Crossover: Dems Repubs offer views on ’12 GA session

Contributors

At a press conference in Richmond on Thursday, members of the House and Senate Democratic caucuses stood together to denounce the dozens of extreme, divisive bills passed over the first month of session. Republican leaders then responded with a press event aimed at highlighting what they termed their “positive reform agenda.” “Republicans are so focused…

Creigh Deeds: Session report

Creigh Deeds

We are near the crossover of the 2012 session.  The session has moved by rapidly though many of the big issues remain unresolved.  We are no closer on a budget compromise today than we were when the session started.  We are still looking at a budget that makes deep cuts in human services, underfunds K-12…

Ken Plum: Shortchanging the education of our children

Ken Plum

Last week I addressed the House of Delegates to express concern that Gov. McDonnell’s proposed budget short changes the education of our children (http://youtu.be/-VbOv_uJXOU). While the governor is claiming to provide about 500 million new dollars for public education, school boards and superintendents around the Commonwealth are talking about the cuts in programs and teachers…

Wayne Theatre Alliance to receive tourism marketing grant

Chris Graham

The Virginia Tourism Corporation has awarded the Wayne Theatre Alliance a $5000 grant  through the Virginia Tourism Corporation Fall 2011 Marketing Leverage Program. WTA was one of 35 local tourism entries from throughout Virginia who were awarded grants. The grants from the Virginia Tourism Corporation are designed to assist local and regional tourism entities to…

Hultzen makes significant donation to UVa. baseball program

Chris Graham

Danny Hultzen, a former three-time All-American at Virginia and currently a pitcher in the Seattle Mariners’ organization, has made a $100,000 commitment to the baseball program for improvements to UVa’s Davenport Field. Hultzen was selected second overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Mariners. “I am thrilled and honored to contribute back to the…

Consumer groups comment on GA’s health exchange gamble

Contributors

On Wednesday the Senate special subcommittee on health insurance failed to recommend any health exchange bills despite previously acknowledging the irresponsibility of waiting and denying months of work from the governor’s hand-selected health reform panel. Subcommittee Chair Sen. Jeffrey McWaters moved to wait until after the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the constitutionality of…

Health District receives recognition

Contributors

As local health departments nationwide strive to protect the public from new and infectious diseases, bioterrorism, natural disasters, and other public health threats, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has recognized the Central Shenandoah Health District for its ability to respond to public health emergencies. The Central Shenandoah Health District met…

Warner, Webb urge Obama administration to select Mid-Atlantic region as test range for unmanned aircraft systems

Chris Graham

U.S. Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) on Wednesday sent a joint letter to the Secretaries of Defense, Transportation and the NASA Administrator urging them to select the Virginia/Maryland region to host an Unmanned Aircraft Systems test range. The Senators pointed out that UAS design and testing…