Updates from The Hill

Chris Graham

Wednesday, July 29 – Perriello joins Dairy Farmers Caucus – HUD grants approved for affordable rental housing in Virginia Tuesday, July 28 – Warner hosts broadband summit – Perriello bill to extend medical benefits to people who care for disabled vets passes Monday, July 27 – Perriello discuss progress on legislation to protect D-Day Memorial

VDOT announces first wave of layoffs

Chris Graham

The Virginia Department of Transportation today began giving first notices of a pending layoff to approximately 600 employees as part of a plan to reduce staffing to 7,500 full-time employees by July 2010. Learn more about the reduction from a Monday-morning teleconference in which Commissioner Dave Ekern explains the rationale behind the job cuts and…

What does Curren need to do?

Chris Graham

There were no polls, as one of the candidates for the Republican Party nomination in the 20th, Dickie Bell, famously tried to assert upon the departure of State Del. Chris Saxman from the 20th District race two weeks ago, but conventional wisdom would have had Saxman ahead of Democrat Erik Curren if there had been…

Breaking down the race for the 20th GOP nomination

Chris Graham

The 20th District Republican Party nomination is Dickie Bell’s to lose, just as it appeared this time last week in the hours after Chris Saxman’s stunning announcement that he was dropping out of the race. Bell is an ideal candidate in more ways than one. The 62-year-old moderate is in his fourth term on Staunton…

Dueling cross-party endorsements

Chris Graham

Republicans for Deeds. A prominent Democrat for McDonnell. The fight for the center is on. “Eighteen years ago, I came to Richmond as a freshman delegate with both Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell,” former Roanoke Republican State Sen. Brandon Bell said this week at the launch of what is formally known as Virginians for Deeds,…