Senator Dave Marsden is running for re-election (SD35)
Endorsements:
The Washington Post
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine
U.S. Senator Mark Warner
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About Dave
Dave is a progressive Democrat who supports reproductive healthcare access, gun safety, protecting our environment, a fully funded education system and child care, paid family and medical leave, juvenile justice reform, lowering the costs of prescription drugs, transportation infrastructure, and campaign finance reform.
Elected as a Democrat to the Virginia Senate in 2010 in a special election (flipping Ken Cuccinelli's seat), Senator Marsden has earned a reputation as a hard working legislator who gets things done for Fairfax County and the Commonwealth. Before serving in the Virginia Senate, he served 4 years in the Virginia House of Delegates. Never afraid to put progress above partisanship, Senator Marsden has worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass legislation to relieve traffic congestion, improve education, and create jobs and he brings over 40 years of experience and expertise in the juvenile justice field to the legislature.
A Life of Leadership and Service
A lifelong resident of Northern Virginia, Dave Marsden lives in Burke with his wife Julia. Fairfax County is where Dave and Julia raised their three children. Dave graduated From W.T. Woodson High School in 1966 and Randolph-Macon College in 1970, when he began a career in Juvenile Justice as a Probation Officer with the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. He went on to establish and operate Fairfax County’s shelter home for youth with severe family problems and was later appointed as the first Superintendent of Fairfax County’s Juvenile Detention Center. Under Dave’s 17 years of leadership, there was never an escape or serious injury to residents at the facility.
Dave left his role as Superintendent in 1999 to become the Legislative Aide for Virginia House of Delegates member Jim Dillard. In 2000, Governor Jim Gilmore appointed Dave as the Chief Deputy and then Acting Director of the 2,700 person Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice. After serving for 6 months in the administration of Governor Mark Warner, Dave joined Development Services Group, Inc. (DSG), where he now manages a U.S. Department of Justice program that helps localities reduce youth gang activity and violent youth crime. Dave also served as the Obama Administration's Technical Assistance Director for the National Forum on Violence.
Dave has long been active in local community organizations. He served as President of the Enterprise School and the West*Lynch Foundation, in addition to coaching basketball, football, and soccer with the Braddock Road Youth Club, (BRYC). He also coached baseball for the Annandale-North Springfield Little League.
Accomplishments
Senator Marsden has passed more than 100 bills, recent legislation includes;
- Virginia Business Ready Sites (SB 28)
- Flood Resiliency & Protection (SB 551)
- Trees; replace & conserve (SB 537)
- Heavy Trucks; safe operation (SB 706)
- Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act; gives Virginians control over their data (SB 1392 in 2021)
- Solar Projects (SB 1258 in 2021)
- Worker’s Compensation; presumption of certain diseases (SB 1275 in 2021)
- Juvenile Parole Reform; gives juveniles a second chance (multiple bills)
- Medical Marijuana (SB 1015 in 2020)
- Electric Cooperatives (SB 754 in 2020)
- Voter Registration (SB 219 in 2020)
- Virginia Clean Economy Act; carbon free VA (chief co-patron of SB 851 in 2020)
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What's New
Oversight for Correctional Facilities
A bill that would have created more oversight for state prisons died in a House of Delegates committee this week, frustrating some advocates who were encouraged by its previous bipartisan support.
https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/vp-nw-statehouse-corrections-prison-20230214-2ncox5zegfgdbmojlveuzyzsvm-story.html
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A simple solution for gun violence
In the last two years, Virginia has seen an increase in weapons charges, gun violence and homicides. Although it is nothing compared to the rates of those crimes in the 1980s and early 1990s, this disturbing trend needs solutions — now.
https://richmond.com/opinion/columnists/column-a-simple-solution-to-gun-violence/article_d27a672a-95e2-11ed-8688-3bd163e3d586.html
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Electric vehicle infrastructure
Charging up
Electric vehicle infrastructure buildout gathers power
PUBLISHED AUGUST 29, 2022
Sullivan and Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, co-sponsored legislation this year to establish a transportation decarbonization program to disburse up to $20 million annually in grants for private developers to install EV charging stations, covering 50% of nonutility costs in most localities and 70% in economically disadvantaged communities.
https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/charging-up/
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Rethinking Juvenile Justice
Rethinking Juvenile Justice
Alexandria detention facility may be consolidated as part of statewide effort.
"This is good news," said state Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37), a former director of the Department of Juvenile Justice who is leading the reorganization effort. "The fact that we have this few kids locked up in our corrections and detention systems has created this problem, and it is a problem and it is difficult. You're talking about people's jobs and about beloved local programming, and it's difficult to do this. But it is our obligation to spend public dollars in a more efficient and effective way."
http://www.alexandriagazette.com/news/2022/aug/24/rethinking-juvenile-justice/
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Virginia bill outlines winter storm lane restriction for truckers
Legislation results from collaboration between senator, state trucking association
Democratic Sen. Dave Marsden, the main architect of the bill, introduced it in late January, and it passed in the state Senate less than a month later by a vote of 26-13. It could become law as early as July 1 if it passes in the House of Delegates and the governor signs it.
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/keep-right-virginia-bill-outlines-winter-storm-lane-restriction-for-truckers
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