Tag: Virginia General Assembly
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An Open Letter to Sen. Louise Lucas About Funding New Richmond Schools
Editor’s note: Paul Goldman, a Richmond attorney and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, asked us to publish the letter below, which he sent last week to state Sen. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, a fellow Democrat who serves as president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate. As of today, Sen. Lucas has not…
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Breaking Virginia’s Energy Impasse
by Bill O’Keefe With the two chambers of the General Assembly politically divided, there is no hope for a bipartisan compromise on changing the Virginia Clean Economy Act. Without change, we are stuck with a radical energy policy that will enrich Dominion and leave consumers holding the bag. VCEA will stand as a monument to…
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Poof! 21 Retirements and 363 Years of Combined Service. So Far.
by Chris Saxman Here’s a General Assembly Retirement Tracker with estimated years of service: Retirements thus far – 7 Senators and 14 Delegates. Combined years of service? 363. I’m putting the Over/Under at 30 members of the General Assembly and 480 years of service that will not return next year. So far not returning: Senator…
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Virginians Deserve Better
by Kerry Dougherty Word of warning to Virginia State Senate Democrats: paybacks are hell. Your gleeful construction of a “brick wall of resistance” to the governor who was elected by the majority of Virginians may come back to crush you. Maybe not this year. Or next. But eventually you’ll be back where you belong —…
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Del. Chris Head Calls for Controversial Judge Adrianne Bennett to Resign
by Scott Dreyer In a bold move, Valley legislator Del. Chris Head (R-Botetourt/Roanoke) has called on controversial judge Adrianne Bennett to resign her position. Bennett was formerly the Chair of the Virginia State Parole Board. During March and April 2020, when most people were distracted if not paralyzed by fear from the new Covid pandemic,…
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Virginia Senate Approves Early-Release Bill for Many Inmates
by Hans Bader The Virginia Senate has voted 24 to 15 to approve SB 842, the so-called “second look” bill. If it becomes law, inmates who have been in prison for 15 years or more could ask to be released, or ask for a reduction in their sentences. Originally, the bill applied to inmates of…
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Virginia Dems Loathe No-Parole Laws
by Kerry Dougherty What do you do if you’re a soft-on-crime Democrat legislator in a no-parole commonwealth? You get creative. You find ways around the no-parole law that took effect back in the mid-1990s when Virginia was experiencing a crime wave similar to the one sweeping parts of the commonwealth now. Democrats in the State Senate…