eNews July 2, 2019

Tuesday, July 02, 2019 - 02:43pm

In this issue:

Special session convenes next week
Good news about 5G that needs your support
VML tourism contest enters final round – vote now!
50001 Ready technical assistance opportunity

Special session set to convene next week

Per Governor Northam’s direction, the General Assembly will convene a special session on July 9 at 12:00pm. VML will send out alerts and eNews on a different schedule during this special session to keep you updated.

While the Governor has called the session to take up “gun-control measures,” the General Assembly members will determine the scope of the session when they arrive in Richmond. VML has a long-standing policy on gun control that reads as follows:

VML supports legislation to allow local governments to restrict carrying weapons in any building where a local governing body meets during the meeting, to the same extent weapons are prohibited in schools.

Many localities have passed resolutions or anticipatory ordinances supporting local option gun control; if your locality has acted, please send a copy of your action to VML Executive Director Michelle Gowdy at the email below.

VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org

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5G news…and it is good news!

Please send a letter of support to your delegation

Senator Feinstein (D-CA) has introduced S. 2012, the Restoring Local Control Over Public Infrastructure Act (a companion bill to H.R. 530), which would roll back the FCC’s 2018 small cell preemption order. The bill’s original cosponsors are Sens. Schumer (D-NY), Bennet (D-CO), Harris (D-CA), Wyden (D-OR), Cardin (D-MD), and Blumenthal (D-CT).

This bill lacks a Republican cosponsor in the Senate version, just as it does in the House. It will be impossible to pass the bill in the Senate without Republican support, so raising awareness of the bill in Republican offices, particularly those on the Senate Commerce Committee should be a top priority for anyone interested in furthering local control of this issue.

You can download a template letter of support here. Do not hesitate to use and share this letter template. If you send something to your delegation, please send me a copy or share any response that you receive.

VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org

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VML “Virginia You Love” survey contest enters final round

Thank you to everyone who has participated in “the Virginia You Love” survey contest so far. Now that the nomination process is over, it’s time to move on to the final round of voting – the popular vote! To determine who will win the popular vote, we have created a series of posts about the ten finalists (below) on VML’s Facebook page. Like the post for the destination you think is best! The post with the most likes by noon on Monday, July 8 will be deemed the winner of the popular vote.

The top 10 first round finalists to choose from are:

VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org

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Free 50001 Ready technical assistance opportunity

The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) is offering hands-on training and custom consulting to help medium and large industrial, commercial and institutional energy users in Southeastern states complete the U.S. Department of Energy’s 50001 Ready program. This program enables facilities establish an energy management system in accordance with international standards and best practices.

A PDF with additional details is available here.

Direct questions to Cyrus Bhedwar, cbhedwar@seealliance.org or (404) 602-9659.

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