Governor Northam Acts on Budget, Remaining Bills from 2021 Special Session
RICHMOND Governor Ralph Northam took action today on several important pieces of legislation, concluding his review of bills passed by the General Assembly during the 2021 special session. Newly-signed laws include measures to ensure schools provide safe, in-person learning opportunities for students during the pandemic, ban firearms at polling locations, extend eviction protections, and provide paid sick leave to home health care workers. Governor Northam also proposed several minor amendments to the state budget.
In total, Governor Northam took action on 552 bills and did not veto any legislation from the 2021 special session.
Governor Northam Signs Legislation Creating Statewide ‘Marcus Alert’
RICHMOND Governor Ralph Northam ceremonially signed legislation today establishing the ‘Marcus Alert,’ a statewide mental health alert system to ensure behavioral health experts are involved in responding to individuals in crisis, including by limiting the role of law enforcement. The law is named to honor Marcus-David Peters, a high school biology teacher who was killed by a police officer in Richmond while experiencing a behavioral health crisis in 2018.
The legislation creates a mental health awareness response and community understanding services (Marcus) alert system, and creates teams of mental health service providers and peer recovery specialists to promote a behavioral health response to individuals in crisis, including those with substance abuse disorder and developmental disabilities. Governor Northam was joined at the ceremony by members of Peters’ family and by Oscar Ubrina, whose 15-year-ol