Bacon's Rebellion

  • More Eye-Popping Late Donations from Dominion, Clean Virginia

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    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner

    Dominion Energy Virginia has contributed another $1 million plus to Virginia state-level politicians in large, late pre-primary donations, with the largest amounts given to Shannon Taylor’s run for Attorney General and Levar Stoney’s campaign for lieutenant governor.  This close to the vote, state law requires rapid reporting on late large checks. 

    According to the activist group Clean Virginia, no slouch in the campaign dollar department itself, the regulated utility’s total support to Taylor has reached $800,000, which it claims is “the largest amount ever directly contributed by an electric utility to a candidate in a competitive race in U.S. history.”  Taylor faces fellow Democrat Jay Jones in the primary which closes out Tuesday. 

    Is it the largest amount ever?  Who can prove that?  It is quite a sum of money, clearly reaching the level it has because of the role the Attorney General of Virginia plays in cases before the State Corporation Commission.  But on this list of late Dominion donations, former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney received $193,000, even more than Shannon.   His total from Dominion is approaching $700,000. That much for a lieutenant governor candidate is also amazing. 

    Dominion has been equally or even more generous with a host of other Virginia legislators in this campaign cycle. Perhaps the qualifier to watch in Clean Virginia’s release is “competitive race,” because most Virginia legislative heavy weights are in safe districts. Dominion gave six figure donations in the last couple of weeks to two state senators in pure blue districts not even on the 2025 ballot.  

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  • Bacon Meme of the Week

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    James A. Bacon

  • Storm’s Coming. Where’s FEMA?

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    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Sinking fire truck in Damascus, Va. following Hurricane Helene. Photo credit: Va. Dept. of Emergency Management

    At his press conference in the Virginia Emergency Operation Center last fall in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, Gov. Glenn Youngkin introduced “my newest best friend”—the representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  (The “best friend” comment can be found at the 13:15 mark in the video.)  When a major disaster occurs in the state this year, it is not certain that the governor’s “best friend” will be around, of if he is, what his role will be.

    In January, President Trump declared that he wanted to eliminate FEMA.  He issued an executive order establishing the “Federal Emergency Management Review Council.”  The function of the Council was “to advise the President…on the existing ability of FEMA to capably and impartially address disasters occurring within the United States and…on all recommended changes related to FEMA to best serve the national interest.”  He directed the Council to submit its report within 180 days of its first public meeting.  Virginia’s Gov. Youngkin was appointed to be a member of the Council.

    The Council had its first meeting on May 20.  At that meeting, Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem seemed modify Trump’s declared wish to eliminate FEMA.  As she put it, “The President has said to me many times that he believes FEMA should be eliminated as it exists.” (Emphasis added)  She went on to declare “our goal is that states should manage their emergencies and we come in and support them and we’re there in a time of financial crisis.”

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  • Are Virginia’s Historic Landscapes the Next Frontier for Big Tech?

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    James A. Bacon

    Data centers continue to bolster communities in Virginia, but without proper regulation, Virginians on the ground will be the biggest losers.

    by Bronson Winslow

    Data centers, driven by Big Tech’s eastward expansion, have popped up like 7-Elevens across Virgini a— reshaping rolling hills and historic communities in the name of progress.

    The aggressive transformation, primarily established over the last 15 years, leaves Virginians with a question: Who stands to benefit the most? Recent political contributions only further exacerbate the need to answer that question, as LinkedIn co-founder and “progressive” mega-donor Reid Hoffman and Microsoft’s Director of AI, Kevin Scott (and his wife), have funneled over $600,000 into Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s 2025 gubernatorial campaign.

    Are these contributions simply based on political identity, or are they another strategy used by California elites who stand to gain the most from data center expansion?

    It’s worth noting that Virginia currently grants generous tax incentives to data center developers—saving companies nearly $1 billion in 2023 alone—but things are destined to change. Those incentives are set to expire in 2035, and the Virginia legislature is still kicking the can on how data centers should be properly regulated.

    Electing a friendly governor could be a very sound investment for Big Tech as policy debates continue. But will out-of-state tech moguls put Virginians above profit margins?

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  • White Children Deserve Equity, Too

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    James A. Bacon

    by Paul Goldman

    Did you know the Constitution of Virginia denies white children the right to equal educational opportunities? Indeed, not just denied: but intentionally denied by the drafters of Article VIII, the Educational Clause. The denial is particularly damaging to white children in the Western and rural parts of the state.

    That’s right: Trump country, conservative country. And yes: Governor Youngkin knows all about this. As does the Republican Party. As do Democratic leaders. To his credit, Senator Bill Stanley, R-Moneta, led the fight to stop this discrimination. Joined by my State Senator at the time. But the liberal leaders from NOVA in the House of Representatives killed it.

    NOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING: “ Come on Paul we would’ve heard about it. Jim Bacon and the Bacon Rebellion would’ve discussed it.”: 

    My answer: I believe I actually first wrote about the basic issue years ago in this space. Jim was the only one willing to print it. Many years later, the Virginian-Pilot published a discussion of the matter, written by myself and Professor Rozell from George Mason University. Governor Wilder and I talked  about the constitutional issue over 30 years ago. We both were determined to try to do something to fix it but got sidetracked by the customs of the General Assembly and the insistence of an otherwise brilliant attorney to pursue what he had to know would be a losing appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court. 

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  • Lawsuit Alleges Principal Made False Racism Claims

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    James A. Bacon

    Elected officials fanned the flames about an alleged racist incident at Kellam High School—creating community scorn for the students and families.

    Image credit: Restoration News

    by Victoria Manning

    Three Virginia Beach parents filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit on June 2nd against Kellam High School principal Ryan Schubart contending Schubart wrongly accused their children of racism. The families claim the principal and a school board member made public statements alleging students’ guilt before conducting an investigation, per school district rules.

    The students were suspended from school and, the families say, prosecuted in the court of public opinion. They now have a stain on their permanent record of bullying based on race, ethnicity or color and harassment/ discrimination.

    The plaintiff’s perspective

    The defamation lawsuit details the events of March 12th. A group of boys at Kellam High School, three of whom are the plaintiffs and one the alleged victim, are a part of a “close friend group.” The students met up at their usual location prior to the start of school. The alleged victim, who is Black, previously requested his friends bring him fried chicken for his birthday. The friends granted his wish for fried chicken and gave it to him that morning along with a birthday card and candy. Video evidence shows the students laughing, hugging, and “engaging in friendly behavior,” per the lawsuit.

    According to the lawsuit, “Teachers and staff members were present in the vicinity, observing from a distance, but no intervention occurred by any adult, as the interaction did not appear to be inappropriate or hostile. The entire encounter was 2-3 minutes before all students had to go to class.”

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  • A New Outbreak of Covid-19 Hysteria

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    James A. Bacon

    by Carol J. Bova

    The Covid-19 pandemic may have faded from public consciousness, but controversy over how best to fight the virus rages unabated.

    For the week ending, June 7, 2025, The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported Covid-19 was responsible for 0.3 percent of emergency room visits — compared to 0.2 percent for influenza visits. In the previous six weeks, there were 16 deaths from Covid-19. In the same report, VDH urges: “Everyone 6 months of age and older is recommended to receive an updated COVID-19 and flu vaccine.”

    VDH also reports 1,275,918 doses of vaccine were administered during 2024-2025. But the state agency reports no research showing the efficacy of the vaccines.

    To say that the research is in flux would be an understatement.

    Recently, conflicting Covid-19 vaccination advice has been flying between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

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  • Bob Blue’s Big Opportunity

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    James A. Bacon

    Data center as energy hog. Image credit: Chat GPT

    by Paul Goldman

    America needs to win the Artificial Intelligence battle. 

    Winning apparently requires building hundreds and hundreds more data centers. At least say the experts right now. Do I have the intelligence artificial or otherwise to know if this is true? No, I don’t. Neither, I suspect, do more than a few hundred Americans. But winning the race regarding such a impactful new technology certainly isn’t a bad idea. 

    However, the entry fee will be costly. These data center complexes often require over 600 acres. The new one being built by Amazon in Louisa County coverage 1,400 acres. These complexes of thousands of super-fast computer chip infrastructure requires incomprehensible amounts of electric power. But even Bob Dylan had to go full-in electric eventually.

    For example, META Is building five of these complexes in a community roughly 30 miles from Manhattan. How much energy do they require? Not much: Only the equivalent of all the electric power annually consumed on the Island of Manhattan.

    Truth is, Virginia has more of these data centers than any state in the union. Indeed, Loudoun County has more than any locality on the planet. Their importance to localities is not the jobs created but the astounding amount of local taxes produced. Over 160 million in Prince William County.

    A 622-acre complex was recently promised the Surry County. This project has suffered certain financial reversal recently. The proposal was controversial and only passed by 3 to 2 vote of the Board of Supervisors. Apparently, the winning argument revolves around the projected 70+ million dollars in annual local taxes to be generated when fully operational. This amount is greater than the entire current county tax revenue from all other sources.

    Assuming Virginia localities want these local ATM tax machines to keep coming, we must resolve the following: How Is our power grid across the Commonwealth, indeed America going to power Generate and then transmit this enormous electric power to the data center site? 

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  • In Struggle for Autonomy, UVA Board Eyes Role of Board Secretary

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    The process for selecting the Board of Visitors secretary at the University of Virginia might seem arcane to outsiders, but it consumed the attention of board members briefly Friday before everyone agreed to table discussion until the regularly scheduled meeting in September.

    According to the Board manual, the secretary preserves documents, prepares the minutes, keeps the official Seal of the University in safe custody, and assists the Board in “the discharge of its official duties.” The secretary has little formal power but plays a key role in communicating information to board members.

    And therein lies the problem. The secretary (currently Susan Harris) reports to the president (Jim Ryan). Several members of the Board are frustrated by their inability to get answers from the Ryan administration. Requests for information are frequently blown off as too troublesome and time-consuming for overworked administrators to waste their time on.

    Generally speaking, one way in which university presidents control their boards is to manipulate the information presented to them. Such is certainly the case with UVA. Thus, the disagreement over who picks the secretary for their four-year terms is at heart a struggle over access to information.

    Rector Robert Hardie brought the issue to the Board’s attention, referring to a proposal by an unnamed board member to change the existing selection process — the president and rector nominate an individual “in concurrence,” and the Board votes its approval — to one in which any board member could nominate someone. The Executive Committee had discussed the idea, Hardie said, and the seven members unanimously opposed it in a straw poll.

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  • University Board Politics Got Even Nastier Yesterday

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    Blaming the toxic politics in Washington, D.C., the state Senate Privileges & Elections Subcommittee just made Virginia politics more toxic by voting down eight university Board of Visitors members nominated by Governor Glenn Youngkin in an 8-to-4 party line vote.

    “What we see in our political climate today, especially coming out of Washington, trying to make its way to our commonwealth — it’s our job to stand up,” said Committee Chair Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, the committee chair…. who happens to be running for lieutenant governor.

    A new battleground has emerged in Virginia politics — the appointment of board members to the governing bodies of Virginia’s public universities. Traditionally, the legislature defers to the overwhelming majority of a governor’s nominees. And when lawmakers don’t like someone, they wait until the regular General Assembly session in January-February to reject him or her.

    The process allows nominees to serve six or more months before getting the axe. It’s not clear from the Richmond Times-Dispatch report what immediate impact the Subcommittee vote will have.

    “Just days before a contentious Democrat primary, Virginians see today’s antics for what they are — an obvious political sideshow,” said Youngkin spokesman Rob Damschen. “This sloppy attempt … is not only completely out of order with General Assembly procedures, it also costs Virginians thousands of dollars. Make no mistake, these highly qualified appointees will continue to serve in their posts as the Constitution of Virginia affords.”

    But Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, defended the vote. “When we’ve done this before, governors have said this is valid,” he said. According to the RTD, Surovell was referring to subcommittee votes when Republicans were in control that did not confirm some of Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s appointees.

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  • Pennsylvania Joining RGGI is All Cost, No Benefit: PJM

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    Steve Haner

    The states still in the Regional Greenhous Gas Initiative. Lawsuits are pending to add Virginia and Pennsylvania.

    By Steve Haner

    A Republican leader in the Pennsylvania legislature asked the regional electricity market PJM Interconnect what would happen if that state joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. PJM reported it would raise consumer costs but have next to no impact on carbon dioxide emissions.

    The report, dated April 25 but just shared with Bacon’s Rebellion, demonstrated what likely happened while Virginia belonged to the RGGI carbon tax, cap and trade compact: Virginia’s hydrocarbon generation plants were operating less often but similar plants elsewhere within PJM increased their output. As an effort to reduce CO2 emissions it was a bust.

    The political battle over Pennsylvania’s membership in the RGGI compact has paralleled the fight in Virginia, and the issue is pending in an appeals court just like it is in Virginia. In Virginia, RGGI advocates are suing a governor who took the state out of the agreement, while in Pennsylvania Republican legislators are suing a governor who signed up to join RGGI. Both states are outside RGGI at this moment and are not collecting the carbon tax. 

    Whether or not Virginia belongs within RGGI ought to be a major debate in the 2025 election campaign. It now breaks down largely on a party-line basis and this one issue serves as an excellent proxy for the larger debate over energy, emissions and the claimed climate crisis. To think RGGI makes any sense you must believe that CO2 is driving temperatures to dangerous levels and causing extreme weather. 

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  • In the Governor’s Race

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    James A. Bacon

    Do not yield to the enemies of promise.

    by Gordon C. Morse

    The 2025 race to be Virginia’s next governor enters summer a lackluster affair and it need not continue in that condition. Both candidates have inherently interesting backgrounds and, you know, it’s okay to talk about yourself.

    The key being that it’s you doing the talking. Establishing your authenticity as a leader – as well as your individuality as a human being – by means of political consultants is akin to leading a strutting brass band into a dead-end alley. It’s looks good, but goes nowhere. (Yes, just like in Animal House.)

    It will be well lit, however. Hand that to the political TV craftsmen. Unprecedented levels of political ad spending have caused production values to soar as well. The sets, the people, the visual techniques – everything in these ads looks terrific.

    Ah, there’s the center of attention: the candidate. Such aplomb. Such self-confidence. Rest assured, we’re looking at a stand-up person.

    All fights – no matter for what purpose – will be courageously fought.

    All ideals will be brilliant conceived.

    All things, all hopes, all dreams will be won and at no extra cost to anyone.

    The cliches mount up by the bushel.

    (more…)

  • UVA Board Passes Status-Quo Budget for 2025-26

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    Fending off a bid by fiscal hawks to cut spending on administrative overhead, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors Friday approved a $5.8 billion operating budget for 2025-26. The sum covers $3.3 billion for the UVA medical center and $2.5 billion for academic operations in Charlottesville and Wise.

    The board action reaffirmed the 3% tuition increase approved in December but provided a one-time “rebate” to hold tuition steady for in-state undergraduate students next academic year. The $6.5 million in lost revenue will be made up from a $5.9 million increase in state support and some “cost efficiencies.”

    Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis defended the spending and tuition increases as necessary given the “enormous amount of pressure” from inflation, state-mandated pay increases and funding uncertainties created by Trump administration cuts to research. The budget includes many economies, efficiencies and cuts, she contended. “There are budget reductions. They are painful.”

    While a majority of Board members acquiesced to the budget, a few were not satisfied.

    “For me, the budget doesn’t meet the mark this year,” said Doug Wetmore. “I was hoping to see at our budget workshop … more detail about the cost centers of the university.”

    (more…)

  • The Energy Policy Minefield Facing a New Virginia Governor

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    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner

    When the smoke clears on the November elections and Virginia has a new governor and a different House of Delegates, energy policy will still head the list of crucial issues. It is in the state’s best interest to highlight those issues during what’s left of the campaign season and force candidates to state their intentions.

     Virginia is a net energy importer, approving electricity-sucking data centers faster than it can put up power plants and power lines to serve them.  The power plants that our major utilities are directed to build by state law are mostly vast solar farms, plagued by low operational reliability, while the more reliable hydrocarbon generation is still scheduled by law to disappear. The threat of shortages is growing. 

    If recent history is the guide, a solution to the demand-supply disconnect will be difficult because of the revenue produced by the data center industry and the public appetite for our digital economy. The same history indicates a Democratic victory in November will leave solar and wind as the preferred (basically mandatory) generation choices, with a nod toward more nuclear power at some point. A mandate for huge spending on batteries will probably resurface, but they do not power anything unless charged first by a real generator.  

    Dominion Energy Virginia is seeking a green light from the regulatory State Corporation Commission to build new natural gas-fired generation, with both problems in mind. The SCC is in the final stages of evaluating a 15-year integrated resource plan (IRP) for the utility that includes several new gas plants in the next few years, but opponents of using hydrocarbons have argued the utility has failed to prove that gas is the only choice.  

    The final round of written arguments following the long public hearing weigh heavily against the utility’s plan, with most case participants arguing it should now be rejected. Even Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares told the SCC his office merely had “no objection” to the IRP, hardly a ringing endorsement. Should the SCC decide Dominion did not make the case for gas, the utility’s corresponding application to build the first such plant in Chesterfield County will face a higher hurdle.   

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  • Bits and Pieces

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    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    I have always thought that local government was the most interesting level of government to watch. Officials from two jurisdictions made the news (not in a good way) last week.

    Martinsville. A member of city council, Aaron Rawls,  filed a lawsuit in federal court charging that the city manager and a deputy sheriff had violated his First, Fourth, and 14th Amendment rights. The suit stems from an incident at a council meeting in March when Rawls, while criticizing a salary increase that had been given to the city manager and the management in general, was interrupted by the mayor and warned about insulting the staff in public. Shortly after that, a deputy sheriff approached Rawls, asked him to leave, and escorted him out of the council chambers.

    Rawls claims that the city manager signaled to the deputy to remove him. The city manager denied signaling the deputy. She said, “No one signed [the deputy]. She is a court deputy and acted as trained in her court role. While the moment was difficult I do not have the authority to remove a member as city manager. While I serve as clerk the mayor is the chair and is the only [one] with the authority to request the removal of someone who is out of order.” 

    The mayor claims that he never gave such a signal. He explained that, instead of removing Rawls, he would have given him additional warnings and, if they were not heeded, he would have called a recess in the meeting. But he defended the deputy. “I believe that when she looked at everything that was in there, the things he was saying, the responses he was getting from the crowd, I think she took the totality of the circumstances at play…and made a judgement call. I think she did the right thing.” 

    The poor deputy caught in the middle of this has not made any public statement.

    Spotsylvania. Richard T. McGrath, the chief district court judge of the local district, was indicted on a charge of bribery of a public official, a Class 4 felony. The public official who was allegedly bribed was not named in the indictment. This situation is counterintuitive—one would normally think it would be the judge being bribed, rather than being the briber. The members of the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, who apparently were informed of the forthcoming indictment, as well as the State Police investigator handling the case, understandably, are not talking to the press.

    Perhaps LarrytheG can enlighten us.

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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