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Virginia’s youth can influence policy. Are legislators ready to listen?
By Kayla Bravo This is an important election year in Virginia, where voters will decide who will represent us in the General Assembly. For young voters like me, it’s important that our voices are heard and that our leaders are responsive to our concerns. That starts with our leaders wanting to listen and connect with […]
A healthy lifestyle is vital for aging Virginians
By Chris Henderson As we celebrate Older Americans Month this May, it’s crucial to remember that the health and well-being of our aging population is critical to the well-being of our nation. With people living longer than ever before and America’s large baby boomer population, it’s essential to prioritize overall wellness for aging citizens to […]
Remembering and mourning our foreign partners on Memorial Day
By Jim Jones Beginning with the Revolutionary War, almost 1.4 million Americans have died in our nation’s wars, including about 667,000 killed in combat. We remember, honor and mourn those gallant souls every year on Memorial Day – May 29 this year. Those Americans who have served in or near war zones carry their memories […]
How long is too long for the VEC?
By Lisa D. Dance The pandemic is “officially” over. But, like thousands of other people in Virginia, I’m still waiting to receive my full unemployment benefits from the pandemic. I’m lucky; I can cover my bills. I worry about the people who can’t pay theirs and have waited over a year for the unemployment benefits […]
Justice system reform will improve police accountability
By Alan Davis When a grand jury declined to indict the officer who shot Timothy Johnson last month, the decision was disappointing, but not necessarily surprising. As a retired senior law enforcement officer who’s spent the last decade exploring issues in policing, I know that more than individual bad actors, it is often the broader […]
Ranking candidates will improve Virginia’s primaries
By Robert Melvin Few things bring out the worst in people like political campaigns, and Virginians are bracing themselves for harsh elections between now and November, when all 140 seats of the General Assembly will be on the ballot. Next year’s legislature is already shaping up to be drastically different, with approximately one-third of incumbents […]
How Medicare perpetuates privilege – not equity
By Pamela Price Thanks to Medicare’s top official dodging questions by members of Congress, the fight for equity in American healthcare just suffered a further setback. In late April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, appeared before the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to answer […]
Virginia’s growing statewide trail network needs more effective environmental oversight
By Wally Smith Last month, Virginia’s State Trails Advisory Committee met in Harrisonburg. The Committee’s slate of business included the applicability of environmental laws to the Commonwealth’s recreational trails, with officials hosting discussions about how various water quality regulations apply to trail projects. That discussion has been a long time coming. Trails may not seem high […]
Virginia’s Langley-Eustis base shares toxic PFAS legacy similar to NC’s Camp Lejeune
By Jonathan Sharp For nearly a century, countless service members have been inadvertently placed in harm’s way due to the U.S. military’s negligent use and disposal of chemical hazards on or near its installations. In instances such as North Carolina’s infamous Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, contamination occurred unabated for over three decades. Between 1953 […]
Ahead of D.C. Metro re-automation, WMATA must show greater transparency
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)’s recent announcement of Automatic Train Operation (ATO)’s return represents a fresh start for metro automation. However, this news does not come without safety reservations from the D.C. Metro rider base, and WMATA will need to be more transparent about critical test data to prove the reliability of its […]
Restoration of rights should be automatic
By Duane Edwards and Barbara Harris for Virginia Organizing We want Gov. Glenn Youngkin to bring back the Restoration of Rights process that previous governors of both parties developed over the 13 years before he took office. It was a simple, fluid process that resulted in tens of thousands of returning citizens getting their rights […]
Arlington’s Missing Middle: False promise of affordability
By Anne Bodine for Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future In March 2023, Arlington County became the first jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C. area to abandon low density zoning, which enabled parts of Arlington to develop largely as single-family homes. Arlington’s newly-adopted Missing Middle Housing Plan allows six-plexes to be built on all but the smallest […]