Old Dominion News

Tony Wilt (R-Broadway) and Chris Runion (R-Bridgewater) answered questions on some topics discussed during the ALICE Pre-Legislative Forum.

The discussion focused on the emerging problems during the COVID-19 pandemic such as childcare accessibility, food insecurity, employment and compensation, and the eviction moratorium.

While at the time of the virtual town hall, neither have plans to introduce legislation addressing these issues, according to the Harrisonburg Citizen. Runion and Wilt were adamant, though, that they are aware of these challenges and how the COVID-19 situation has worn out people including those being financially drained. The solution to these challenges is a strong economy, they said.

Getting children back to school will be a big help, Runion said when asked about addressing childcare issues.

Although no potential legislation was articulated with regard to food insecurity, Runion echoed Wilt’s opinion that a stable economy will address many concerns.

“It has always been puzzling to me why we have food insecurity in our community,” Runion said. “We have a lot of food in this country. We have to figure out why we’re not able to get it where it needs to go. The pandemic gives us an opportunity to do things differently.”  

Both area delegates oppose mandating wage hikes, noting that raising wages often has unintended negative results.

According to Runion, the eviction moratorium was a band-aid solution. He and Wilt said that landlords and tenants have been both affected by the pandemic. 

At the end of the day, keeping the economy strong is the solution that both delegates are looking at.

Recently, Wilt has filed legislation to create a school remediation task force in Virginia.