Legislating in troubled times

Ken Plum

   Column by State Del. Ken Plum www.kenplum.com Thomas Jefferson referred to the orderly transfer of power in government as a “bloodless revolution.” Such a revolution occurred in Mr. Jefferson’s Virginia last week as Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine ended his constitutionally-limited one term, and former delegate and Attorney General Robert McDonnell took the oath…

Democrats introduce ethics reforms

AFP

   Staff Report News tips: [email protected] Democrats from the House of Delegates and Senate joined together today to unveil omnibus legislation reforming Virginia’s Conflicts of Interest statute. The legislation was introduced in response to the ethical problems of former lawmaker and ranking Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee, Phil Hamilton, revealed last year. Hamilton…

Hurt, Verga release fundraising numbers

Chris Graham

    Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Fifth District Republican congressional-nomination candidates Robert Hurt and Laurence Verga released their campaign-fundraising numbers for the most recent financial quarter on Thursday, and based on the numbers the two appear to be on quite the collision course heading into the June party primary. Hurt, a state senator representing the Danville…

Moore joins London’s UVa. football staff

Chris Graham

  Staff Report UVa. sports: www.virginiasports.com Virginia head football coach Mike London announced former UVa. great Shawn Moore has joined the Cavalier football coaching staff. He becomes the seventh member of London’s staff. His specific position assignment will be announced at a future date. “Shawn Moore is perhaps one of the most recognizable faces in…

The Rant | Watch what you say

Chris Graham

   Video Essay by Chris Graham [email protected] You’d better watch what you say in Waynesboro, where the City Council doesn’t mind hearing from local citizens as long as it decides that what you have to say meets its approval. Funny thing, free speech, editor Chris Graham says in today’s Rant. It’s either free, or it’s…

Webb and Warner owe Virginians an apology

AFP

   Column by Mark Obenshain www.markobenshain.com On Christmas Eve, while most Virginians prepared to celebrate with family and friends, Virginia’s two senators quietly broke faith with the Commonwealth, voting for the Obama health-care bill. In addition to adding an estimated 261,927 people to Virginia’s Medicaid rolls, Sens. Webb and Warner abjectly committed Virginians to help…

The right to vote

AFP

Groups urge Kaine to restore voting rights for ex-felons Staff Report News Tips: [email protected] Ten Virginia civil-rights and faith-based groups have joined together to ask Gov. Tim Kaine to issue an executive order that would restore voting rights to most or all of Virginia’s 300,000 individuals who are being denied the right to vote because…

Focus | Morton: A ‘principled conservative’

Chris Graham

Fifth District GOP candidate builds support toward run for party nod Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The Fifth District is a living laboratory to Fluvanna County biology teacher Feda Morton, a veteran Republican Party activist seeking the GOP nomination to run for Congress in the Fifth. All Morton has to do over the course of…