By Jessica Dillon
Henry County supervisors Chris Lawless, of the Collinsville District, and Pam Cobler, of the Reed Creek District, recently traveled to Richmond, where they advocated funding for Mayo River State Park and other county priorities.
The trip marked Lawless’s first time observing the legislative process in person.
“It’s our job to go up there to represent the people of Henry County with the legislative agenda for Mayo River and more funding for fire and EMS,” Cobler said. “It’s a privilege to go up. We are networking and representing Henry County and getting visibility for them to hear what we need for law enforcement and public safety.”
Lawless said the experience was eye-opening.
“It was totally new for me,” he said. “It was overwhelming at first.”
He said he quickly learned how the process works — and how easily bills can fail.
“The day we were there, five bills got killed, and they were all for Southside Virginia,” Lawless said.
He also noted the efforts of lobbyists and Del. Eric Phillips, R-Martinsville.
“A lot of lobbyists are working to make a difference, make a change,” he said.
Both supervisors emphasized the importance of securing funding for Mayo River State Park.
“We desperately need the Mayo River because it will bring economic growth to Henry County,” Lawless said. “It will allow people in North Carolina to spend money here in Virginia.”
“We need to keep that present. Henry County is a speck on the map, and we need to be a bigger speck on the map,” he added.
County Administrator Dale Wagoner also attended the visit.
“Dale is a huge asset to our county in my opinion,” Lawless said.
Lawless said he continues to push his Trash and Grass program while exploring ways to improve cleanup efforts without using county or state funding.
