Delegate David J. Toscano and Senator Creigh Deeds will hold a joint town hall meeting in Charlottesville to share insights from the 2017 General Assembly and provide an opportunity to answer questions, receive comments and listen to concerns from constituents. [Read more…]
Press Releases
Toscano Announces Dittmar Joins Team
Dittmar Assumes Chief of Staff Position in time for the 2017 General Assembly
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – David J. Toscano (D-57), Democratic leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, announced that Jane Dittmar has joined his team as Chief of Staff effective the beginning of the 2017 legislative session. [Read more…]
Democratic House Leaders Propose New Law to Extend Voter Registration
House Democratic Leader, David J. Toscano (D-Charlottesville/Albemarle), today announced that a proposed change in state law to address emergencies that prevent citizens attempting to register from doing so in time of emergency. The proposed law would allow the State Board of Elections to extend the registration period for seven days in the event of an emergency.
“Recent events surrounding the hurricane in Florida and the problems with the Virginia online registration website suggest a need for some additional flexibility in extending the deadline for registration in advance of an election,” said Toscano. “Few people deny that citizens who seek to legally register and vote should be permitted to do so. Without a change in state law, the only option in cases of emergency is to file a lawsuit and seek court intervention. That is both inefficient and potentially denies the rights of citizens to exercise the franchise.”
In Florida, the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew made it impossible for some citizens to register within the time period set by state law. Since that state’s law did not permit the extension of the registration period, a lawsuit was filed, which led to the registration period being extended. Last week, hundreds of Virginians attempted to register in Virginia by the deadline, but were prevented from doing so because the registration website either slowed to a point that the registrations were not received by the deadline. A federal court judge, in response to a lawsuit, extended the time period for registration until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2016.
“I know that a number of my colleagues have attempted to blame the Board of Elections for the recent problems in Virginia,” said Mark Sickles (D-Franconia), who is working with Toscano on the legislation. “As leaders and legislators, however, we are in a position to address this problem, both by appropriating the funds to improve our system and by changing the law to make it more flexible. This proposal attempts to do the latter; in the next session, we will also work on the former.”
State law closes registration 21 days in advance of election with no exceptions.
Toscano and Deeds to Hold Joint Town Hall
Del. Toscano and Sen. Deeds to co-host constituent town halls to share insights from the 2016 General Assembly
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Delegate David Toscano and Senator Creigh Deeds will co-host two town halls this spring to share with constituents their insights from the 2016 General Assembly and hear concerns from constituents. The first town hall will be held Wednesday, May 11th at Johnson Elementary School, 1645 Cherry Avenue, 5:30-7:30 pm in the auditorium.
“Senator Deeds and I look forward to sharing information on what took place during the 2016 General Assembly,” said Delegate Toscano. “We look forward to hearing from constituents, whether they have questions about what resulted from the 2016 General Assembly, or how we may better serve the citizens of our respective Senate and House districts.”
The second town hall will be held on Wednesday, May 18th at JABA, 674 Hillsdale Drive #9, from 6:30-8:30 pm in the Great Room. A sign up sheet will be available for those individuals who wish to comment or ask questions on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals will also have the opportunity to submit written comments and questions. Refreshments will be provided.
Senator Creigh Deeds represents the 25th Senate District, which includes the counties of Alleghany, Albemarle (part), Bath, Highland, Nelson, and Rockbridge, and the cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Covington, and Lexington. Creigh serves on the Senate Courts Committee, Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, and Senate Transportation Committee.
Delegate David Toscano represents the 57th House of Delegates District, which includes the City of Charlottesville and part of Albemarle County. Delegate Toscano was first elected by his peers in 2011 to serve as the House Democratic Leader. David is a member of the House Courts of Justice Committee, House Rules Committee, and House Transportation Committee.
For more information please contact:
Carmen Bingham, Office of Delegate David Toscano
(434) 220-1660
carmen@davidtoscano.com
or
Tracy Eppard, Office of Senator Creigh Deeds
(434) 296-5491
district25@senate.virginia.gov
House of Delegates Approves HR 75
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The House of Delegates today approved HR 75, authored by Democratic Leader David J. Toscano (D-57th, Charlottesville-Albemarle), to commemorate the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and draw attention to the importance of ensuring the right of religious liberty and the ability of citizens to practice their faiths as they choose in the United States.
Toscano, in discussing the resolution, said “we are finding a resurgence of anti-religious sentiment in the United States today, often targeted toward people from other countries who seek refuge from death and persecution in their home countries. The resolution places the House of Delegates on record as opposing political and religious persecution and bias, celebrating the principles of religious freedom set forth by Thomas Jefferson 230 years ago.”
The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom is a precursor to the establishment clause and free expression of religion provision of the United States Constitution.
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