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Virginia was one of the first states to use an electric voting machine as a way for legislators to cast their votes without the need to call the name of all 100 delegates and 40 senators and having them “voice vote.” Beginning in 1964 Virginia installed an electric voting board with member names and red…
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A legislative session is filled with tough choices. Allocating scarce resources in the budget presents difficult choices that have been discussed many times in this column. This legislative session has been presented the choice by the Governor of taking money from the general fund that supports public schools, police, and mental health programs and others…
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A House of Delegates subcommittee on Friday struck from its docket a bill to authorize Virginia’s secretive Fusion Center to expand its scope from collecting information on terrorist threats to also collecting data on ordinary crimes. The ACLU of Virginia had led an effort to publicly oppose the bill, saying that a heavily criticized 2009…
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A key part of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to get Virginia transportation moving would rededicate a portion of sales-tax revenues from the pot of money used to fund schools and public safety to roads projects in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. McDonnell said today that he will back legislation to move about $140 million a…
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The ACLU of Virginia has agreed to represent Mo Karn, a member of a local anarchist group, who received notice earlier this week that Richmond City Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood is seeking a court order to compel the return of documents she obtained through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and to prohibit her…
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Seventy-three grants, worth more than $3.1 million, have been awarded by the Criminal Justice Services Board to support programs to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence, protect children from Internet predators, and improve criminal justice services throughout the Commonwealth. Five localities that participate in one of the two Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces…
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Two thousand and ten was a very good year. With a few adjustments here and there, mainly here, 2011 will be an even better year. Here are the adjustments: – My friends (both of them) drop Facebook so that we can start talking again face-to-face. And their cellphones are banned, except when talking to me….
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Housing affordability is a critical challenge throughout Virginia—a challenge heightened by the recent recession and continuing economic turmoil, as well as problems with transportation and sprawl development, according to a report released today by Housing Virginia and the Southern Environmental Law Center. In addition to examining these problems, the organizations outline a range of practical,…
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When I come to the second of three amendments to the Virginia constitution on next Tuesday’s ballot, I hope I don’t punch a hole in the machine when I vote “No.” This proposal aims to help disabled veterans by exempting them from property tax. How could anyone oppose so worthy, so charitable a goal for…
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Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today that the Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend acceptance of the federally-issued Employment Authorization Document (I-766) as proof of legal presence in the United States, a condition of obtaining a driver’s license or identification card in Virginia. The action, according to the governor’s office, is the result of concerns over…
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