Summary
Current Position: Child advocate attorney
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2021 State Delegate
OnAir Post: Irina Khanin
About
Source: Campaign page
For nearly a decade, Irina has been helping children in rural Virginia get through the difficult times in their lives, serving as an attorney appointed to represent them in court. She grew up in the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States 30 years ago and to the Shenandoah Valley in 2000. As an immigrant she understands the struggles of recently naturalized families trying to adjust to their new homeland. As an attorney who grew up in an authoritarian country — where personal freedoms were severely limited and political dissent could lead to financial and personal devastation — Irina is deeply concerned about preserving our constitutional rights. Having witnessed the Soviet government’s misuse of power, she has dedicated herself to ensuring that our government is focused on improving the lives of as many people as possible, while guaranteeing citizens their rights.
The issues at risk in this election are personal for Irina. Soon after her family arrived in the United States, after years of trying to leave the Soviet Union, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Being told by the health insurance company that his cancer would not be covered as a pre-existing condition seemed impossibly inhumane. Ever since that time Irina developed deep concern for ensuring access to affordable healthcare. As a child advocate attorney she saw families struggle with joblessness, health problems, and addiction. Many tried to overcome these obstacles and care for their children but the odds were against them. With her dad’s and her family’s struggles and her professional experiences fresh in her mind Irina made a commitment to advocate for affordable healthcare, including mental health services, for all Virginians. Her service on the Northwestern Community Service Board helped deepen her understanding of the behavioral health issues that face this community.
As a mother of two children enrolled in the Winchester City Public Schools and a board member of the Winchester Education Foundation, Irina is deeply committed to helping public schools succeed. She is convinced that there is no greater equalizer of economic opportunity than quality public education and is committed to a legislative agenda that supports public schools in their mission to meet every child’s needs, whether a child’s goal is a four year college education, a nursing certificate, or learning a trade. An educated population is also the key driver of economic success, as nothing attracts good paying jobs better than an exceptionally educated workforce.
Having experienced an oppressive government, Irina has worked tirelessly to support a government by the people. She has worked on over 10 campaigns, knocking on doors to listen to voters and understand their needs. Committed to democracy, she has worked as a voter protection attorney in three presidential campaigns, ensuring that every legal vote is counted. In preparation for a leadership role, she spent 2017 studying with Emerge Virginia, an organization that trains future female candidates to be successful leaders.
Experience
Work Experience
- Child Advocate Attorney
Unspecified
Web
Campaign Site, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Politics
Source: none
Issues
Source: Campaign page
Education
Career and Technical Education
We cannot build and maintain a robust economy that allows everyone the dignity of work without educating our children in a way that matches their needs and talents with the needs of the society. Our schools must both prepare kids to go to college or equip them with employable skills by engaging a rigorous and relevant career and technical education (CTE) system. CTE should be integrated with academics and be a vital component of middle, secondary, and post secondary education. In Winchester, the Emil and Grace Shihadeh Innovation Center is currently under development. The Center, a public/private partnership, will be a state of the art facility and an example for CTE centers around the country. Employers and community leaders in our district are committed to the Center’s success as it will ensure a qualified labor force. As a delegate I would make every effort to support CTE programs like this one and to expand their reach.
Teachers make a difference. If we value our children, we must value their teachers and support a salary that allows for them to live close to the schools where they teach, as opposed to being forced to commute from other communities. The legislature’s 5% increase in teachers’ salaries in 2019 is a good start, but teacher salaries are still below pre-recession levels and as your delegate I will work to value the teachers who change our children’s lives as fully as possible.
Decades of studies prove that kids who attend public preschool programs are better prepared for kindergarten than kids who don’t. This is particularly true for children who come from lower income levels. Fully funding pre-K education for all gives every child the fair start they deserve in life and the legislature should make this a priority.
Environment
One of the most unfortunate realities of our current politics is that somehow protecting the environment has become a partisan issue. We can’t let this happen. Nearly all scientists agree that the Earth is warming and immediate action is crucial not only to prevent devastating changes to Virginia’s beautiful coastline but also to protect ourselves from the increasingly severe weather changes that climate change will bring. The truth is that powerful companies own today’s energy sources and make millions of dollars providing that service. They won’t give this up easily. They will do whatever it takes to keep the status quo and try to convince us that the scientists are wrong. They’ll tell us that we have to choose between a robust economy and protecting the Earth. This couldn’t be further from the truth and as your delegate I’ll fight those companies and promote a green economic boom that will include our rural communities. My environmental/economic priorities include:
- Reduce the influence that Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power have on Virginia’s government. I will not take money from Dominion and I’ll encourage all of my colleagues to do the same;
- Promote state programs that invest in wind and solar technologies and create hundreds of jobs for engineers and technicians in these fields;
- Invest in technical education for both new graduates and mid career changes;
- Ensure that Virginia’s farmers are protected from neighboring industries that can pollute their water supply;
- Insist that our partners in industry do their share to ensure our environmental stewardship.
We don’t have to choose between economic success and environmental protection. We need a government that will resist corporate pressure and do the right thing for Virginians, our children, and our children’s children.
Health Care
With Medicaid expansion, the Commonwealth is now a major payer for healthcare services in Virginia. Along with this obligation comes the opportunity to shape treatment for the deadly chronic diseases that affect members of our district. Chronic lung disease, heart disease, and cancer are more common in the Northern Shenandoah Valley than in the rest of the Commonwealth and the rest of the United States and Medicaid recipients are likely to be affected. These diseases are difficult to treat, affect all aspects of the patient’s and family’s lives, and can be economically challenging as patients face expensive medications and many doctors visits. As your representative, I will advocate for legislation to reduce the impact of tobacco and other preventable causes of chronic disease and support the creation of Medicaid funded programs that encourage improved treatment for the victims of these deadly illnesses.
As a Board member of the Northwestern Community Service Board I can attest to the great progress that has been made in the provision of behavioral health services in our district, especially in the area of substance abuse disorders and mental health. But even this documented expansion of services and the improvement in their quality cannot keep up with the immense need that exists in this area, especially with respect to the opioid addiction. We need to fund the ongoing expansion of behavioral health services, particularly for those with fewer economic resources.
Infrastructure
I-81 that runs through our district is both a conduit of commerce that benefits our community and a source of long standing frustration for its residents. A long and expensive study undertaken by the VDOT showed that the stretch of the interstate that traverses the City of Winchester and the Frederick County is disproportionately prone to accidents, often fatal, and long overdue for improvement. The residents have been promised improvements for years if not decades. Many avoid traveling along this road by all means possible. Despite the promise of action during the most recent legislative session of the Virginia Assembly the transportation committee of the House of Delegates reported the I-81 bill without any tangible plan for fixing this serious problem, rejecting a proposal from the Senate to pay for the repairs by instituting tolls. Yet another study has been offered to substitute for a substantive fix.
This community cannot wait another year to come up with a solution to this problem that is not just an inconvenience but poses a real threat to people’s lives. We need to identify a number of revenue sources that could help us cover the shortfall between the cost of the overdue expansion of the interstate and what the federal Highway Transportation Fund has to offer. Establishing state owned concessions within the highway rest areas, a proportionately small increase in the cigarette tax (Virginia has the 50th lowest cigarette tax in the nation), along with tolls and a gas tax increase should all be studied for its benefits and potential downsides, both as individual sources and as a package of measures. As a Delegate I would be committed to leaving no stone unturned in search for funding solutions. None of them may turn to be perfect but inaction is simply not an option any longer.
Safety
For nearly 10 years, the Northern Shenandoah Valley has been at the epicenter of the national opioid crisis, and the community response has been dramatic. The successes of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Substance Abuse Coalition in the prevention, education and treatment of substance abuse show what we can all achieve when diverse groups come together to solve difficult problems. Using the tools at the legislature’s disposal, I pledge to support these efforts through appropriate funding and expansion of services related to substance abuse and those who provide critical intervention.
