Del. Mark Sickles

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative rightto marry. Provides for a referendum at the November 8, 2022, election to approve or reject an amendment that would repeal the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between a man and womanas well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a resultof the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marryis a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requiresthe Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and agents to issuemarriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equallyunder the law, regardless of the sex or gender of the parties tothe marriage. Religious organizations and clergy acting in theirreligious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Sales and use tax exemption; aircraft components.Extends from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2027, the sunset date for the sales and use tax exemption for parts, engines, and suppliesused for maintaining, repairing, or reconditioning aircraft or any aircraft's avionics system, engine, or component parts.

Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadensthe scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisementsto include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill,and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum.The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditureor expressly advocates for the passage or defeat of a referendum,to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the sponsor's three largest contributors or individuals representing a contributor thatis not an individual.

Retail sale of cannabis products by certain pharmaceuticalprocessors; sunset. Allows certain pharmaceutical processors to, under theoversight of the Board of Pharmacy, sell cannabis products at retail tounregistered persons who are 21 years of age or older without the need for awritten certification. The bill provides that such sales will be subject toexisting Board of Pharmacy regulations and other requirements set forth in thebill. The bill requires pharmaceutical processors engaging in such sales to paya $1 million fee and collect a 21 percent excise tax, both of which shallultimately be allocated to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to be usedto assist independent cannabis retailers located in designated rural and urbanopportunity zones. The bill also requires such pharmaceutical processors tosubmit and comply with a plan describing how the pharmaceutical processor will,in its health service area, educate consumers about responsible consumption ofcannabis products and incubate independent cannabis retailers or support andeducate persons that wish to participate in the cannabis market. The billdirects the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority topromulgate regulations governing sales, cultivation, extraction, processing,manufacturing, wholesaling, and other related activities conducted pursuant tothe provisions of the bill and provides that, upon the adoption of suchregulations, oversight of such activities shall transfer from the Board ofPharmacy to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.The bill expires when pharmaceutical processors engaging in the sale ofcannabis products pursuant to the provisions of the bill are authorized by theVirginia Cannabis Control Authority to apply for and be granted licenses tocultivate, manufacture, wholesale, and sell at retail to consumers 21 years ofage or older retail marijuana and retail marijuana products.

Exhaust systems; excessive noise. Prohibitsany individual from operating a motor vehicle with a gross weightof 10,000 pounds or less with an exhaust system that emits noise equivalentto noise in excess of 85 decibels measured from a distance of 50 feet.The bill also allows the governing body of any county, city, or town located within the Northern Virginia Planning District to provideby ordinance that no person shall operate any motor vehicle on a highway or on public or private property within 500 feet of any residential district unless such motor vehicle is equipped with an exhaust systemof a type installed as standard equipment, or comparable to thatdesigned for use on that particular vehicle or device as standardfactory equipment, in good working order and in constant operationto prevent excessive noise. The bill also requires the Superintendentof State Police to promulgate regulations for the inspection of motorvehicles to ensure that no motor vehicle is equipped with a guttedmuffler, muffler cutout, or straight exhaust or any mechanical orelectronic device that creates or amplifies noise emitted by themotor vehicle that is louder than the noise emitted by such motor vehicle as originally manufactured.

Constitutional amendment (second reference);marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative rightto marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriageas only a union between one man and one woman as well as the relatedprovisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United StatesSupreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealthand its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses,recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law,regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religiousorganizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity havethe right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Virginia Initiative for Education and Work; sanctions. Lowers from thefull amount of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)grant to a maximum of six percent of the TANF grant the amount alocal department of social services can impose as a sanction on aparent for noncompliance with the requirements of the Virginia Initiativefor Education and Work.

Sports betting. Prohibits sports bettingoperators from excluding bonuses and promotions from taxable revenueafter the first 12 months of wagering activity. The bill also eliminatesthe ability of sports betting permit holders, when calculating taxablerevenue, to carry over losses on a monthly basis.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable JohnHowson Rust, Jr.

Commending the Richmond Free Press.