Category: Politics
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Say NO to Deceptive Ads
What’s this? Governor Abigail Spanberger opposes the gerrymandering amendment to the state constitution? That’s sure what it looks like in this mailer from the Justice for Democracy PAC that arrived in my mailbox yesterday. The flier never actually says that she opposes the amendment, which is slated for a referendum vote in April. Indeed, look…
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A Slippery Slope Down to Dark Backroom Deals
by Chris Braunlich Unless Virginia voters reject the constitutional amendment on the ballot April 21, gerrymandering will return to Virginia. Five years ago, 66% of Virginia voters — 2.8 million Virginians — approved a bipartisan redistricting constitutional amendment ending gerrymandering. The result was a map that is widely regarded as one of the fairest in…
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Referendum Ad Wars
by Kerry Dougherty Look who’s doing dabbling in investigative journalism! It’s my old employer, The Virginian-Pilot. Yep, they were so stunned by “Vote No” campaign literature aimed at black voters on the upcoming redistricting referendum, that they went digging. Figures. In a story headlined “Who’s Behind An Anti-Redistricting Flyer Invoking Jim Crow?” the paper asked…
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Spanberger Pushes Back
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Gov. Abigail Spanberger is pushing back against the elimination of a sales tax break for data centers being proposed by Senate Democrats in their budget recommendations. (For background on the sales tax exemption, see Steve Haner’s discussion here.) There is a tradition in which the governor meets with the budget bill conferees (those…
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With Friends Like This…
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Virginia Republicans seem to be very frustrated with their party’s attempts to thwart the redistricting changes being pushed by Virginia Democrats. A lot of their frustration has been directed at former Gov. Youngkin. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the incumbent Republican members of Congress,whose seats are in jeopardy, met with…
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A Dangerous Bill
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The General Assembly has passed, and has sent to the governor for her review, legislation that would require that any “program of instruction on or relating to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol” shall: “1. Not describe, portray, or present as credible a description or portrayal of the…
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Democrat Groups Invest $19 Million to Pass Redistricting Referendum
by Ken Reid Republicans have so far failed to get the state courts to stop an April 21 referendum to suspend bipartisan redistricting and enable the Democrat-controlled General Assembly to draw new maps to give them a 10-1 advantage in U.S. House races this fall. And it would also seem Republicans are at a disadvantage…
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When a Weary Party Makes Its Stand
The April 21 redistricting referendum will be a test of courage worthy of the Commonwealth’s Founding Generation. by David Botkins There are moments when the question before us as Republicans and as Virginians is not simply what we believe, but whether we still have the courage to act on those beliefs. We are in such…
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This is Overreach
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The redistricting map presented by Democrats is outrageous, embarrassing, and just plain outlandish. I can’t think of other words to describe it. It certainly violates the state constitution’s requirement that districts be compact. The traditional ideas of respecting communities of interest and jurisdictional boundary lines to the extent possible were thrown out the…
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Virginia Nursing Home Laws Avoid Chains and Subverted by Weak Sanctions
by James C. Sherlock Delegate Rodney Willet, D-Henrico, is trying to do the right thing for the right reasons. He has introduced HB 605 to amend § 32.1-127. (Effective January 1, 2026) Regulations. He added a new section B. 35 to establish staffing standards for Virginia nursing homes. Del. Willett is joined by many members of…
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Establishment Rising?
Rockingham County turned around; Harrisonburg could. by Joe Fitzgerald The most significant thing about the most significant purely local political story of 2025 was not widely reported, possibly because there was no one to report it. A School Board member in Rockingham County was defeated by a candidate he had defeated to win his seat…
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Out-of-State Donors Push Nursing Home Campaign Contributions to New Heights
by James C. Sherlock “Organizing for Virginia Seniors” has jumped to number two on VPAP’s list of Top Political Donors in Virginia behind Dominion Energy. The funding for “Organizing for Virginia Seniors” comes from New York and New Jersey nursing home chains, about which this author has been less than complimentary. And then there…
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Upholding the Rule of Law Is Everyone’s Responsibility
by J. Kennerly Davis All Virginians, regardless of their political affiliations, should welcome the decision issued this week by Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley to block and void the Democrats’ brazen attempt to defy the clear requirements of the Virginia Constitution and unlawfully redraw the Commonwealth’s congressional districts to their disproportionate advantage. We all win…
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Political Activism Over ICE Creeps into Virginia’s Public Schools
The anti-ICE crowd is taking the fight against federal immigration enforcement to a school near you. by Shelly Norden Political activism attacking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is increasingly showing up inside Virginia’s public schools, raising questions about where education ends and national political campaigning begins. In recent days, union-aligned posts have encouraged educators…
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Who Owns Virginia Mercury?
by James C. Sherlock The author just read a news article by the prolific Markus Schmidt in the Virginian-Pilot. It was a reprint of an article Mr. Schmidt wrote for his employer, the Virginia Mercury. His full-throated support of Virginia Democrats is his right. Examples abound: Virginia AG Jones joins 21 attorneys general condemning DOJ…