet on the same day at almost the same time, so I will be working very hard to be present and voice questions on proposed legislation coming before both committees.
My office has received many calls and emails from constituents asking me to support or oppose bills, and I appreciate the communication, as it keeps me connected to you during session. I encourage all citizens to visit lis.virginia.gov and register for Lobbyist in a Box, which is a free service that allows you to follow specific topics of legislation, i.e. education or firearms. When you register for the service, you can sign up to receive email reminders on the status of up five pieces of legislation at no cost. My office is always open to all in Room 433 of the Pocahontas Building and please stay in touch via email at [email protected] or via phone at (804) 698-1062.
Editor’s note: Delegate Carrie Coyner represents the 62nd House District, which covers parts of Chester, Enon, Hopewell, and Prince George. She will provide regular updates in the Village News during the General Assembly session.
