Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, March 26. Also, courtesy of Stafford Dem Marc Broklawski, check out the “‘greatest hits’ compilation of extreme Tea Party testimony bullying the Stafford School Board into abandoning Title IX.” It’s kinda like watching Faux “News” or Glenn Beck or something. And no, that is NOT a good thing! Ugh.
*Slandering solar is not about protecting taxpayers, but utility’s monopoly status (By former Rep. Barry Goldwater, Jr.)
*Saudi Arabia launches heavy strikes in Yemen
*Pilot reportedly locked out of cockpit as plane crashed
*Bowe Bergdahl, once-missing U.S. soldier, charged with desertion
*Opinion analysis: A small victory for minority voters, or a case with “profound” constitutional implications?
*Should Your State Be Able to Ignore the Nation’s Most Important Pollution Law? (“Republicans think so.” And of course, yet again, they are wildly wrong.)
*Obama’s Very Smart Reason for Being So Tough on Netanyahu (Agreed, stay the course.)
*McAuliffe to sign state budget with no amendments or vetoes (“A year after Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the General Assembly engaged in a bitter, three-month standoff over adopting a budget, the governor on Thursday is expected to sign a revised budget without any amendments or line-item vetoes.”)
*Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is expected to veto about 20 bills (He should have vetoed or heavily amended the Dominion bill too.)
*Rep. Beyer set to replace Rep. Van Hollen as DCCC finance chair
*Dominion plans to build natural gas power plant in Southside (Again, they should first and foremost be maxing out energy efficiency, which they most certainly are not, and also renewable energy, before building any new fossil-fuel power plants.)
*Morrissey announces Senate bid, vacates House seat (“Del. Joe Morrissey, I-Henrico County, on Wednesday formally announced his bid for state Sen. Rosalyn Dance’s seat in the 16th Senate district. As required by state law, Morrissey vacated his seat in the 74th House of Delegates district.”)
*McAuliffe orders Va. ABC officers to be retrained in use of force, diversity
*Budget to take Beach forward (“The knee-jerk response to a proposal – by anyone, anywhere – to increase taxes by 6.4 percent is NO. It’s particularly true in Virginia Beach, where the city manager has recommended increasing the real estate tax rate to 99 cents per $100 worth of property. Residents are unconvinced of the need.”)
*SCOTUS Alabama decision may affect Virginia election maps
*Mother, daughter from Virginia on flight that crashed in French Alps
*Editorial: Morrissey isn’t getting state political leaders’ hints
*Temperatures in 70s Thursday, showers likely; snow possible Friday night
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