Legislating in troubled times
Column by State Del. Ken Plum
www.kenplum.com
Thomas Jefferson referred to the orderly transfer of power in government as a “bloodless revolution.” Such a revolution occurred in Mr. Jefferson’s Virginia last week as Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine ended his constitutionally-limited one term, and former delegate and Attorney General Robert McDonnell took the oath of office as governor last Saturday.
Overshadowing the personality and philosophical differences in the two men are the troubled times during which the transfer of power occurred. Virginia’s statewide economic indicators are at the worst levels since the Great Depression. There is little solace in realizing that some regions of the Commonwealth are doing better than others and that Virginia is doing better than most states. The state legislature must be concerned about the state as a whole. Read more
Charter school debate
Column by Ken Plum
www.kenplum.com
Among the topics that are likely to be fiercely debated this legislative session are revisions to Virginia’s charter-school law. The Center for Education Reform, advocates for expanding charter schools, recently gave Virginia a failing grade on its charter school law (www.charterschoolresearch.com). An idea of what the Center feels is appropriate charter school legislation can be gleaned from the fact that it gave the District of Columbia along with Minnesota and California an “A” grade. Read more
The Speaker of the House
Column by Ken Plum
www.kenplum.com
On January 12, 1978, the second day of business in the House of Delegates, Speaker John Warren Cooke rapped the session to order and called on the Gentleman from Fairfax, Mr. Plum, for purposes of a motion. I heard my name called, and I was petrified. It was my second day as a member of the state legislature. I could feel my face turning red as the eyes of the 99 other members of the House were fixed on me. As I slowly rose to my feet, the Speaker saved me by saying that Mr. Plum moves that we dispense with the reading of the journal. Read more
Focus | Does Virginia’s state-budget process make sense?
House Speaker weighs in
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The Kaine administration is hard at work putting together a proposed two-year budget for state lawmakers to review in the upcoming 2010 General Assembly session.
Anybody see what might be wrong with this picture? The big thing is that Tim Kaine won’t be governor next year, and the man replacing him, Bob McDonnell, has a decidedly different view on budgeting to the Kaine view.
Another big issue: “Many of the people who are putting together the budget in the Kaine administration are leaving. You have to wonder, What’s your motivation if you’re a political appointee, and you’re leaving? You lose in the implementation,” said Chris Saxman, himself a lame duck of sorts after deciding this summer to step down from his 20th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates at the end of his current term in January. Read more
House panel drops inquiry into Hamilton
Story by Chris Graham
The investigation by a House of Delegates panel into the actions of former State Del. Phil Hamilton relative to a job at Old Dominion University created through state funds that he had pushed for in the General Assembly came to an end this month when the panel decided that it had no jurisdiction over the matter once Hamilton resigned his House seat. Read more
Focus | Howell: ‘Get back to our core values’
Story by Chris Graham
It’s like the dog that barks at cars passing by on the street.
“One stopped. We got it. What do we do with it now?” House Speaker Bill Howell quipped, referring to the special prize that Virginia Republicans get for winning the Nov. 3 state elections – in the form of another estimated $3 billion state-budget shortfall to deal with, not to mention what we all hope is the tail end of a recession that’s gone on for nearly two years now.
Howell, in an interview today with VirginiaPoliticsToday.com, thinks the GOP is ready to manage the state government through the continuing tough times. Read more
State-written history
Posted by afp on December 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Column by Ken Plum
www.kenplum.com
That is why I entered a master in education program at the University of Virginia where I was placed as an intern teacher in Fairfax County in 1967. My teaching of United States and Virginia history was at a pivotal time in the teaching of history. The civil-rights movement that was having an impact on society generally was also having an influence on the teaching of history. Read more
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