By Taylor Boyd
Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, said he remains optimistic about passing legislation during his first General Assembly session under a Democratic trifecta, a political environment he described as “absolutely a 100 percent inverse than anything I’ve ever seen.”
“My bills do have the opportunity for success, I’ve already had one pass. It should be just fine, I mean there’s going to be bills that die all the time. The ones Virginia really could use generally pass through,” Williams said.
He said he prepared for the session by working closely with individuals and industries to refine proposed legislation and evaluate what would be feasible.
“Sometimes they just don’t work. They’re just not feasible and so I have what we call ‘struck’ a few bills,” he said. “Some because I put the bill in, worked with the industry, then comes resolutions, the bill is no longer needed, and then some because there’s just so many different little wrinkles in the government.”
Among the bills Williams is sponsoring are several related to construction, health care, public safety and immigration enforcement.
Two of his proposals focus on construction, including HB147, which addresses funding for U.S. Route 58.
“On HB147, that is about (U.S.) Route 58 funds that we use to pay for the construction,” Williams said. “This bill would allow for the bond ceiling to increase so that they could borrow more to finish the project using those funds.”
Williams has also placed a budget item aimed at allowing projects to advance through engineering design and environmental studies before full funding is secured.
“Before this, you would have to collect all of the funds you needed for that project and then you could start working on that project,” he said. “That obviously caused issues because we’re only allocating $40 million a year to finish 58.”
Williams said the total cost to complete US 58 would be $750 million in today’s dollars, rising to an estimated $850 million a decade from now.
“So, we want to try to make progress as quickly as we can while these dollars are smaller than they will be later,” he said.
Another bill, HB146, would create a “health care learning lab” aimed at giving small communities more flexibility with health care regulations. Williams cited Galax’s Twin County Regional Healthcare as an example.
“One of the examples would be some type of artificial organ that might not be signed off by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) or whatever is needed to clear that through to the every day person,” Williams said. “This would allow us to be more innovative while still safeguarding the majority of the public.”
If successful, Williams said the pilot programs could expand to other regions.
Williams is also sponsoring a bill backed by the American Kratom Association that would prohibit 7-OH, a concentrated ingredient derived from the kratom plant.
“It’s what you’re seeing on shelves in gas stations and vape shops, and it’s acting as a pretty strong opioid,” he said.
Williams compared 7-OH to Delta-8, which is synthesized from hemp CBD and was outlawed in Virginia several years ago.
“So, this bill allows for the natural kratom plant, but it does not allow for that concentrated 7-OH ingredient to be synthesized and then sold sort of unregulated, which is currently what the situation is,” he said.
If passed, Williams said the bill would address growing concerns about the substance.
“We’re finding that people are finding 7-OH easier to obtain than heroin or opioid pill form,” he added.
Another of his proposals focuses on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the transfer of detainees.
“It says if federal immigration calls our local jails or our local prisons, and says, ‘hey, we’re looking for somebody, you got them, can you hold onto them for us,’” Williams said. “That’s a detainment. Well, my bill would say it is much safer to have ICE come pick up those individuals that they put detainers on at our secured facilities rather than out in our communities.”
Williams also outlined legislation he plans to oppose, including any bills related to redistricting.
“It’s going to be the biggest disenfranchising amendment in voter history when it comes to Virginia,” he said. “Because you’re going to eliminate the voices of probably 10 out of all congressional districts in Virginia.”
Williams said he also plans to vote against tax proposals he believes would increase costs for Virginians.
“It’s not just people who are making over $1 million getting hit with a 10 percent state tax,” he said. “It’s people who are going to the gym… watching Netflix… receiving Amazon deliveries.
“So, there’s a lot of tax,” Williams said. “I don’t know how the governor can run on the idea of making Virginia more affordable and then raise taxes across the spectrum.”
