Dear Friend,

This week’s newsletter shares thoughts on the much-needed work of advocacy for our nation’s students, provides updates from the Broadband Advisory Council, includes details on upcoming Mobile Office Hours, and highlights select community engagements from this past week. Thank you for reading this newsletter and for staying informed. 

Virginia PTA's Child Advocates of the Year

This past Friday, I was honored and humbled to be recognized as a Virginia PTA Child Advocate of the Year. Given the direction the Trump administration is moving on public education – dismantling the Department of Education, removing assurances of rights to education for special education and for students with disabilities, attempting to send public education dollars to private schools, and more – the work of advocacy on behalf of public schools is greater now than ever. I thank the Virginia PTA and its leadership for facing these serious challenges and for continuing to build strong coalitions of parents, teachers, students, and education advocates. 

Here are some excerpts of my comments from that evening, which had as its theme an homage to the 1920s, in recognition of the chartering of the Virginia PTA in 1921:

It is especially meaningful to be recognized by an organization that has such a rich legacy of fighting for children, families, and education. . . . It is so fitting that the 1920s are a theme for this evening. As we are at the midpoint of the 2020s, we are reminded of the spirit and the impulses that ran through this country a century ago and that were so pivotal in shaping this nation. The 1920s was a decade of transformation; it was a decade of artistic and literary flowering; and it was a decade of vibrant cultural and intellectual movements.

It was during that era that the PTA also began formalizing its role in advocacy — pushing for child labor laws, public health initiatives, and better schools. In many ways, the values born in that time continue to shape the work we do today. The 1920s taught us what happens when people come together with urgency and vision — and we are still reaping the benefits of that boldness a century later.

The Roaring Twenties, as we call them, saw a surge in industrialization and technological advancements, making education increasingly valuable for securing future opportunities. We have many parallels within our own decade now as we are in a brave new world of unimagined technological advancements such as the rampant spread of artificial intelligence and of computing capabilities that far outstrip our human capacities. 

Our current reality is the challenging fact that we are preparing young people today for the complexities of a world that we ourselves can barely grasp.

So now, with your collaborative partnership, we fight for equity while working within imperfect systems. We look for innovative education models while also nurturing tradition. We protect our children while also trying to craft the tools that will help them survive and thrive in a new world that is being birthed into being in front of our very eyes. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

Tonight, I am thinking about the countless advocates who have stood up in school auditoriums, community halls, and on Capitol steps to fight for children and our collective future. Parents who became champions in demanding that every child, regardless of race, income, status or ability, had the fundamental right to education. Many of you are the leaders continuing the work and building on this legacy, and I thank you.

The work that you have taken on requires bravery. It means confronting difficult truths, pushing, at times, against calcified systems that need to change, and refusing to accept that a child’s future should be determined by their zip code or circumstance.

I thank you for holding the line and for the work you do every day to support our schools and our students. I know that we have often heard the statement "a well-educated citizenry is the foundation of a democratic society" (a quote that is attributed to Thomas Jefferson). I challenge us to follow the lead of Mr. Jefferson in serving the ideals of our democracy by fighting hard to preserve that essential foundation of an educated, literate, and discerning citizenry.

Broadband Advisory Council

At last Wednesday’s Broadband Advisory Council meeting, we discussed ongoing efforts to complete full broadband deployment to all households and businesses across Virginia. As the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans seek to cut billions in vital programs to fund tax cuts, broadband funding has been put at-risk. Currently, seven projects, or nearly 11% of the total number of projects moving through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI), are at risk of losing funding. 

Since its creation in 2017, VATI has worked to extend broadband service to currently unserved areas through partnerships between service providers, local governments, the state, and business community. In addition to VATI, the Commonwealth heavily relies on funding from the federal government for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, and has received over $1.48 billion in funding. In recent weeks, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has indicated the Trump administration will make extensive changes to the $42 billion program, though the intended changes to the program have not been made clear. 

Broadband access is vital for education, economic development, healthcare services, including – but certainly not limited to – telehealth, and so much more. The loss of federal funding for broadband will harm the progress that we have made, especially over the past four years. The Advisory Council will continue to monitor federal-level actions impacting broadband funding and will develop state-level policy solutions. 

Mobile Office Hours - Thursday, May 29

Next Thursday, May 29, my staff will host the second 2025 Mobile Office Hours at Meadowdale Library in Chesterfield County. Staff will be able to assist with casework involving state agencies, discuss legislative concerns, and receive feedback from constituents on issues that matter to them. Registration is open. ¿Necesita servicios en español? Haga clic aquí. Future mobile office hours will be announced in this newsletter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

Select Community Engagements

Last Monday evening, I was pleased to join the Nelson County Democrats for its Primary Candidates’ Night to share my work in the Virginia Senate and my vision for the office of Lieutenant Governor.

On Tuesday morning, I attended the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Blueprint Virginia 2035 Tour as it shared an overview of the Chamber’s strategic plan to maintain Virginia as the Best State for Business. The full strategic plan will be shared with stakeholders and the general public in the coming months.

On Wednesday evening, I joined the Colonial Heritage Community Democrats in Williamsburg virtually to share my priorities for the office of Lieutenant Governor. The gathering gave me a chance to address issues and concerns facing Virginians today, including the loss of federal jobs in the Commonwealth, concerns for the environment, and the need to safeguard our rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

On Thursday, I joined the Greenspring Candidate Forum in Springfield to share my platform and legislative record. We had a robust gathering of well over 100 community members that afternoon.

Once I was back in Richmond on Thursday evening, I joined the Roanoke Democrats to hear directly about the top-of-mind issues communities are facing in Southwest Virginia and share information on my campaign to be Virginia’s next Lieutenant Governor. I look forward to continuing to work with residents in localities like Roanoke to bring about positive changes to support working Virginians and their families.

Shortly after the Roanoke Dems meeting concluded, I was honored to participate in the Electing Women Alliance’s “Virginia is for Women” event and to be featured in its Pre-Primary Slate. As the only woman running to be Virginia’s next Lieutenant Governor, I am uniquely positioned to advocate on issues such as reproductive healthcare access, childcare affordability, paid family leave, and housing affordability because I have personally faced these challenges confronting women from across our state.

On Friday afternoon, I joined Network NOVA for the Friday Power Lunch and Candidate Q&A. Virginians are rightfully frustrated with the complete lack of leadership at the state-level responding to the chaos caused by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans. As Lieutenant Governor, I will work with the Governor and Attorney General to effectively respond to the harmful policies of the Trump Administration, ensuring our communities have the resources and protections they so rightfully deserve.

On Saturday, my staff joined Richmond Crusade for Voters' (RC) annual cookout to support RC's focus on Black voter turnout and political engagement within our region, an effort that has been crucial for the past 69 years. 

Later on Saturday evening, I was pleased to see old and new friends at the Goochland and Powhatan Democrats' joint Feast of the 5th. As Republicans in Congress seek a budget that will impact our rural communities the hardest, Democrats in the state legislature will continue to fight for rural Virginians. As Lieutenant Governor, I will be a strong voice against Trump's policies that harm Virginians.  

On Sunday, I had the chance to stop by Richmond’s Lebanese Food Festival, an annual and beloved tradition in the broader Central Virginia region. The afternoon was full of delicious food, music and dancing, and other cultural representations of Richmond’s significant Lebanese communities.

On Sunday also, my Chief of Staff spoke at the Annual Virginia Advocacy Conference (VAAC) hosted by the Mech Tech Dragons FIRST Robotics Team. Students from across the state learned from elected officials, state-level staffers, and community members about the Virginia General Assembly, Committee processes, and how to best advocate for funding and policies related to STEM education.

Connecting With My Office

My office can be reached at the following:

Email:  [email protected] 

Phone:  804.698.7515

If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here. 

— Ghazala

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