Author: Dick Hall-Sizemore
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More Bad News for the Governor
Yesterday was a bad day for Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In addition to having to absorb the news about losing both houses of the General Assembly to the Democrats, he learned that the federal General Services Administration has decided to locate the long-coveted new FBI headquarters in Maryland rather than Virginia. That was bad news for…
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Additional Electoral Jolts
by Dick Hall-Sizemore It has long been evident that Henrico County has been changing, both demographically and politically. The results of this week’s elections were the culmination of that long-term trend. The county has a history of continuity in its Board of Supervisors membership with members serving for many years. This year, two long-serving board…
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A Day in the Election Trenches
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I just finished my first stint as an election official. I was surprised by some aspects but, upon retrospect, I should not have been surprised. Voters came in steadily throughout the day, with some backups occurring. The biggest push was between 5:15 and 6:15, when the line was much longer. But it…
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That’s One Way to Cut Down on Health Care Costs
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Just as the Democrats and Republicans get rid of their embarrassments in the Virginia Senate (Joe Morrissey and Amanda Chase, respectively), it appears the Republicans will be electing another one for the House. Following up on a report by The Daily Progress in Charlottesville, Dwayne Yancey reports today in Cardinal News that…
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Musings on Virginia Politics
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Southwest Virginia elections—The folks in the Mt. Rogers region take their politics seriously. Along all those mountain roads are numerous assemblages of campaign signs like the one shown above, although this is small in comparison to some. (You gotta love a candidate nicknamed “Stingy”!) Because the General Assembly seats are, for the…
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A Long Time Ago in a World Far Far Away
by Dick Hall-Sizemore This past weekend I went back in Virginia’s history. Waaaay back. Over a billion years back. The occasion was the 2023 Virginia Geological Field Conference. This is an annual event staged by a group of leading geologists in the state. Attending were faculty members from several institutions, including one community college; geologists…
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List of Wrongly Purged Voter Registrations Gets Larger
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Remember my earlier report on the Youngkin administration cancelling the registrations of voters eligible to vote? These were felons whose voting rights had been restored who had committed a parole violation, which shows up as a felony in the State Police’s official crime database. In mid-October, the state Department of Elections reported…
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Navy Helicopter Pilot Stands Up to MAGA Bullies
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Although I probably disagree with most of her policy stands, if I lived in her district, I would vote for Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-02) solely on the basis of her resistance to elevating Jim Jordan to Speaker of the House of Representatives. She not only voted against Jordan twice, but she supported…
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Making Mischief With Election Law Changes
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Here is a recent tweak in election law that did not get a lot of public attention. Effective January 1, 2024, it will be almost impossible for a political party to use a convention to nominate a candidate for a Congressional district seat. On its face the law still allows a political…
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Capitol Fortress
by Dick Hall-Sizemore With the opening of the new General Assembly Building this month came other reminders of how the world has changed. It was not that long ago that staff and tourists could walk unimpeded into the Capitol building. One could drive into the circle beyond the gate fronting on Grace Street to pick…
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Democrats for Crime Witnesses and Victims
by Dick Hall-Sizemore For those readers of this blog who contend that Democrats and “progressive” prosecutors are fixated on not prosecuting violent criminals and ignoring the needs of witnesses and victims, I have some good news for you. Witness Protection Since 1994 Virginia has had a statute authorizing the Virginia State Police to establish a…
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A Day in Court
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I spent some time today observing proceedings in Henrico County District Court. (No, I was not a defendant.) I recommend the experience to anyone interested in seeing how the criminal justice system works in real life. District court is the venue for hearing traffic offenses and misdemeanors. It also hears more serious…
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A Native Virginian Hero
by Dick Hall-Sizemore A family plot in the cemetery of a church in the Northern Neck completed in 1714 is the final resting place of a Virginia native who was one of the United States’ modern heroes. A highway historic marker caught my eye this weekend while I was exploring the Northern Neck on my…
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Integrity Should Go Both Ways
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Governor Youngkin talks a lot about election integrity. By that, he obviously means keeping people ineligible to vote from voting. However, integrity cuts another way, as well. It means allowing people who are eligible to vote the opportunity to vote. The governor’s Department of Elections (Elections) seems not to worry too much…