Bacon's Rebellion

  • Spanberger Pushing for July Return to RGGI and Its Carbon Tax

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    by Steve Haner

    The drop in operations at two Virginia independent electricity plants while Virginia was in RGGI, and the rebound after Virginia left.

    The Abigail Spanberger Administration has told an energy industry publication that it plans to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by July, in time to participate in the September and December 2026 carbon dioxide allowance auctions.

    Because of the accelerated timetable, the Department of Environmental Quality will not publish a draft regulation or take any public comments before acting, the reporter for Argus Media was told. Bacon’s Rebellion was provided with an email copy of the Argus report, which is not yet on the public website. 

    It was not clear until now that the other RGGI states would let Virginia rejoin before the end of 2026. What was not reported and may not be decided yet is just how many allowances Virginia will be granted to offer in those two auctions. Argus reported:

    In addition, the agency has been working with RGGI member states to iron out the finer details of Virginia’s return to the program, such as its allowance allocation. Calling its discussions with member states “positive,” DEQ said that Virginia’s allocation “will be consistent with the prior regulation” when the state first joined RGGI in 2021.

    The final two auctions of 2026 are also the final two auctions of the current three-year RGGI contract period. Whatever allowances are granted for sale in 2026, a different and likely smaller amount will be assigned to Virginia for 2027 and beyond. The completion of Dominion Energy’s offshore wind facility should also push down the number of allowances granted. 

    (more…)

  • The Institutionalization of Corruption in the Virginia General Assembly

    Posted on

    by

    sherlockj

    The Institutionalization of Corruption in the Virginia General Assembly

    by James C. Sherlock

    A late friend, who was on the local bar association’s ethics committee, offered wise overarching advice to attorneys.

    If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

    Fairness is often defined as impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination.  In this case, we are not talking about political favoritism, which is an outcome of elections, but about corruption, which has become institutionalized in the General Assembly.

    Multiple studies have shown that even babies know what is fair.

    The bottom line here is that children, even young ones, show remarkable sophistication not just in their understanding of and conformity to norms of fairness but also in their ability to enforce fairness in others and to flexibly tune fairness to different situations.

    Sure, children are selfish sometimes. We should recognize, however, that just like in adults, alongside their impetus for self-maximization runs a deep and maturing concern for fairness—not just for themselves but for others as well.

    Even in adulthood, most citizens retain the ability to know what is fair.  The General Assembly fails that test.

    Major issues in its operations have become intertwined and additive, producing what we have now: a system that combines short sessions, unlimited campaign donations, and a purposeful shortage of professional staff, leading to uninformed members and undue influence by lobbyists.  Tolerance for conflicts of interest completes the degradation.

    This author has witnessed firsthand how those factors destroy any reasonable expectation that the public interest is adequately reflected in the Code of Virginia. That outcome and their daily experiences in Richmond simply cannot “feel right” to most members.

    So stop doing it.

    (more…)

  • Bumper Sticker for the Times

    Posted on

    by

    Dick Hall-Sizemore

  • A Troubling Gap in School Transparency

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora
    Republished with permission from IWFeatures

    Last week, Fairfax County police confirmed that a public school student reported she was physically attacked at Centreville High School on March 4. Inside sources have told IW Features that the incident occurred during instructional hours and that the alleged assailant is a black male student. One source described the incident this way: “A boy beat the crap out of a girl.”

    As of publication, Centreville High School administration has not notified families of this incident.

    While the racial identity of a student should be inconsequential, the district’s equity framework appears to have made it a relevant consideration. In pursuit of equitable outcomes—a central component of the Fairfax County Public Schools Strategic Plan—administrators have adopted policies aimed at reducing reliance on suspension and expulsion, as well as disparities in disciplinary actions among student groups.

    As part of this shift, discipline reform has increasingly emphasized a “restorative justice” approach to addressing student misconduct, including incidents involving violence in public schools.

    (more…)

  • Youngkin Blasts Spanberger for “Blatant Lie” On Gerrymander

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A man gestures while speaking outdoors, with a large American flag displayed in the background.
    Youngkin making a point. Image credit: The Roanoke Star

    by Scott Dreyer

    Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), usually known for his mild-mannered demeanor, broke with decorum and accused current Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger of lying in her support for a “yes” vote in the current election to redraw Congressional lines.

    On March 25, Spanberger appeared in this commercial, calling on Virginians to vote “yes” in the election currently underway. By 10:00 p.m. on March 26, her post on Twitter/X had only about 2,500 likes but the same number of comments, virtually all of which were critical of her position.

    Also on March 25, Youngkin unleashed his irate response to Spanberger.

    “This is a lie. A blatant lie. Not to mention a complete reversal of your campaign promises.

    “This unconstitutional power grab will permanently rig Virginia’s Congressional maps and disenfranchise millions of Virginians.

    “Virginia, VOTE NO.”

    Also by 10:00 pm on March 26, Youngkin’s post had about 29,000 likes, more than ten times that of Spanberger’s likes, and of Youngkin’s 1,700 comments, most were supportive.

    There are at least five facts that justify Youngkin’s vehement accusation of Spanberger being dishonest.

    (more…)

  • Lawsuit Accuses Virginia Schools, VHSL of Religious Discrimination

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Founding Freedoms Law Center files lawsuit against Roanoke County Schools and Virginia High School League on behalf of a homeschooled student.

    by Victoria Manning

    More than 30 states permit homeschooled students to participate in public school sports funded by taxpayers—but not Virginia. The Virginia High School League (VHSL) controls eligibility rules for the state’s public high school sports. Now, the Founding Freedoms Law Center (FFLC) is suing both the VHSL and member school district Roanoke County, alleging the prohibition of sports participation simply because of homeschooling is discrimination based on the plaintiff’s religious beliefs.

    The plaintiffs elect homeschooling for religious reasons. Their faith doesn’t require their son to be shielded from public activities such as athletics, but they believe public school teachings could expose their son to educational philosophies contrary to their faith.

    The lawsuit, brought by the family of a 9th grade homeschooled student, alleges irreparable harm because he was denied opportunities to compete at a high level of running granted to other students in his community. College coaches utilize data from Milestat, a system that tracks the performance of track and field athletes as a recruiting tool. The plaintiff claims the only events available to log his running times are through the Milestat system used by the VHSL.

    (more…)

  • Democrats: Trust the Machines

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    In a blow to election integrity, HB968 will ban hand counting ballots in almost all cases.

    A vintage-style poster featuring a man in a top hat and striped suit standing next to a voting machine, promoting the message 'Trust the Machines! Your Vote is Safe & Secure!' with festive decorations in the background.
    Image credit: Chat GPT

    by Jacob Grandstaff

    With Democrats controlling the legislature and the Governor’s mansion under Abigail Spanberger, Virginia is on the verge of enacting an election bill that requires machine-counting and restricts hand-counting to cases when a machine scanner is broken and would take too long to fix or replace.

    The bill, HB968, passed along party lines, 65–33 in the House of Delegates, and 21–19 in the Senate where Democrats hold a two-seat majority. Virginia already uses ballot-scanning machines to count votes in most cases, however, this bill would remove the possibility of switching to hand counting if the machines are ever found untrustworthy or if local jurisdictions prefer ballots be counted manually. The real danger with this bill, lies in the limitations it puts on hand counting during recounts and election audits.

    Spanberger is almost certain to sign this bill. The unlikelihood of a veto doesn’t make it a good development for the state’s elections.

    This bill marks a troubling step backward for transparency and integrity.

    (more…)

  • No Kings: Geriatrics Rise Up. Very Slowly.

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Kerry Dougherty

    A group of protesters holding signs at a demonstration, with one sign reading 'STOP Wrecking Our Country' and another stating 'Defend Democracy'. A large banner reads 'NO KINGS IN AMERICA' with a historical reference to 1776.
    No Kings rally in Richmond. Image credit: ABC News.

    We get it, geezers. You didn’t vote for Donald Trump. You hate him.

    We saw you shaking your canes at the president during your silly “No Kings” protests on Saturday.

    Who wants to tell them that we don’t HAVE a king?

    We have a president.

    Then again, you can’t expect people who don’t know what a woman is to know what a king is either.

    His name is Donald Trump and he was elected. Trump won the popular vote. Trump won the electoral college. Trump won every swing state, soundly beating the day-drunk Dems selected to replace the zombie they first nominated and then stabbed in the back.

    When Trump beat Hillary in 2016, the left was seething. To show their anger they knitted pink vagina hats, put them on their heads and took to the streets.

    They looked like a bunch of nuts and accomplished, well, nothing.

    Ten years later, they emptied the nursing homes – apparently banned people of color – and filled the sidewalks with 70, 80 and 90-year-old white people struggling to hold aloft “No Kings” signs.

    You could almost smell the Ben-Gay. Continue reading.

  • DREAM On

    Posted on

    by

    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Virginia law provides that a student attending a public institution of higher education shall be eligible for in-state tuition, regardless of citizenship or immigration status if the following conditions are met:

    1. Attended high school for at least two years in the Commonwealth;
    2. Graduated from a public or private high school; completed a home school program; or passed the GED (or equivalent) exam.
    3. Student, or parents or guardians, filed Virginia income tax returns for at least two years prior to enrollment.

    Federal law provides: 

    “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”

    In other words, if the son or daughter of an undocumented immigrant can qualify for in-state tuition at the University of Virginia based on their residence in the Commonwealth, the state must allow a student from Arkansas, New Hampshire, etc. to attend the University on the same basis.

    (more…)

  • Youngkin-led VDOE Backed Limits on Undocumented Students’ Program Access

    Posted on

    by

    Todd Truitt

    Trump pressured states to limit undocumented high school students’ access to career education programs

    By Matt Barnum and Lily Altavena, Chalkbeat

    This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters

    Photo credit: Hannah Beier for Chalkbeat

    At least three states have taken steps to restrict undocumented high school students’ access to dual enrollment and career-technical education programs, according to documents reviewed by Chalkbeat. In one state, the policy was reversed following Chalkbeat inquiries.

    These moves come as efforts to limit educational funding for undocumented immigrants ramp up nationwide. They build on controversial guidance from the Trump administration that restricted federally funded preschool and adult education programs to citizens and legal residents.

    But these state actions are particularly striking because they chip away at protections based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Plyler v. Doe decision, which requires public schools to serve all students, including those who lack legal permission to be in the country. They suggest the Trump administration has made more progress than previously reported in eroding the protections enshrined in the ruling, long a conservative target.

    In Virginia, nearly every school district quietly agreed to exclude undocumented students from participating in certain federally funded career-and-technical education programs, according to records obtained by Chalkbeat.

    It is not clear how many undocumented students actually lost access to programming. But at least one school district in Virginia was denied $150,000 in federal funding because it didn’t agree to exclude those students. 

    On Thursday, after repeated Chalkbeat questions, the state education department said it was abandoning the policy. School districts will no longer be required to restrict undocumented students’ access. The original policy came under the state’s previous Republican administration. The department is now led by a Democratic appointee.

    (more…)

  • Jeanine’s Memes

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Split image featuring two individuals discussing economics, with the text asking how much money one would pay to see them debate.

    See more memes at the Bull Elephant.

  • Radical UVA GROUP Attempts to Sabotage Miyares Speech

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A stylized illustration of a man in a suit with a shocked expression, his mouth covered with red tape, symbolizing silencing or censorship.
    Image credit: Chat GPT

    by The Jefferson Council

    Yesterday, UVA Dissenters, a self proclaimed “collective of anti-imperialist organizers” brazenly and publicly urged its members to “spam” register for a Center for Politics event featuring former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares with no intention of actually attending. The stated goal was to “screw up their numbers,” flooding the registration system with fake sign-ups in order to block real attendees from securing a spot. 

    Let’s be clear about what this is: it’s not a protest. It’s sabotage — and it absolutely runs afoul of a number of UVA’s fundamental principles.

    It conflicts with UVA’s Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry: That policy states that “all views, beliefs, and perspectives deserve to be articulated and heard free from interference” and that the University must not allow others to “obstruct or shut down” protected expression. Coordinating fake registrations to undermine a speaker event is textbook obstruction.

    (more…)

  • Bacon Meme of the Week

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A heart shape made of woven strips of bacon with a humorous caption about love.

  • Is Virginia Ready for a Recession?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Chris Saxman

    Q – Is Virginia ready for a recession?

    Let’s look at some macro level stuff first.

    US government debt at 9am this morning:

    Infographic showing US national debt statistics, including total debt, debt per citizen and taxpayer, federal spending, budget deficit, tariff revenue, and revenue per taxpayer, with historical debt-to-GDP ratios from 1960, 1980, and 2000.

    About 1/3 of which is maturing soon:

    $10 trillion of US government debt is set to mature over the next year, accounting for 33% of all outstanding debt. The graph displays the amount of marketable interest-bearing debt maturing within one year or less alongside the percentage of such debt over time, from 2000 to 2026.

    That’s $10trn of US government debt, right?

    That will be refinanced at HIGHER rates.

    Add in $2trn more from this year’s deficit. That’s $12trn.

    Plus another $2trn in corporate debt. That’s $14trn.

    $14trn this year.

    (more…)

  • Redistricting Unfairness Started in Democrat- Controlled New York, Not Texas

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A stylized graphic of the state of Texas in blue, overlaid with an outline of iconic New York City landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and skyscrapers, set against a red background.

    The problem isn’t Republican states, but Democratic states where unfairness has prevailed for so long that Democrats cannot recognize the word fair anymore.

    by Shaun Kenney

    Tension between Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and the renegades in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly is flaring up yet again, only this time it isn’t taxing data centers to death but taxing Virginia’s patience:

    With less than one month to go, nearly a dozen Democratic state lawmakers, strategists and candidates say Spanberger — Virginia’s popular Democratic governor who cruised to victory by double-digits last November — needs to step up more assertively to sell the referendum to voters. And they’re warning that she’ll bear the brunt of the blame if the effort fails.

    It’s not that she’s doing nothing: Spanberger has endorsed the referendum and launched an ad supporting it this week, her first of the campaign, as POLITICO first reported. But critics say it’s the bare minimum for an effort that is supposed to be a top Democratic priority as the party works to counter GOP-led states that are redrawing their own maps.

    Of course, this shibboleth of blame shifting — Republicans did it first, Democrats are responding — just isn’t playing out for the precise reason that it just ain’t true.

    If the question around redistricting is who is playing with the lines, or more precisely whether playing with the lines is a reaction to bad form on the opposite side, then the answer — and indeed, the blame — lies with New York Democrats, whose effort to gerrymander their congressional seats so as to remove a lone Republican in Staten Island was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court this March.

    (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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