RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Members of the Virginia General Assembly plan to announce the formation of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus.
The Virginia House Democrats said in a statement on Friday that the lawmakers in the caucus are responding to the recent mass shooting in Atlanta that claimed the lives of Asian Americans.
The lawmakers said they are also condemning the continuing violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Friday is planned as a National Day of Action and Healing. People are using the hashtag #StopAsianHate.
The Virginia House Democrats said in a statement that all members of the Legislature will be “invited to join as allies.”
“As the oldest elected body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly has the unique opportunity to promote inclusion, and serve as an example for leaders across the nation and the world." said Sen. Ghazala Hashmi of Chesterfield.
The Democrat added that the caucus "is now more necessary than ever to make sure every Virginian not only feels safe but also can be a stakeholder in the decisions we make in Richmond.”
Lawmakers had scheduled a press conference for Friday morning. Those slated to attend included House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, Sen. Hashmi, Del. Mark L. Keam of Fairfax, Del. Kathy KL Tran of Fairfax, Del. Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler of Virginia Beach and Del. Suhas Subramanyam of Loudoun.