We've been fans of Virginia Delegate Patrick Hope for a very long time-- introduced to him by progressive friends who are constituents of his in Arlington County, just outside of DC. One of the first times he did a guest post for us, in 2014, he introduced himself this way: "Thank you for this opportunity to write a guest post on Down With Tyranny. I've been a reader for many years-- luckily my voting record always has and always will reflect my strong progressive values, so I’ll be able to avoid being photoshopped into a clown like so many Congressman have been here." He was running for Congress then, a grassroots progressive up against a wealthy establishment conservative. The wealthy establishment conservative won and many people say he's destined for the Biden administration, and we-- like so many-- are hoping Patrick will run for the seat again, this time with years and years of experience as a legislator under his belt-- and a great record.I asked him to catch us up with what he's been up to in Richmond and, hilariously, he started with the same line: "Thank you for the opportunity to write a Down With Tyranny guest post. I've been a long-time reader and admirer for many years." Maybe that's where he gets all his good ideas!Progressive Leadership In State Legislatures Can't Be Taken For Granted-by Del. Patrick Hope Since 2009, I’ve been an unapologetic, progressive leader in the Virginia General Assembly and have a voting record to match, having been rated most progressive legislator among Delegates and Senators by the Virginia Progressive Legislative Alert Network (VAPLAN). When I first arrived in Richmond, I was shocked at what I saw. The Tea Party-led Republicans were as bad as I expected, but the Democratic Party was infiltrated with special interests and lobbyists writing their legislation. That's why I immediately founded the Virginia Progressive Caucus to begin to fight back and reclaim the Democratic Party. I wasn't the first progressive elected to go to Richmond, but many before me were willing to play the game and refused to form a Progressive Caucus so members were not forced to "pick sides." I think this kind of "leadership" is atrocious-- we must stand up and speak out for our values in elected office. That is the kind of leader I am and that is what I will continue to do.Things have certainly changed in those 10 years when, in 2019, Virginia Democrats swept the House and Senate elections capturing the first progressive majority in history. The issues that I and my fellow progressive Democrats championed-- expanding health insurance to all Virginians, enacting laws to prevent gun violence, passing criminal justice and prison reforms, protecting a woman’s right to choose, and raising the minimum wage have all been signed into law this year and we are only getting started!I’m best known in Richmond as an expert in health care policy, where I serve on the House Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee and chair of its Health Subcommittee. I’ve spent more than two decades fighting to expand health care coverage and affordability for every American, and led the fight for expand Medicaid in Virginia, something we finally accomplished in 2019, providing over 400,000 low-income Virginians with access to health care. While I believe that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is our country’s greatest domestic policy achievement since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, I also continue to believe health care is a fundamental human right and no American should be without basic health insurance coverage. Until then, I’m working on a proposal for the 2021 General Assembly session to expand eligibility for Virginia’s Medicaid program even further to 200 percent of federal poverty, potentially providing hundreds of thousands of hard-working Virginians health care coverage unable to afford insurance due to the disastrous Trump Administration's repeated efforts to undermine the ACA.I’m also very proud of the action we took this session on gun violence prevention. Prior to this session, Virginia had one of the weakest laws in the nation, allowing unencumbered access to guns. But this year, using my seniority and Chairmanship of the powerful House Public Safety Committee, I was able to push through seven common sense gun violence prevention bills that the Governor recently signed into law:
• Universal background checks on all firearm sales;• Reinstate the law allowing the purchase of only one handgun within a 30-day period;• Requiring lost or stolen firearms be reported to law enforcement within 48 hours;• Create an Extreme Risk Protective Order that would allow a court to order the temporary separation of firearms from an individual determined to be danger to self or others;• Prohibiting the person the subject of a protective order from possessing a firearm;• Enhancing the penalty for recklessly allowing child access to a loaded firearm;• Allowing localities to prohibit firearms in County buildings, parks, or recreation centers.
These laws will save lives.Another issue I have taken on squarely in Richmond is criminal justice and police reform. Virginia's criminal justice system is replete with “tough on crime” examples of racial injustice that only lead to mass incarceration. The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have cast a national spotlight on police and criminal justice reform and have caused Virginians to re-examine of our criminal justice system and take decisive action. As the Chairman of the House Public Safety Committee and senior member of the House Courts of Justice Committee, I’m leading House efforts to enact comprehensive criminal justice and police reforms. Reinstating parole, abolishing the death penalty, eliminating mandatory minimums, creating civilian oversight review boards, decertifying bad cops, and requiring body worn cameras is just a start. I want a criminal justice system that is fair and equitable and police reform that creates a system that is more transparent and accountable to the people it serves.I have always believed that criminal justice reform and prison reform are two sides of the same coin. Specifically, I’m building on the work I’ve done to prohibit the use of solitary confinement in Virginia. I first became involved in prison reform when, in 2011, I toured Red Onion, Virginia’s "Supermax" prison. I met one man who had been in solitary for 12 years-- 23 hours a day, 7 days a week of total isolation for 12 years. I took on the department of corrections in the legislature and forced them to make reforms to their system. Just a few years later, we have seen an 80 percent reduction in the use of solitary confinement in prisons in Virginia. But I don’t want to end there. I want a law to only allow the use of solitary in extreme cases.I also worked to outlaw the shackling of pregnant inmates while they were giving birth. While it may seem obvious that a woman in labor isn’t a flight risk (you can ask any woman who’s ever given birth-- they’re not going anywhere!), I had reports that the department of corrections was requiring nonviolent women to be shackled while giving birth. I put in a bill that even won the support of the right wing to outlaw this practice. While the Tea Party defeated the bill, I worked through the department to install regulations prohibiting the abhorrent practice. This will never happen again in Virginia.I believe it takes more than just voting the right way to be a progressive leader. To me, being a progressive means standing up for our values, no matter the political implications. Over the years, I have stood up to Big Tobacco, the NRA (see above), the fossil fuel industry, anti-vaxxers, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-choice (see video below)-- and won. I am a champion of progressive values and I know how to get things done.If you want to help re-elect a proven progressive champion in Virginia, please visit my website at www.hopeforvirginia.org where you can learned more about me and my campaign. I appreciate this opportunity to share with you my vision, and I hope you’ll continue to stand with me. Howie included the Blue America state legislative candidate thermometer on the right and you can contribute to my campaign by clicking on it.