Author: Dick Hall-Sizemore
-
A New 800-Pound Gorilla in Virginia Politics
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Ivy Main, in a recent commentary in the Virginia Mercury, identified a change in the power dynamic of Virginia politics that is taking place: “Amazon is the new Dominion.” Amazon’s presence in the Commonwealth has grown significantly over the past decade. It has taken place in three areas— distribution facilities, the second…
-
School Discipline: Inflexible Rule or Common Sense?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore During the height of the war on drugs, schools adopted “zero-tolerance” policies. No student was allowed to possess any drug of any kind, even an aspirin or a prescription medication for which he had a prescription. Any such products had to be deposited with the school nurse and taken in the presence…
-
General Assembly: Status of Selected Issues
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, February 25. Time to check on the status of some issues that have been discussed on this blog. Budget bill. The budget bill contains not only the usual appropriations, but also all those tax cuts proposed by the Governor. There is activity behind…
-
February: A Month of Celebrations, Awareness, and Daffodils
by Dick Hall-Sizemore February is known for many things. Although it is the shortest month, some have claimed that, with its usually dreary weather (this year being an exception), it actually feels like the longest. To divert us from its normal dark days, in addition to cheerful early daffodils, February offers us Groundhog Day, Valentine’s…
-
Want Info? Check Only, Please.
by Dick Hall-Sizemore A recent article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch illustrates how governments will fight any attempt to amend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in a way that would make it easier for citizens to obtain information. Del. Danica Roem (D-Prince William) has been one of the more persistent legislators seeking to amend the…
-
Unlikely Partners On Prison Reform Legislation
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Washington Post recently ran an article that demonstrates that there is still hope for bipartisan cooperation in a hyper-partisan environment on an important issue. The legislators involved were Del. Glenn Davis (R-Virginia Beach), former candidate for Lieutenant Governor, chair of the House Committee on Education, and carrier of many of the…
-
They’re Political; We’re Not
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Governor is pretty upset about a toolkit sent to its members by the Virginia Education Association. The toolkit includes sample lesson plans that include teachings on racial identity and the Black Lives Matter movement. “The Administration will not support a teachers union’s attempts to prop up a politically driven curriculum toolkit…
-
Gubernatorial Appointment Politics At Work
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Last year, Republicans in the General Assembly rejected three of former Governor Northam’s appointments to the State Board of Education, giving Governor Glenn Youngkin the opportunity to appoint a majority of the members of that board. Last night, Senate Democrats partially returned the favor by rejecting one of Youngkin’s appointees That rejected…
-
Affordable Housing For Some
by Dick Hall-Sizemore In the discussion over the shortage of “affordable” housing, one could point to one company that could be considered the cause of the disappearance of a lot of the affordable housing stock in the Richmond area: Gumenick Properties. The company has redeveloped an 80-acre tract it owned near Broad St. on the…
-
Halifax Rebel
Those who are nostalgic for Confederate statues will be pleased to know that a Confederate still stands proudly on the courthouse square in Halifax County. Supposedly this is not the first Civil War statue the county had. The story I always heard was that someone noticed the buttons on the statue that had been there…
-
Psst! Where Is The Library?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I have been wondering about the possible effectiveness of Del. Tim Anderson’s bill trying to give parents control over their kids’ access to material in the school library that contain graphic sexual material (HB 1379). Therefore, this weekend I asked my 16-year-old grandson, who is attending public school for the first him…
-
Is It One Hour Back or One Hour Forward?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Virginia General Assembly debates a lot of important bills. Nevertheless, most residents of the Commonwealth probably do not feel most of these bills affect them personally and do not have an opinion one way or the other. However, occasionally, the legislators will take up a bill that is simple, affects everyone,…
-
Lab School Process Underway; Youngkin Oblivious to Overfunding
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Governor Youngkin’s Lab School initiative is off to a fairly good start, although it is probably not progressing as quickly as he thought or hoped it would. According to the Department of Education (DOE), the department has received two applications for the establishment of a lab school— from James Madison University and…
-
Now, What is That Number?
A recent article in The Washington Post described how the U.S Secretary of State has ordered that all documents sent to the Secretary’s office must use the Calibri font and be in 14 point. It reminded me of the period in which staff in the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget were directed to use…