Author: Dick Hall-Sizemore
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The Craziness Gets Worse
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Now I understand why so many people are opposed to DEI. It is “an inherently un-Christian practice.” At least that is what some conservatives outraged at Chick-fil-A are saying as they call for a boycott of the company. As one asserted, “you cannot hold to that position [DEI] and glorify God.” What…
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Fact Checking Bill Leighty
by Dick Hall-Sizemore In my review of Bill Leighty’s memoir, I quoted at length an incident that was supposed to illustrate Leighty’s deal-making skills, as well as how things are often accomplished in state government. One of this blog’s alert readers, “how_it_works,” pointed that the timing of the events related in the story just did…
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Appeals Court Upholds TJHSST Admissions Policy
by Dick Hall-Sizemore For all the ink that has been used on this blog concerning the “illegal” and “unconstitutional” new admissions policy at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, here is a story that has strangely escaped comment here: the federal appeals court has upheld the policy. In a 2-1 decision, the…
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Ah, So That’s What That Was All About!
Leighty, Bill. Capitol Secrets: Leadership Wisdom from a Lifetime of Public Service. Holon Publishing, 2023. A review by Dick Hall-Sizemore The public sees the result of policy development. What the public does not see is the sometimes- messy process that produced that policy nor, more broadly, what goes on behind the scenes to make government…
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One of My Pet Peeves
by Dick Hall-Sizemore State law exempts from registration fees trucks, trailers, and other motor vehicles, used solely for farm purposes either on highways near a farmer’s land or for hauling farm products to market (see here and here). This is one of the most abused Code provisions. The picture above was taken in my…
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The Abortion Hypocrisy
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Republicans are hypocrites when it comes to abortion. They base their opposition to abortion on the belief that a fetus is a human being and killing an innocent human being is wrong. Hence, the term “pro-life.” (This is a position on which I happen to agree with them.) But are they pushing…
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There Were Giants in the Earth
If one gets off the interstates and four-lane highways, there are interesting things to see along the roads of Virginia. This fellow watches over traffic on Rt. 45 between Farmville and Cumberland Courthouse.
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The New Virginia Way: More People Voting
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The 2020 and 2021 sessions of the General Assembly enacted numerous bills that made it easier for citizens of the Commonwealth to exercise their right to vote. This article will outline the major changes, analyze their effects, and discuss efforts to repeal or modify these changes. Following is a summary of the…
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Opponents of Northern Virginia Prosecutors Pick Up Support
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The primary opponents of two of Northern Virginia’s “progressive” incumbent commonwealth’s attorneys picked up a key endorsement a few days ago. I would have thought that contributors and commenters on this blog who have been vocal critics of those incumbents would have been rejoicing and highlighting those endorsements. Perhaps it is the…
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Political Embellishment and Poor Journalism
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Some Virginians, along with citizens in the rest of the country, will be able to receive refunds from the company Intuit, the developers of the TurboTax automated tax return preparation program. According to a report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, approximately $3.5 million will be available for distribution to Virginians. “TurboTax misled Virginians,…
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Let The People In
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Virginia Supreme Court has again ruled against a local government for violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The case arose as a result of Deborah Wahlstrom deciding to attend a day-long retreat of the Suffolk City School Board focused on board training and strategic planning. The meeting was publicly advertised…
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The Tyranny of One
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The superintendent of the Spotsylvania County schools has removed 14 books from the school libraries in response to the complaint of one parent that the books had sexually explicit content. Two of the books removed were by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the superintendent claims that he…
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No More Deliveries Here
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Pregnant women in Halifax County will soon be faced with an unwelcome dilemma. Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital (SHRH) in South Boston has announced that, beginning in May, it will begin phasing out its labor and delivery services. Those patients expected to deliver before August 4 will continue to be served. Those obstetric…
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Donnybrook in South Hampton Roads
by Dick Hall-Sizemore It had to get ugly, and it finally has. The premier party primary election this year will be the Democratic primary in Senate District 18 (Parts of Portsmouth and Chesapeake), featuring incumbents Louise Lucas and Lionel Spruill. Redistricting threw them into a newly-drawn district that includes about 71,000 of Spruill’s current constituents…
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Partisan Takeover of the Electoral Process?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore It appears that Republicans in some localities are moving to place the election machinery under partisan control. Before discussing the basis for this allegation, a little background might be useful. Each city or county has an electoral board consisting of three members. They serve three-year terms, with the terms staggered so that…