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League of Women Voters holds presession meeting of Women’s Legislative Roundtable (WLRT)

The League of Women Voters of Virginia (LWVVA) recently sponsored the presession of the Women’s Legislative Roundtable, (WLRT) at the State Capitol in Richmond. Presentations were made by 17 representatives of non-profit organizations and from four Secretaries of Governor McAuliffe’s Cabinet. They gave short and informative speeches on their areas of expertise before an audience of about 130 people. Carol Noggle, president of League of Women Voters of Prince William Area, attended, according to a news releaase.

This annual event provides a unique opportunity for attendees to learn about what other groups will be advocating for and what cabinet members expect will occur during the upcoming General Assembly (GA).

The subjects covered included the state budget, women’s rights, equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender LGBT Virginians, issues of Latinos, redistricting, transparency, public safety, criminal justice reform, juvenile justice, domestic and sexual violence, mental illness, poverty, decriminalization of marijuana, civil forfeiture, police reform, voting rights, election laws and voter protection, and conservation of natural resources.

According to the news release, Ric Brown, the Secretary of Finance, mentioned that a potential $1.5 billion budget shortfall is expected due to lower-than-expected income and sales tax collections. To handle this shortfall, Governor McAuliffe asked Executive Branch agencies to make budget cuts. These have included delaying grant payments and new positions, eliminating 26 current positions, canceling pay raises, trimming the state’s payroll in other ways, and using the rainy day fund. Virginia is an income tax state so it is difficult to project revenue, the news release stated. Medicaid Expansion is not in the budget.

Women’s Legislative Roundtable is an informational forum is where legislators and non-profit organizations’ representatives talk about pending legislation and issues of concern. LWVVA will moderate the WLRT forums, which start at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays, after the GA convenes on Jan.11, 2017. The first WLRT meeting will be held in Richmond on Jan. 18, 2017.  The roundtable discussions are open to the public.

To learn more about the League of Women Voters, go to http://www.lwv-va.org .

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