While our advocacy efforts occur throughout the year, there is particular attention given to the time just before the Virginia General Assembly gavels into session. Accordingly, the Joint Legislative Committee – the JLC, which operates in cooperation with ACEC Virginia – is getting organized and oriented.
It is impossible to generate an infallible forecast of the full range of efforts that may be required to respond to the opportunities and challenges of any single session. (That’s part of the fun.) This year, with so many new legislators (an effective turnover rate of almost 35 percent in the House of Delegates and 45 percent in the Senate), might be even more interesting than most. We’ll be ready.
Our state-level efforts will be complemented by vigilance and advocacy at the national level, including our participation in the AIA Leadership Summit in DC (27 February to 1 March), which includes an opportunity to advocate on the Big Hill.
We look forward to successfully addressing all matters of interest to the practice of architecture and the operation of a professional service business in Virginia.
You can support our efforts by:
- maintaining your vigilance (our weekly updates during the session will keep you posted)
- sharing your thoughts/concerns on the issues
- being available to consult on how proposed legislation might affect your practice/business
- serving as an SME to help the JLC better understand the issues and/or impact of a bill
- recommending improvements/refinements to bills
- investing in the AIA Virginia PAC
You might also consider serving on the Joint Legislative Committee, the Advocacy Advisory Council, or the Board of Trustees for the AIA Virginia PAC. Email PBattaglia@aiava.org if interested.
Here we go!
