Both state parties worked to formulate their agendas for the upcoming term in the past week.
Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, spoke in Richmond last week on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus regarding Virginia wages.
“It is our opinion as a Caucus that Virginians deserve a raise,” Marsden said in a press release. “Our Republican colleagues continue to put big business before everyday Virginians. Other measures that we are fighting for this week include equal pay for equal work and paid sick leave, with a view to extending the opportunity for economic security to all Virginians.”
Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, spoke to the importance of community health and safety initiatives.
“From Medicaid expansion to common sense gun legislation, I and my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus are supportive of all proposals that will make our communities healthier and safer," Favola said.
At a press conference, Democrats also addressed ethics reform, political participation and equality — specifically, women's rights and equal opportunity for citizens regardless of sexual orientation or race.
Matthew Moran, spokesperson for House of Delegates Speaker William Howell, R-Stafford, said the Democratic Caucus' agenda demonstrates the contrast between the Democratic and Republican agendas.
“It seems like [the Democrats’] agenda is much more focused on divisive social issues, pushing more gun control, refighting social battles on gay marriage and abortion,” Moran said. “They seem to be more interested in a political agenda than a governing one.”
The House Republican Caucus focused on education in discussing its legislative agenda this week.
“All the items in our agenda are opportunities to build consensus — reforming schools, making colleges more affordable and opportunities for veterans,” Moran said.
The bulk of the agenda House Republicans laid out focused on improving K-12 education and lowering the cost of higher education. Howell said he hopes to make education more accessible.
“Our agenda focuses on reform-minded policies that would give students additional pathways to succeed, make a college education more accessible and responsibly balance our budget without raising taxes,” Howell said.
Both parties called for reforming the public education system and state standardized testing to give Virginia students the opportunity to succeed. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said the budget is important to the future of Virginia's public education system.
“We will not make cuts to K-12 and higher education, which are part of our foundation for long term growth in the Commonwealth," Jones said.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe spokesperson Brian Coy said refraining from cuts to K-12 education and higher education is an important part of McAuliffe’s legislative agenda in 2015.
“We’ll work together to focus on creating jobs and building a more prosperous economy,” Coy said. “There’s nothing [McAuliffe] believes won’t work with bipartisan compromise.”
Though Republicans oppose the expansion of Medicaid in Virginia, Coy said McAuliffe hopes to gain bipartisan support for this expansion. The goal of improving education outlined in both the Democratic and Republican legislative agendas is a starting point for compromise between the two parties.
“[McAuliffe] hopes we can emerge to pass some legislation and pass a budget to grow and diversify Virginia’s economy as we deal with economic headwinds,” Coy said. “Defense cuts will hurt our economy, so he hopes to work with Republicans to get those things done.”
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