From the Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting tonight…first, Del. Alfonso Lopez announces for reelection in the 49th House of Delegates district. Check out the comments section for the 45th House of Delegates districts announcements (Clarence Tong, Julie Jakopic, Mark Levine, Craig Fifer).
From Virginia House Minority Leader David Toscano's office:
April 1, 2015 – Given the interest in the Martese Johnson case, I want to provide you an update of my understanding of its status. Like many of you, I was very disturbed to see the graphic photos and watch the video of this recent incident at the UVa Corner. Many of you have seen my recent statement, and have heard a number of comments I have made about prospective legislation that can remove the ABC agents from enforcing laws that more properly should be province by local law enforcement. Most of you know by now that the actions at the UVa Corner were taken by ABC agents and not by the Charlottesville or University police departments.
Since this incident, several important events have occurred:
I have heard many calls to immediately dismiss the charges against Mr. Johnson. While this certainly seems reasonable given what many of us have seen, it is not likely that any decisions will occur in this case until the criminal investigation has been concluded. It is very important for eyewitnesses to come forward with any information that they saw that night or to provide names of people with whom they have come into contact that might have information related to this incident. If they have such information, they can call the Virginia State Police at 804-674-2000.
I will try to keep constituents informed about other developments as they become available to me.
P.S. In 2014, I introduced HB922, a bill to prevent ABC agents from using or threatening to use deadly force in the arrest or detention of a person suspected of underage drinking. The bill was tabled on a voice vote by the Committee on General Laws. I expect to introduce legislation this year to again address problems with the ABC.
New NRDC Issue Brief: Clean Energy Best Way Virginia Can Fight Dangerous Climate Change and Beat EPA Emissions Targets by 20 Percent
LEXINGTON, VA (Wednesday, April 1, 2015) — With climate change already damaging Virginia’s economy, endangering citizens’ health, and threatening coastal cities, a new issue brief shows that if the Old Dominion were to meet its already existing voluntary energy goals, the state would actually beat the carbon emission targets in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan by 20 percent.
The brief also shows Virginia has a tremendous economic opportunity in fighting climate change, which could create 5,600 new jobs in 2020 alone by crafting a strong state plan to meet new federal carbon pollution standards that invests in clean energy, expands energy efficiency, and develops a cleaner, 21st century economy.
“Virginians can’t wait any longer to combat climate change, which is polluting our air and endangering our health,” said Walton Shepherd, Staff Attorney at NRDC. “We can create a new Virginia economy simply by cutting our carbon pollution. It’s time we create new jobs, protect our children’s health, and curb climate change by increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy.”
Virginia is already suffering from the extreme weather linked to climate change. In 2012 alone, Virginians paid $1,079 per taxpayer in federal taxes to clean up from extreme weather events, according to the brief. Sea level rise could damage the state’s coastal cities, possibly rendering the homes of more than 35,000 families uninhabitable by the end of the century.And Lyme disease cases in Virginia doubled between 2006 and 2007 due to rising temperatures that have expanded tick habitat.
Fortunately, Virginia can easily meet the carbon emissions limits set forth in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan thanks to its potential to harness renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The state’s potential to harness these renewable sources of energy makes Virginia well positioned to meet the new carbon emissions standards set forth in the Clean Power Plan, which would, on a national basis:
· Reduce carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel power plants nationwide by about 550 million metric tons;
· Prevent thousands of premature deaths related to climate change-related health problems—such as asthma, heat stroke, and kidney failure;
· And create an estimated $55 billion to $93 billion of nationwide economic benefit in the year 2030, according to an EPA analysis.
“The facts are clear,” Shepherd said. “Cleaner energy is Virginia’s future, because it’s already here: the state is 80 percent of the way to its pollution reduction goal under the Clean Power Plan, and the remaining 20 percent will spark a durable, clean energy economy so Virginia can create new jobs as it cleans up the air and protects Virginians’ health.”
In addition to the issue brief, PJM—the operator of the world's largest electricity market, which includes Virginia—recently released an analysis concluding that Virginia can generate net revenue from the Clean Power Plan by 2020 through a market-based allowance-trading program among PJM states. In such a regional plan, Virginia could efficiently reduce its carbon pollution and then sell pollution “allowances” to neighboring states that have more pollution to reduce, generating revenue for the Commonwealth.
More in-depth findings of the brief include:
· Since 2005, changes in the nation’s power supply and Virginia policies have already resulted in a 15 percent reduction in carbon pollution from power plants.
· Virginia spent almost $1.3 billion in 2012 to import coal and gas to burn in aging fossil fuel power plants.
· Investments in cost effective energy efficiency could save Virginia businesses $531 million in 2020 alone.
To read the full state issue brief, please clickhere.
You know it’s bad when Sen. Dick “Can’t Legislate Ethics” Saslaw thinks your behavior is so unethical that it requires special legislation aimed at cracking down on you. In this case, it’s very clear that the three Virginia State Senators — who as the press release below (from Senators Chap Petersen, Dave Marsden and Dick Saslaw) notes “combined represent the entirety of the Braddock District in Fairfax County” — are targeting the current Braddock District Supervisor, John Cook (R) and his ethical issues (“as a partner in this firm, John seems to be directly benefiting from some of the public money that is being paid to his firm. This isn’t just on some minor issues either- John’s firm is representing the Sheriff’s office in the recent taser death at the Fairfax jail”). Now, for Cook’s own good, maybe they could also introduce legislation to permanently keep Cook off of Twitter, after his “troll” debacle following Oleszek’s campaign kickoff on March 22? Heh.
P.S. In all seriousness, I hear that Cook’s staff changed his Twitter password after that debacle and won’t tell him what it is, because he clearly can’t handle himself on social media. LOL
Fairfax County Senators Introducing New Fairfax Ethics Legislation
Bill would allow Fairfax County new authority in creating local ethics laws
Today Senator Chap Petersen (Fairfax) announced he will support a bill in the 2016 session giving local governments like Fairfax County the ability to regulate its own ethical issues. “Fairfax probably has tools to deal with this issue, but by establishing this legislation we will give the County the unquestionable authority it needs to create appropriate rules for its local elected officials. Based on recent press accounts, it’s better to make that clear now.” Senator Petersen said. “Any such legislation must be and will be consistent with existing state law which presently forbids local governments from terminating employees who participate in politics, whether in the County or a neighboring jurisdiction.”
Senator Dick Saslaw (Fairfax) and Senator David Marsden (Fairfax) also announced they will be joining Petersen in this legislation.
Petersen’s bill will clarify any “Dillon Rule” issues, and ensure that Fairfax County has full authority to create appropriate regulations. Fairfax is the largest county in Virginia, with a population of over 1,100,000 residents and each Supervisor represents over 100,000 residents in Fairfax. This and other issues make Fairfax uniquely in need of special legislation. Fairfax County Supervisors voted to raise their pay last month to $95,000 a year, the highest for any local government in Virginia.
Petersen, Saslaw and Marsden all represent Fairfax County, and combined represent the entirety of the Braddock District in Fairfax County.
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, April 1.
*New U.S. Climate Target is Achievable and Sends an Important Signal to the World
*State Department Submits President Obama’s Ambitious 2025 Target to Cut U.S. Climate Pollution by 26-28 Percent from 2005 Levels
*Ind. law draws GOP contenders into culture wars (“Republicans had sought to avoid such disputes in 2016, but most top GOP presidential contenders quickly backed the bill, putting them out of step with growing national support for gay rights.”)
*New group to funnel secret, unlimited donations to Bush
*Republican candidates are on a collision course with the American electorate
*Deal or no deal, the Iran talks have borne fruit
*In Nigeria’s Election, Muhammadu Buhari Defeats Goodluck Jonathan
*Defying Criticism, Arkansas Legislature Passes Bill on Religious Freedom
*Tobacco Commission likely to pursue restitution after authority’s misuse of funds
*Atwood: Dominion Power short-circuits Virginia governance and environment
*Terry McAuliffe’s amendments set off privacy, surveillance concerns
*State senator’s financial report shows hotel payment overlap (“Paperwork filed by Sen. John Cosgrove of Chesapeake shows he received taxpayer reimbursement for part of a hotel stay at a conference last year even though his campaign paid the hotel bill.”)
*Derailing Richmond’s gravy train (“The McDonnells’ conviction under federal law revealed terrible holes in state law, and legislators have proven unwilling to muster the courage to impose comprehensive changes on a system that has failed them and the rest of Virginia.”)
*Loudoun’s Sen. Black listed as ‘enemy’ by ISIS, along with Rick Santorum
*Opposition to federal recognition of Virginia tribe heats up
*Sweet Briar faculty say board, president should step down
*Morrissey, Derik Jones fail to qualify for Democratic primary (“Barring a successful court challenge, this means that only two names will appear on the June Democratic primary ballot for Virginia’s 16th District Senate seat – Sen. Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg, and Del. Joseph Preston, D-Petersburg.”)
*Peninsula races shaping up for Virginia Senate, House seats; Price unopposed
*County, state officials differ over future of the Bi-County Parkway
*Stewart: Bi-County Parkway project is dead
*Richmond council members seek more financial numbers in development deals
*Schapiro: Metro politics vicious because the stakes are so low
*Feds issue subpoenas for information from Norfolk treasurer
*Sunny and cool today with a blast of wind before spring’s warmth returns
April 1st, 2015
WASHINGTON, DC – After mounting pressure from conservative bloggers, radio talk show hosts and Tea Party members, a tearful President Obama admitted today that Republicans were right all along about their unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
“My fellow Americans,” the President began, “and especially those who didn’t support me, I want to offer my deepest apologies for stealing not one, but two elections.”
“We had you going there, making people think that ACORN was essentially defunct by 2012, but in reality they just went underground to support my re-election.”
It was unclear what prompted the sudden announcement, as absolutely no evidence of widespread voter fraud has ever been found, but sources believed that conservative activist and videographer James O’Keefe was about to uncover a major revelation.
Obama credited illegal immigrants, ghost voters, double voters, underage voters, out-of-state voters, voters named Mickey Mouse, the Black Panthers and George Soros as key to his 2012 victory in swing states such as Virginia. “And if it weren’t for the work of a rag-tag band of nonpartisan concerned citizens,” Obama continued, “we would’ve been able to run for a third term.”
Mitt Romney could not be reached for comment, as the former Republican nominee was reported to be in flight for Washington to claim the mantle that so rightfully belonged to him.
As of press time, Obama was planning a special trip to Trump Tower to make an announcement regarding his birth certificate.
What Krystal Ball said!
So what is this sexual predator abomination threatening all our children? You ready for this? The question of which bathroom one elementary school child should use at Hartwood Elementary…Stafford County ruled that based on the anti-discrimination requirements of Title IX, a transgender student should be allowed to use the bathroom of the sex they identify with.
And that was the cause of all these supposed grownups having a panic attack and forming a coalition dramatically called “Save Our Schools”…all to keep one little girl who happened to be born with boy parts…from using the girl’s bathroom.
Wow, how sad for these people to be filled with such fear and such hate over a child who happens to be a little different. How disturbing for these adults, many of whom hold themselves out as Christians, to gang up on a little kid…Unfortunately, Stafford County decided to trade understanding for fear; they voted unanimously to discriminate against and ostracize this child…
By the way, one of the supposed adults ganging up on this child is now running for House of Delegates. Her name is Susan Stimpson, and nobody should vote for her – ever, for any public office – based on her disgraceful display of bigotry and demagoguery in this case.
( – promoted by lowkell)
By Sarah Bucci
Young adults in Virginia are experiencing hotter temperatures and more intense storms than their predecessors did in the 1970’s, according to a new report by Environment Virginia Research & Policy Center.
This report comes out as NASA scientists announced, just this month, that this year’s Arctic sea ice cap was the smallest it has ever been in recorded history and that the first two months of 2015 were the warmest such period ever. This new report, Dangerous Inheritance, examines climate changes at the local level, through the eyes of five different generations of Virginians.
Millennials in Virginia, like me, came of age in a climate 1.2 degrees hotter than did their Baby Boomer parents in the 1970’s. That means for young adults living in the commonwealth, hotter temperatures more extreme weather events and rising seas have become more frequent and common. Researchers found similar increases in temperatures and extreme weather across the country. In every state, young adults today are experiencing warmer average temperatures than young adults in the Baby Boomer generation. The biggest rain and snowstorms produce 10 percent more rainfall in 2011 than they did in 1948.
These impacts are real and only getting worse. Joining Environment Virginia in releasing this report today, two Hampton Roads residence spoke to their personal experiences. John Deuel, an independent contractor and long-time Norfolk resident spoke about the combination of rising seas and more precipitation leading to flooding in his neighborhood. And Alden Cleanthes, a Chesapeake resident with a 3-year old son and a “Supermom” with non-profit Moms Clean Air Force spoke about the need to protect public health.
Nobody wants to leave the next generation to inherit an even more dangerous climate, so we must take action. We can start by finalizing and implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, which would cut carbon pollution at least 36 percent in Virginia and 30 percent nationwide by the end of the next decade.
To ensure that the Clean Power Plan is approved and put into place, we need to Senators Kaine and Warner to stand up for the plan in Washington, D.C. Thankfully, they did just that last week when they voted against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s attacks on the Clean Power Plan in the U.S. Senate. We applaud them for this action. And, here in Virginia, we need Governor Terry McAuliffe to stand behind the plan and maximize its potential to unleash clean energy jobs in the commonwealth.
Sarah Bucci is the campaign director with Environment Virginia, a state-wide, citizen-funded advocacy organization working for a cleaner, greener, healthier Virginia. She can be contacted at sbucci@environmentvirginia.org. For more information visit Environment Virginia.
I’m definitely with Representatives Connolly, Beyer and Scott on this one. In stark contrast, I am not a fan of this letter, praised by right-wing hack/blogger Jennifer Rubin, and signed by…yep, Sen. Mark Warner. Ugh.
J Street Welcomes Congressional Letter Reaffirming Support of Two-State Solution
MARCH 31ST, 2015
J Street Vice President of Government Affairs Dylan Williams released the following statement today regarding the letter sent by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and 78 of his colleagues to President Obama concerning the US-Israel special relationship:
J Street welcomes Members of Congress standing alongside President Obama as he seeks to right the US-Israel special relationship after deeply troubling statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The letter correctly urges the President to “to persevere in reaffirming” the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a commitment to shared democratic values as fundamental to U.S. policy.
It speaks volumes that dozens of Members support the President’s constructive reaffirmation of the basis of our relationship with Israel. We hope Prime Minister Netanyahu takes this as a signal that he should join President Obama in seeking to resolve policy disagreements in a civil matter befitting the closest of allies.
Among the 79 signers of the letter are ten Ranking Members of House committees, Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn and seven Members who identify as Jewish. More than 700 J Street supporters met with Congressional offices in support of the letter on J Street’s March 24 Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, the culminating day of its Fifth National Conference attended by more than 3000 people.
The text and signers of the letter are below.
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500Dear Mr. President:
As staunch supporters of Israel, we are firmly committed to ensuring that it remains a secure and democratic homeland for the Jewish people. That is why we are writing to express to you our deep concern over recent comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to express our appreciation of your strong reiteration of US support for this long-standing policy.
In the run-up to the Israeli election on March 17, Prime Minister Netanyahu, when interviewed by the press, appeared to drop his support of a two-state solution-claiming that no Palestinian state would be established while he is prime minister. This is particularly troubling given that support for a two-state solution has been part of U.S. policy over four administrations, including your own. Moreover, it is widely accepted as the only way of maintaining Israel’s long-term security and of ensuring that Israel remains both a Jewish and a democratic state.
This is why we urge you to persevere in reaffirming that the two-state solution is still achievable and that it, and the joint U.S.-Israel commitment to shared democratic values and to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, remains fundamental to U.S. policy. We expect the U.S. and Israeli governments always to pursue a policy aimed at ensuring the maintenance of democratic values and the pursuit of peace.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to continuing to work with you and your administration on all important issues regarding our dear ally, Israel.
Sincerely,
[Signed by] Representatives Nadler, Aguilar, Bass, Bera, Beyer, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Bordallo, Brady, Capps, Capuano, Cartwright, Cicilline, Katherine Clark, Yvette Clarke, Clyburn, Cohen, Connolly, Conyers, Courtney, DeFazio, DelBene, DeSaulnier, Doggett, Doyle, Edwards, Ellison, Eshoo, Farr, Fattah, Al Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Honda, Huffman, Jeffries, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Hank Johnson, Kaptur, Kind, Kuster, Larson, Lawrence, Barbara Lee, Sheila Jackson Lee, Lewis, Loebsack, Lowenthal, Sean Patrick Maloney, Matsui, McDermott, McGovern, McNerney, Moore, Norton, Payne, Scott Peters, Pingree, Plaskett, Pocan, Polis, Price, Rangel, Rush, Tim Ryan, Serrano, Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Slaughter, Adam Smith, Speier, Takano, Tonko, Tsongas, Van Hollen, Velazquez, Watson Coleman, Welch and Yarmuth.
( – promoted by lowkell)
Written by Free Nelson Organizer, Marilyn Shifflett
During a March 26 radio interview with Governor McAuliffe in Richmond, a caller asked a question regarding the proposed route for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The Governor did not answer the question, but did offer the following remark. “Nelson County – I think it’s our smallest population county in Virginia.” He went on to reaffirm his support for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), citing (supposed) cheap energy and jobs.
Governor McAuliffe’s remark was totally inaccurate. Depending on the source, Nelson is ranked as the 23rd or 24th smallest county by population in Virginia. Why did he make this remark? Does he view Nelson as tiny and insignificant regarding its number of voters? Is this why he has answered citizen concerns about the ACP with stacks of form letters? Or, is it that he views the nearly 14,000 lives that could be placed at risk by a high-pressure, 42″ pipeline as an acceptable number? Was the population of counties like Highland, Nelson, & Buckingham the determining factor behind Dominion’s path for the ACP?
And isn’t this acknowledgment of something on Dominion’s part? Are they acknowledging safety risks they’ve previously denied to the press? Structures per mile determine the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) classification of natural gas pipelines. The path chosen by Dominion for the ACP will make it a Class 1 location pipeline. This means little to no regulation by federal authorities (the US Department of Transportation in this case). It also means that they will not be required to install expensive, automatic shut-off valves, while the manual valves will be set miles and miles apart.
These are a few facts about Nelson County that Governor McAuliffe did not quote. The US Geological Survey (USGS) and the VA Department of Emergency Management designate Nelson County as “moderate incidence,” “high risk” for flooding and debris flows (slides). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has called Nelson an orographic lift zone which traps storms within our mountains and tends to drop heavy rainfalls. The VA Deptartment of Emergency Management also specifically recommends against “energy pipelines” in these areas.
Our governor is well aware of these reports, but has yet to publicly acknowledge their existence. We believe there are nearly 14,000 good reasons to ask him why.
