Author: James A. Bacon
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A Plea to Save Capitol Square Statues
Delegate Lee Ware, R-Powhatan, delivered the following speech on the floor of the House of Delegates yesterday. — JAB Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to a bill that will shortly come before us. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, please allow me to meditate with you as a student of history and, for over…
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Sanctuary Virginia: How Our Leaders Are Undermining Law, Borders, and Justice
by Jeff Bayard A question every Virginian should ask Is Virginia becoming a sanctuary state? The honest answer is yes—and it is happening faster than most citizens realize. Since January 2026, Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed executive actions terminating Virginia’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, the General Assembly is advancing bills that would prohibit…
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A Portrait of Suicidal Empathy
by the Liberty Unyielding Staff “In 1996, Travis Lewis broke into the Snowden family home in Arkansas during a burglary and murdered 75-year-old Sally Snowden McKay and her cousin. He was convicted and imprisoned. Years later, Sally’s daughter Martha McKay chose radical forgiveness. She visited Lewis in prison, advocated for his parole, and after his…
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Before Deeds and Zillow
The Arlington-Culpeper Grant Sparked Bacon’s Rebellion and Redefined Virginia Real Estate Virginia real estate history does not begin with subdivisions or courthouse deed books. It begins in political exile. In 1649, after the execution of King Charles I during the English Civil War, England’s monarchy collapsed. His son, Charles II, fled Europe and depended on…
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New Democratic Districts Invite Republicans to Vote
by Chris Saxman Proverb If you can’t beat them, join them and as George Bailey said in It’s a Wonderful Life: This is a very interesting situation Having seen three different polls (one public and two private) that show the constitutional amendment to re-gerrymander Virginia’s congressional districts is under 50%, the odds of its passage…
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Cadet Crisis: VMI’s Culture on Trial
Proposed legislation reopens questions into the validity of the state’s investigation into VMI student culture. by Jackson Doane It’s commonly said that good fences make good neighbors. Between Washington and Lee (W&L) and the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), nothing separates us but a short walk, yet we have long been good neighbors. So when news…
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Virginia’s Population Reached 8.88 Million in 2025
The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia has published its mid-decade population for Virginia and its localities. Summary from the Weldon Cooper website: Virginia’s population reached 8.88 million as of July 1, 2025, an increase of more than 248,000 residents since the 2020 Census. Between 2020 and 2025, the state’s…
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April 21: Not Really What Virginia Needs Now
by Gordon C. Morse Want a political version of blunt force trauma? Then welcome to Virginia’s April 21 referendum on congressional redistricting. Look at the map and behold the winners. No one has to be fair about “fairness.” It’s “temporary,” they keep saying. Temporary — as in, it won’t last long. You could say as…
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The Fiscal Flywheel Effect
In my Feb. 13 podcast, former Finance Secretary Steve Cummings explained the positive feedback loop between strong state finances and economic development. His observations about the fiscal flywheel effect are worth highlighting here. –JAB Cummings: “The underlying premise here is growth. When you have a declining revenue stream, when you have declining population, you’re gonna…
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Fairfax County Prosecutor Lets Killers Escape Justice Through Insanity Defenses
by the Liberty Unyielding staff The chief prosecutor of Fairfax County is letting some killers escape a conviction by accepting insanity pleas that would almost certainly be rejected by a jury. The insanity defense is used in less than 1% of criminal cases and is successful only about 25% of the time, making it a rare and difficult defense to employ. Defendants typically…
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It’s Just a Box!
Virginia is one of three states that require businesses that sell caskets to get a funeral director’s license.
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Time to End the Baseless Attacks on UVA’s Presidential Search
by The Jefferson Council If you have listened to some of the continuous, repetitive commentary surrounding UVA’s recent presidential search, you might be led to believe it was some kind of rushed, politicized backroom maneuver. The facts and the truth tell a totally different story. In fact, the search committee was the broadest and most…