Delegate Katrina Callsen

@katrinacallsen.com

1846 Followers 205 Following

🏛️ Representing Charlottesville and Albemarle in the Virginia House of Delegates. >> KatrinaCallsen.com 💬 Text me at (434) 443-5400.

17, 2026 VIA Email Members of the Albemarle County School Board 401 McIntire Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22901 schoolboard@k12albemarle.org Chair Berlin and Distinguished Members of the Albemarle County School Board, Our legislative offices are closely following the recent arrests of two Albemarle County Public School employees for terrible crimes committed against children. Every child should be safe in school and every parent and community member should expect and ask for no less. Schools, in particular, are places that must be safe and trusted so that our next generation can learn and flourish free from fear, trauma, or abuse. Protecting our children is the number one priority and one that cannot be taken for granted; we know you feel the same. For this reason, we call on you to secure a timely, independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding the cases. Our offices have heard numerous concerns about the lack of parental notification, confusion about the legality of public reporting, the possibility that prior reports of inappropriate behavior were ignored, and unsupervised adult access to vulnerable students. These concerns must be thoroughly examined, as should the overall handling of the cases. The resulting report will help us better identify what policies or legislative remedies are needed to ensure our schools remain trusted spaces for our children to learn and teachers to teach. The victims of these crimes deserved protection that came too late; we must do all that we can to protect them and others moving forward. Thank Mento Senate or Virginia 11th District Amy faufer Amy Lauter Member, Virginia House of Delegates 55th District Katrina E. Callsen Member, Virginia House of Delegates 54th District
Katrina posing and smiling with donated soccer balls
Katrina talking at the indivisible townhall while holding a soccer ball
Cooling CENTER INFORMATION KEY RECREATION CENTER 800 East Market Street Monday - Friday: 5:30 - 9:00 PM Saturday & Sunday: 1:00 - 6:00 PM Open 12:00-4:00 PM Independence Day MRL CENTRAL BRANCH 201 E Market Street Monday - Thursday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Friday & Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Closed Sundays Closed Independence Day TONSLER RECREATION CENTER 500 Cherry Avenue Monday - Friday: 12:00 - 9:00 PM Saturday: 1:00 - 6:00 PM Closed Sundays THE HAVEN 112 W Market Street Monday - Friday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday & Sunday: 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM Open Regular Hours Independence Day Open 12:00 - 4:00 PM Independence Day Stay Safe Stay Cool Juring Extreme Heat! Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol or excessive caffeine. Limit outdoor activities during peak heat hours (10 AM-4 PM). Stay in air-conditioned spaces whenever possible. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Check on older adults, young children, and others who may be vulnerable to heat. Never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle.
Donna holding a “RGGI is Law” sign
Collage of delegate Callsen pictured with numerous awesome elected officials who took time to meet with her.
EXPLANATION FOR VOTERS Present Law Currently, the Virginia Constitution does not explicitly provide to its citizens a right to reproductive freedom nor does it explicitly protect or prohibit certain kinds of health care procedures or decisions. Proposed Amendment The proposed amendment would add to the Virginia Constitution's Bill of Rights the fundamental right to make and carry out decisions about a person's own reproductive care with only certain, specific exceptions. The proposed amendment specifically allows the state government to pass laws to regulate abortion care in the third trimester of pregnancy, but requires any such law to allow for abortion care when it is medically needed to protect the life and health of the pregnant person or because the fetus is not viable. Word Count: 116 / 500
Under current Virginia law, Virginia tenants can't use unsafe or unsanitary conditions as a defense if they fail to pay rent. "I've had [clients] fall through their floor, be bitten by rats, and if they're behind on the rent, sometimes ... you just are like, well, there's not a lot we can do here," says Victoria Horrock, senior supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Justice Center. "We are such a landlord-friendly state," says Charlottesville Del. Katrina Callsen. "It makes it so that defense is practically unfeasible for people that are facing eviction." Callsen's bill HB281, signed into law this year, lets tenants cite uninhabitable conditions to defend against eviction. The new law takes effect July 1. "It just seems so basic," Callsen says, "that you should at the very least be able to tell the judge the conditions of the place that you lived and why you might not have been paying rent without having to basically pay to raise a defense."
61/2 St. These 2 single-family attached homes will be conveniently situated near the University of Virginia Hospital and downtown in the historic Fifeville neighborhood. Their construction demonstrates how increased density at a neighborhood scale can bring affordability while being in harmony with the community. This is the result of Fifeville's new RN-A zoning, one of the first zoning classifications in the nation to allow reinvestment in a historically African American community while providing an extra level of protection.
Picture of the launch ceremony with Deeds and a habitat employee in the foreground with a shirt that says, “love your habitat”
Tom hugging a supporter at a well attended event in his office
Katrina standing at podium heating a colorful shirt and smiling!
CAYD INVITES YOU TO THE 2nd ANNUAL Margaritas * & Majorities! SATURDAY, JUNE 20TH 4:30 PM - 6 PM JOIN US FOR A FUNDRAISER IN SUPPORT OF CAYD! SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS AND MORE! BRAZOS AT IX PARK 925 2ND ST SE, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22902 TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
- KATRINA - CALLSEN FOR DELEGATE June Office Hours Book a time slot and let's chat! Your voice matters!! Ahead of the June 18 budget special session, I would love to hear your thoughts, priorities, and
Del. Katrina Callsen (D-Charlottesville), HB650's patron, said Spanberger's veto left her feeling frustrated - and not just because it was legislation she sponsored. "There's a very real need in communities in our state to have these types of protections," Callsen told VPM News. "We had a bill that would have at least put us on the right path, and did it in a way that the governor talked about at a national level. She gave a speech to the whole nation saying exactly that - that [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] should have judicial warrants, they should identify themselves — and that's what our bill asked." Shaban Athuman / VPM News Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Charlottesville, listens on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at the General Assembly Building in Richmond, Virginia. Of the veto, Callsen added: "It felt like we weren't actually standing up to support the communities that we know needed [protection]. That's what it signaled to me. This is not enough. They need more."
Photo of Katrina speaking to a room of seated employees of JABA
During her response to Trump's State of the Union, Governor Spanberger told the nation that, "our President has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities, where they have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans — and they have done it without a warrant," with their, "faces masked from accountability." She gave vivid descriptions of ICE, "sowing fear," and noted that immigration enforcement is not an excuse for, "unaccountable agents to terrorize our communities." The General Assembly heard that message. It is true, and it is why we sent the Governor a bill that did just that. A bill that requires ICE agents to have warrants and identify themselves when conducting arrests in protected places (our courts, our schools, our hospitals, and our polling places). A bill to provide accountability. The Governor has not spoken to me about HB650 or her veto of it. I did listen to her speech though. And I agree. There are so many who need our protection: children learning in classrooms, witnesses testifying in court, mothers attending hospital appointments, and all of us when we head to the polls. I'm disappointed that she did not engage legislatively to do those things, but I do trust that she will take action. We certainly need something more than speeches. On that note, a giant thank you to @acluva and the advocates, lawyers, families, AG's office, Clerks, schools, universities, hospitals, sheriffs and others who showed up to meeting after meeting as we worked to make this a meaningful bill.
Photo of press conference to call for stronger CB legislation.
A video montage of activities from the weekend generally just showing sunny scenes and happy people doing activism, community events, or learning at UVA
* Soup, *Songs, & Sin Barreras Solidarity A Fundraiser for Sin Barreras SUNDAY April 26, 2026 5:00 - 7:00 PM Tandem Friends School 279 Tandem Lane Charlottesville, VA 22902 A donation at the door or online Join us for our 2nd annual Soup, Songs, & Solidarity Celebration! Enjoy an evening of homemade soups, fresh bread, desserts, live music from the Lua Project, and powerful stories - all in support of Sin Barreras! This event isn't just about fundraising-it's about bringing Charlottesville together, creating change, and celebrating our shared humanity. Please consider a donation equivalent to what you would pay for an evening out, or give more to further support Sin Barreras' critical work. Donations cover entry, food, and music. 100% 100% of the donations will go to support Sin Barreras' mission-empowering immigrants through education, resources, immigration services, and advocacy.
Big group photos of students in the student senate and state legislators on the steps of the Albemarle County Office Building
Photo of students for fair elections (taken with their permission)
Video montage of Governor Spanberger unveiling her strategic plan.
Short video montage of picture from the event
Katrina handing out literature about HB650 to people gathered at her table
DKMS Patient Update Hi Katrina, I hope you are well. We have received an update on your patient's health from their transplant center. The information we receive is very general and does not give specifics. We were informed that your patient was alive as of their last reported contact with the transplant center in November. I'm pleased to share this great news with you.
Photo of Price Thomas and Katrina Callsen after lunch on the Downtown mall