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Video: Is the #MeToo Movement Really “Much Ado About Nothing?”

By
Cindy
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1

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, and given the number of sexual harassment and abuse allegations against members of other legislative bodies in the country, this Virginia General Assembly session – with 15 new Democrats, most of whom are women – would seem to be a time to take every precaution to make sure that House members and their staffs are well-informed about sexual harassment. And since it’s largely up to the legislative bodies to regulate themselves, there have been several bills proposed this year about sexual harassment training.

But when HB371 made it to the floor today, it had already morphed substantially from its original version, losing some of its teeth along the way. The original version, with bipartisan patrons Roxann Robinson (R) and Kaye Kory (D) in the House, plus Barbara Favola (D), Jennifer McClellan (D) and Glen Sturtevant (D) in the Senate, called for annual sexual harassment training to be offered through the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM), with the records kept by the same agency.The House Rules Committee (you remember, the one that Speaker Cox stacked with nonproportional members against the very rules of proportional committees that the House itself had voted on) changed the bill so that the training would be only once every two years, and would be provided by the House or Senate Clerk’s office, with the records maintained by the Clerk’s office.

But is it putting the fox in charge of the hen house to have the Clerk’s office responsible for designing the training, overseeing its administration, and maintaining the records afterwards?

So Delegate Watts, whose own similar bill HB1057 had been rolled into HB371, proposed another substitute version on the House floor today. Her substitute allowed elected legislators and their assistants to take a training designed by and administered by the Clerk’s office, but adding additional stringent conditions that the training should cover:

The sexual harassment training course provided by the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate shall be available on-line 24 hours per day seven days a week and shall include but not be limited to discussion of (i) the inclusion of member actions when performing official duties covered under the General Assembly Conflicts of Interests Act (§ 30-100 et seq.); (ii) the inclusion of communications or actions undertaken with other state employees, contract employees, applicants for employment, customers, vendors, members of the media, lobbyists, members of the public, or volunteers; (iii) the Department of Human Resources Management Workplace Harassment Policy provision that managers, supervisors, and members who knowingly fail to take appropriate corrective action regarding allegations shall be in violation of the sexual harassment policy; (iv) the adopted policies of the House of Delegates or of the Senate governing how allegations of violations may be made, sharing of information, investigative procedures, determination of need for disclosure to law enforcement to protect public safety, committed violations of this chapter; and (v) the remedies available under this chapter and the Commonwealth Workplace Harassment Policy that are in addition to any other civil remedies and criminal sanctions provided under law.

As a backup plan to her substitute in case the substitute was voted down, she also drafted three separate amendments to HB371 that would accomplish the same more careful sexual harassment training, with the opportunity for any number of the three changes to be accepted.

All this caused the Republicans to be so flustered that Speaker Cox had to adjourn for a few minutes so that everyone could figure out how to vote. The Democrats also huddled up to get their strategy in place. When they reconvened, both sides took the opportunity to discuss the bill and the suggested changes. Delegate Robinson spoke about her bill, saying that it was important to have this training and that it wasn’t that SHE didn’t trust her peers, it was that the public needed to trust them–needed to know that when they legislated their own behavior, they did so in the most stringent way possible. Which was odd, since Delegate Watts’ substitute/amendments were adding additional conditions to make the training more thorough.

Delegate Watts spoke about her substitute, arguing for why having an outside agency administer the training was so important, and discussing the various ways that legislators interact with others where harassment issues might arise–not just in the chamber with each other, but back in their districts, with lobbyists, with their constituents, etc. The Republicans then proceeded to vote down the substitute.

And the amendments were discussed one by one. By this point, apparently Delegate Gilbert was getting annoyed and tired of the proceeding, because he asked to speak and then declared that this was “much ado about nothing.” And the entire chamber gasped–literally! (See about 2:40)

After the year that we’ve seen, with millions of women speaking out and saying #MeToo, and dozens of news stories about politicians and Hollywood producers and company CEOs being accused of sexual harassment, Delegate Gilbert thought that a discussion about how to get the training right was “much ado about nothing!” The rest of the amendments were voted down–on party lines, because apparently sexual harassment policy is a partisan issue too, and the weakened version of HB371 that the House Rules Committee wrote moved on to its third reading, presumably tomorrow.

I have two further thoughts about this. The first is that it is virtually impossible that of the 50 Republican members of the House in attendance today, every single one thinks that sexual harassment training should be administered by the Clerk’s office rather than DHRM–it’s probably also unlikely that all 49 of the Democratic members thinks it should not. So, we’ve clearly descended into a hyper-partisan world where everyone is entrenched in the position that their party peers are taking. Which is not good for anyone. The second is that it’s not a coincidence that the party with 47% of its Delegates being female wanted a more stringent sexual harassment policy than the party with 10% of its members being female.

Final Results of Blue Virginia 2017 Gov. Poll #1: Northam 50.7%-Perriello 48.3% (4,762 total votes)

By
lowkell
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24

UPDATE 6:00 pm Sunday: As promised, I have closed the poll on Sunday evening. The final results are Ralph Northam edging out Tom Perriello 2,416 (50.73%)-2,298 (48.26%), with a handful of votes for Ed Gillespie (0.48%), Frank Wagner (0.21%), Corey Stewart (0.17%) and Denver Riggleman (0.15%). Clearly, the two Democratic governor campaigns encouraged their supporters to vote in this poll, as we got a huge number of votes (4,762 total) in just 72 hours or so on a holiday weekend! Also, I could see the surges for each candidate as they pushed their supporters to vote via email, Facebook, etc. All of which is fine, by the way, as it indicates enthusiasm/intensity, organization, etc. Anyway, congratulations to Ralph Northam for edging out Tom Perriello in the first Blue Virginian non-scientific poll of the 2017 election cycle. I’ll probably do this again in a few weeks to see where we are then. Also, I’m going to post a Lt. Governor poll, so please vote in that one as well. Thanks!

UPDATE 5:22 pm Friday: It’s great to see so many people voting in this poll. I’ll probably keep it open until Sunday evening or so…

Poll: How Are You Feeling About the Presidential Race These Days?

By
lowkell
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5


Matt Weinstein for Virginia’s 8th CD Democratic Committee

By
lowkell
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0

The following statement is from Matt Weinstein — Arlington Young Democrat, legislative aide to Del. Rip Sullivan and candidate for the 8th CD Democratic Committee. The election will be at the August ACDC meeting at 7 pm on August 3rd at the NRECA building in Ballston (4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203). I’ve endorsed Matt because I think he has the energy, talent and experience to do a great job on voter protection and in general as a member of the 8th CD Democratic Committee. Go Matt!

Arlingtonians are fortunate to live in one the most forward-thinking, progressive congressional districts in the United States.

Virginia’s 8th Congressional District (CD) votes overwhelmingly for the Democratic nominee every presidential year, and it repeatedly sends Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Don Beyer has given voice to the progressive values that embody our community.

The 8th CD is a Democratic stronghold because of the Arlington County Democratic Committee (ACDC) and Virginia’s 8th CD Democratic Committee.

The 8th CD Democratic Committee—which includes 33 leaders from across the 8th district—provides political and fundraising support for Democrats throughout the 8th CD. The committee’s success makes it a model for congressional committees across Virginia.

One seat on the 8th CD Democratic Committee recently became available, and because of the committee’s seat allocation rules, the seat is reserved for an Arlington male.

I am running for the 8th CD Democratic Committee vacancy, and I am writing today to ask for your vote.

The election will be held at the August ACDC meeting at 7 pm on August 3rd at the NRECA building in Ballston (4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203). Any registered Arlington voter can vote in the election, but voters are required to sign a form saying that they will support Democrats.

I am the best candidate for the job because I have extensive experience working at the local, state, and federal level in Virginia, and I have devoted much of my career to protecting the right to vote for Virginians across the Commonwealth.

The right to vote is the cornerstone of American Democracy. As someone with significant experience protecting the right to vote, I would use my position on the 8th CD Democratic Committee to develop best practices for voter protection programs across the 8th district.

In 2012, I was fortunate to be part of the Obama Campaign’s voter protection team. Our team recruited 1,928 lawyers to volunteer on Election Day in Virginia, covered 1,055 polling locations, and resolved 3,283 voting issues at the polls. I continued the Obama voter protection model for the McAuliffe campaign in 2013, when we had over 500 lawyers protecting voters at polls across Virginia.

Every eligible voter in the 8th district should be able to vote regardless of race, religion, or party, and I will work hard to make that happen.

About me:

  • I am an Arlington Young Democrat, an attorney, and a political operative.
  • I am Delegate Rip Sullivan’s Legislative Aide.
  • I am currently ACDC’s Sergeant at Arms, and I am responsible for organizing caucuses and working with Arlington’s election board and registrar to make sure it is easy for voters to vote in Arlington.
  • I ran the 2016 Arlington School Board Caucus.
  • I was the parliamentarian for the 2016 8th CD Democratic Convention.
  • I worked for Senator Warner from 2009 to 2012.
  • I worked for the Obama Campaign in Virginia in 2012 as part of their voter protection team.
  • I ran the voter protection program for the McAuliffe Campaign in 2013.
  • I am the founding co-chair of the DPVA’s voter protection council in 2014.

My extensive local, state, and federal experience has allowed me to develop good relationships with some of the hardest-working Democrats in Arlington, the 8th CD, and across the Commonwealth.

Because of these relationships, I have been fortunate to receive broad, committed support for my candidacy from many Democratic leaders in the 8th CD.

A partial list of my supporters is provided below. Please note these endorsements were made in a personal capacity, and do not reflect a collective endorsement by any political organization.

  • Senator Barbara Favola (D-31)
  • Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30)
  • Delegate Rip Sullivan (D-48)
  • Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47)
  • Carla de la Pava, Arlington County Treasurer
  • Dave Leichtman, DPVA Vice Chair-Technology and Communications, 8th CD Member
  • Frank Leone, DNC Member
  • Josh Katcher, Voter Registration Chair, ACDC
  • Cragg Hines, ACDC Parliamentarian/National Delegate for Hillary Clinton
  • Lowell Feld, Blue Virginia
  • Laura Saul Edwards, Precinct Ops Vice Chair
  • Ian Redman, Precinct Ops Vice Chair, ACDC
  • Matt de Ferranti, Area Chair MetroEast, ACDC
  • Jill Caiazzo, Area Chair Central, ACDC
  • William Mark Habeeb, Area Chair River, ACDC
  • Kim Phillip, Director of Administration for ACDC
  • Chris Leyen, Aide to Senator Adam Ebbin
  • Zach Bowman, Outreach Vice Chair-LGBT, ACDC
  • Jarrod Nagurka, former Campaign Manager for Rip Sullivan and Christian Dorsey, ACDC Precinct Captain

Thank you for your consideration.  I look forward to speaking with you soon and hopefully seeing you at the election on August 3rd.

Tuesday News: “Hell’s already broken loose” in Gaza; Trump “threatens rule of law”; “Most Corrupt Start in History”; “Trump’s Slash-and-Burn Second Term”; “Constitutional crisis looms”; “The power of mass protests, strikes, stoppages, and boycotts”

By
lowkell
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1

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, February 11. This morning, Robert Hubbell argues, ” Defenders of the rule of law are on a judicial winning streak. At the same time, it appears unclear whether Trump and Musk are complying with existing orders compelling them to cease their unlawful behavior…I believe those around Trump understand the consequences of “crossing the Rubicon” of disregarding court orders. But if it does get that far, I feel pretty good about the prospects of the American people in a political tug of war with Trump and Musk.” And Hubbell strongly recommends, “The power of mass protests, strikes, stoppages, and boycotts will be particularly potent in America. The US is the largest economy in the world because its markets are stable, its political climate is (relatively) corruption-free, and the rule of law is enforced.” So keep that in mind as you read the following, mostly disturbing, news…

Video: Ahead of Key Vote, Sen. Mark Warner Speaks on the Senate Floor to Oppose Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From Sen. Mark Warner’s office:

AHEAD OF KEY VOTE, WARNER SPEAKS ON THE SENATE FLOOR TO OPPOSE TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI

WASHINGTON – Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today spoke on the Senate floor about his opposition to the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence ahead of a key procedural vote.

“We need leaders in the Intelligence Community and throughout government who are prepared to stand up to short-sighted attempts to attack our workforce at the expense of our national security. Unfortunately, I do not believe Ms. Gabbard is such a leader. Nor is she well-suited, by dint of experience or judgment, to serve as Director of National Intelligence,” said Sen. Warner. 

For weeks, Sen. Warner has been raising the alarm about Gabbard’s lack of qualifications for the position. You can view her full hearing in front of the Intelligence Committee here.  

Sen. Warner’s full remarks as prepared are below:

“I rise in opposition to the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence… because nothing less than our national security is currently on the line. 

Now, I’m going to start by saying that I have nothing but respect for Ms. Gabbard’s many years of service to our nation… both in uniform, and as the former representative for Hawaii.  

I do not question Ms. Gabbard’s patriotism… I oppose her nomination because I question her judgment. 

Many may not understand the important role of the Director of National Intelligence… 

If confirmed, Ms. Gabbard will lead the 18 agencies of the Intelligence Community. She will also serve as the Principal Advisor to the President… the National Security Council… and the Homeland Security Council for all intelligence matters related to national security. And she will be responsible for over $100 billion between the National Intelligence Program and the Military Intelligence Program. 

The stakes here have become all the more critical in recent days. 

Just in the past couple of weeks, President Trump has issued several directives that could irreparably harm our intelligence efforts and our nation’s ability to defend itself against the many threats we face. 

At the FBI, some of our most experienced agents… who have protected us for decades from terrorists, drug traffickers, spies, and violent criminals… have been unceremoniously fired. 

Thousands more have reason to fear they may be next, based on the vindictive list apparently being assembled of every FBI official who was involved in investigations into the Capitol riot on January 6. 

Across the IC…including the CIA, DIA, NSA, NRO and NGA…intelligence officers and analysts with irreplaceable skills are indiscriminately being pressured to resign or retire…And reportedly, senior law enforcement and national security officials are being asked to take political litmus tests, such as whether the 2020 Presidential Election was “stolen,” and whether the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was a “inside job.” 

Across the government, whole agencies are being eliminated and funding impounded in flagrant defiance of the Constitution and the law… while unvetted, unqualified “DOGE bros” – one who formerly worked for a Russian hacker group and was fired for leaking sensitive company secrets to a competitor … and yet another who proudly declared himself a “racist” and said he would not mind if, quote, “Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth” – illegally burrow into classified and other sensitive information… jeopardizing our national security and violating Americans’ privacy.  

To take just one recent example of what is at stake here: last week, the CIA apparently sent an email – using an unclassified system – to the White House listing the names of all recently hired employees… evidently in an attempt to comply with an executive order to reduce the size of the workforce… no matter how badly their skills might be needed. 

I shouldn’t need to explain to any member of this body the counterintelligence risks associated with exposing these officers’ identities to our adversaries. 

And I know that many of my Republican colleagues profess to take the use of unclassified servers very seriously indeed. 

Beyond the counterintelligence risk of foolishly exposing these officers’ names using channels known to be targeted by foreign hackers… this careless effort to identify and potentially dismiss recently recruited and trained CIA officers also imperils longstanding, bipartisan efforts by the Senate Intelligence Committee to modernize and streamline the Agency’s hiring process… and help CIA recruit and retain the talented young officers it needs to confront the growing national security threat posed by the People’s Republic of China.   

We need leaders in the Intelligence Community and throughout government, who are prepared to stand up to these short-sighted attempts to attack our workforce at the expense of our national security. 

Unfortunately, I do not believe Ms. Gabbard is such a leader. 

Nor is she well-suited, by dint of experience or judgment, to serve as Director of National Intelligence. 

The DNI is a position of great importance and significance to our national security… created after one of the worst security failures in our nation’s history… 9/11. 

For that reason, when Congress established the position… thanks in large part to the work of my good friend, Susan Collins… it mandated in law that any individual nominated for the position must have, and I quote, “extensive national security expertise.”  

As I noted previously, the DNI was created in part to fill an intelligence sharing gap identified by the 9/11 Commission. 

That mission – to share intelligence not only between all U.S. departments and agencies, but also with our allies – is predicated on trust… trust that we and our allies will protect each other’s secrets. 

Yet repeatedly, Ms. Gabbard has excused our adversaries’ worst actions… and instead blamed the United States and our allies for them. 

For example, she blamed NATO for Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. 

And despite the unanimous assessment of the Trump Administration DOD, State Department, and IC… she rejected the conclusion that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people.  

Now I don’t know if her intent in making those statements was to defend those dictators… or if she was simply unaware of the intelligence and how her statements would be perceived. 

In either case, it calls into question her judgment… and if she has what it takes to build and develop the trust relationships necessary to give our allies confidence that they can share their most sensitive intelligence with us.  

Make no mistake about it… if our allies stop sharing that intelligence, we will all be less safe. To offer just one example, last summer, intelligence sharing between the United States and Austria saved countless lives by disrupting a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert… underscoring the importance of these relationships. 

Ms. Gabbard has also been publicly outspoken in her praise and defense of Edward Snowden… someone who betrayed the trust and jeopardized the security of our Nation. The vast majority of the information he stole and leaked – before running off to hide in China and Russia, might I add – had nothing to do with Americans’ privacy… and compromised our nation’s most sensitive collection sources and methods.  

In many ways we are still paying a price for Snowden’s betrayal… and it is beyond dispute that his actions put our men and women in uniform in places like Iraq and Afghanistan at risk. 

Yet, Ms. Gabbard has celebrated Snowden as a, quote, “brave whistleblower” and advocated for his pardon. 

This is someone the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee called a “traitor” who should, quote, “rot in jail for the rest of his life.” 

When given the repeated opportunity in her confirmation hearing to agree with our esteemed Chairman in that assessment, she repeatedly declined.  

Instead, she said, and I quote, “The DNI… has no role in determining whether or not Edward Snowden is a lawful whistleblower.” 

Not only does she seem to believe that someone who divulged sensitive national secrets to Russia and China should be celebrated as “brave”… and not denounced as a “traitor”… she also does not seem to understand the DNI’s role in whistleblower determinations.  

In fact, the DNI has a significant role in transmitting lawful whistleblower complaints to the intelligence committees. It would be irresponsible to confirm someone who cannot distinguish between complaints that are made lawfully, and those that are not.   

Further, it is the statutory responsibility of the DNI to “protect intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure.” 

What message would it send to the intelligence workforce to have a DNI who would celebrate staff and contractors deciding to leak our Nation’s most sensitive secrets as they see fit? 

Now let me move to another issue of pressing relevance to this nomination: that is section 702 of FISA. 

It is hard to overstate the importance of this law. It is responsible for sixty percent of the intelligence in the President’s Daily Brief… and it has been instrumental in disrupting everything from terrorist attacks … to fentanyl trafficking… to foreign cyberattacks.   

Many in Congress have, at various points, supported reforms to 702 to better balance security and civil liberties. 

However, Ms. Gabbard has consistently gone further. 

Not only did she vote against reauthorizing 702… she introduced legislation to repeal the whole thing and called its very existence a, quote, “blatant disregard for our Fourth Amendment constitutional rights.” 

I understand that after she was nominated to be DNI she expressed a change of heart. That is welcome… but it is simply not credible.   Just last May she criticized the very reforms she now credits with changing her mind as having made the law, quote, “many, many times worse.”  

The DNI is responsible for making annual certifications under Section 702, without which all collection under the law will cease…  And the law itself is up for reauthorization in just over a year, a process typically led by the DNI.   I have no confidence in Ms. Gabbard’s commitment to either task.   

Nor is it the only issue where she has demonstrated poor judgment that should be disqualifying for the role. 

During an ill-advised trip to Syria and Lebanon in 2017, Ms. Gabbard exercised terrible judgment in electing to meet with Bashar al-Assad amid a conflict in which Assad was using sarin gas and other chemical weapons against his own people.   

On that same trip, she also met with Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun. 

Many Americans may not be familiar with Mr. Hassoun… but in 2011 he threatened to conduct suicide bomb attacks in the United States.  

At her confirmation hearing Ms. Gabbard claimed not to know about Hassoun’s past. 

But reporting following the hearing makes clear that her staff made her aware of that history at the time of her trip, in 2017… to say nothing of the fact that a simple Google search would have easily revealed his past. 

What does it say about her judgment and experience that she would willingly meet with someone who very publicly issued terrorist threats against the United States of America? 

Nor is it an isolated lapse… 

Just last summer she accepted a trip to Italy that was paid for by the foundation of Pierre Louvrier, a man with deep connections to sanctioned Russian oligarchs. 

And at her confirmation hearing she seemed unable to recognize why the national security interests of the United States might be better protected if TikTok… a social media app that reaches into the homes of millions of Americans… was under American ownership, rather than being subject to the control of the People’s Republic of China. 

The world today is more complex and more dangerous than ever before… and we need serious people with the experience,  expertise, and judgment to navigate that complexity. 

Ms. Gabbard is not such a nominee.  A vote in favor of her confirmation is an endorsement of President Trump’s lawless efforts to hollow out our national security workforce, and her confirmation will further strain the alliances that have kept our country safe for decades.   

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to oppose Ms. Gabbard’s nomination.

Video: DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker Announces Her Decision to Step Down; Successor to Be Selected on March 22

By
lowkell
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4

Thanks to Susan Swecker for her many years of hard work, dedication and service to Virginia, and specifically to the Democratic Party of Virginia, which she’s served as Chair since March 2015! See below for her announcement, which has been long expected (possible/rumored candidates for chair include: Tonya James, Alexsis Rodgers, David Mills, Amanda Pohl and Lamont Bagby, probably others as well…maybe Lashrecse Aird?). According to this press release, “The Democratic Party of Virginia Steering Committee will meet on February 20 to adopt rules of procedure for an election to be held on March 22, 2025.”

It’s amazing what ups and downs we’ve seen since 2015, with numerous victories (e.g., Ralph Northam’s landslide victory in November 2017, the election of Abigail Spanberger/Jennifer Wexton/Elaine Luria in 2018, Democrats regaining control of the House of Delegates in November 2019, Joe Biden winning a landslide victory in Virginia in November 2020, Kamala Harris winning Virginia by 6 points in November 2024), but also some really bad losses (Glenn Youngkin’s narrow win in 2021, along with Democrats losing control of the House of Delegates; Luria losing to Jen Kiggans in November 2022).

Of course, the Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia can only do so much, but it’s still an important position in terms of messaging, coordination, organization, etc.  So let’s hope we get a strong, competent Chair to replace Susan Swecker, because we’re definitely going to need to be firing on all cylinders – and at all levels of the party – during these challenging, dangerous times.

DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker Announces Her Decision to Step Down

Today, the Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker announced she will be stepping down from her position pending the election of a new Chair. She has served as Chairwoman since March 2015. She released the following statement:

“This month marks my tenth anniversary as Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, a journey that has been both an honor and a privilege. After our strong victories in Virginia this past November, I believe the time is right to pass the torch to a new leader who can continue to build on our successes and further strengthen our party.

When I first ran for Chair in 2015, I made a commitment to create a sustainable infrastructure that would outlast any single election cycle. Over the past decade, we’ve achieved that vision—building a larger, more robust full-time staff, strengthening local committees, and establishing year-round programs focused on voter protection and training.

As I step down, I do so with pride and confidence, knowing that our party is in capable hands. The solid foundation we’ve laid will ensure Virginia remains a beacon of Democratic strength for generations to come.”

The Democratic Party of Virginia Steering Committee will meet on February 20 to adopt rules of procedure for an election to be held on March 22, 2025.

Watch the FULL VIDEO of her announcement here.

New Virginia Polling Finds “Strong Support for Democratic Proposals Such as Millionaires Tax, Child Tax Credit, and Down Payment Assistance”

By
Blue Virginia
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0

Interesting findings by Public Policy Polling for Freedom Virginia:

NEW POLL: Virginians Want Middle-Class Relief, with Rich and Corporations Paying Their Fair Share

Gaming Unpopular Across All Regions, Especially Fairfax County

RICHMOND, Va. — Today, Freedom Virginia released polling conducted by Public Policy Polling in six battleground House districts and all of Fairfax County that shows strong support for a fair tax agenda that prioritizes hardworking people over special corporate interests.

The survey focused on tax fairness and where Virginians would like economic relief in the 2024-2026 biennial budget. A memo with results can be read here.

Polling found that among the districts surveyed, policies included in the Freedom Virginia “Get Ahead” Agenda are strongly supported by hardworking Virginia voters.

In a majority of districts surveyed, a higher tax rate on income above $1,000,000 a year, or a millionaire’s tax, to ensure the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share was widely popular, ranging from 60% support to more than 70% support. Across all districts, when asked which forms of tax relief they support most, voters said that a first-time homebuyer’s grant was number one above other forms of tax relief polled like exempting tips from state income tax and a car tax credit.

The polling shows that while Virginians are struggling with rising prices, they cite corporate price gouging as the primary reason for the cost of living crisis — more than COVID-19 era inflation or increased federal spending.

Virginia voters strongly support fair tax reforms, not gaming ventures like casinos and illegal skill games, to ensure the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share to fund the right priorities.

When asked if they would support the legalization of skill games, voters in all districts viewed legalization unfavorably, with opposition ranging from -47% net approval to -67%. According to a recent study by Magnum, the median income for communities where skill games were placed when they were legal between 2020-2021 was below the 2021 state median, and there are a number of people who fall below the poverty level in these communities. Across Fairfax County, voters expressed opposition to a Tysons casino; when asked if they would support legislators’ efforts to authorize the Board of Supervisors to hold a referendum, 62% were opposed, and when asked how they would vote in a referendum right now, 68% said they would vote no.

The polls took place in six battleground House districts 21, 57, 65, 71, 82, 97 and all of Fairfax County from January 29 to January 31.

Freedom Virginia co-Executive Director Ryan O’Toole released the following statement on the new polling:

“Virginia voters are clear: they need economic relief, and they need it now. In contrast to the governor’s introduced budget, the House and Senate’s proposed budget amendments address voters’ economic anxieties by including a first-time homebuyers’ grant, more affordable child care, and lowering taxes for working people through a higher standard deduction and an increase in the refundable earned income tax credit to tackle the ever-increasing cost of living in Virginia. Our research shows clearly that voters want to fund the right priorities through fair taxes, not through gaming schemes like so-called skill games or the proposed Tysons casino. It’s time to provide hardworking families the opportunity to do more than get by; we must ensure they can get ahead.”
###
Freedom Virginia is a nonpartisan 501(c)4 organization committed to building a Commonwealth where all Virginia families have the freedom to thrive. Freedom Virginia advances economic security policies through grassroots activism, voter engagement and legislative advocacy. Our efforts began in 2020 and since then we’ve pushed for a more economically secure Virginia by sharing real stories about Virginians’ lack of access to affordable healthcare, education, energy, and the need for policies that foster more safety for families. Visit our website at freedomva.org to learn more. 

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08)’s Deputy Chief of Staff Aaron Fritschner Warns: “complacency, acceptance, and cowardice are powerful forces aiding those attacking our Constitution”

By
lowkell
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0

Where we’re currently at, from Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08)’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Aaron Fritschner. Is there a serious (e.g., not “hand waving” or “remain calm”/”things will work out fine”/”keep on keeping on” bullsh*t) counterargument to any of this? If so, what is it? Because I’m not seeing it.

************************

“They’re breaking laws to dismantle the US govt
The Legislative Branch is a rubber stamp
They neuter legal consequences with DOJ purges and pardons
They call reporters who cover them criminals
They call political opposition criminals
They’re preparing to ignore the Judicial Branch

I’d say official Washington and American civil society are acting like slowly-boiled frogs but this is happening fast.

I’ve seen movies about historical or fictional events of mass upheaval where people cling to normalcy in ways that seem crazy. Didn’t expect to see it in person

Items 2 & 3 below are done. The rest are in progress; if this was happening elsewhere you’d expect those to increase along with:
– deploy police/military to suppress political/popular opposition
– criminalize dissent
– suspend elections or make meaningless

This will sound hysterical to some people and look, nobody wants that to be true more than me. I fervently hope I am wrong. But things like this have happened before elsewhere, and there were people who warned about it, and there were people who called those warnings hysteria

The United States Constitution is a marvelous thing, but it’s not self-enforcing. It depends on a system of checks and balances to stop a return to the monarchy and despotism the Founders sought to escape. Right now those checks and balances are failing one by one before our eyes

I’m not saying all is lost and I’m not for giving up. We are fighting this. But complacency, acceptance, and cowardice are powerful forces aiding those attacking our Constitution, just as they were for other authoritarians through history. We have to start calling this what it is.”

Monday News: “Trump Plans to Impose 25% Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum Imports”; “Legal experts warn of ‘constitutional crisis’ as Vance and Elon Musk question judges’ authority over Trump”; “Democrats: This Is War. Isn’t It Time You Acted Like It?”; VA Police Want Youngkin NOT To Veto Collective Bargaining

By
lowkell
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12

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, February 10. Good advice from Robert Hubbell – “We are not sheep. Get louder. Take action. Create a shadow cabinet.” So far, at least, we’re not getting nearly enough of any of that, and way too much “business as usual” from Democrats in Congress, such as Democratic US Senators voting for many or most of Trump’s horrendous Cabinet picks. Unacceptable. And as Margaret Sullivan writes, “We need righteous indignation and truth-telling, not complacency: The tone, in media and politics, is far too restrained for our current emergency.” Bingo.

Which Virginia Politicians and Reporters Are Active on Bluesky? Some Are, but Many (Particularly Republicans) Aren’t…

By
lowkell
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14

At this point, with Elon Musk busy engaging in a coup against the U.S. government, and also supporting far-right parties in Germany and elsewhere (not to mention giving Hitler-style salutes at rallies, saying/amplifying incredibly bigoted things all the time, etc.), it seems like a no-brainer that Democrats would have been busy for weeks or months now, diversifying their social media accounts to ones that aren’t run by someone like Musk, with Bluesky the main contender, given that Meta-owned properties like Threads are also highly problematic.

So, with that in mind, which Virginia politicos and reporters are on Bluesky at the moment? See below for a non-comprehensive list (although I did spend a decent amount of time on this), which shows that: 1) the vast majority of Virginia Republicans are avoiding Bluesky like the plague, because clearly it’s not a far-right echo chamber or a “safe space,” which is obviously what they prefer; 2) all the Virginia Congressional delegation Democrats are active on Bluesky; 3) none of the Virginia Congressional delegation Republicans are active on Bluesky; 4) most Virginia Democratic state senators are NOT active on Bluesky (that really needs to change, ASAP), and zero Republican state senators appear to be there; 5) only 14 House of Delegates Democrats (out of 51) seem to be active on Bluesky (that also needs to change, ASAP); 6) several statewide Democratic candidates (Jay Jones, Shannon Taylor, Levar Stoney) are active on Bluesky, while basically zero Republican statewide candidates are active there; 7) among Virginia journalists, but more appear to NOT be active on Bluesky than to be active there.

By the way, Blue Virginia now has over 6,000 followers on Bluesky, and growing fast. And overall, Bluesky now has over 31 million users, also growing fast, with tons of national reporters, politicians, etc. on there, so it’s not exactly an obscure or niche site. Which raises the question, what on earth are the Virginia Democrats who aren’t on there yet waiting for exactly???

P.S. A few others active on Bluesky include Sam Shirazi, VAPLAN, the Virginia Young Dems, Indivisible Virginia, Rep. Don Beyer’s deputy chief of staff Aaron Fritschner, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia executive director Jamie Lockhart, former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05), Larry Sabato, etc. See the Blue Virginia “Starter Pack” for more!



Video: Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) Declares, Bluntly “Yeah this is a coup. And it is not a coup by Donald Trump, it is a coup by Russ Vought and Elon Musk.”

By
lowkell
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16

This is both fascinating and disturbing coming from Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04), given that she is most definitely NOT an alarmist; that she’s very level-headed, smart and politically astute; that she’s considered by many Virginia politicos to be the likely successor to Tim Kaine in the US Senator when he retires; etc. So for her to say, without equivocation, the following, is really jarring:

“I mean look, so here whenever anybody asks me, ‘how are you doing?’, I try to answer ‘excellent’, because in the grand scheme of things, all of my family members are alive, I’m alive, God woke me up this morning, it could be a lot worse. And when I remember that I almost died in childbirth, both my daughter and I, that puts everything in perspective. So my number one piece of advice for everybody today is find you’re excellence and don’t let anybody take it away from you. Couple other mantras for the year before I kind of jump into the the update, because it’s going to be rapid fire yeah: try to control, try to focus on what you can control and let go of the rest; you cannot control everything, you can’t impact everything, and if you try you’re going to kill yourself or drive yourself crazy…that is easier said than done, I know, but if you constantly every morning remind yourself, focus on what you can control and let somebody else handle the rest, it’ll help; and this is an all-hands-on-deck moment.

And those are kind of the mantras that I have told my team and…how we are approaching every day. Because this is a coup, yeah this is a coup. And it is not a coup by Donald Trump, it is a coup by Russ Vought and Elon Musk. I’m not even sure Donald Trump knows half of the things that he’s on…”

There’s a lot more after this, including:

  • “Only the Speaker of the House has  standing to sue on behalf of Congress, and so for many of these actions that overstep presidential authority and infringe on con Congressional authority, we are not in a position to challenge that in the courts, we have to work with allies.”
  • “Every member of Congress is sort of picking those three or four areas where they’re going to laser focus on and… that’s the only way we can handle this sort of all hands-on-deck approach“
  • “Where we can file legislation in response, we’re doing it. But remember, we’re the minority party…we need three Republicans in the House to join us, to do anything. And the Senate needs Republicans to join them, to do anything. So while we know my office has gotten hundreds of calls a day – and that’s great, keep them coming – but those of you that live in Republican districts or those of you who friends that live in Republican districts they need to feel the pressure…the only way they will grow a spine is if they understand there’s electoral pressure, that if they don’t there are going to be consequences.”
  • “Be strategic about what you share. So perfect example – I was flooded with people…saying have you noticed that all the federal government websites have a flag that has nine stars on the top, is that the Confederate flag? Well, number one, no it’s not the Confederate flag. Number two, there are reasons behind that. And number three, should our priority right now be on…what the flag looks like on websites, or should our  focus be on the trauma that’s being inflicted on the federal workforce? So please pick your battles in a way that are going to really have an impact, but check the facts before you share something.”
  • “Every time in this country that marginalized communities, especially black people, gain social political and economic power, there is a backlash. That backlash involves three things: voter suppression, violence and propaganda. We are in the backlash now. We are in the backlash of all backlashes. But don’t get dispirited, because we we are fighting that backlash from a position of more power than our ancestors ever dreamed. And so when you get tired – because you will, when you get angry, when you are on the verge of I don’t know what to do, remember that power and remember what John Lewis said, ‘democracy is a state that requires every generation to do its part to build the beloved community’. And we cannot give up…we can’t become complacent, because the backlash always comes. But together we are in this fight against the backlash, and I’m so proud to be in this fight with each and every one of you watching this right now.”

Brilliant. Definitely watch the entire interview – great information, motivation and advice from Rep. Jennifer McClellan in these extremely dark times!

P.S. Also check out this brilliant, spot-on – and disturbing! – piece by Thomas Zimmer. According to Zimmer, “We are witnessing an unprecedented autocratic power grab. If the different MAGA factions can just dissolve whatever parts of the government they don’t like and functionally suspend the constitution, then democratic self-government is over.” and “What we are faced with is a rightwing “counter-revolution” unleashed – and in this moment, no one on the Right cares all that much what form it takes, or what script it follows, or who is in charge: Just be maximally radical and ruthless, destroy the enemy.” UGH.

Sunday News: “While Trump blathers about tariffs and Gaza, Musk is executing a coup d’état” (Will They Defy Court Orders?); Musk, Trump “seem to only defend racist speech”; “Catastrophic” Science Funding Cuts; “Defending Democracy in 2025 Is All That Matters”

By
lowkell
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5

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines. Time for Democrats, as well as anyone who’s a small-d democrat, to really crank it up at this point.

Virginia General Assembly Week Four 2025: “Crossed Over” and “Left Behind in the Dust”

By
lowkell
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0

From VAPLAN; great work by Cindy as always!

After some very long floor sessions in both the House and the Senate, crossover was reached–for the rest of session, each chamber will only consider bills that originated in the other chamber. Racing toward the end of this short session!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK,  Delegate Callsen on the House floor for Black History Month: “Study after study shows that race matters in the criminal justice system…political rhetoric steeped in fear and not fact has been used to justify what is by definition an unjust system…Mr. Speaker, my hope with this speech is to remind everyone in this chamber that the history of our justice system is both Black history, and also current events. And any of us in this room who are in a seat of power should be analyzing policies not with a campaign lens, not only with a personal lens, but with a lens of what is just, fair, and aligned with truth and fact.”

Left behind in the dust:

  • The House occasionally dockets bills to subcommittees that never then see the light of day. Here are a few bills that were left unvoted on in the House:
    • HB1865, the Access to Justice Act, which would have ensured a public defender’s office in every jurisdiction as well as an appellate defender office, made it out of Courts of Justice, only to die a quiet death in Appropriations without a vote. (It was expected to cost nearly $90 million.)
    • HB2607, prohibiting campaign contributions from public utilities, was left without a vote in House Privileges and Elections committee.
    • The House Education committee has endured listening to this bill to require students to pass the US Naturalization Test to graduate several years in a row. This year, they didn’t even docket it.
    • House Finance left behind without a vote a bill to impose a $5 tax on firearms purchases.
    • House Courts of Justice did not docket for discussion a bill to “clarify” that terminating a nonviable pregnancy isn’t a crime. Which, of course, wouldn’t be needed if we didn’t ever criminalize people and their doctors for private healthcare choices.
  • The Senate typically dockets all the bills that are filed. However, it’s not unusual (in either chamber) for bills to get suddenly re-referred back to committee from the floor when there are no more committee meetings, effectively killing the bill.
    • On the day of crossover, two campaign finance bills were re-committed back to committee: SB1050 prohibiting campaign contributions from corporations, and SB1469 restricting the dollar amount of all campaign contributions.
    • Additionally, the Senate recommitted SB1190 that created a consortium to assist localities in setting and achieving clean energy goals, and barred restrictive ordinances that limit solar.

Some interesting resolutions that crossed over:

  • HJ440 and SJ251, to have the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) study what books are being banned in what schools, why, and at whose request.
  • SJ255 to have JLARC study Virginia’s campaign finance laws (mostly with an eye to whether they are clear and transparent and enforceable).
  • HJ446 to designate the first full week of September as Zero Waste Awareness week.
  • HJ447 to have the Commission to End Hunger create a statewide food desert mapping system for Virginia.
  • SJ269 to designate March as Persian Heritage Month.
  • SJ253 and HJ443 to have JLARC study the potential impact of moving Virginia’s elections onto an even-year only schedule.
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