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Virginia General Assembly Kicks Off Legislative Session

Virginia Capitol
creative commons
Virginia Capitol

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia General Assembly is set to kick off its 2018 session.

Lawmakers will officially convene at noon Wednesday, and a host of new faces will fill the House of Delegates, where Democrats picked up 15 seats in the November elections.

Later in the day, outgoing Gov. Terry McAuliffe will give his final State of the Commonwealth address.

Lawmakers will be tasked with passing the state budget and will also debate a host of other issues. Hundreds of bills have already been filed, covering issues including taxes, transportation, education and criminal justice reform.

Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam will be sworn in Saturday. He has promised progress on progressive priorities like Medicaid expansion and gun control but also vowed to work across the aisle with Republicans.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.