Author: James A. Bacon
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Bills Would Make Virginia State Income Tax Highest in Nation
by Liberty Unyielding Staff Bills pending in the Virginia state legislature could raise the state income tax a lot. The bill most likely to pass would increase the state income tax rate from 5.75% to 8% on incomes over $600,000 and 10% on incomes over $1,000,000. Another bill would impose an additional 3.8% tax (a “net investment income…
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They’re Baaaack!
by Kerry Dougherty I can’t be the only Virginian experiencing a form of PTSD after two days of the all-Democrat General Assembly session. It’s as if the loathsome Ralph Northam was running the show again. You know, the guy who closed churches, masked toddlers and supported infanticide. Despite all their talk about “affordability” – the…
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The “Targeted Relief” That Missed the Target
by Jon Baliles For years we have heard the city needs more affordable housing. For years we have heard that cutting the real estate tax rate only helps the rich. And for years, anytime someone brings up the discussion about offering relief to everyone, the conversation turns to the need for “targeted relief.” When the…
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The Fine Art of Gerrymandering
What might a 10-to-1 Virginia congressional map look like? Chaz Nuttycomb, president of State Navigate, gives it a shot: So much for congressional districts representing natural communities of interest.
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Money Down a Rathole
VRE and Norfolk ‘Tide’ are big wastes of tax dollars. by Ken Reid “The Tide,” the cute name given to the 7.4 mile-Norfolk light rail now entering its 15th year of service, was dubbed in an August expose the “Worst LRT in America.” According to Hampton Roads Transit’s 2026 budget, the annual cost of operating the Tide…
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Schools Push the Religion of Secularism and Assume the Role of Parent
by Victoria Manning A Virginia school district has spent precious educational funding on a controversial outside mental health counseling program for students—without parental knowledge or consent. One of the largest districts in the Commonwealth recently announced a $255,000 contract with Uwill Mental Health to provide online counseling to 35,000 students in grades 6-12. Uwill’s ideology is in…
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Parole Bill Would Usurp Governor’s Appointment Powers, Release Dangerous Inmates
by Hans Bader A progressive Virginia legislator apparently thinks the parole board isn’t releasing enough inmates. So he has introduced a bill, HB318, that would let progressive legislators, rather than the governor, pick many of the parole board’s members. His bill would also make it much easier to parole inmates serving life sentences — which…
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Buckle Up. The General Assembly Is on Its Way
by Kerry Dougherty Virginia’s General Assembly convenes tomorrow in Richmond. But a handful of pre-filed bills give us a taste of what’s to come when Democrats come roaring back into power. Remember when Virginia Democrats promised to make Virginia more “affordable?” Yeah, about that. Not sure how authorizing localities to impose an additional sales tax…
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Mr. Beardsley Goes to Richmond
Newly appointed UVA President Scott Beardsley (appearing at the 1:06 point in the video) looks old, tired, and drained in his testimony before the General Assembly. Based on this performance, the odds of him standing up to lawmakers’ demands appear to be roughly zero. Interesting question: Will legislators decide to keep him, thinking that he…
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Is West Virginia Unconstitutional?
Amusing tongue-in-cheek conversation between John Reid and former Governor/Senator George Allen.
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New School Accountability System Could Use Some Tweaking
by Matt Hurt In December JLARC released a report on the School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF), Virginia’s new accountability system. The report states that the new system is better than the old Accreditation system, but improvements are needed. From the perspective of an educator who has spent the last twenty years focusing on student outcomes and…
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Welcome Todd Truitt
I’m pleased to announce that Todd Truitt will join the Bacon’s Rebellion team as a regular contributor. His editorial concentration will be K-12 education policy in the commonwealth. Todd is a parent of two Arlington Public Schools (APS) students in Arlington County and an education advocate during his free time. He has been active on…
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Be Warned: The Death Cult Is Coming
by Kerry Dougherty This is a cautionary tale. So when the ghoulishness of Canada spreads to Virginia you can‘t say you weren’t warned. Here’s how it starts: In 2016 Canada passed the so-called MAID law, legalizing medical assistance in dying. It was presented as a compassionate measure. One that would allow suffering patients, whose deaths…