Category: General Assembly
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Hospitals Continue to Cut Labor and Delivery and NICU Services
by James C. Sherlock Virginia and the nation continue to see the results of the baby bust. I wrote yesterday of the baby cliff, the 15% decline in live births that started in the great recession of 2007-09. It continues. And it continues to drive change, much of it not good. I have written here…
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Gender Dysphoria Treatment for Children Needs Some Rules in Virginia
by James C. Sherlock Virginia needs, for the protection of children, parents, and physicians, a law to specify minimum age requirements and require court orders for voluntary medical intervention in child sexual development. When there are physical abnormalities involved, the court can order those treatments as well. On the other hand, I propose a ban…
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Portsmouth: Chaos + Casino = Chaos
by James C. Sherlock Portsmouth has a lot of problems. Look for them to get worse in February when its new casino is scheduled to open. A key thing you need to know about the casino is that it is the realization of Louise Lucas’ vision. Senator Lucas has spent 22 years promoting a casino…
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A Letter to an Old Friend
by James C. Sherlock This article is rendered as a letter responding to an old friend and mentor, the University of Virginia, my alma mater. I can imagine the University’s response to my last article on its culture: The changes we have experienced in the culture of the University, its pervasive progressivism, which some may…
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The Abortion Hypocrisy of Glenn Youngkin
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Governor Youngkin recently told a forum organized by The Family Foundation that life begins at conception. I agree with that statement. He went on to say that he wanted to “protect life.” However, he said that he would be willing to settle for a bill that prohibits abortions after 20 weeks of…
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Virtual Education in K-12 Public Schools – A False and Corrupt Narrative in Virginia
by James C. Sherlock Public employee interests with personal stakes in the outcome are lying by omission in public discussions of virtual schooling in Virginia. Their message was published in Suzanne Munson’s column in the Richmond Times Dispatch on Jun 25th. The VDOE has made a commendable start with online learning through its Virtual Virginia…
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A Mean-Spirited Amendment
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The 2021 General Assembly passed legislation that made students who fall into the “DACA” category (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), sometimes called the “Dreamers,” eligible for in-state tuition at Virginia institutions of higher education. To be eligible for in-state tuition regardless of citizenship or immigration status, an applying student must have: Attended…
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Virginia Strategic Imperatives: Train and Retain More Teachers and Nurses
by James C. Sherlock Governor Glenn Youngkin wants to make a lasting difference in Virginia. He wants to leave it better than he found it. In the years I have been writing about healthcare and education in Virginia, there is a recurring theme in both fields: not enough practitioners; specifically, registered nurses and teachers. I…
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Can Dominion Be Made To Stand Behind Promises?
by Steve Haner First published this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. Second of two articles. In promoting its proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, Dominion Energy Virginia has made many specific projections about its costs and performance. The State Corporation Commission is now being advised to convert one or more…
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Offshore Wind Risks Stressed in SCC Briefs
by Steve Haner First published this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. First of two articles, with the second coming tomorrow. Virginia’s State Corporation Commission has now received a series of legal briefs offering opinions on what steps, under the law, it can take to protect Dominion Energy Virginia consumers from the…
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Highest Need Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in Virginia
by James C. Sherlock Without adequate primary medical, dental and mental health care, people cannot function properly. They often go through life sick and untreated. By “sick” in this case I refer to less well than achievable with proper primary care. Just because there is adequate access to primary care in a particular area does…
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This Year the VRS “Diet COLA” Will Really Hurt
by Steve Haner The most recent year-over-year inflation measure approached 9%, with many key food or energy items growing in cost even faster. The official inflation estimate just used to increase the state’s gasoline taxes as of July 1 was 7%. So what inflation factor will be used to adjust state and local employee pensions…
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Youngkin Now All-In on Offshore Wind
by Steve Haner Governor Glenn Youngkin’s media spokesperson has told the Associated Press that not only is he committed to the current Dominion Energy Virginia offshore wind project, now under State Corporation Commission review, he is also willing to consider additional turbines off Virginia’s coast. The Republican had campaigned a year ago expressing concerns for…
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Dropping? Nope, Gas Tax Now Rises July 1
by Steve Haner Virginia’s gasoline and diesel taxes will rise 7% on July 1, about three more cents per gallon when all the elements of the tax are combined. This is the inflation-driven cost of living adjustment which Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) and most legislative Republicans tried to short circuit, but which was preserved by…
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California Proposing More EV Rules for Virginia
by Steve Haner Virginia’s auto industry overlords in California have a new set of proposed mandates for both electric and internal combustion vehicles which, once adopted, will automatically apply here in the Commonwealth. They do not advance the date for banning the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles earlier than 2035 but do increase…