Author: Dick Hall-Sizemore
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State Treasury Brings In More General Fund Revenues Than Projected
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Some commenters on this blog have expressed serious concern about the choices facing Governor Youngkin this fall in the development of his recommended amendments to the state’s two-year budget. They cite the prospects of recession and the uncertainty created by such prospects. They can rest a little easier for now. The Secretary…
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Bias-Based Traffic Stops — A Rejoinder
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Department of Criminal Justice Services has published its annual report on traffic stop data. In a recent article on this blog, Jim Bacon rendered his verdict on whether the data shows police bias in traffic stops: Still No Proof. The report shows that, in the period of July 1, 2021, to…
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Oops! Look What We Just Found!
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Youngkin Department of Elections just recently began processing more than 107,000 voter registration applications dating back to last spring. This is after early voting had begun. These applications involved residents who had registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles. The snafu is blamed on a computer “glitch” that caused “intermittent network…
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More on Virginia Sheriffs
by Dick Hall-Sizemore This article is a follow-up to Jim McCarthy’s article on sheriffs. My main purpose is to provide some details and more context to the discussion of the position of sheriff in Virginia. The sheriff is a “constitutional officer.” Article VII, Section 4 of the state constitution directs that in each county and…
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Some Things Never Change
I am reading a recent biography of Patrick Henry and I came across a quote that just begs to be shared on this blog. One of Henry’s neighbors and friends in 1759 was Thomas Johnson, a member of the House of Burgesses from Louisa County. In the journal of the House, Johnson is recorded as…
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Transformation to Achieve Effectiveness and Efficiency–Again
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Amid great fanfare as one of his Day One actions, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order No. 5, establishing the position Commonwealth Chief Transformation Officer within the Office of the Governor. The Governor identified the responsibilities of the position to be “to help build a culture of transparency, accountability, and constructive challenge…
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Budget Earmarks for Nonstate Entities
by Dick Hall-Sizemore For many years, the most interesting and fun portion of the state Appropriation Act was a section near the end entitled, “State Grants to Nonstate Entities-Nonstate Agencies.” The 2000 Appropriation Act, appropriating almost $36 million for these nonstate entities, is a good example. It included funding for historic courthouses, local museums and…
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Imaginary Protection Against Imaginary Threats
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Attorney General Jason Miyares has taken another step to politicize his office and the enforcement of election laws. As reported by the Virginia Mercury, Miyares has announced the formation of a 20-member “Election Integrity Unit.” The purpose of the unit is to ensure the “legality and purity” of elections. There has been…
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Schools of Education and DOE Regulations–A Closer Look
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I have long been skeptical of Virginia’s teacher licensure requirements in general and of education courses at colleges and universities, in particular. In this vein, I was eagerly anticipating Jim Sherlock’s series of articles on this blog about teacher licensure and those schools of education. I agree with one of his main…
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Taking on Workforce Development — Again
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Richmond Times-Dispatch (RTD) reports that Governor Glenn Youngkin plans to present a major restructuring of Virginia’s workforce development efforts to the 2023 General Assembly. I commend the Governor for taking this issue on. It is the sort of “good government” initiative that needs to be done, but requires a lot of…
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Those Violent Red States
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Crime is again a top story, both in the national media and on this blog. Many on this blog seem to think they have identified what is behind the recent rise in crime, especially homicides and other violent crimes. Two years ago, Jim Bacon pointed out that the Commonwealth had the fourth…
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More Assistance for Veterans
by Dick Hall-Sizemore A new community center for veterans in Virginia Beach just opened. If you are thinking the new Jones & Cabacoy Veterans Care Center, built and operated by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, will provide nursing home care to veterans, you would be mistaken. Or, perhaps you were thinking of the Virginia…
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Getting Rid of the Bad Apples
by Dick Hall-Sizemore There is a tendency in government to enact reform or establish new programs and then move on. Often, there is little or no circling back, by government or the media, to examine how the changes have been implemented or what effect they have had. Over the course of the next few weeks,…
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The New NIMBY
The Gazette-Virginian reports that the town of Halifax is considering its first solar project. The proposed facility would occupy 46 acres on an 85.8-acre parcel. Town Councilman Jack Dunavant made his position clear: “Personally, I don’t think we should allow solar farms within the town limits of Halifax. I like solar energy, but I don’t…
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Uh, Governor? This is How It Works
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Someone needs to tell Governor Youngkin or his Secretary of Finance how things work in the state’s financial structure. According to a recent report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Governor said that he has directed Randy McCabe, the Comptroller, or director of the Department of Accounts, to “to set aside $397 million…