by James C. Sherlock

Scott Johnson at the podium on Jan 17, 2023 testifying before the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions.
Whatever the Virginia Health Care Association (VHCA), the state’s nursing home lobbying organization, pays its General Counsel, Scott Johnson, it is not enough.
He has been representing them for 20 years, and he owns the General Assembly.
This is going to sound boring as I frame the background that is the subject of the hearing. But I feel I must try to explain the complexities to make what happened in the hearing understandable.
But I promise the hearing itself is not boring. There are heroes, heroines and villains.
That hearing was a thoroughgoing disgrace to the General Assembly of Virginia. Members are seen clearly to surrender their authority, their duties, and their personal dignity to an industry they are elected to oversee.
It was videotaped for posterity.
It represents the “Virginia Way.” a product of unlimited campaign donations. It is reprehensible.
The law passed through this process must be repealed in its entirety. Continue reading