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The State Senate voted 21-19 on Tuesday to pass an amended version of legislation mandating that women seeking abortions in Virginia first undergo an otherwise medically unnecessary ultrasound procedure. Critics called the original version of the legislation, which had mandated an invasive transvaginal ultrasound be performed, “state rape.” State Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, called the…
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Del. Dickie Bell and his criticism of area teachers showing solidarity for better education is a prime example of all that is wrong in Virginia government. There was a time when Bell, a former educator, worked for the benefit of area youth through teaching and coaching. I can only assume that his current attack on…
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Adjournment of the 2012 Session of the General Assembly, scheduled for March 10, is rapidly approaching, and we are in totally uncharted waters. The Senate versions of the caboose budget bill that covers the remainder of the current fiscal year and the budget bill for the 2012-2014 biennium have been defeated in the Senate. The…
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Republicans in the United State Senate have used arcane legislative rules to their advantage the past two years to fight from the minority anything substantive that Democrats want to do from coming to fruition. Republicans in Virginia are now crying foul that their Democratic counterparts are riding an arcane rule related to the 20-20 split…
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American consumers pay more than 17 percent of their annual national income on health care, roughly two times more than comparable Western democracies – with measured outcomes in the range of some Third World countries. Andy Schmookler is among those who has a problem with this dichotomy. “I was brought up to believe that one…
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Around 1:45 pm on February 10, the governor of Virginia addressed W&L’s Mock Convention. Thirty minutes later, the governor concluded his remarks and headed to inspect the new Devils Backbone Brewing Company on US 11. As he descended the stage steps, the attorney general of Virginia was preparing his climb to address the convention –…
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A few months back, Barack Obama’s chances of being re-elected were about as good as the UVa. basketball team’s chances of getting an NCAA Tournament invite. And now … they’re much better. But things change.
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On the final day for House bills to be considered before crossing over to the Senate, Republicans capped their divisive social-issue agenda by passing the physically intrusive HB462. The measure, sponsored by Del. Kathy Byron (R-Bedford), mandates women have an ultrasound performed – which includes the transvaginal procedure that requires a device to be inserted…
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The Virginia House of Delegates voted Monday to advance HB1, a bill that confers legal “personhood” at the moment of conception. Without a subcommittee hearing, the bill emerged from the full Courts of Justice Committee late Friday night – the last possible time for new legislation to be considered during the current session. “Yet another…
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It may be fleeting, but Rick Santorum is riding a wave of enthusiasm about victories in presidential contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado earlier in the week to a big lead for the Republican Party nomination in a new national poll. A Public Policy Polling survey released on Saturday has Santorum with the support of…
