The 2023 session of the General Assembly will convene on January 11th. This is a “short” session as all odd-numbered year sessions are. Bill limits and drafting limits have been instituted to limit the legislative load in what is likely to be an unusually contentious session. All 140 seats in the General Assembly will be up for election in 2023 and due to redistricting, there are numerous incumbents of the same party that now reside in the same districts. In one case three incumbents of the same party have been drawn into the same House District. Election year sessions are generally more difficult and with the addition of incumbent primaries will likely be more so in 2023.
Following national trends, the issues of focus in 2023 will likely be crime, the economy, and reproductive rights. With Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans controlling the House of Delegates we can expect the more controversial pieces of legislation from both sides of the aisle to be unsuccessful. The Commonwealth has a large revenue surplus which affords the General Assembly additional spending opportunities, but fears of a coming recession will likely hamper allocation of additional funds. Funding priorities are also likely to differ sharply between the two chambers.
Bill filing began in July and those bills are publicly available. We haven’t identified any bill of interest as of this writing. Once more bills have been filed, we will begin reviewing and compiling legislation of interest to VLTA members.
If you have questions or concerns about the legislative process, upcoming elections, or redistricting please feel free to reach out. We will continue to update you as we get closer to the 2023 session.
James Pickral
Founding Partner, has more than two decades of experience in government affairs- with a focus on legislative and regulatory health care issues. He has worked with clients in the economic development, renewable and alternative energy, and pharmaceutical industries. James previously served as Manager of State Government Affairs for Troutman Sanders Strategies and the Director of Policy for the Virginia Pharmacists Association. James spent three legislative sessions as Legislative Assistant to Delegate John O’Bannon. James is a veteran of the United States Army, serving as an infantryman during Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Provide Comfort. After his military service, James received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is an active member of Saint Benedict’s Catholic Church and VFW Post 6364. He formerly served on St. Benedict Church’s parish finance council and on the school board for Saint Benedict Catholic School. James and his wife have three daughters and live in Richmond.
james@pickralconsulting.com
804-239-3579
