ALERT: Senate Floor Vote on Health Care This Friday

SB 417 was place on the calendar today under First Reading, Regular Calendar, meaning it was reported from a committee with at least one dissenting vote. Nothing happened to the bill.

The bill should be placed on the calendar Thursday under Second Reading, Regular Calendar. Nothing should happen to it. It should then be placed on the calendar Friday under Third Reading, Regular Calendar. At this point, normally, the bill may be debated, amended, recommitted to a committee, or passed by for the day by the senators. The public, having already had their chance to speak to the bill on Monday, may not speak to the bill at this point. Again, normally, after they have debated the bill on its third reading, the senate will vote on the bill.

Pray that all 18 Republicans vote FOR the bill and that Sens. Colgan and Puckett, both Democrats, will continue to support the bill. They voted FOR the bill in committee. If no other Democrat joins the others, a tie-breaker vote must be cast by the lt. gov., who presides as president of the Senate. The current lt. gov. is conservative and should vote FOR the bill if necessary.

Email the following Democrat Senators your encouragement and praise!!! They are most likely to support this bill:

Senator Ralph S. Northam (D) (804) 698-7506 di********@se****.gov
Senator W. Roscoe Reynolds (D) (804) 698-7520 di********@se****.gov
Senator John C. Miller (D) (804) 698-7501 di********@se****.gov
Senator Charles J. Colgan (D) (804) 698-7529 di********@se****.gov
Senator Phillip P. Puckett (D) (804) 698-7538 di********@se****.gov

If the bill is passed by for the day on Friday, then it will come up again on Monday, where again it may be passed by for the day. Hopefully it won’t be delayed, and we’ll witness a vote on Friday.

Joe Guarino, Chairman
RTP General Assembly Committee