Irene Shin

Civil Rights

Virginia still has work to do to fully secure the safety of our LGBTQIA+ community, especially in light of recent attacks on trans rights all across our nation. We must repeal the Marshall-Newman amendment in Virginia that bans gay marriage. It's also crucial that we repeal the conscience clause that allows adoption agencies to deny LGBTQIA+ families the opportunity to adopt children. We need to address the harassment that students often face in school based on their sexual orientation and gender identity and mandate anti-bullying training. I am committed to building safe and affirming learning environments for all our studnets. There’s significant work to be done, and I’m ready to do it. Learn more

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

As your Delegate, I have fought to end harmful practices like mass incarceration, mandatory minimums for non-violent felonies, price-gouging in jails and prisons, allowing localities to hire law enforcement officers previously disciplined or terminated for violating civil rights in other jurisdictions, and contracts with private prisons. Instead, we need to advance equity in our school system and ease formerly incarcerated people’s reentry into society. Learn more

Economy

I support legislation that will repeal Virginia’s outdated and anti-organizing “Right to Work” provisions. When workers have a voice on the job, it lifts up everyone and helps to build a stronger and more just economy for all Virginians. Learn more

I support Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), which strengthen regulations governing workplace health and safety, and promote equal opportunities for employment and labor standards. I support expanding apprenticeship training opportunities, especially at community colleges, so that our workforce is highly skilled and employers can increase retention rates. Learn more

Education

As Delegate, I will continue to champion universal pre-K as one method of tackling educational disparities so that our students may all begin their academic journeys on even footing. Learn more

In addition, I will keep fighting for Universal Pre-K in Virginia because we need to prioritize early childhood education. Learn more

Recently, Virginia has been at the center of debates about what should be taught in our schools. Rest assured that I believe in a curriculum that addresses racial inequity and acknowledges the existence and struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community, rather than erasing them. Learn more

Environment / Energy

As Delegate, I will continue to work and ensure that shut-offs no longer occur in public health emergencies or extreme weather conditions. Learn more

The General Assembly needs to recognize the urgency of taking care of our planet. I support moving toward a 100% net renewable energy standard for electricity production, reducing mobility carbon pollution by making roads more accessible to bikers and pedestrians, continuing to increase affordable transit access, and transitioning our vehicle sales and publicly owned vehicle fleets to electric power. Keeping Virginia green means we have to defend the Clean Cars Act and Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Learn more

The most vulnerable in our communities are going to be hit the hardest by climate change, which is why we must work to uplift and protect everyone from the negative effects of environmental harm. For example, I believe clean, affordable access to public water is a right. During the pandemic, when national and state health officials were emphasizing the need for people to frequently wash hands and sanitize homes, families in Virginia had their water shut off because of overdue utility bills. Learn more

Government Reform

A complete ban on campaign fundraising during all General Assembly sessions including special sessions – legislators should not be voting on bills and the budget while soliciting campaign contributions for re-election. Elected officials need to focus on working for their constituents, not their re-election, while being paid by taxpayers. Learn more

We also know that Big Money is flooding our politics, and is creating a system in which elected officials are more accountable to special interests than they are to constituents. Virginia has some of the weakest campaign finance laws in the country. Currently, there are no limits of any kind on campaign donations and few limits on how campaign funds can be spent, including on personal expenses. As a Delegate, I will take a comprehensive approach to reforming our campaign finance system to limit the ability of special interests to influence politics and put power back in the hands of the people. That’s why I released my Ethical Virginia Campaign Reform Package. Learn more

As Delegate, I support automatic restoration of voting rights to individuals who have been convicted of felonies. Learn more

Any ethics reform needs increased fines and enforcement to be effective. The existing Virginia Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council was created to “encourage and facilitate compliance” with state law, with little in the way of enforcement and consequences for violations. I’ll work to reform campaign finance law and make sure penalties for campaign and fundraising violations are vigorously enforced for the public interest. Learn more

Enhance accountability of state resources. Public resources should not be used for campaign or personal communications. We need a firewall between official work such as constituent services, public employees, and political activities. Elected officials shouldn’t be able to use public resources to conduct campaign activities towards re-election or to promote private business. Learn more

Prohibit using campaign funds for personal expenses. Currently, Virginia has no limitations on using campaign funds as a personal expense account. I will continue to work to ban this practice. Learn more

Guns

We must pass common sense gun legislation that will keep our communities safe. For too long, tragedies caused by gun violence have been met with silence, and politicians who would rather roll back common sense gun regulations. As Delegate, I will continue to uphold our current laws and fight for more legislation to make our communities safer. Learn more

I support a ban on assault weapons, mandatory background checks on gun sales, and a ban on ghost guns, which are 3D-printed plastic guns without serial numbers that cannot be detected by metal detectors. I also believe we must include students in these conversations, and acknowledge their experience growing up with very real fears of a school shooting. Learn more

Healthcare

I’m committed to tackling the healthcare challenges facing our state, including the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs and the lack of transparency around hospital costs. Learn more

Mental health care is healthcare. I believe that affordable and quality coverage must include mental health treatment. I support universal screening in our schools for early signs of mental health issues, integrating mental and physical health systems so that mental healthcare is included in primary care, and ensuring all mental health prevention tools are available to different language communities. As a Delegate, I will continue to work with my bipartisan colleagues and community stakeholders to make sure every Virginian has the care they deserve. Learn more

Additionally, I support Medicaid waivers and believe they’re an effective tool to ensure people have access to care. Learn more

Immigration

After years of targeted actions against immigrants, it is important to show everyone in our community that they are welcome here, and to provide access to the same resources as all Virginians. Learn more

That’s why I have worked to enact driving privilege cards and in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants in Virginia. I’ll always stand for comprehensive immigration reform that creates a path to citizenship for families and DREAMers already working and living in the United States. Learn more

I will also advocate for the closure and de-licensing of the Farmville ICE detention center, to end the ability of the state to license private prisons, and to expand driving access to include full drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. Additionally, I oppose efforts to shift federal immigration enforcement responsibilities to state and local authorities, as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) Program legislates. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

As Delegate, I will champion paid family medical leave and paid sick leave for all Virginians. We should be guaranteeing that working people have access to paid sick days, as well as paid time off to care for a family member. Learn more

Across Virginia, workers should have the right to collective bargaining and I will advocate for localities to authorize collective bargaining agreements with public employees. Learn more