Commentary
Another death in custody
By Bruce N. Cruser Henrico resident Irvo Otieno died on March 6 while in the process of being admitted to Central State Hospital. Otieno’s family, their attorneys and the prosecutor who reviewed the video of his death all said deputies assaulted the 28-year-old as he endured a mental health crisis, even though Otieno was handcuffed, […]
Black lung is on the rise in Appalachia; deregulation of the coal mine industry is the main culprit
By Jacob Stump The Virginia Mercury reported on new research by scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago who worked in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers discovered “the largest cluster of (progressive massive fibrosis) ever recorded” – […]
In Hanover, a name is more than a name
It took years of community outcry, the urging of a governor, being sued by the NAACP and national media scrutiny for the Hanover County School Board to finally be shamed into voting to remove the names of Confederate treasonists from two schools’ monikers in 2020. Now, this same board is proposing that the one school […]
On guns, bipartisanship clears a very low hurdle in Virginia
Young children and teenagers in Virginia have proved they can get their hands on guns and harm themselves and others. The firearms might have been right in their own homes. Against this backdrop, lawmakers in the General Assembly passed almost no new gun legislation this year to stem the ongoing carnage. It was as if […]
Dominion’s electricity bills are keeping customers in the dark
A seemingly simple question came across my desk a few weeks ago: What does Dominion Energy Virginia charge residents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)? Given how frequently I write about Dominion, I was embarrassed not to have a quick answer. In my own defense, though, Dominion makes it hard to find out. And when you do find […]
A meritorious bill to curb kids’ access to online porn has limitations, downsides
It’s a good bet that an election-year bill to crack down on juvenile access to online pornography, which elected legislators of both parties passed overwhelmingly, will become law in Virginia. Penalizing smut purveyors plays well on campaign brochures, ads and websites. Political cynicism aside, however, there is meritorious intent behind Sen. Bill Stanley’s bill to […]
The correlation between guns, school violence and the erosion of American families
By Bill Pike In August of 1975, I started my first teaching job at Martinsville Junior High School in Martinsville, Virginia. Nothing in my education classes, student teaching, or orientation to the school system communicated, “Look out for students who might have a gun.” Almost fifty years later, school systems across Virginia and America are […]
Can carriage houses and granny flats ease the housing crisis?
Whether carriage houses, in-law suites, English basements or granny flats, what all accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have in common – the reason their backers love them and why few folks think of them as a possible solution to the housing crisis – is that they blend in with the neighborhood. A bill patroned by Del. […]
Farewell and adieu: Possible pitfalls and historical context of pending legislative retirements
I was something of a young pup in the Virginia Capitol press corps, at least in terms of tenure on the beat if not age, in 2001 when an astonishing number of exits from the Senate and House of Delegates shook Capitol Square. Almost all of the 12 delegates who announced their exits ahead of […]
Wind Projects
From The Virginia Mercury: “A Fox News story on Feb. 13 made strenuous attempts to link a dead right whale to Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, which currently consists of two small test turbines about 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.”
Dominion bill increases state oversight. Why do I still have heartburn?
State lawmakers and consumer activists say the new legislation overseeing Dominion Energy, which places strong regulatory control back with the State Corporation Commission and adjusts the utility’s profit margin, is a huge win for customers across the commonwealth. Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who played a key role in the negotiations, will almost certainly sign it. “Dominion […]
Data centers are a revelation in energy efficiency and are driving the clean energy transition
By Josh Levi When it comes to the future of data centers in the commonwealth, some of the recent public conversation has centered on whether and how much the industry impacts the environment. Often, a narrow focus is placed on the amount of electricity consumed by data centers; it is significant, and the industry has […]