Author
Virginia should follow through on ending prison gerrymandering
By Kenneth Donovan In June 1787, shortly after James Madison introduced his Virginia Plan for a legislature under the new Constitution, the deliberations hit a snag. A question arose as to whether slaves were to be counted for the sake of representation. With southerners advocating their inclusion to some degree the convention delegates settled on […]
Augusta farmers want to implement conservation practices
By Bradley Dunsmore As the second largest agricultural county in Virginia, our farmers’ livelihoods are dependent on the land. They want to do everything in their power to implement conservation practices that protect their land and the Chesapeake Bay. For years, our farmers have voluntarily installed conservation practices that are making a difference in meeting […]
The Clean Economy Act is a bunch of bologna: Feed us the Green New Deal.
By Mara Robbins In April of 2018, after re-supply to Red and Minor Terry’s tree sits had been prevented by law enforcement for over a week, it was decided that they would be fed bologna sandwiches twice a day. The officers assigned to hold them captive with 24-hour surveillance retrieved these “meals” from the Roanoke […]
At session’s midpoint, unprecedented progress on climate, clean energy
By Michael Town In previous years, the midpoint of session was a time when we had a long list of missed opportunities, when we mourned all the good legislation to protect the environment that had died at the General Assembly and when we refocused our attention on the handful of good bills still alive. This […]
Central Virginia Transportation Authority: recipe for more sprawl and traffic?
By Stewart Schwartz With all the attention given to the controversial Coliseum-Navy Hill project, another major tax issue has been flying under the radar screen. HB1541 passed the House of Delegates and is before the Senate. The bill would establish a Central Virginia Transportation Authority and raise taxes by 2.1% on wholesale fuels (7.6 cents […]
Let’s rethink the immigration debate
By Unni Kirandumkara This month, Americans began the process of selecting the next president of the United States. The Iowa caucuses kicked off Feb. 3, and Super Tuesday will be here before we know it. As Virginians consider who to vote for, we need to start thinking smarter about immigration. That’s especially true in Richmond, where […]
Why Virginia needs the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan
By Jenny Oren Driving down a country road winding through the countryside of eastern Virginia, I see my home in a new light: a valuable area with high ecological value, with land for people to enjoy and for wildlife to call home. It makes me wonder why there aren’t more areas like this, both in […]
Why are Virginia Democrats using their majority to undermine the ACA?
By Timothy Stoltzfus Jost Like many Virginia Democrats, I worked hard to elect Democrats last fall and rejoiced when we flipped both the House of Delegates and Senate. Like many Virginia voters, high among my priorities was protecting Virginians from President Trump’s attacks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I am thus disappointed to see […]
Virginia Senate should support rail innovation, not freeze it
By Ian Jefferies The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill last month (HB 440) that would mandate all freight railroads to operate with two people in the cab of a locomotive now and forever. The bill heads to the Senate after crossover Wednesday, and while legislators in the state’s upper chamber may be tempted […]
Support excluding cattle from streams
By Bobby Whitescarver Farmers with 20 cows or more would have to exclude cattle from perennial streams. That’s the purpose of two bills moving through the General Assembly — SB704 and HB1422. I am a cattle farmer in Augusta County and I support these bills. I gaze down at the river flowing through our farm. […]
Protect Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act
By Terry White I attended the State of the Union on Tuesday as Sen. Mark Warner’s invited guest. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I am grateful for the opportunity. I never expected to be in a room with the most powerful people in our government; however, it also helped me realize we need more […]
Payday and car title loans need reform
By Rabbi Gary S. Creditor When my wife and I applied for our first credit card, I waited with trepidation until it arrived. By the time we applied for our first car loan I had no doubt that we would be approved. When we applied for our home mortgage, I was also certain, but amazed […]