Author: James A. Bacon
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Building a Better Virginia
“Power of the Pen” details bills on energy, healthcare, the economy, and more that conservatives can get behind. by Lynn Taylor Every April, Virginia observes a particular kind of anniversary — not just of battles, but of decisions. It was in April 1865 that General Lee signed the surrender at Appomattox, bringing the bloodiest chapter…
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Data Centers – Lucy and the Football
by Chris Saxman Virginia’s proposed move to end its data center sales and use tax (SUT) exemption eight years early is less about policy and more about predictability —and what happens as a result. Two simple analogies bring this into focus: the neighborhood Happy Hour and the timeless scene of Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. Happy Hour Imagine a…
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Peronism: the Virginia Edition
With approval ratings dipping and the redistricting power grab on thin ice, Spanberger is in trouble already. by Shaun Kenney Unlike most prognosticators whose default positions tend to be one-side-good and other-side-bad, I desperately want Governor Abigail Spanberger to succeed. The challenges that we are about to face as Virginians — affordable energy, affordable housing,…
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Thank You for Your Service. You’re Fired.
by Douglas Domenech I was surprised when I received the email: “On behalf of Governor Abigail D. Spanberger, thank you for giving your time and expertise to serve our Commonwealth as a member of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.” The email from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Candi Mundon King, went on to…
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Warner Files to Run for 4th Term
by Scott Dreyer Sen. Mark Warner (D), one of Virginia’s two U.S. senators, announced on March 16 that he is running for a fourth, six-year term. Warner, born in Indianapolis and the first in his blue-collar family to attend college, invested heavily in early cell phone technology, which made him tremendously wealthy. Warner has publicly stated he knew…
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Waging War on Law-Abiding Virginians
Criminals are the winners in Richmond this year as Democrats gut gun rights and attempt to rewrite history. by Victoria Manning The 2026 Virginia General Assembly session concluded on March 14th, and Virginia Democrats have passed sweeping far-left legislation restricting citizen rights. Democrats have made life easier for criminals and less safe for Virginians. They’ve…
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Bad Judgment
General Assembly Democrats put self-interest above justice for Harrisonburg. by Joe Fitzgerald Several years ago, Todd Gilbert arranged a town hall on immigration in Harrisonburg. Latino leaders organized several speakers to come and speak about the real experience of immigration to the Valley, as opposed to the demonization and slander of immigrants that often comes…
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No, Senator. Virginia Does Not Require Photo ID to Vote
by Kerry Dougherty Let’s stop kidding ourselves and each other about voter ID. And, yes, I AM talking to you Sen. Mark Warner. Virginia does not – I repeat – does not have voter ID. No matter what our bloviating senator may say about Virginia being a model for the nation. Fact is, although we’re…
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Scam: Look What They Did to Poor Virtus!
by Kerry Dougherty Hairbags. Scum. Thieves. Con artists. Swindlers. Grifters. I’m running out of nouns. No, I’m not talking about politicians. I’m talking about the con artists who spend their time trying to fleece hard-working Americans. Who knows if they operate from Internet cafes in Nigeria, Myanmar or Short Pump. All we know is that…
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3-1 Odds, the Link Costs Us a Million
Project quacks like student housing, and city schools will pay the price. by Joe Fitzgerald It took me a long time to figure out why Harrisonburg’s Community Development Department doesn’t use one of the clearest metrics available to predict growth in the city’s schools. It’s similar to the reason no local news media use it.…
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Graph of the Day: K-12 Enrollment Projections
See the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service analysis here.
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Don’t Write Off the Virginia GOP Just Yet
Question: How would Louise Lucas’ “ten to f***ing one” congressional redistricting map fare if voters cast ballots more in line with yesterday’s voting pattern than the 2025 gubernatorial election pattern?
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A Twisted Sense of Priorities
Fairfax leaders favor illegal-immigrant rights over girls’ safety in schools. by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures On March 7, Israel Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador enrolled as a junior at Fairfax High School, was arrested for allegedly fondling the genitals of multiple female students in the hallways during school hours. More than two weeks…