House District 94 candidates: Phil Hernandez and Andy Pittman
The new House District 94, which runs from East Beach to the Naval Station Norfolk and includes Willoughby Spit to the north and a bit of Larchmont/Edgewater to the south, will be represented by a political newcomer.
Republican lawyer Andy Pittman is running against Democratic candidate and fiscal policy analyst Phil Hernandez for the spot.
Phil Hernandez
Age: 36
Occupation: Senior Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis
Education/degree: William & Mary (undergraduate) & University of California, Berkley (School of Law).
Party affiliation: Democrat
Previous elected office: N/A
Website: www.PhilforVirginia.com
What piece of legislation would you most like to see passed in the next General Assembly session?
Serving in the Virginia House of Delegates requires an ability to juggle multiple priorities and I intend to get to work right away to protect reproductive rights, lift teacher pay, and reduce gun violence across Hampton Roads. One specific bill I hope to champion is a Child Tax Credit (CTC), which would put extra money in the pockets of families with children. The CTC is a proven winner: when it was in effect at the federal level, it slashed child poverty in half. I also think it’s an opportunity for bipartisanship because many other states, both red and blue, already have a CTC in place.
Virginia allows abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, or up to about 26 weeks, and limits circumstances under which third-trimester abortions are permitted. Should the rules under which the state allows abortion be changed? If so, until what week/trimester should abortion be allowed in the state and why do you feel that limit is appropriate?
I am the only candidate in this race who will protect reproductive rights. These are decisions that should be made by women and their doctors, not politicians. Virginia is the last place in the South where these fundamental rights are protected, which means the elections this year are critically important. I support current Virginia law, which follows the framework of Roe v. Wade, and I believe we should enshrine those rights in our Constitution. Meanwhile, there are extreme MAGA Republicans who admitted they want to pass a “100 percent ban” on abortion in Virginia.
The state is set to leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which has provided millions of dollars in flood and resiliency funding to municipalities in Hampton Roads. How would you like to see flooding and resiliency programs paid for if RGGI is no longer an option and what is an adequate amount of money for the state to contribute?
The importance of RGGI to Hampton Roads cannot be overstated. Before RGGI, there was no dedicated source of state funding for coastal resiliency projects. In other words, the funding, if it came at all, was unpredictable. RGGI changed all of that. For places like Norfolk, which is one of the most vulnerable places in the country to sea level rise and climate change, reliable state funding is essential for localities as they work to plan and finance infrastructure projects. It’s also worth remembering that half of RGGI funding is dedicated to improving energy efficiency in low-income communities, resulting in lower energy bills for families in our community. Unfortunately, the push to leave RGGI has been about politics rather than the program’s merits.
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Andrew B. “Andy” Pittman
Age: 53
Occupation: Attorney, Pittman Law, P.C.
Education/degree: James Madison University, B.S. double majoring in political science and psychology; Washington and Lee University School of Law
Party affiliation: Republican
Previous elected office: N/A
Website: www.AndyForNorfolk.com
What piece of legislation would you most like to see passed in the next General Assembly session?
Government funds belong to the taxpayer, not the government. We need to pass a state budget in a timely manner without leaving billions of dollars of surplus funds sitting in Richmond while our families struggle to make ends meet. We need to ease the tax burden on individuals and businesses so that our workers can keep more of their hard-earned money and bring better paying jobs back to Norfolk. We need to limit the amounts by which localities may increase the effective tax rate imposed by increases in property assessments. We need a return to common sense. We don’t need more professional politicians or lobbyists engaged in toxic partisanship. As the only candidate born and raised in Norfolk, I understand what matters most to our community, and will always put you ahead of politics.
Virginia allows abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, or up to about 26 weeks, and limits circumstances under which third-trimester abortions are permitted. Should the rules under which the state allows abortion be changed? If so, until what week/trimester should abortion be allowed in the state and why do you feel that limit is appropriate?
Virginians from all backgrounds, whether Republican or Democrat, want to see fewer abortions, not more. We need to approach this issue with common sense and compassion, and focus on areas of consensus. We need to expand birth control access to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. We need greater support for mothers, not just in pre-natal and maternity care, but also through increased access to day care and job training. Fathers should be required to financially support their children. We should also place greater emphasis on adoption and make it easier for would-be parents to adopt. Virtually everyone opposes allowing abortion up until the moment of birth. The overwhelming consensus is that a 15 week limit on abortion, when the unborn child can feel pain, is a reasonable restriction.
The state is set to leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which has provided millions of dollars in flood and resiliency funding to municipalities in Hampton Roads. How would you like to see flooding and resiliency programs paid for if RGGI is no longer an option and what is an adequate amount of money for the state to contribute?
We need to focus on affordable, reliable energy. Our policies should never be tied to California or be set by radical extremists who promote measures such as forcing citizens out of their gas-powered vehicles or homes. RGGI was a regressive tax that resulted in higher bills and did nothing to reduce pollution. It was a bad deal that resulted in higher consumer prices without any return. A primary factor for flooding in Norfolk is sinking land due to depletion of the water table. We need to mitigate flooding by replenishing the water table. We also need to ensure that Virginia has a reliable, affordable, clean and growing supply of power by embracing an all of the above approach that includes fossil fuels, natural gas, nuclear, renewables, and the exploration of emerging energy sources. (Editor’s note: RGGI is a compact of 12 Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states and does not include California.)
