Tag: Ken Plum
Ken Plum: Mental health advances
Virginia has the distinction of having had the first mental health hospital in the country although it was called an insane asylum.
Ken Plum: Sense of impending change in Virginia General Assembly
Nearly two hours of the reconvened session of the House of Delegates were taken up last week by speeches from retiring members.
Ken Plum: Education to save our democracy
The genius of Mr. Jefferson was the recognition that a republic could be successful only to the degree that people were educated.
Ken Plum: Virginia will lose under TrumpCare
Explanation of the recently announced American Health Care Act usually starts with an expressed need to clean up the Obamacare mess.
Virginia reputation as a gun-running state returns
A headline in The New York Times in 1992 proclaimed that “Virginia Aims to Shed Image as a ‘Handgun Supermarket.”’
Ken Plum: Balancing the budget
The fact is that the budget is adjusted at every session of the General Assembly.
Ken Plum: How a bill does not become a law in Virginia
Most people can remember the flowchart from high school civics class that graphically showed how a bill becomes a law.
Ken Plum: At the half 2017
The 2017 session of the General Assembly that got underway on January 11 is barreling ahead towards its midpoint of February 7.
Ken Plum: Diversity in the legislature
Legislatures are about the serious work of governance even though they are often the brunt of jokes and criticism.
Ken Plum: Charles Colgan was role model for leadership
Former Sen. Charles Colgan passed away earlier this month. He retired a year ago as the longest-serving State Senator in Virginia history.
Ken Plum: A look at the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session
At noon on January 11 the sergeant at arms will enter the chamber of the House of Delegates carrying a 20-pound, 24-karat gold coated mace.
Ken Plum: What do I do now?
The most frequent question I have gotten from friends and constituents in recent weeks has been, What do I do now that the election is over?
Ken Plum: Civics education
While I enjoy studying history and reading the stories of the past, I equally enjoy studying the writing of history – historiography.
Ken Plum: Condition of public schools in Virginia
The State Board of Education recently released its 2016 Annual Report on the Condition and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia.
Ken Plum: To be a delegate
The National Conference of State Legislatures sponsors a “Legislators Back to School Day” each year.
Ken Plum: Opioid epidemic in Virginia
In 2014 for the first time on record fatal drug overdoses became the most common cause of accidental death in the Commonwealth.
Ken Plum: Remembering our rights
During the week following the national presidential election I attended two lectures on George Mason the man.
Ken Plum: Making high school more meaningful
High schools are largely operated under an industrial model that has not changed in a 100 years even though the world has undergone major changes.
Ken Plum: Accepting the outcome
My lack of success in my two first attempts to be elected to office was disappointing, but I understood the uphill challenge.
Ken Plum: My 2016 election picks
Voters in the 36th legislative district that I represent will receive my annual voting guide in their mailboxes this week.
Ken Plum: Vote no on right to work ballot question
On the ballot on Election Day is constitutional amendment question one that would put the state right to work law into the constitution.
Ken Plum: Cyber security
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month as designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Ken Plum: Virginia extremes
Native Virginian and long-time advocate August Wallmeyer is providing a real service to the people of the Commonwealth.
Chesapeake Bay: Barometer of the environment
John Smith’s visit around the Chesapeake Bay highlighted the wealth of forests, wildlife and sea life the new land offered.
Ken Plum: A danger to our way of governing
My parents knew of my interest in politics and government from the time I started school.
