Eastern Shore Times

Delegate Mike Cherry, a Republican from Colonial Heights, has recently introduced three new bills aimed at supporting 9-1-1 dispatchers and banning the personal use of campaign funds. House Bill 630 and House Bill 631 propose enhanced retirement benefits for local and state dispatchers respectively. Cherry emphasizes the importance of recognizing these dispatchers as first responders and providing them with the retirement benefits they deserve.

"Our dispatchers are the very first of our first responders," Cherry states. "The General Assembly should work diligently to appropriate the necessary funds to fully recognize these public servants and award them the retirement benefits they deserve."

House Bill 630 grants local governments the option to offer enhanced retirement benefits to their city or county's dispatchers. This approach aligns with Cherry's stance against imposing unfunded mandates on local governments. On the other hand, House Bill 631 focuses on providing enhanced retirement benefits for Virginia State Police and Capitol Police dispatchers.

Delegate Cherry's dedication to supporting dispatchers has not gone unnoticed. In 2022, he was honored as the "Freshman Legislator of the Year" by the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters for his efforts in this regard.

In addition to the bills supporting dispatchers, Cherry has also introduced House Bill 629, which aims to prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. Currently, Virginia law allows candidates, including incumbents, to utilize campaign funds for personal expenses such as mortgage payments, country club dues, and grocery shopping. House Bill 629 seeks to change this by ensuring campaign funds are solely used for campaigning purposes. It also establishes a system for filing complaints and handling violations in a fair and non-partisan manner.

Campaign finance reform is an important issue for Cherry, who remarks, "Campaign funds should be used for campaigning, not for artificially padding a candidate's lifestyle." He further highlights that Virginia's reputation as the "wild west" of campaign finance reform is nothing to be proud of. Cherry expresses hope for bipartisan support for this measure.

These three bills have been sponsored by Delegate Cherry, along with other legislators, in previous sessions, reflecting his unwavering commitment to these issues. To learn more about Cherry's legislation, visit lis.virginia.gov.

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Background: JLARC study on enhanced retirement benefits

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.mikecherryforva.com/delegate-mike-cherry-introduces-legislation-to-support-9-1-1-dispatchers-ban-personal-use-of-campaign-funds/