Share
In a Tom DeLay, Texas-style move, Republicans in the Virginia State Senate redrew the legislative district lines without public notice or involvement. This action in the 20-20 divided body came on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday when Democratic Senator Henry Marsh, who is one of Virginia’s most prominent civil rights leaders, was away attending President Obama’s inauguration.
Share
Why is it that some of Virginia’s urban politicians show so little respect for the citizens of our rural counties? I refer to State Sens. Dick Saslaw (D) of Springfield and John Watkins (R) of Midlothian, who have co-sponsored a bill (SB 1341) before the General Assembly that would override local authority over the siting of commercial wind energy projects. They follow in the footsteps of State Senator Frank Wagner (R) of Virginia Beach, who for years has worked on behalf of corporate wind and against the interests of rural communities.
Share
Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) on Wednesday released the following statement after voting in favor of the “No Budget No Pay Act”:
Share
It took a minute for me to realize it. The State Senate voted 20-19 in a party-line vote on Monday made possible by the one-day absence of State Sen. Henry Marsh to attend the presidential inauguration to redraw Senate district lines. Ostensibly the move was done to increase the number of majority African-American districts, but go figure, the plan adopted by the Senate GOP also created more Republican-friendly Senate districts. This is what it took me a minute to realize: my own state senator, Emmett Hanger, had to have voted for the plan for it to have passed.
Share
The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, led by Chairman State Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), voted on Friday to defeat legislation offered by State Sen. Mark Herring (Loudoun & Fairfax) to improve voter access to the polls in Virginia.
Share
The 2013 Session of the Virginia General Assembly is moving rapidly toward the crossover, the date when each house has to finish work on its respective bills. The short, 46-day session does not leave much time for delay or maneuver. Things move fast, and many issues of importance have already come up for debate.
Share
The Senate Democratic Caucus announced its legislative priorities and agenda for the 2013 Session on Tuesday.
Share
The 2013 General Assembly session convenes at noon on Wednesday, January 9. Tracing its beginnings to the colonists meeting in the church at Jamestown to conduct their common business, the General Assembly is the oldest continuous legislative body in the western hemisphere.
Share
The ACLU of Virginia on Thursday praised Gov. Bob McDonnell for his remarks during last night’s State of the Commonwealth address in which he showed support for legislation that would automatically restore civil rights for nonviolent offenders.
Share
For me, the arrival of a new year means just one thing: the legislative session is just around the corner! To some degree, trying to predict what will happen in session is a fool’s errand: there’s always an issue that throws everyone for a loop or a seemingly minor bill that looms large by session’s end. But while I can’t profess to tell you exactly what session has in store, it’s at least possible to offer a brief sketch of what to watch for and what to expect.
Our content is free to read, but we do have bills to pay. Pitch in and help us keep the community informed.