Virginia Beach council hears General Assembly update as menhaden study stalls and collective bargaining advances
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Summary
At its Feb. 17 meeting, the City Council received a legislative briefing on multiple General Assembly measures — HB 393 (cancer screening) passed the House unanimously; a proposed menhaden fishing study stalled before a floor vote; collective bargaining bills advanced in both chambers — sparking council debate over local impacts and lobbying influence.
Brent, the city’s legislative presenter, told the Virginia Beach City Council on Feb. 17 that lawmaking in Richmond is at a critical point as chambers exchange bills before crossover and each releases its budget this weekend. He said the senate version of the city’s 10.1 charter bill has passed both chambers and is en route to the governor, and he highlighted several measures the city is watching.
Brent reported that HB 393, a bill to provide cancer screening for public‑safety personnel, passed the House 97–0 and now moves to the Senate. He said collective bargaining legislation has cleared the House by a 61–35 vote and is being debated in the Senate, with differences between the chambers still to be reconciled. He also described changes to prevailing‑wage proposals that would require localities to pay prevailing wage on projects that receive state funds, and he summarized a package of speed‑camera bills that expand oversight, require calibration data and prioritize how fee revenues are spent on traffic safety.
Council members reacted sharply to the status of other bills. Councilman Shulman and others pressed staff for details after HB 1049, a requested menhaden fishing study, ‘‘ran into trouble’’ and did not appear on the House docket. Shulman said he wants staff to identify who intervened and how the bill stalled. Brent said the change happened that morning and that staff would gather additional information and report back, noting the study had a multi‑million dollar funding request that can complicate advancement.
The mayor criticized proposals to impose collective bargaining on local governments as an unfunded mandate and pointed to fiscal stress experienced elsewhere, arguing such mandates could force service cuts or new local taxes. Other council members framed the menhaden issue as an environmental and economic concern for Virginia Beach and urged further tracking of related General Assembly actions and potential budget questions.
What happens next: council members asked staff to keep the council updated as crossover completes and as the chambers release and reconcile their budgets. Brent said the next legislative briefing should provide more clarity, particularly after the budget releases.
