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Governor’s office seeks legislation to replace Lee statue at U.S. Capitol
Gov. Ralph Northam’s office says he will push for legislation creating a process to replace a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol in Washington. “This is something the governor and his team have been working on for several months,” said a spokeswoman for Northam, […]
The Weekender: our round-up of Virginia opinion
Mercury commentary ICYMI: Roger Chesley noted that statesmen like former Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner are in short supply in the modern GOP of Trump. In a guest column, Northwestern University professor Steven Lubet reminds us that senators aren’t really jurors in impeachment trials. Bob Lewis bids good riddance to a Virginia law likely to […]
The Weekender: Gun sanctuaries; ‘Rumors of War’; Redistricting; the GOP and the Donner Party and more
The weekender: Our round-up of Virginia opinion. Mercury commentary ICYMI: In a guest op-ed, Kim Bobo, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, looked forward to the policy balance in traditionally pro-business Virginia shifting back toward workers during this General Assembly session. Mercury columnist Bob Lewis explored how much the “Second Amendment sanctuary” push […]
Virginia improves in national health report ranking
Virginia was among three states that showed marked improvement in public health from 2018 to 2019, according to a report by a national health nonprofit that ranks states based on a host of factors. The commonwealth’s rank rose from 20th to 15th, joining Alaska and Wyoming as the only states to improve by five spots. […]
The Weekender: Virginia opinions
Our round-up of commentary from around Virginia: Mercury commentary you might have missed: Ivy Main reminded readers about why biomass isn’t a great deal for power customers and the environment. Guest columnist Bobby Vassar warned Democrats against succumbing to gerrymandering temptation. And I had some thoughts on law-abiding gun owners who won’t abide any new gun laws. Speaking of “Second Amendment […]
‘Law-abiding’ gun owners say they won’t abide any new laws
The irony is lost on them, apparently. For years, as they successfully argued to block new gun restrictions in the GOP-controlled General Assembly, gun rights groups talked about the horrific injustice that would be perpetrated on “law-abiding” gun owners by the passage of any new gun law, including the onerous imposition that they be required […]
The Weekender: our round-up of opinion from across Virginia
Mercury commentary ICYMI: Bob Lewis delved into whether Democrats will stick to the plan on a new redistricting commission to thwart gerrymandering or abandon it now that they have the keys to castle in 2021. Roger Chesley drew disappointing parallels between the the pair of gun-related reports released earlier this month: one on the mass […]
Report: As admissions surge, some state mental hospitals are understaffed, lack overtime policies
At a time when involuntary admissions to state mental hospitals are spiking, a review by state inspectors found that nearly half of the state’s 13 facilities do not have an approved policy that limits hours or consecutive days of overtime for increasingly overworked nurses and other staff. The report also says more than half of […]
The Weekender: a round-up of opinion and commentary from across Virginia
The Weekender: a round-up of opinion and commentary from across Virginia In Mercury commentary you might have missed, Bob Lewis noted that Virginia is increasingly looking more like two states than one because of growing “economic, cultural and demographic differences.” Guest columnist Irène Mathieu, a pediatrician, listed the risks of the proposed Cumberland County mega landfill […]
The Weekender: post-election edition
The Weekender: a round-up of opinion and commentary across Virginia The aftermath: Tuesday saw a seismic election for Virginia, giving Democrats full control of state government for the first time since 1993. Commentary on what it means and what comes next dominated opinion pages in the ensuing days. From the Mercury: My thoughts on the big […]
Northam: How do you like me now?
What a world of a difference nine months and an election make. In February, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam was fighting for his political life, with the blackface revelation and his less-than-inspiring response prompting widespread calls for his resignation from many in his party, which captured control of the General Assembly Tuesday for the first time […]
Virginia voters head to the polls today to decide control of the Capitol
After all the ugly mailers, the deluge of money and the nonstop loop of nasty attack ads, Election Day is here. Virginia voters will elect all 140 members of the General Assembly today, with Republicans hoping to defend razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate and Democrats aiming to capture control of state government for […]