Category: General Assembly
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Voyeurism Isn’t Good for the Soul (or Politics)
by Shaun Kenney The scandal of the week involving Susanna Gibson is an indictment of our politics. Shame on us all for participating in it. HAMLET Get thee ⟨to⟩ a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it…
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A Race to the Bottom Everywhere
by Kerry Dougherty Great news! Beginning today, members of the U.S. Senate will be indistinguishable from bums. Axios reports that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is “relaxing” the dress code for members, allowing them to be on the floor of the Senate dressed like they’re headed to Walmart. Or rather, like John Fetterman of Pennsylvania who…
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Virginia’s “Runaway” Budget Negotiators
by Derrick A. Max (This column was first published by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy) Fear of commitment is a common theme in Hollywood — where romantic comedies are replete with characters that sidestep long-term commitment primarily out of fear that someone better may come along. Think of Runaway Bride, where Maggie, played…
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Dems Nominated an Online Porn Star for House of Delegates
by Kerry Dougherty I can’t decide which is more shocking: that Virginia Democrats nominated a porn star for the House of Delegates or that The Washington Post committed an act of journalism that hurt a Democrat. Shoot, we know what to expect of Democrats. This news doesn’t register on the political shock-o-meter. What’s truly stunning…
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Sex, Lies and Virginia Law: The Susanna Gibson Case
Republished with permission from the Liberty Unyielding blog. “Susanna Gibson, a House candidate in Virginia, had sex with her husband in live videos posted online and asked viewers to pay them money in return,” notes USA Today. A recent video shows the Democratic candidate for Virginia’s House of Delegates doing sex acts. She allegedly also…
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A Tale of Two Governors
by Kerry Dougherty Why is anyone surprised that the governor of New Mexico has decided that a spike in crime constitutes a public health emergency that warrants suspension of 2nd Amendment rights of the people to carry a firearm? When Americans merrily surrendered their civil rights three years ago during a health emergency, could they…
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Did Assembly Trim Dominion Bills $7-$14? No.
by Steve Haner When the Virginia General Assembly passed a complicated electricity regulation change a few months ago, the Richmond Times-Dispatch parroted as fact this Dominion Energy Virginia claim in a front-page paragraph: The compromise on electric bills — in legislation that passed nearly unanimously — would bring an immediate $6 to $7 cut in…
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How They Spent That Money
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Steve Haner and I unofficially tag-team on the state budget. Fittingly, he covers the revenues (taxes) and I cover the spending. Regarding the revenues available for spending, it is notable what was missing from the presentations by the Governor and Secretary of Finance in their appearances before the money committees last month.…
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When Did the RTD Become TMZ?
by Shaun Kenney The Richmond Times-Dispatch was given a clip of David Owen — Republican candidate for House of Delegates — where he tells an audience of like-minded souls that he is, indeed, pro-life. Charlotte Rene Woods over at the RTD decides to do the work of Democratic campaign operatives in what could only be…
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Youngkin’s Partial Tax Wins are Still Impressive
By Steve Haner First published this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) and the legislators of both parties who have given him at least some of the tax reforms he asked for need to stop being shy and take a real victory lap. He has been in office…
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“School’s Closed Today! It’s the Law”
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Now that two of my grandchildren are in public school, rather than being home-schooled, I am more attuned to what is going on in public school. Last Friday, I was in Northern Virginia visiting them because they were off from school. Although I was happy to get the extra time with them,…
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POLLS: Inflation Top Issue; Virginians Reject Democrats’ Position on Abortion
by Shaun Kenney New polling data from Founders Insight reveal that 24% of Virginians are putting inflation as their top concern heading into the November elections, with abortion coming in at 15% and split between Democrats and Republicans. To make matters worse for Virginia Democrats, a summer spent pushing abortion rights has backfired spectacularly, as…
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Legislature Moves To Fill Power Vacuum It Created
By Steve Haner State Senator Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, showed today that he had something which the State Corporation Commission now lacks – a quorum. Surovell and the other legislators will gather in Richmond tomorrow to address the state budget but are expected once again to fail to fill the two vacancies on that vital…
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Winsome Earle-Sears Makes the Case in Roanoke
by Scott Dreyer On a late summer Thursday evening at the Vinton War Memorial Senior Center, the Roanoke County GOP met for a fundraiser barbecue dinner to support Sen. David Suetterlein’s fall campaign and to fire up the room full of party faithful. Following the meal, several people on the ballot this fall introduced themselves…
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The Virginia State Budget and the Rising Costs of Registered Nurses
by James C. Sherlock I was asked yesterday by a reader about the relationship between nursing homes, rising registered nurse salaries and the new Virginia budget agreement. Good questions. Virginia’s workforce includes nearly 70,000 registered nurses. The state pays its workers, but it also pays its Medicaid share for private sector nurses. Pay for private…