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What ‘second look’ legislation means to incarcerated individuals in Virginia
By Quadaire Patterson Right now, as an incarcerated person in Virginia, I do not have a lot of options when it comes to obtaining any form of relief from a lengthy prison sentence – and it’s definitely not based on my own willingness to rehabilitate. Incarcerated people are housed for years and years with little […]
Whether up in smoke or down the toilet, missing presidential records are a serious concern
By Shannon Bow O’Brien We may never get to the bottom of whether Donald Trump flushed documents down a White House toilet. “Fake story,” says the former president. “100 percent accurate,” retorts a reporter. But even without having to unclog plumbing in search of missing papers, national archivists have their work cut out trying to […]
What I learned from watching more than 500 Jan. 6 videos
By Quentin Young I recently watched hundreds of videos from the Jan. 6 insurrection. Many of the stark moments from the attack on the U.S. Capitol are well-known — the battle at the west terrace tunnel, the shooting of rioter Ashli Babbitt, the desecration of the Senate chamber. But nothing provides the kind of granular […]
Bill to strip state environmental boards of permitting authority is a big mistake
By Shelton Miles There are not many tree huggers in my part of the commonwealth, but there are huge numbers of fishermen, canoeists, boaters and waterfront property owners who see the citizen members of the State Water Control Board as the forum for a fair hearing and securing minimal environmental protections that the Department of […]
Youngkin’s education email hotline is unwarranted step backwards
By Amanda Creasey Back in December, I stood in front of 13 high school students. One had failed my class the year before. But on this day, he sat in the front row, a copy of Zora Neale Hurston’s”Their Eyes Were Watching God,” in his hands. His shoulders shook with laughter as he read. In […]
Why voter suppression probably won’t work
By Alan Abramowitz Former President Donald Trump and his political allies continue to push baseless allegations of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election more than a year after Joe Biden’s inauguration. Largely in response to those allegations, Republican state legislatures around the country have enacted dozens of laws intended to tighten identification requirements, limit […]
Expanding optometric scope of practice will improve health care delivery
By Dr. Lisa Gontarek In his Feb. 4 opinion piece, “Eye surgery should be left to the experts,” Dr. Michael Keverline blurred the lines of reality regarding critical legislation that will help Virginians see more clearly. During this year’s General Assembly, legislators are considering optometry legislation to allow Virginia’s optometrists to perform three in-office laser […]
Eye surgery should be left to the experts
By Dr. Michael Keverline: In recent years, Virginia lawmakers have reviewed many proposals that would expand certain health care providers’ “scope of practice.” That term refers to the level of care a health care provider can offer, based on education, training, experience and state law. Scope rules prohibit your primary care doctor, for example, from […]
Support health care for every child in Virginia
By Matt Van de Graaf and Elizabeth Beverly Among the hundreds of bills the 2022 General Assembly is considering are Senate Bill 484 and House Bill 1012. These bills would establish a program that ensures access to health insurance for all children who call Virginia home, regardless of immigration status. It is crucial that Virginia […]
Reject anti-abortion legislation in the General Assembly
By Ashleigh Crocker Earlier this month we celebrated the 49th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision. This landmark decision paved the way for people all across the country to access abortion and decide whether and when to become a parent for themselves. From the moment the decision came down, conservatives worked […]
Governing isn’t the same as campaigning
By David Toscano As a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton in 2016, I was deeply disappointed when she lost. But I also believe in the peaceful transition of power, and even had a bit of optimism that Donald Trump, because of his independent streak, might do some positive things for the country. Boy was I […]
Existing Virginia landfills and gas operations should face renewed scrutiny
By Beth Kreydatus In recent years, residents of Charles City County have been battered by two massive gas plant proposals, proposed pipeline projects and most recently, the proposed expansion of the landfill owned by Waste Management into previously approved, but not yet permitted, trash cells. This landfill dominates the county landscape in many ways. As […]