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The 2025 VA General Assembly Should Pass HB 2025 to Enhance Road Safety for Wildlife and Motorists

By
lowkell
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0

This bill – patroned by Del. Debra Gardner, and supported by the organizations listed below – should be a no brainer for a bunch of reasons. See below for a press release from Wildlands Network and you’ll see why, including this startling statistic:

“Virginia sees over 60,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions annually, costing an average of $41,000 in state and personal costs per incident. However, just one underpass + fencing can reduce crashes in a hotspot segment by 96%!”

Need more reasons? How about these:

  • “Enhancing public safety by reducing the risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions.”
  • “Supporting ecological connectivity through thoughtful infrastructure design.”
  • “Improving flood resilience by aligning wildlife-friendly designs with flood protection priorities.”
  • “Utilizing data-driven strategies to pinpoint collision hotspots to ensure we place crossings where they are most needed and effective.”

Good stuff – let’s get this done!

Video: Responding to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Final State of the Commonweath Address, VA Sen. Lashrecse Aird Says Youngkin Wants To “keep a selective few winning and those who need it the most losing”

By
lowkell
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3

Virginia Democrats respond to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth (SOTC) address this morning. Thankfully, this was Youngkin’s final SOTC address, as we’ll have a new governor – hopefully a Democrat! – at this time next year. As for Youngkin’s remarks this morning, as usual they were filled with flat-out falsehoods, as well as a lot of distortions, exaggerations, taking credit where he doesn’t at all deserve it, right-wing rhetoric, notable omissions, etc. For instance, as Virginia Democrats’ chair Susan Swecker noted in her press release following Youngkin’s speech (see below):

  • “Youngkin failed to give credit where it’s due for the progress Virginia has made over the past year”
  • “Youngkin also failed to mention the threat posed by Donald Trump’s plan to fire thousands of federal workers here in Virginia — a move that would leave hardworking Virginians jobless and cripple our economy. That is because Youngkin supports Trump’s harmful policies, which serve the wealthy while devastating the working families he’s supposed to serve.”
  • “While Republicans continue to push policies that only benefit the powerful few, Democrats are building a Virginia that works for everyone — defending good-paying jobs, affordable housing, reproductive rights, healthcare, and quality education.”

And as VA Sen. Lachresce Aird (D) put it in her response to the SOTC (see video, below):

“Once again, Gov. Youngkin’s vision reflects a plan to single handedly keep a selective few winning and those who need it the most losing. The ultra wealthy, corporations, and special interests are the true winners under the governor’s plan, while too many working families are left behind.

The budget surplus that we are experiencing is a direct result of the prudent spending decisions of Democratic majorities in the senate and house – and our Commonwealth’s backbone, hard- working families, paying more than their share. Instead of giving costly giveaways to those in the highest tax bracket, our plan is one that will deliver real money back into the pockets of everyday people, along with balanced public investments centered around kitchen table issues.

On their face. the Governor’s proposals may sound appealing, but when given a closer look…leave far too many behind. As it relates to economic relief, he proposes a car tax credit and changes to the childcare subsidy program, but hard working Virginians that pay into our tax system, they lose an opportunity at relief, simply because they don’t own a vehicle. Further, his adjustments to the child care subsidies can result in more money out of the families’ pockets for the same care they are already receiving today.

There are smarter, more inclusive ways to get money back into the hands of people. Senate Democrats propose to provide meaningful economic support for individuals and families that go beyond the requirement of having a car, like refundable tax credits that give a boost to their income, giving them the choice of putting money towards personal needs like groceries, child care, prescriptions and their housing needs.

We have made tremendous strides as it pertains to our public school systems and supporting our teachers – despite Governor Youngkin, not because of him. In his most recent proposals, he seeks to create a $50 million private school voucher system to benefit rich families who can already afford to send their children to private schools. These are real dollars that should instead be put back where they belong, our still underfunded public school systems. Senate Democrats propose to continue to invest in our teachers, ensure our students aren’t learning in crowded classrooms and that we are strengthening the support services so our students can focus on receiving a 21st century education. For too long, the state’s investments have not met the actual costs of delivering an education. And for Virginia to truly be strong, now is the time to further build on our investments and not divert money away to the rich.

We also can’t ignore the cost of housing and the inadequate conditions too many families are left suffering in. Ensuring Virginians are living in a place that feels like home and that they have the option to own a home if they desire, has to be more than a talking point. The governor completely leaves behind Virginia’s sinking affordable housing options. He has no plan to address the dire need. And to make matters worse, he proposes to reduce existing payment investment programs. Senate Democrats, we are focused on preventing evictions, strengthening pathways for first- time home buyers and setting aside resources to make more virginians homeowners.

In times like these, there is no room for performative partisan ploys in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Instead of Governor Youngkin falsely categorizing Virginia as a border state and threatening to remove funding from our hardworking public safety departments, we should instead focus on making sure every household throughout our Commonwealth feels safe and that their neighborhoods are free of gun violence. Instead of the governor continuing to attack reproductive freedoms, we should be focusing on lowering the cost of medical bills and making sure everyone has access to affordable health care. And instead of the governor wasting taxpayer dollars to roll back the protections that made virginia a climate leader, we should be focusing on developing real plans to address the access to renewable energy, clean water and the critical investments needed in our infrastructure to deliver those services.

The governor can spend his time on partisan politics and trying to create gridlock, but we as Senate Democrats will be focused on providing real solutions to real problems. Voters continue to send a powerful message that they trust Democrats to make the decisions that affect them the most, and they are demanding relief and continued progress. Senate Democrats aren’t in the business of picking winners and losers, but instead prioritizing plans that will help all Virginians. That is truly the way we can be a winning Virginia.

Virginia is not the federal government. We are a Commonwealth, where historically our leaders, regardless of party identity, work together more often than not. We stand ready to work with Governor Youngkin where we can find common ground. But let me be clear, Democrats will not and cannot compromise on our core principles. We will continue our fight for working families, defending personal freedoms and strengthening our Commonwealth until success is within reach for everyone. This is the Virginia we believe in.”

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

DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker’s Statement Following the State of the Commonwealth Address:

“Today, Glenn Youngkin failed to give credit where it’s due for the progress Virginia has made over the past year. The opportunities we see in our Commonwealth today are not because of Republicans — they are thanks to Democrats who have not only blocked Republicans’ extreme agenda but have advanced policies to expand healthcare access, invest in public education, and create safer communities.

Governor Youngkin also failed to mention the threat posed by Donald Trump’s plan to fire thousands of federal workers here in Virginia — a move that would leave hardworking Virginians jobless and cripple our economy. That is because Youngkin supports Trump’s harmful policies, which serve the wealthy while devastating the working families he’s supposed to serve.

While Republicans continue to push policies that only benefit the powerful few, Democrats are building a Virginia that works for everyone — defending good-paying jobs, affordable housing, reproductive rights, healthcare, and quality education. The contrast couldn’t be clearer, and that’s why we must flip the Governor’s Mansion and elect Democrats in November to continue moving Virginia forward.”

Legislation to Watch in the 2025 Virginia General Assembly Session

By
lowkell
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21

The 2025 Virginia General Assembly kicks off this morning, and as always there will be a lot of bills to consider. Here are just a few to keep an eye on.

  1. Constitutional amendment: fundamental right to reproductive freedom (“Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that the right to make and effectuate one’s own decisions about all matters related to one’s pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, or otherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified by a compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing, prosecuting, or otherwise taking adverse action against an individual for exercising the individual’s right to reproductive freedom or for aiding another individual in the exercise of such right, unless justified by a compelling state interest.”)
  2. Constitutional amendment: qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote (“Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote.”)
  3. Constitutional amendment: marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry (“The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.”)
  4. Contraception: right to contraception (” Establishes a right to obtain contraceptives and engage in contraception, as defined in the bill. The bill creates a cause of action that may be instituted against anyone who infringes on such right.”)
  5. “Sanctuary cities”: sanctuary policies prohibited (“Provides that no locality shall adopt any ordinance, procedure, or policy intended to restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The bill also requires an official in charge of a correctional facility to transfer custody of certain persons to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon receipt of a detainer. Under current law, the official may make such transfer.”)
  6. Data centers: A couple bills on this hot topic include Electric utilities; electric distribution infrastructure serving data centers. and Electric utilities; data center cost allocation. Also, per VAPLAN: HB1601 local site assessment (noise, parks, water, forests, historic sites) req’dHB1984 away from parks, schools, residential HB2026 review (industrial) zoning HB2028 one-time $250k to affected schools SB899 water considerations
  7. Casino gaming: eligible host locations (“Adds Fairfax County to the list of localities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth and provides that any proposed site for a casino gaming establishment considered by Fairfax County shall be (i) located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, (iii) within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and (iv) outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway.”)
  8. Budget bill: “Amends items of and adds items to Chapter 2 of the Acts of Assembly of 2024, Special Session I.” (Note that Virginia already has a budget in place; this would amend that)
  9. Income tax deduction: tips. (“Provides, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, an income tax deduction for the amount of cash tips received during the taxable year that are included on statements furnished to the employer for federal tax purposes.”)
  10. Absentee voting in person; available beginning 14 days prior to election (“Limits the availability of absentee voting in person to beginning 14 days prior to any election. Under current law, absentee voting in person is available beginning 45 days prior to any election.”)
  11. Elections; voter identification…containing a photograph required (“Requires presentation of a form of identification containing a photograph in order to vote. The bill repeals the provisions of law permitting a voter who does not have one of the required forms of identification to vote after signing a statement, subject to felony penalties for false statements, that he is the named registered voter he claims to be. Instead, the bill provides that such voter is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.”)
  12. Minimum wage (“Increases the minimum wage incrementally to $15.00 per hour by January 1, 2027. The bill codifies the adjusted state hourly minimum wage of $12.41 per hour that is effective January 1, 2025 and increases the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour effective January 1, 2026 and to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish an adjusted state hourly minimum wage by October 1, 2027.”)
  13. Car tax: I’m not seeing a separate bill (will keep looking), but this will presumably be a significant topic of conversation this session.
  14. Virginia Clean Economy Act: It will be interesting to see what, if any, changes are made to the Virginia Clean Economy Act, such as this bill by Del. Candi Mundon-King (“Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be permitted pursuant to various criteria to be included in a local ordinance, such as specifications for setbacks, fencing, solar panel height, visual impacts, and grading, and a decommissioning plan for solar energy equipment and facilities.”)
  15.  Voter registration: this bill by right-wing-Republican Del. Tim Griffin would “[Prohibit] any person or organization, except a high school administrator, teacher, or staff person or a general registrar or his staff, from facilitating voter registration activities at a public high school. The bill also requires the form of the application to register to vote to include a statement of consent that must be signed by the parent or legal guardian of any applicant who is younger than the age of 18 at the time of his application. The bill specifies that such statement must include an acknowledgement that the minor applicant’s personally identifiable information is required for voter registration.”
  16.  Per VAPLAN, “This @CandiMundonKing bill–a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation–will be one to read carefully and follow. It changes specs of the utilities’ Integrated Resource Plans, including taking into account the social costs of carbon.”
  17. Also, per VAPLAN: “@PhilforVirginia proposes a new top tax bracket for income over a million dollars, a 10% tax whose revenue is dedicated to public schools (50%), Child Care Subsidies (30%), and the Housing Trust Fund (20%).”
  18. Per VAPLAN, “HB1796 (@HelmerVA) would make Virginia the 5th state to recognize DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations–typically used for cryptocurrency transactions) as legal entities, joining VT, WY, TN, and UT.”
  19. Per VAPLAN, Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bills are back! SB932 (@SalimVASenate) and HB1832 (@shelly_simonds)
  20. Sen. Mamie Locke’s SB757 – Trespass with an unmanned aircraft system; contracted defense facility, penalty.  (“Creates a Class 4 felony for any person who knowingly and intentionally causes an unmanned aircraft system to enter the property of a contracted defense facility, defined in the bill, and obtains or attempts to obtain any videographic or still image of any information subject to the export control laws of the United States located within such facility. The bill also provides that no owner or operator of any such facility or its employees shall be liable for any damage to an unmanned aircraft system used in such offense.”)
  21. Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg’s SB839 – Zoning; by-right multifamily development in areas zoned for commercial use. (“Requires a locality to provide in its zoning ordinance provisions allowing for the by-right development and construction of multifamily residential uses on all land contained in commercial or business zoning district classifications. The bill provides that the review and approval of such development shall be done administratively by the locality’s staff and that any residential development that dedicates a minimum of 10 percent of the total number of housing units to households with a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income shall be granted an accelerated plan review and permit approval process by the locality’s staff.”)

 

Monday News: “The Los Angeles fires won’t affect climate denial. They should.”; “Trump’s thuggish response to the California fires is a bad omen”; Another Moronic WaPo Editorial, This Time on Trump’s Cabinet Picks; “Bills to watch in Virginia’s 2025 General Assembly session”

By
lowkell
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7

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, January 13.

Sunday News: “The real danger of Trump’s Greenland gambit”; “How Climate Change Has Fueled L.A.’s Devastating Wildfires:”; “Steve Bannon: ‘I Will Do Anything’ to Keep Elon Musk out of the White House”; “The Inauguration of Trump’s Oligarchy”

By
lowkell
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6

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, January 12.

Boil Water Advisory Lifted in City of Richmond, as Well as Hanover, Henrico, and Goochland Counties

By
lowkell
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3

Good news from Richmond, although only after BAD news for the past week.  The big question at this point is, how on earth did something like this happen, and how will Richmond ensure that it never happens again in the future??? (note: see this Richmond Times-Dispatch story about how, “For 8 years, city put off replacement of part that caused water outage”)

Boil Water Advisory lifted in City of Richmond 

Posted Jan. 11, 2025

Two rounds of laboratory tests confirm City water is free of harmful contaminants

Today at 11:30 a.m., Mayor Danny Avula announced that the Virginia Department of Health has officially lifted the Boil Water Advisory for the City of Richmond. Following the results of two rounds of clean laboratory tests, the City’s water supply is confirmed safe for drinking. The Boil Water Advisories for Hanover, Henrico, and Goochland counties have also been lifted.

“We have reached our goal, Richmond,” said Mayor Avula. “After an incredible amount of work by so many dedicated public servants — as well as regional, state, and federal partners — we have received the news we’ve been waiting for: With two rounds of clean test results, we have verified that our water is clean and safe for people to drink. Accordingly, I am pleased to announce the end of the boil water advisory. I also want to sincerely thank Richmonders for their patience and understanding throughout this challenging time.”

“The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have worked tirelessly to support the response to this challenging event. We appreciate the collaborations across state and local governments, as well as with community partners, to protect the health of the public during this time,” added Dr. Elaine Perry, Director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. “In addition to our roles as public health workers, we are also residents, and we share our neighbors’ gratitude for thorough testing that ensures our water is safe to drink. We will continue to follow guidance from the city about water usage as we return to our normal habits, and we encourage people looking for additional health information to visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/richmond-city/.”

“City Council deeply appreciates the hard work City workers, and regional and state partners have put in to restore safe drinking water to Richmond residents. We thank the Richmond community for coming together to support each other during this crisis. My colleagues and I look forward to collaborating with Mayor Avula and his team as we chart a path forward,” remarked City Council President Dr. Cynthia Newbille.

Beginning Monday afternoon and continuing throughout the entire week, the City of Richmond; its regional, state, and national partners; and third-party experts have all been involved in the effort to lift the boil water advisory.

Two rounds of testing, conducted 16 hours apart, are required to confirm water safety in these circumstances. The testing process involves collecting multiple samples from sites across the City water system. Collection of the first round of test samples began around 10:30 a.m. Thursday and clean results were received Friday afternoon. The second round of samples were collected Friday morning from 7:30-11:30 a.m. and test results were received Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

The boil water advisory was issued on Monday, January 6, as a precaution to protect public health due to low or no water pressure in the distribution system. Testing conducted earlier in the week affirmed that even during the water service restoration process the city’s drinking water met or exceeded state and federal drinking water requirements. The city’s water system has 70,000 customer connections. These connections include a combination of single and multi-unit residential and commercial properties.

People should be aware that water coming out of faucets may temporarily be cloudy due to trapped air bubbles as the system continues to normalize across the city. This is not unusual, and it does not pose a health risk. The water safety testing process involves certified laboratory assessment in which samples are evaluated over a 24-hour period to see if they contain contaminants such as harmful bacteria.

Additional guidance for community residents about what to do now that the boil water advisory has been lifted can be found online here: https://www.rva.gov/press-releases-and-announcements/news/water-restoration-updates

Moving forward, Mayor Avula is committed to conducting a comprehensive and transparent after-action analysis to better understand what happened at the water treatment plant. As envisioned, the process will include an accurate timeline of events, and identify recommendations on appropriate changes to policies, procedures, and infrastructure. In collaboration with City Council, the City will work with third-party experts to conduct the after-action analysis and will soon release more information about that process.

Se levanta el aviso de hervir el agua en la ciudad de Richmond

Dos rondas de pruebas de laboratorio confirman que el agua de la ciudad está libre de contaminantes dañinos

Hoy a las 11:30 a.m., el alcalde Danny Avula anunció que el Departamento de Salud de Virginia ha levantado oficialmente el aviso de hervir el agua para la ciudad de Richmond. Tras los resultados de dos rondas de pruebas de laboratorio limpias, se confirma que el suministro de agua de la ciudad es seguro para beber. También se han levantado las advertencias de hervir el agua para Hanover, Henrico y Goochland.

“Hemos alcanzado nuestro objetivo, Richmond”, dijo el alcalde Avula. “Después de una increíble cantidad de trabajo por parte de tantos servidores públicos dedicados, así como de aliados regionales, estatales y federales, hemos recibido la noticia que hemos estado esperando: con dos rondas de resultados de pruebas limpios, hemos verificado que nuestra agua es segura para beber. En consecuencia, me da gusto anunciar el fin del aviso de hervir el agua”.

“Los Distritos de Salud de Richmond y Henrico han trabajado incansablemente para apoyar la respuesta a este desafiante evento. Apreciamos las colaboraciones entre los gobiernos estatales y locales, así como con los socios comunitarios, para proteger la salud del público durante este tiempo”, agregó la Dra. Elaine Perry, Directora de los Distritos de Salud de Richmond y Henrico. “Además de nuestro papel como trabajadores de salud pública, nosotros también vivimos aquí, y compartimos la gratitud de nuestros vecinos por las pruebas exhaustivas que garantizan que nuestra agua sea segura para beber. Continuaremos siguiendo las pautas de la ciudad sobre el uso del agua a medida que regresemos a nuestros hábitos normales, y alentamos a las personas que buscan información adicional sobre salud a visitar https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/richmond-city/“.

“El Concejo Municipal aprecia profundamente el arduo trabajo que los empleados municipales y los colaboradores regionales y estatales han realizado para restaurar el agua potable segura para los habitantes de Richmond. Agradecemos a la comunidad de Richmond por unirse para apoyarse mutuamente durante esta crisis. Mis colegas y yo esperamos colaborar con el alcalde Avula y su equipo mientras trazamos un camino hacia adelante”, comentó la presidenta del Concejo Municipal, la Dra. Cynthia Newbille.

Desde el lunes por la tarde y durante toda la semana, la Ciudad de Richmond; sus aliados regionales, estatales y nacionales; y expertos externos han estado involucrados en el esfuerzo por levantar la advertencia de hervir el agua.

Se requieren dos rondas de pruebas, realizadas con 16 horas de diferencia, para confirmar la seguridad del agua en estas circunstancias. El proceso de prueba implica la recolección de múltiples muestras de sitios en todo el sistema de agua de la Ciudad. La recolección de la primera ronda de muestras de prueba comenzó alrededor de las

10:30 a.m. el jueves y los resultados limpios se recibieron el viernes por la tarde. La segunda ronda de muestras se recolectó el viernes por la mañana entre las 7:30 a 11:30 a.m. y los resultados de las pruebas se recibieron el sábado a las 11:30 a.m.

El aviso de hervir el agua se emitió el lunes 6 de enero como precaución para proteger la salud pública debido a la baja o nula presión de agua en el sistema de distribución. Las pruebas realizadas a principios de semana afirmaron que incluso durante el proceso de restauración del servicio de agua, el agua potable de la ciudad cumplió o superó los requisitos estatales y federales de agua potable. El sistema de agua de la ciudad tiene 70.000 conexiones de clientes. Estas conexiones incluyen una combinación de propiedades residenciales y comerciales de una o varias unidades.

Las personas deben tener en cuenta que el agua que sale de los grifos puede estar temporalmente turbia debido a las burbujas de aire atrapadas a medida que el sistema continúa normalizándose en toda la ciudad. Este es un resultado esperado y no representa un riesgo para la salud. El proceso de prueba de seguridad del agua implica una evaluación de laboratorio certificada en la que las muestras se evalúan durante un período de 24 horas para ver si contienen contaminantes como bacterias dañinas.

Puede encontrar orientación adicional para los habitantes de la comunidad sobre qué hacer ahora que se ha levantado el aviso de hervir el agua en línea aquí: https://www.rva.gov/press-releases-and-announcements/news/water-restora…

En el futuro, el alcalde Avula se compromete a realizar un análisis posterior a las acciones que sea exhaustivo y transparente para comprender mejor lo que sucedió en la planta de tratamiento de agua. Según lo concebimos, el proceso incluirá un cronograma preciso de los eventos e identificará recomendaciones sobre cambios apropiados en las políticas, los procedimientos y la infraestructura. La Ciudad trabajará con expertos externos para llevar a cabo el análisis posterior a las acciones y pronto dará a conocer más información sobre ese proceso.

Great – now figure out what happened exactly and how to make sure it never happens again!

Glenn Youngkin Signs on to GOP Governors’ Letter Expressing “overwhelming support” for Trump/Musk/Ramasawamy’s “DOGE” Effort to Slash the Federal Government

By
lowkell
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2

When Glenn Youngkin first started running for governor of Virginia in early 2021, he had just been forced out of the Carlyle Group, where he used to talk about how China’s government was “incredibly helpful,” how diversity, ESG and “lowering [our] carbon footprint” were good things, etc. So at that point, one could have been forgiven if one thought Youngkin was going to run as a moderate Republican. But as soon as Youngkin started participating in Virginia Republican forums/debates in the spring of 2021, it was obvious that he was not a moderate anymore, if he’d ever truly been one, as he pretty much agreed with the other hard-right candidates on issue after issue, touted how similar he was to Donald Trump, etc.

And yet, for whatever reason, many journalists (with exceptions like Jennifer Rubin, who in May 2021 wrote that “Glenn Youngkin is no moderate. He’s a staunch right winger.”) fell for the whole red-sweater-vest/suburban basketball dad schtick – and never informed their readers about who Youngkin was *as a political candidate* for governor. To the contrary, they whitewashed Youngkin as some sort of “6 foot 5 mystery date,” a “moderate,”  a “sane” Republican, a “normie Republican,” etc. Massive media fail.

Now, of course, we have three years of evidence that Youngkin’s not a moderate – from his right-wing rhetoric, his campaigning for the likes of Kari Lake and Hung Cao, his increasingly MAGA rhetoric and campaigning/kissing up to Trump, etc. Current case in point: Youngkin just signed on to this letter by Republican governors “express[ing] our overwhelming support for President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Initiative and request[ing] that Congress work alongside him to solidify the efficiencies that are found into law.” The letter further states:

“We support President Trump’s appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and agree with their assertion that the federal government needs to be cut down to size.  We stand ready to help.”

Of course, what Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy are up to with their absurd “DOGE” initiative is anything but a good-faith effort to find efficiencies in government, to prioritize government spending, etc. Instead, “DOGE” is part of an effort by the far right to slash essential government programs – Social Security, Medicare, etc. Because, clearly, given that the VAST majority of government spending is “entitlements” (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.), military/defense spending (which Republicans will increase, if anything) and interest on the debt (which can’t be touched), there’s pretty much ZERO chance that “DOGE” can cut trillions of dollars in federal spending without slashing Social Security and Medicare.

That problem, of course, gets even worse if they ALSO want to slash taxes for the wealthy and for big corporations – which they very much do – while also balancing the budget. In short, the math ain’t mathing, and it never will, because it’s simply impossible. But what “DOGE” *can* do, and will *try* to do, is to slash federal spending – and employment – in most other areas, whether we’re talking about education, transportation, environment, energy, you name it.

The thing is, Glenn Youngkin obviously *knows this*, as whatever else he happens to be, he certainly is NOT stupid! Even worse, Youngkin also knows that Virginia has a huge population of federal employees, federal retirees, federal contractors and military, and that “DOGE” could severely harm Virginia’s economy. But clearly, Youngkin doesn’t care – or, more accurately, he cares a LOT less about that fact than about furthering his own political career in the MAGA/Trump GOP. And to accomplish that goal, if Youngkin has to throw Virginia’s people and economy under the bus, he’s totally cool with doing just that. Keep that in mind later this year, as Youngkin campaigns for Winsome Sears, Jason Miyares, Republican House of Delegates candidates, etc. – and vote the OPPOSITE of whoever Youngkin supports!

Saturday News: “A Firestorm of Right-Wing Propaganda”; “Trump’s Punishment for His Crimes? None.”; “We’ve Never Been Here Before: The Zero-Accountability Presidency”; “Trump, Musk and Zuckerberg have declared war on facts and truth. The pushback must start now”

By
lowkell
-
8

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, January 11.

Video: Sen. Mark Warner Addresses Supreme Court Case Regarding the Future of TikTok

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From Sen. Mark Warner’s office:

“Today, following the U.S. Supreme Court hearing arguments regarding the divestiture of TikTok by its parent company, Chinese-based ByteDance, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is speaking out about the impact of this case. Sen. Warner has been vocal about the national security threat that ByteDance poses, and advocated for the sale of the app to a company not beholden to a U.S. adversary.

Notably, Sen. Warner highlights that under ByteDance’s ownership, the Communist Party of China (CCP) has access to the sensitive data of more than 1 billion TikTok users worldwide, including 150 million users in the United States.

In April of last year, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which passed both chambers of Congress with broad bipartisan support, was signed into law to prevent foreign adversaries from targeting, surveilling, and manipulating U.S. users through the use of online applications. This legislation will require ByteDance to divest their ownership of TikTok ahead of the law’s stated January 19th deadline. To date, the company has refused.”

Transcription:

Clip 1 – 44 seconds: “Today, the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether the ownership of TikTok needs to change because of national security reasons. Many of you know my position on this issue. I think there is a lot of great creativity on TikTok, I also know people make their living as social influencers, I think that’s great. But I’ve been concerned, literally for years, that because TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese firm, and every company — based upon Chinese law — has to be first and foremost loyal to the Communist Party of China, not to their shareholders or customers, that TikTok has posed a national security concern.”

Clip 2 – 30 seconds: “The overwhelming majority of Congress agrees with this, 80 percent, it’s tough to get 80 percent of the democrats and republicans in the House and Senate to agree on anything. But they agreed that this was a national security concern. This law would not require TikTok necessarily to be shut down, just to have that ownership share sold to a non-Chinese entity. It could be sold to an American company, it could be sold to a British, a French, a Brazilian company, but something that is not at the end of the day controlled by the Communist Party of China.” 

Clip 3 – 31 seconds: “The irony is, of course, that former President Trump was the first person to bring this issue to the nation’s attention back in his first term. He has a slightly different view now, but the national security concerns still remain paramount. It appears, we’ll have to wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling, that this law will be upheld. At the end of the day, I hope that will force a transaction and that people can still enjoy TikTok, but that we can also get rid of this national security issue.”

Mason-Dixon Poll of 2025 VA Governor’s Race Has Abigail Spanberger Up 47%-44% Over Winsome Sears (R); Sears Up 46%-44% Over Bobby Scott

By
lowkell
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7

Yesterday, an Emerson College poll of the 2025 Virginia governor’s race had Democrat Abigail Spanberger up just 1 point over Lt. Governor Winsome Sears (R). Now, we have another new poll, this time by Mason-Dixon,  which has “Earle-Sears trail[ing] Spanberger 44% to 47%, while holding a slight lead over U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, Newport News, with 46% to 44%.” So either way, a VERY tight race at this point, but obviously it’s super early, and a LOT can and likely WILL change between now and the fall. That includes Trump’s approval rating, which at this point we have no idea what it will be by September/October. My guess is that it will be much lower than it is right now, but who the hell knows. Regardless, as I argued yesterday, we absolutely should NOT get overconfident about this race, let alone take it for granted!

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