House District 97 candidates: Michael Feggans and Karen Greenhalgh
Republican Karen Greenhalgh and Democrat Michael Feggans are facing off in a competitive race to represent District 97 in the House of Delegates. The district includes parts of Virginia Beach. It has 63,376 registered voters.
Greenhalgh has served in the House since 2022. She currently represents the 85th District. Feggans has not held elected office.
Michael Feggans
Age: 40
Occupation: Cybersecurity, Outerbridge Technical Solutions
Education/degree: Master’s degree, Norfolk State University
Party affiliation: Democrat
Previous elected offices held (if any): N/A
Website: michaelfeggans.com/
What piece of legislation would you most like to see passed in the next General Assembly session?
Currently, there are no set-aside contract opportunities for veteran-owned businesses on the Electronic Virginia State Procurement Marketplace like there are for small and micro businesses. As both a veteran and small business owner in the region, I know the importance of supporting our veterans and the role that the business community can play in that support. I would like to see legislation passed to create a set-aside for veteran-owned businesses. This would benefit not only veterans and their families but also the majority of veteran-owned businesses – many of which are small businesses that are integral parts of their communities.
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 support the current Virginia law and the statutes created under the Roe vs. Wade decision. Ultimately, Virginians have been clear about where we stand: politicians shouldn’t come between a woman and her doctor when it comes to reproductive healthcare decisions. Every patient deserves the right to make personal medical decisions without politicians interfering.
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?
RGGI is an important step toward addressing the impacts of climate change and the decision to leave will have lasting consequences. It provides guaranteed funding that small businesses and residents rely on to plan and execute flood mitigation and resiliency strategies. There is no realistic alternative to RGGI, the Legislature’s first responsibility should be to keep this invaluable program in place. If a withdrawal is finalized, we will need to find at least $200 million per year in guaranteed funding to replace it. We can’t afford for it to come from public schools, public safety, or transportation, and it can’t be subject to the whims of elected officials every two years. This burden would fall on hardworking Virginians and small businesses instead of the major polluters.
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Karen Greenhalgh
Age: 67
Occupation: Small business owner, Cyber Tygr
Education: High school diploma/GED
Party affiliation: Republican
Previous elected offices held (if any): House of Delegates 85th District
Website: www.karengreenhalgh.com
What piece of legislation would you most like to see passed in the next General Assembly session?
Virginia Beach residents need economic relief from this historic inflation. In the House of Delegates, I have supported legislation to double the standard deduction, ended the grocery tax, and worked to cut taxes on retired veteran’s pensions. Next year, I will continue efforts to provide real relief to Virginia families by supporting cutting the gas tax and the state income tax. We MUST do more to put more money back in the pockets of Virginia families when they need it the most.
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 support Governor Youngkin’s consensus bill that limits abortions at 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother.
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 Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is funded via grants and direct government funding for flooding and resiliency programs. The funding from grants from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative makes up just a small percentage of the operations budget, RGGI has done nothing but increase costs of electricity, natural gas, and other energy via government mandates, and the governor was right to withdraw.
