In his first term, Delegate Phil Hernandez passed 10 bills into law and was named the Rookie Legislator of the Year by the Virginia Education Association. Looking ahead, Delegate Hernandez knows there’s so much more to do to lift up families in Norfolk
When individuals and families thrive, communities thrive. Right now, Virginians are rightly concerned about the economy, especially in light of the chaotic policies coming out of Washington, D.C. — from the arbitrary layoffs of federal workers to trade wars and tariffs that will raise prices on working families. As Delegate, I voted to approve over $1 billion in tax cuts, passed bipartisan legislation to deliver property tax relief to more Gold Star families and our seniors, lower energy bills, and overhaul Virginia’s unclaimed property system that will now return over $100 million to families every year.
Moving forward, I will fight to:
Pass policies that lower costs for families, including in the areas of housing, life-saving prescription drugs, and childcare;
Strengthen Virginia’s minimum wage law, empower more workers to engage in collective bargaining for better wages and working conditions, and advance policies to support small businesses and bring high-quality jobs to Norfolk;
Pass stronger consumer protection laws to protect everyday families from scammers and predatory actors;
Reform Virginia’s upside-down tax code and provide targeted tax relief to working families;
Enact occupational licensing reforms that open doors of opportunities for more Virginians, including for military spouses.
Every child in Virginia deserves access to a quality education. This is personal for me, not only as a parent, but as a product of Virginia’s public schools, which gave me the foundation to become the first in my family to graduate from college. As your Delegate, I’ve proudly supported a 6% increase in teacher pay, new funding for school infrastructure, and historic investment in early childhood education. I also serve on the Board of Visitors of the Virginia School for the Deaf & Blind.
Moving forward, I will fight to:
Fully fund the Virginia Board of Education’s Standards of Quality, which reflect what is necessary to meet Virginia’s constitutional duty to provide all kids a quality education, regardless of zip code;
Further increase pay for teachers and support staff, both to help attract and retain talent;
Fight against efforts to divert taxpayer dollars away from Norfolk’s public schools;
Prioritize the health and safety of educators and students in our classrooms.
In Norfolk, the environment is deeply connected to our regional identity, our local economy, and our way of life. While our region faces challenges due to a changing climate, we also have a clear opportunity to emerge as a national leader on coastal resiliency and clean energy. As Delegate, I passed landmark legislation establishing a new Chief Resilience Office and the largest pilot program in the nation to help families and businesses lower their energy bills.
Moving forward, I will fight to:
Build on the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which is accelerating the transition to sustainable, affordable sources of energy and propelling a fast-growing clean energy sector in Hampton Roads;
Protect the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which has provided millions in new funding to support energy efficiency upgrades in homes and deploy cutting-edge coastal resiliency projects in our communities;
Increase funding for conservation, protecting the Chesapeake Bay and local waterways, and advancing environmental justice;
Prohibit public utilities from making political donations.
All Virginians deserve access to quality, affordable health care. As Delegate, I’ve supported legislation to protect reproductive rights, strengthen mental health services in our public schools, increase funding for DD waivers to help those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and keep frontline healthcare workers safe from gun violence.
Moving forward, I will fight to:
Enshrine reproductive rights in Virginia’s constitution and block any extremist abortion bans;
Establish a paid family medical leave program that allows more Virginians to take time off from work to recover from a serious illness or care for a loved one without fear of losing their job or their financial security;
Expand affordable and comprehensive coverage to more Virginans, lower the cost of life-saving prescription drugs, and safeguard consumers from “skinny” plans that can leave families with large medical bills because of major gaps in coverage;
Improve access to mental health care, including by investing in community-based care, raising pay to address staffing shortages, and supporting implementation of the Marcus Alert system to improve outcomes in response to mental health emergencies;
Reduce gun violence in Hampton Roads and keep our community safe.
The Norfolk community has a history of standing up for civil rights. The work continues today to make sure that all of us, regardless of who we are or where we come from, have the opportunity to thrive. As Delegate, I proudly co-sponsored legislation to safeguard marriage equality in our constitution, strengthen voting rights, and delivered the first-ever speech on the House floor in American Sign Language.
Moving forward, I will fight to:
Protect the fundamental right to vote and stand up against any efforts that create barriers to the ballot box;
Create a more inclusive commonwealth, including strong non-discrimination laws and policies that protect the rights of people with disabilities;
Reform our criminal justice system, including repealing laws that punish poverty, and supporting policies that promote rehabilitation, from expungement reform to the automatic restoration of voting rights;
Advance Virginia laws that make our commonwealth a leader in protecting LGBTQ+ rights, and preventing any attempts to roll back provisions of the Virginia Values Act.
Lift up and celebrate the City of Norfolk’s unique history
