Tag: Dick Hall-Sizemore
-
A Rejoinder to Hans Bader
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Hans Bader has published an extensive article in BR opposing bills introduced in the General Assembly that would enable judges to give a “Second Look” at inmates with long sentences. As I was preparing my comments to the article, they themselves became so extensive that I decided an rejoinder article would be…
-
A Break in Tradition
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Gov.-elect Spanberger has broken new ground with one of her agency appointments. She recently announced the appointment of Jeffrey Katz to be the Superintendent of State Police. Katz was formerly the chief of police in Chesterfield County. After retiring from that position in 2024, he joined the FBI, where he worked in the…
-
Spanberger Cabinet Picks Much Different from Youngkin’s
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Despite stocking her transition team with individuals unfamiliar with Virginia politics and issues, Gov.-elect Spanberger has not followed Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s path of bringing in non-Virginians and persons unfamiliar with government and the Virginia legislature to fill out her Cabinet. Instead, she has, so far, surrounded herself with Cabinet members who have extensive…
-
Old School Journalism
by Dick Hall-Sizemore While recently lamenting to myself the sad state of local journalism, I began ruminating about the outstanding reporters for the Richmond Times-Dispatch who used to kept us informed. There was James Latimer, the dean of political reporters; Charles McDowell with his wry wit and columns about national politics; Shelly Rolfe and his…
-
An Affordability Suggestion
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Gov.-elect Spanberger has released her plan to make Virginia more affordable. Forgive me if I do not see a lot in there that would quickly make life more affordable for most average Virginians. However, Dwayne Yancey of Cardinal News has identified a measure that could make a major expense more affordable for many…
-
Transition Team Light on Virginia Government Experience
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Gov-elect Spanberger seems on the verge of repeating a mistake that then Gov.-elect Youngkin made four years ago — surrounding herself with advisers from her former world rather than from Virginia government and politics. Youngkin, a complete neophyte in politics and Virginia government, brought in people from the investment banking world and…
-
Now the Hard Part Begins
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Overlooked in all the news around the election was some sobering budget news for the next governor. As reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Virginia Dept. of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) has forecast that Virginia’s Medicaid costs will increase by $3.2 billion over the next three years. That increase consists of an additional…
-
A Blue Tsunami
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Yep, the polls were wrong. Democrats won much bigger than any predictions. Not only did Spanberger win by over 14 points, Hashmi won by almost 10, and Jones, despite his texting scandal, had a comfortable margin of six points. In the biggest surprise, Democrats flipped 13 House seats. Even Don Scott, Speaker…
-
Miyares Plays Fast and Loose with Truth
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Before 2020, offenders convicted of felonies and incarcerated in Virginia prisons were eligible for up to 4.5 days credit toward their sentences for every 30 days served. They did not automatically receive these credits; violation of prison rules or violent behavior could result in a reduction of “earned sentence credits.” The 2020…
-
Off the Interstate: A Public Figure Honored
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Whenever I travel to anywhere west of the Blue Ridge that is south of Staunton, I take U.S. Rt. 60. Such trips usually include a stop at a restaurant at Cumberland Courthouse that serves some of the best fried oysters in the Commonwealth and at a decent price, along with lemon meringue pie. If…
-
This Is What America Has Come To Under ICE
by Dick Hall-Sizemore For all those Bacon Rebellion commenters who are so anxious to praise and support ICE, you would be well served to read George Will’s latest column. Will is not a progressive; not a radical left-winger; not even a Democrat. He is a bona fide conservative. As evidence of his credentials, he was…
-
Virginia General Assembly to Consider Redistricting to Increase Democratic Representation in Congress
Both houses of the General Assembly are planning to convene on Monday, Oct. 27. The notices went out to the members today. Technically, this will be a reconvening of the 2024 Special Session I, which never adjourned sine die. As reported by the Virginia Political Newsletter, the main item of interest will be Virginia getting…
-
Trump Policies Hurt Virginia Farmers
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The 2025-2026 soybean harvest and market began in September with Virginia soybean farmers having lost their biggest customer as a result of Trump’s tariff policies. In 2023 (the latest year for which figures are available), soybeans were Virginia’s top agricultural export at over $1.4 billion. Exports to China accounted for $784 million (56…
-
“No Kings” Demonstrations in Virginia
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Thousands of Virginians participated in “No Kings” demonstrations yesterday to protest actions of the Trump administration. Crowd-size estimates are always tricky to judge. Organizers tend to exaggerate turnout; police departments have begun to shy away from providing estimates; often, press reports do not identify the source of the estimates. With those caveats in…