Senate advances dozens of uncontested bills and confirms gubernatorial appointments

The Virginia Senate used block procedures on Feb. 10 to advance and pass a large number of uncontested bills and to consider floor substitutes, committee substitutes and confirmations in a single sequence.

Senators moved to advance uncontested bills on the second-reading calendar to engrossment and third reading in blocks; members were instructed that any senator wishing to pull a bill from the block should do so after the clerk read the bill number. The motion to suspend constitutional readings and dispense with titles was agreed to by roll call (40–0), allowing the body to move multiple bills through to final passage.

The clerk recorded multiple unanimous tallies for the uncontested block votes (Ayes 40, Noes 0) and several bills were advanced to third reading or engrossed (including a block of bills and individually noted measures such as SB 122, SB 225, SB 247, SB 431, SB 482, SB 498, and many others listed on the calendar). The Senate also recorded votes to confirm gubernatorial appointees in multiple Senate Joint Resolutions (for example, SJR 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74), with many confirmations passing 40–0.

A few contested roll calls were recorded earlier in the day (for example, SB 495 passed 21–19; SB 596 passed 24–15; SB 482 passed 39–1), but large blocks of bills moved with unanimous or near-unanimous support.

Next steps: Bills that were advanced will proceed through their statutory next stages including third reading and enrollment as required by the legislative calendar; confirmed appointees proceed per resolution actions.