Dear friends, Happy New Year! I hope you have enjoyed a holiday season with friends and family that is full of warmth, relaxation, and optimism for the year to come. |
2025 was a year of many challenges. The first year of President Trump's second term was marked by hostility towards immigrants, education, and the rule of law - more in a minute about Trump's unprecedented use of the pardon power. We are mindful of all those who are being harmed by these policies, but also comforted by the knowledge that we have endured this long - and that we will continue to endure as long as we support each other. For this month's column in the Falls Church News Press, I wrote about the gratitude I feel for you and all my supporters after my first two years in office - and the hope that we are about to make real progress for Virginia. I hope you will read my column in print or online here. |
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Legislative Agenda Update |
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Last month I wrote about SB 23, my bill to protect 4th amendment rights by prohibiting prosecutors from seeking plea agreements that require a defendant to waive their right against unreasonable searches and seizures or their rights to seek an expungement.
Since that time I have introduced three more bills: SB63 International Baccalaureate degree streamlining
Partnering with Falls Church Public Schools and the International Baccalaureate Organization, this bill follows an attempt last year by the Board of Education to find an administrative fix to prevent duplication of needed courses for high school students pursuing the rigorous IB diploma. Many of these students transfer during high school, especially in Virginia where so many parents are in the military or other federal jobs. This bill would give the Board authority to determine when statutory requirements designed for the typical four-year student, such as driver education, may be satisfied by another course or waived.
SB82 Waiver of clerk fees for court-appointed attorneys
This bill was unanimously recommended by the Indigent Defense Commission, which has statewide oversight of Virginia's public defenders as well as court-appointed attorneys. These attorneys must balance the needs of these clients with the limited reimbursement Virginia provides for court-appointed work. Many localities struggle to keep enough attorneys on the list to receive court-appointed work. This bill would encourage attorneys to remain on the court-appointed list by waiving the fees they must pay for electronic access to court records, resulting in higher quality representation for defendants who cannot afford an attorney.
SB83 Possession of electronic devices in Virginia's courts and courthouses
Anyone who has had to report to one of Virginia's courts for a traffic infraction or other legal matter knows that courthouses restrict cell phone possession - and every local courthouse has a different policy. In many localities, people show up at the door of the courthouse, only to realize they have to turn around and put their phone in their car, if they even drove there. Compounding the problem is that many people prepare for court on their phone and show up planning to read from it, only to realize at the last minute that they won't be allowed to. This bill aims to have a single statewide policy so that people have a fair opportunity to know what to expect and prepare accordingly when they are going to court.
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| Spotlight on Special Elections |
Voters in our region participated in two firehouse primaries in recent weeks to nominate replacements for two delegates who have been tapped to join the Spanberger administration. In HD-11, which includes the City of Fairfax, Gretchen Bulova will be our Democratic Party nominee to succeed soon-to-be Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources David Bulova. This Special Election will be held on January 13th. In HD-17 which includes parts of Fairfax County from Franconia to Springfield, Garrett McGuire will run to succeed soon-to-be Secretary of Finance Mark Sickles. This Special Election will be held on January 20th.
Congratulations to our candidates, and to David and Mark, for their many years of service to our region and the great things they will do for the Commonwealth. Click here to register to vote or for details of all upcoming elections in Virginia. |
The victory of Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi leaves her Senate seat vacant - and a Republican victory would create a 20-20 tie. We can't let the momentum we built in the 2025 Virginia Elections go to waste - I need YOUR support to maintain our majority! Please donate today to help fund my part of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus's campaign to keep this seat. |
Last week, President Trump ordered a halt to construction on 5 offshore wind projects, including Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. The official explanation offered was that they are a national security threat. |
Scheduled to become fully operational next year, this $11 billion project, under construction since 2013, will generate 2.6 gigawatts of cheap electricity, enough to power 660,000 homes. Trump's opposition to this project with construction nearly complete is a gut punch to Virginia ratepayers facing rising electricity costs.
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The President shared this image of a dead falcon in Israel as evidence of his bias against wind power. While birds do sometimes collide with wind farms, far more collide with buildings or are killed by house cats. |
Earlier this week, the judge hearing Dominion Energy's lawsuit opposing the order began reviewing classified material that the Trump Administration claims as justification for the order. I look forward to learning more about the administration's reasoning, and doing everything I can to support this project as a key pillar of our goals under the Virginia Clean Economy Act. |
In addition to the resources linked below, I hope you will reach out to my office at [email protected] if you are dealing with challenges related to federal workforce reductions or other Trump administration efforts and are in need of information or assistance. |
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Fairfax City for Gretchen Bulova Sunday, January 4, 5-7PM Mackenzies Tunes and Tonics 3950 University Dr Ste 210, Fairfax Learn more and RSVP here. |
Fairfax County Delegation Public Hearing
Saturday, January 10, 9AM Fairfax County Government Center Sign up to speak here. |
Senator Salim's Richmond Sendoff 2026 Saturday January 10, 4-6pm Clare and Don's Beach Shack 130 N Washington St, Falls Church Learn more and RSVP here. |
Fairfax Democrats Road To Richmond Brunch Sunday, January 11 11AM-1PM Westwood Country Club 800 Maple Ave E, Vienna Learn more and RSVP here. |
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Thank you to everyone who came out in December for the SD37 Town Hall! I plan to do more such events during session in partnership with our members of the House of Delegates, but I enjoyed this opportunity to talk about my priorities and answer your questions. |
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At the annual Tom Simcoe luncheon, my new District Director, Rose Lumpkin, received an award on my behalf recognizing the passage of my bill, SB 920, creating a presumption for worker's compensation for firefighters diagnosed with throat cancer. |
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I spoke at the annual protest at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax organized by Brady and attended by many of you. I look forward to sharing more about gun safety in future editions of this newsletter. |
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As always it is an honor to continue to represent you. |
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Senator Saddam Azlan Salim Virginia Senate District 37 Democrat for Virginia's Future |
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