As Virginia begins to execute Governor Northam’s “Virginia Forward” reopening plan, NFIB’s Virginia office continues to advocate on behalf of our small businesses to ensure that the reopening is safe, full, and fair. Unfortunately, Virginia’s guidance and information often changes with little notice or clarity, but the office is committed to providing valuable information to our members as soon as practicable.
On Friday May 15th, most of Virginia entered Phase One of reopening Virginia’s economy. Unfortunately, Governor Northam did grant the request from local governments in Northern Virginia, Richmond City and Accomack County to delay their reopening until May 29, 2020. You can read amended Executive Order 62 related to those localities who are still in Phase Zero HERE.
Our NFIB Virginia office continues to voice our members’ frustration with restrictions on reopening and the eleventh hour decision to keep the City of Richmond and Accomack County in Phase Zero the day before reopening.
You are encouraged to voice your frustrations to Governor Northam using our “Action Alert”. You’ll want to personalize the message with your experience to make it more powerful and noticeable. Click HERE to voice your concerns with the Governor!
For Phase One, Virginia has set out both general and industry specific guidelines. You can review these guidelines for Phase One HERE or HERE to ensure you comply correctly. At his most recent press conference, Governor Northam stated he does not have a specific time frame for the start of Phase Two, though it will not start before May 29th. The same metrics will be used when determining when it’s safe to move into the next phase and there will likely be just a few days’ notice.
Throughout this process, our staff is in regular communication with Governor Northam’s staff and members of the General Assembly. The NFIB Virginia office is here to be your voice in Richmond and is tirelessly advocating for America’s economic engine and the backbones of our communities – small businesses. Thanks for your continued support. Stay safe, be well, and never hesitate to contact us. (Below is more about Virginia’s pending budget shortage)
All the best,
Nicole Riley, Virginia State Director
[email protected]
Sharon Sykes, Grassroots Manager
[email protected]
