Virginia State Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) and Del. David Toscano (D-Charlottesville) held a joint town hall meeting Tuesday at Monticello High School to discuss outcomes of the 2017 session of the General Assembly and engage with local residents from Charlottesville, Albemarle County and surrounding areas.
For the first 30 minutes of the town hall, Deeds and Toscano delivered a presentation on the policy implications of this year’s legislative session in Richmond.
Both Deeds and Toscano repeatedly emphasized the ongoing challenge what they consider to be unfair redistricting in Virginia and lamented a lack of reform in the area from the 2017 session.
On the economy, Toscano said there have been 82 consecutive months of job growth in Virginia, attributing the trend to efforts from Gov. Terry McAuliffe and fellow Democrats.
“Democrats have been more in favor of creating new jobs in Virginia,” Toscano said.
However, Toscano also noted a continued increase of income inequality in Virginia.
“Despite an overall increase in job growth in recent years, the inequality gap has widened as the income of the top 0.01 percent has grown, while that of the bottom bracket has flatlined,” Toscano said.
Deeds discussed his work on mental health reform in Virginia, including his efforts to allocate additional funds of $32 million to the issue and institute long-term housing support for mentally ill individuals.
The controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline was a topic of conversation that several members of the public focused on when they were given the chance to ask questions.
The ACP is a natural gas pipeline proposed by Dominion Resources that would originate in West Virginia, span much of central and southern Virginia and terminate in southeastern North Carolina. Areas in the potential path of the ACP include nearby Buckingham and Nelson counties.
Controversy surrounding the construction of the ACP has arisen out of concerns relating to its potential environmental impact and legitimacy as a safe alternative to fossil fuels. Nonetheless, support for the pipeline on the grounds of economic advancement and energy security have also been expressed in Virginia, including by McAuliffe.
At the town hall meeting, a local citizen, who identified herself as Jennifer, expressed her concerns on the potential construction of the pipeline.
Deeds responded to her and said state governmental institutions are subject to the guidelines of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and as a result, “the power of state legislature is limited in influencing the matter.”
However, Deeds also said, “there are incredible opportunities we have to take advantage of in Virginia” in terms of renewable energy resources and their utilization.
Likewise, Toscano noted the importance of climate change competency in public policy, in terms of the knowledge of elected officials and the value of cooperating with fossil fuel companies — such as Dominion — in creating renewable energy.
A University student, identified as Laura, repeatedly pressed Deeds and Toscano to state their opinions on the construction of the ACP pipeline.
Toscano initially responded to the criticism with praise for the enthusiasm of her response.
“I admire your passion, [as it is] important for engagement of citizens,” Toscano said.
During his response, Toscano was interrupted by her repeated demand to “answer the question.”
Deeds noted the General Assembly will not be voting on the matter.
Deeds and Toscano did not take a definitive stance on the pipeline.
At the close of the meeting, both Deeds and Toscano acknowledged that having events to hear from constituents — regardless of viewpoints — is an important part of the democratic experience.
”We need to hear everybody's views about things,” Toscano said. “Anytime you think we have gone over the partisan edge, you need to tell us … [to create] a more civil discussion.”
Similarly, Charlottesville City Council member Bob Fenwick, who attended the event, emphasized the significance of open dialogue with local residents in an interview with The Cavalier Daily.
“[It] shows how the community really feels about issues — everyday things,” Fenwick said. “Consensus will rise out of civil discussion and alternate opinions.”
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