Bacon's Rebellion

  • On the Hot Spot

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Can the Virginia Supreme Court be counted on to overturn the redistricting referendum?

    A lineup of five judges in black robes standing at a courtroom bench.
    Image credit: Virginian-Pilot

    by Ken Reid

    The Virginia Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in Richmond Monday (April 27) on whether the recently approved constitutional amendment on redistricting was put on the ballot legally, in response to Republican litigation filed in January and February.

    A number of attorneys in the GOP camp think the court could overturn the referendum. But an interview with Norfolk’s Channel 13 News, political analyst Leslie Caughell noted that revisiting the issue would place justices in a difficult position.

    “You can only imagine how voters would feel or perceive the legitimacy of the court, or maybe the partisanship of the court if voters vote yes on this and then the court subsequently throws it out,” Caughell told the station. “I think it’s a really hard thing for the court to do.”

    Caughell also pointed to precedent in other states, noting that the supreme courts of Texas and California have both approved redistricting efforts during active election cycles.

    But there was a case in 1956 where a referendum in Arlington was allowed to go to the voters and then revoked by the court. Read about it here in Cardinal News.”

    (more…)

  • Jeanine’s Memes

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A split image contrasting two political statements: the top shows a dilapidated indoor space with text about Minnesota Democrats spending on daycare, while the bottom features tents along a street with text about California Democrats spending on homelessness.

    View more memes at The Bull Elephant.

  • What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Read the City Journal article here.

  • Graph of the Day: the Young Adult Happiness Gap

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Line graph showing the happiness levels of young adults aged 22-35 by marital status from 1980 to 2020. Married individuals reported happiness levels around 91% in 1980, decreasing slightly to 90% by 2020. Non-married individuals showed a decline from 83% in 1980 to 68% in 2020, indicating a significant drop in happiness.

    From the Institute for Family Studies:

    For over a decade, happiness has been in free fall among young adults. The share of young adults ages 22 to 35 who reported being “pretty” to “very” happy has fallen by 12-percentage points since 2010. Notably, these declines in happiness have been concentrated among the unmarried. From 2010 to 2024, happiness among married young adults fell from 94% to 90%, compared to a decline from 82% to 68% among unmarried young adults, resulting in a 22-percentage point gap between the groups. This growing marriage-advantage may be driven by both selection effects into marriage and marriage’s protective effects against isolation in a digital age.

  • Spanberger’s Early Problems

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A cartoon depicting a colorful car with a woman looking concerned in the driver's seat, while two donkey characters in suits are arguing in the front. The background features a government building, and the car has a 'Richmond Circus' license plate. The caption reads 'Who's driving this thing?'
    Image credit: Grok

    by Anonymous

    At several key moments, Governor Abigail Spanberger has struggled to define her own agenda.

    During the campaign, she emphasized “affordability,” but the rollout leaned more on broad themes than specific, actionable proposals. Historically, new governors tend to anchor their first session with a clear set of priorities—legislation that signals direction and gives their party something concrete to organize around. That kind of defining initiative never fully materialized.

    In the absence of that clarity, the General Assembly did what legislatures always do: It filled the space. Lawmakers advanced their own priorities, not all of which aligned with Spanberger’s stated goal of governing from the middle. Once that dynamic takes hold, it becomes difficult for any governor to reassert control.

    At the same time, the administration never seemed to fully settle into a rhythm with the press. Previous governors—whether Terry McAuliffe or Glenn Youngkin—were willing to engage consistently, even under pressure, using regular interaction to shape their narrative. By contrast, Spanberger’s approach has been more limited, relying heavily on staged appearances without the same level of sustained policy discussion. In a media environment like Richmond’s, where access and relationships still matter, that choice has consequences.

    (more…)

  • Bacon Meme of the Week

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    James A. Bacon

    Crispy, cooked bacon strips on a baking tray with a humorous warning about drooling as a side effect.

  • Alleged: Scott Told VMI to Boot Board Members or Suffer State Funding Cuts

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A group of spectators sitting in bleachers at an event, with a focus on a man in a white shirt and black jacket, seated among others.
    Democratic Speaker of the Va. House Don Scott (circled) with Maj. Gen. Wins at the VMI basketball game, 25 Jan 2025, the day after the Senate Committee removed Elliott and Foster from the BOV. This was Scott’s first visit to VMI, requested by Wins. Scott later accused the BOV of bias in their decision not to renew Maj. Gen. Win’s contract.

    The Cadet staff

    Virginia’s House Speaker demanded the resignation or change of roles of two Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors (BOV) members or suffer budget consequences, allege sources with direct knowledge of the threat. Lt. Gen. David Furness’s continuance as superintendent is conditioned on compliance. The Cadet is investigating, has submitted formal questions, and is awaiting a response.

    Multiple sources with knowledge of the events provided The Cadet with serious allegations involving Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth — allegations that neither VMI nor its alumni organizations have made public.

    According to those sources, Speaker Scott requested either the resignation or a change in role of two prominent members of VMI’s Board of Visitors: Mr. Teddy Gottwald and Col. (Ret.) Jamie Inman. The sources allege the request was not made as a matter of ordinary governance, but was accompanied by an explicit threat: that if Gottwald and Inman did not comply, the Speaker would take adverse action against VMI’s budget and appropriations in the current — and possibly future — legislative sessions.

    These are serious allegations involving the potential use of legislative appropriations authority as a coercive instrument against an independent state institution. The Cadet is investigating.

    Further, the sources allege the actions were presented as a condition for the Speaker to cease his separate campaign to pressure VMI Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Furness into resigning, and threats to VMI’s budget now before the General Assembly. Public comments from members of the VMI administration, previously reported in The Cadet, confirmed that Scott communicated conditions related to Lt. Gen. Furness’s tenure directly to the Superintendent himself and, separately, to Cadet leadership meetings at which Scott was present. The condition was that Furness resign so that Scott would stop his actions against the Institute.

    (more…)

  • Gerrymandering Election Results: 10 to 1 or 8 to 3.

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Chris Saxman

    Virginia might not be 10-1 after all.

    Check out this – very early – data via X.com. This has not been verified yet.

    With higher than expected turnout in the rural areas Virginia might have voted 8-3 vs. 10-1.

    Map showing the results of the Virginia Redistricting Referendum, highlighting new congressional districts in various shades of blue and red.
    A list displaying voting results with labels VA-01 through VA-11, showing 'Yes' or 'No' responses along with corresponding numerical values.

    Again – pending verification. Yes, I am saying that twice!

    <END SCENE>

    (more…)

  • Judge Rules Gerrymandering Election Unconstitutional

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Map showing the results of the April 21 Gerrymander Election in Virginia, with counties colored red for No and blue for Yes. The map highlights voting trends, particularly in the NoVa and Richmond areas.

    by Scott Dreyer

    On Wednesday, Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley issued an injunction against the yes/no gerrymandering election that concluded April 21, thus blocking the state from certifying the results.

    Attorney General Jay Jones (D), who gained notoriety in October 2025 when his texts surfaced where he had fantasized about the murder of a Republican lawmaker and his two sons, announced they would immediately appeal Judge Hurley’s ruling. On Twitter/X, Jones posted: “Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the People’s vote.“

    In his injunction, Judge Hurley cited the State Constitution and numerous laws that were broken in order to put the wording on the ballot and rush it to the voters.

    The case Judge Hurley heard was RNC v. Steven Koski.

    The Republican National Committee (RNC), as plaintiff, went to court since a Yes win would result in a new gerrymander designed to flip four of Virginia’s five GOP districts to Democrat.

    Steven Koski represents the State as Commissioner of the Department of Elections. The Democrat Spanberger administration has promoted the election and new maps. The vulgar State Senate Leader Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) promised and boasted about creating “10 [expletive] 1” maps.

    (more…)

  • Court Strikes Down Virginia Beach’s Illegal Curfew

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Aerial view of a city street at night, featuring illuminated buildings and cars. The image shows a bustling urban area with a mix of commercial establishments and residential buildings.

    by Kerry Dougherty

    News flash: Apparently saying “It’s that time of the year again” is not enough for a Virginia city to close down businesses and order people off the street.

    Who knew?

    Certainly not feckless city officials in Virginia Beach, who were unceremoniously smacked down by a circuit court judge yesterday.

    The mayor of Virginia Beach says he is disappointed. So sad. Next time follow the law.


    The court ruling came in time to salvage the last weekend in April for local businesses and visitors.

    The mayor and most members of the city council wanted to close the resort area for a second weekend in a row, a sign that they are not good at their jobs.

    Thanks to a lawsuit filed by several resort area businesses and argued in court by attorney Kevin Martingayle, the former no-go zone from Rudee Loop to 31st Street will be open Friday and Saturday night by court order.

    It should never have been closed.

    In a seven-hour court hearing, the city was unable to show evidence of ANY actual threat of civil disturbance that presented a clear and present danger to the public. The city argued that historically warm weekends in the spring are when fights break out that can lead to gunfire. Continue reading.

  • Testing a New Governor’s Resolve

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    by Derrick A. Max and Steve Haner

    A Quick End to the Honeymoon Phase

    This session, the General Assembly sent over 1,000 bills to Governor Spanberger for her signature. She signed 852 into law, vetoed 8 and proposed amendments to 180. Even though some of her amendments were little more than window dressing (see article on Paid Family and Medical Leave) and a few were substantive, the General Assembly during its reconvened session on Wednesday ignored her amendments on over two dozen bills.

    The Senate even took 12 of the amended bills, lumped them into a bloc, and voted 21 to 18 to “pass them by for the day.” In other words, they didn’t even give the Governor the courtesy of a debate on many of her ideas. This dismissive tactic may or may not be unprecedented, but it was clearly a power move that tells the Governor that the General Assembly believes it is in charge. 

    On one bill, SB342, dealing with eminent domain, the Governor sought to do a reenactment clause as her amendment. In that one case, a motion was made that the bill become law regardless of the objections of the governor. That takes the same supermajority vote as overriding a veto, and legislators from both parties passed it in both the House and Senate. That motion to jam a bill past the governor has happened successfully before but is very unusual when the majority is the same party as the governor.  

    In short, Governor Abigail Spanberger identified real problems in major legislation — and the General Assembly ignored her almost entirely, and in some cases, rudely so.

    (more…)

  • Guess Who Won on Redistricting?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    The Rich Men north of Richmond may have won for a day, but they cashed out every ounce of public goodwill they had to do it.

    A singer with a red beard passionately performing with an acoustic guitar outdoors, surrounded by trees and nature.

    by Shaun Kenney

    First and foremost, let’s knock down all the pretended olive branches from those who voted “yes” on Tuesday to impose some sort of federal anti-gerrymandering law. They know damn good and well that the federal government cannot impose such regulations (which is why the present lawsuit stops at the Supreme Court of Virginia and not the U.S. Supreme Court) because redistricting is a reserved power of the states— not the federal government.

    If they truly wanted non-partisan redistricting, they would have pushed the Virginia Model to the other 49 states. So spare me — not interested.

    Lucy can keep her football this time.

    A decorative curly design element in grey, positioned between two horizontal lines.

    Bob Lewis and I had a good talk about the present state of affairs which made its way into the pages of the Virginia Mercury:

    Kenney is a former Republican Party of Virginia top official and committed conservative who lives in rural Virginia and often differs with Trump. On Wednesday, he posted on Facebook: “51-49 for Virginia to have 91-9 representation.”

    Seven words that say it all.

    The last slender string of hope for nonpartisan redistricting is needling its way through the courts — first in Tazewell and eventually to the Supreme Court of Virginia — where the unfair language of the amendment undoubtedly cost the “no” campaign votes. Yet one is reticent to believe that SCOVA will undo the public will, even if the language itself and the process by which the voters were dragged to this point was and remains patently unconstitutional (and most assuredly unfair).

    (more…)

  • Thirteen Brave Girls Came Forward…

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    and Fairfax County Public Schools filed zero Title IX complaints

    Three monkeys sitting on a log, covering their eyes, ears, and mouth respectively, against a blurred green background.
    Image credit: CoPilot

    by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora
    Originally published in IWFeatures

    This year, 13 brave girls at Fairfax High School stepped forward to tell administrators that Israel Flores Ortiz, an adult illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was enrolled as a junior at the school, sexually assaulted them during school hours. The girls accused Ortiz of fondling their genitals while they were transitioning between classes in the hallways.

    During his court hearing on April 21, in which he was sentenced to a mere 360 days in jail, Ortiz read a statement in Spanish apologizing to the girls. “I hurt them,” he admitted, also apologizing to his own mother and father.

    A few months in jail seems a light sentence for an adult in the country illegally who sexually assaulted 13 girls in their high school. But the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Steve Descano, a George Soros-funded prosecutor, notably charged Ortiz with lesser counts of assault, not sexual assault as the case should warrant.

    And as IW Features previously reported, there was skepticism surrounding whether school administrators filed the appropriate Title IX complaints with regard to the assaults. Federal law requires that school officials, who are mandatory reporters, file such complaints when a student reports sexual harassment or assault to them.

    IW Features sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the district seeking aggregated school-level data of Fairfax High School’s Title IX referrals from the past three years. With an hour left until the legally mandated FOIA deadline, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) FOIA office sent IW Features district-level data detailed in the table below.

    (more…)

  • Table Stakes: Virginia Nursing Home Chains Selling to REITs

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    by

    sherlockj

    Table Stakes: Virginia Nursing Home Chains Selling to REITs

    by James C. Sherlock

    Sometimes, when you are winning big in a table stakes poker game, it can be time to put some money in your pocket. That is part of the game many nursing home chains are playing these days.

    Everybody wins but the nursing facility residents, Medicare, and Medicaid.

    The enterprise architecture of many less ethical chains is familiar to regular readers. In this example, a chain has sold six of its property LLCs to a real estate investment trust (REIT) and kept six.

    The business model is as profitable as it is complicated, and for the same reasons. Notice all the places where Medicare and Medicaid money go each day in this example. Not much is left for staff and patient care.

    Compared with other states, Virginia’s nursing home sector has been sparsely penetrated by REITs. We can view this as the owners of the chain-controlled operating companies and property companies that dominate in Virginia being very happy with their profits, the COPN-driven lack of competition, and Virginia’s history of non-enforcement of regulatory violations. We give them few reasons to sell their property companies.

    But some do. We’ll look at the players, the deals, and the implications.

    (more…)

  • Only Five Vetoes out of 1,082 Bills

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    In just three months, Virginia’s governor has undermined Second Amendment rights, parental authority, and fiscal responsibility.

    A person holding a green sign that reads 'KEEP VIRGINIA BLUE,' with an outline of the state of Virginia in blue, in a crowd setting.

    by Victoria Manning

    Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ran as a moderate, but her actions after the first legislative session prove otherwise. She has embraced an extreme left-wing agenda, eroding Second Amendment rights and backing laws that will make Virginia an even more expensive place to live. For the first time in five years, the state is now facing a budget deficit.

    The Democrat-controlled legislature sent 1,082 bills to the governor’s desk to sign. She vetoed only five bills, amended 111 (which will return to the legislature for consideration), and allowed the rest to become law.

    One of the key responsibilities of the General Assembly is to approve a budget. Yet despite holding full control, the Democrats haven’t passed a spending bill. For four years under Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the state had $10 billion in surplus revenue and delivered $9 billion in tax relief to Virginians. Now, after just one session under Democrat leadership, Virginia faces a half-billion-dollar deficit because the leftist majority demands bigger government rather than fiscal responsibility.

    Democrats prioritize stripping the rights of Virginia citizens over responsible spending and balancing the state’s checkbook.

    (more…)

Now Available

Book cover of 'Dust Mites: A Second American Revolution' by James A. Bacon, featuring astronauts planting a flag with a blue and white emblem on a lunar landscape, with Earth visible in the background.
For sale on Amazon.com

The year: 2075. The American colonies on the Moon are getting restless under Washington’s tyrannical rule….

This second edition of “Dust Mites” has a snazzy new cover, includes helpful lunar maps, and is 5,000 words tighter than the original. The sequel, “Trogs,” is scheduled for publication this summer.

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Bacon’s Rebellion is Virginia’s leading politically non-aligned portal for news, opinions and analysis about state, regional and local public policy. Read more about us here.

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