See below for a press release from Democrat John McAuliff, who is announcing his candidacy for House of Delegates district 30 (88% Loudoun, 12% Fauquier; Trumnp won it 49.2%-48.4%; incumbent right-wing Republican Del. Geary Higgins, who won the 2023 election by a 53%-47% margin over Democrat Rob Banse, who has endorsed McAuliff this time around).
McAuliffe has an impressive background – including having “spent three years in the House of Delegates as Chief of Staff to Del. David Reid,” as well as being part of “President Biden’s Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation,” which “managed the $140+ Billion in clean energy and conservation in the largest climate investment in American history, the Inflation Reduction Act.”
As for Higgins, his legislative “batting average” in 2024 was a miserable 14% (2 for 14), which shows you how (in)effective this guy is and how the district would be much better served by somebody else – such as John McAuliff!
John McAuliff Announces Candidacy for Virginia’s 30th District
Small Business Owner Committed to Protecting the Piedmont
Fauquier County, VA— Today, John McAuliff, small business owner and advocate for clean energy and rural prosperity, announced his candidacy for Virginia’s 30th District in the House of Delegates. As the 10th generation of his family in Virginia, McAuliff is committed to championing policies that strengthen Virginia’s communities and protect the land and way of life of the Piedmont.
“Growing up, I learned the value of hard work and community from my grandparents in Piedmont,” McAuliff said. “From my experience renovating my family’s home into a thriving small business to my work helping farmers and small businesses lower their electric bills by embracing clean energy, I’ve seen firsthand how we can create opportunity when we work together. I’m running for Delegate to protect our farmland, defend our rights, and help Virginians buy their first home and start their first business – an American dream that’s becoming harder to achieve.
McAuliff is the owner of Chilton House Suites, a bed-and-breakfast in Old Town Warrenton. He’s also the former Chief of Staff to Delegate David Reid (HD-28) and played a key role in expanding health insurance access for 400,000 Virginians, freezing tuition at public colleges for three years, and advancing the Virginia Energy Plan to transition off fossil fuels by 2050.
McAuliff also worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and President Biden’s Office of Clean Energy Innovation & Implementation, where he managed investments from the historic Inflation Reduction Act and ran the Rural Energy for America Program that created over 10,000 good paying jobs in rural America.
McAuliff’s campaign has also been endorsed by Delegate David Reid-HD28, Delegate Marty Martinez-HD29, Former Senator John Bell, Rob Banse, and Travis Nembhard. His platform focuses on protecting reproductive rights, expanding mental health care, and advancing clean energy while preserving the District’s rural heritage.
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, January 28. What follows is just a small sampling of all the dangerous, unconstitutional, etc. sh** that Trump’s doing, and the lack of serious response from the Republicans who control Congress, etc. In sum, we’re in deep, deep trouble.
Exclusive: Images show China building huge fusion research facility, analysts say (“China appears to be building a large laser-ignited fusion research centre in the southwestern city of Mianyang, experts at two analytical organisations say, a development that could aid nuclear weapons design and work exploring power generation.”)
The Impoundment Crisis of 2025 (“The Trump administration’s Monday spending freeze is likely to provoke a crisis over the constitutionality of “impoundment”—one that the justices could well have to resolve *very* soon.”)
The Awful Absurdity of Trump’s First Week Back in Power (“A watchdog purge. A proposal to “clean out” Gaza. Immigration raids starring Dr. Phil. It was an appalling return to Trump politics—and it’s only going to get worse.”)
Trump goes full dictator (“Trump has broken faith with the Constitution. He is no longer operating within the pale of the law. On Monday, January 27, Trump dropped all pretense of being a ‘president’ within the meaning of Article II of the US Constitution and began wielding power for his own benefit and without regard for constitutional restrictions.”)
Scoop: Top House Dems plot first big battle with Trump (“Leading House Democrats are weighing legal, investigative and legislative options to respond to President Trump’s firing of at least a dozen agency inspectors general last week…”)
The Democrats’ Fear Factor (“It’s the consultants, stupid! Future candidates need to be themselves, take control on social media, and immediately push back on right-wing spin.”)
Acosta La Vista (“The anchor signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network, Status has learned.”)
Senate panel kills controversial campus terrorism bill amid free speech concerns (“The proposal sought to prohibit terrorist organizations, countries or groups supporting terrorism, representatives of such groups, and individuals attempting to recruit for terrorist activities from operating on Virginia college campuses. However, the bill faced strong opposition from speakers who argued that its broad language could stifle free speech and unfairly target student groups, particularly those advocating for Palestinian rights.”)
Woman killed, man critically hurt in crash at major Arlington intersection (“At about 2:40 p.m. in the Ballston area, a man driving a pickup truck east on Wilson Boulevard at a high rate of speed struck a white sedan as it turned onto Wilson from N. Vermont Street, police said. The cars struck two other cars stopped at the traffic light at Wilson and N. Glebe Road.”)
The mainstream media obviously won’t do its job, as we’ve seen for years, in clearly/accurately calling out right-wing extremism. Instead, they’ll use euphemisms and vague/generic terminology like “conservative” or whatever, while “sanewashing” and whitewashing far-right candidates’ extremism. For instance, earlier today, long-time right-wing radio host John Reid announced his candidacy (see below) for the 2025 Virginia GOP’s Lt. Governor nomination. Since Reid often interviewed Virginia politicians, mostly right-wing ones (since the vast majority of Democrats wouldn’t go on his show, for good reason!), I often listened, even though it was a torrent of conspiracy theories, demonization of Democrats, COVID denial, climate denial, you name it. Just for a small sampling, see below, since it appears that his radio show’s archives are no longer easily available online…
“Covid tyranny”
“Democrats DELIBERATLY tanked the most successful economy in modern history with their Covid lockdowns so they could defeat Trump.”
“We wrecked our economy and destroyed a lot of innocent lives amongst healthy people who had almost zero risk of serious sickness or death…How do we maximize the pain to get rid of Trump while spending the most money to benefit our Democrat businesses and allies. Criminal!”
Here’s Reid criticizing Lt. Governor Winsome Sears for avoiding the Senate chamber after coming into contact with someone who has COVID – Reid says “Don’t let Democrat [sic] Senator Louise Lucas into that President’s chair over something that will be a NEVER-ENDING fake problem!!!”
Reid claims that Sen. Mark Warner and others who think climate change is real (which, of course, it very much is!) are “so brainwashed.”
More intense hostility to climate science – and COVID science, etc. – by Reid.
According to Reid, “‘Social Justice’ is about modern racial revenge against people who have done nothing wrong,” while “‘Diversity’ is reversing 60 years of building a color blind society to only see and value individual people by their labeled minority status,” etc.
Not even sure what to say about this tirade by Reid…yikes.
Here, Reid compares America during the Biden administration to Nazi Germany. WTF?
Here, Reid says “trans ideology” [sic] is not “healthy or normal,” but instead is “mental illness” that “can be contagious.” And, he adds, “It’s time to stop this.”
Here, Reid celebrates J.K. Rowling for her anti-transgender activism, or what Reid calls “trans lunacy” that is “erasing and harming real women, wrecking responsible social norms and doing OBVIOUS harm to children.”
Here, Reid rants about supposed “dictator-like control and arrogance of the leftist medical community and how they are pushing trans surgeries, mutilations and sterilization of children and it must be stopped.” He adds that “adults who normalize this abuse of children are IMMORAL and I will not stand for it – personally or politically.”
Not surprisingly, Reid believes that “guns save lives.”
Yes, he thinks abortion is an “atrocity.”
This tirade by Reid, just before the November 2024 election, is an excellent summation of his far-right views. Wild.
Here’s Reid with his friend, former VA State Sen. Amanda Chase – insurrectionist, bigot, far-right extremist, conspiracy theorist, etc.
Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) nails it in this conversation with Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power.” See below for video and highlights:
“[Hegseth’s] comments opposing women in combat, many of whom are decorated and have acquitted themselves very well, with his own sexual assault allegations, there’s a concern that it would halt or reverse progress that we have made addressing sexual assault in the military and creating an environment less hostile to women in the military. But I’m also hearing concerns about his drinking and the fact that you need to be sure that you have someone who will decide whether we attack someone or who could decide to what extent nuclear weapons could be used, having the presence of mind and not being impaired.”
“I have been saying since [Hegseth] was first announced that his appointment would have a chilling effect on on attracting and retaining the best and the brightest in our Armed Forces – women, also minorities…We have done a really good job making sure that our Armed Forces reflect the diversity of the country that they defend and we’ve had challenges meeting some of our recruitment goals for a wide variety of reasons…Mr. Hegseth would add to those problems if he were confirmed.”
“I’m very concerned about [Trump’s efforts to get rid of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – DEI – goals in the federal government], I mean these go so far as to even to rescind a 1965 executive order from President Johnson that applies to…federal government contractors; that includes contractors that serve our military, contractors that build our warships. And it basically means now there’s nothing prohibiting them by executive order from engaging in discrimination against employees simply for who they are. It’s appalling and undoes so much progress that we have made over the past 60 years.”
“Well we have over 200,000 federal employees and contractors and over 140,000 veterans. [Trump’s assault on the federal workforce] is already having an effect. The VA hospital in my district had a meeting yesterday to talk about how it was going to impact their ability to provide services to veterans. They were about to open a new VA hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia, less than 30 minutes away from my district. Now they’re not sure they can do that because they can’t hire the staff to staff it. We’ve seen VA hospitals and other states that have rescinded employment offers to nurses. We already have a nursing shortage, we are already struggling to meet the health care needs of our veterans, this is going to make it worse. The VA is concerned they’re going to have to start sending veterans to civilian hospitals in the region; they are already struggling with nurse and provider shortages. This is a mess. And this is not what the American people voted for when they voted for Donald Trump; they thought they were voting to reduce costs, instead he is burdening our veterans, he is burdening our soldiers and he is burdening our military families.”
“What we need to do and what Democrats were ready to do with Republicans last Congress was pass an immigration border security bill that invests in Border Patrol agents and put them on the border so that our armed forces can do the job they were trained for and that is to serve our needs both here in bases, but also overseas.”
“…as a member of the Armed Services Committee in the last Congress, when I went to Norfolk Naval Station and asked
their commanding officer what is the number one thing that keeps you up at night, she talked about the fact that when they have heavy rains – not just increased storms and higher intensity storms but heavy rains – there is a street that bisects that naval station that floods and she can’t get her people from one side to the other. How is she going to be able to deploy ships in an emergency or when they are deployed if she can’t get across the base because it’s flooded?And by rolling back all of the effort that we have made to address resiliency and climate action…what the president is doing is ignoring the impact that climate change has on military readiness and on our soldiers’ ability to do their job and frankly their quality of life.”
“[Conditioning disaster aid] is a Rubicon Republicans should not cross. The American people expect their government to solve problems and help people, particularly when there is a natural disaster. There are people in California that voted for Mr Trump, there are people in California that voted for Kamala Harris, there are people in California that did not vote an all. But they all expect their government to help them in an emergency. And we have never conditioned aid in a natural disaster. And there’s so much misinformation that they’re even using to justify these conditions, but they’re ignoring the fact that it is difficult to fight a fire in hurricane-force winds. So we need to make sure we’re doing everything we can in California and North Carolina and anywhere else to address the needs of the American people, especially in a natural disaster.”
“I think we need to make sure that all of of us this is an all-hands-on-deck moment: it’s me as an elected official, it’s you as a member of the press making sure we are calling out this misinformation and that we are countering it…in every medium where people receive their information. And so that’s what we need to make sure we are doubling down and being more aggressive, whether you get your information from social media, your neighbor next door, we’ve got to make sure that we’re giving you the truth.”
Senate and House committees and subcommittees reported bills to the floor, many of which will be sure to be vetoed by Gov Youngkin. But importantly, he does not get to sign or veto the three Constitutional amendment resolutions–on abortion rights, marriage equality, and voting rights restoration–which have now passed through both chambers (but still need to “cross-over”).
HB1699, eliminating the tax exemption for Confederacy organizations (United Daughters of the Confederacy, i.e.) passed on a 53-42 (barely) bipartisan vote.
HB1601 makes localities require a site assessment (of noise, energy and water usage, landmarks nearby, etc.) before allowing a data center. It passed the House 57-40.
HB1775 restricts the adultery grounds for divorce to only adultery occurring prior to the couple separating; also allows a “divorce from bed and board” without a waiting period upon application for anyone intending to live apart permanently. The bill passed 59-38.
HB1716 gives Gov Youngkin another chance to show that the GOP is not anti-birth control after he vetoed this bill last year. Unfortunately, only two GOP Delegates voted for it (losing Del Bloxom from last year).
(Not enough) bipartisan support for HB1678 to have school boards adopt a parental notice regarding safe storage of drugs and firearms to distribute at the beginning of every school year.
SB754 prevents obtaining, selling or disseminating personal menstrual health data under the Consumer Protection Act. It passed on a party-line vote, with Big Government-loving GOP senators all voting against privacy.
SB778, preventing a child younger than 11 who has committed a delinquent act from being arrested, charged, going through the criminal justice system, instead getting them social services help, passed on a party-line vote.
SB805 increases rates of child support to partially address the effects of inflation. It included an enactment clause to study how to help those with overdue arrearages get caught up. It passed 32-7 with bipartisan support.
SB853 requiring utilities pay prevailing wage rates and prioritize hiring apprentices in building new renewable energy facilities, passed on a party-line vote.
SB1145 passed unanimously, making GPS-providing companies a party to a civil trespassing action against an individual driving on a private road, with the action being dismissed upon showing the private road has been removed from the GPS system.
SB1255 requires a specific reason for using restraints on a juvenile in court (currently some jurisdictions use them in all instances, even when no danger or flight risk). It passed the Senate unanimously.
HB1656, prohibiting K-12 schools from recruiting (either with gifts/compensation or by designating the student as homeless) students from out of the district to play sports, is up for a floor vote this week.
SB1356, preventing financial institutions from charging electronic transfer fees and landlords from charging transaction or processing fees, is up for a vote on the Senate floor this week.
HB1941 and SB1166 would require retail signage designating plants for sale that are invasive species. This bill was vetoed last year, and changes have been made accordingly. Floor vote this week.
The Medical Debt Protection Act, HB1725, which prohibits large medical facilities from charging interest or initiating collections on medical debt, and requires them to set up payment plans, was reported to the floor on a party-line vote, with the GOP supporting Virginians facing impossible medical debt.
The Senate floor will be voting on numerous gun bills this week, including SB848 (age requirement for purchase), SB880 (restricts carrying assault weapons in public places), SB881 (banning ghost guns), SB891 (five day waiting period), and SB1134 (safe storage of firearms where minors present).
The Border Got Quieter, So Trump Had to Act (“The president would rather exploit a free-for-all than manage migrant flows effectively.” Yep, he wants it as a political issue.)
Refusing to Be Complicit (“In his first week, the newly inaugurated president has proven once again that he rejects our laws, values and principles. It’s a mistake for Democrats to try and work with him.”)
This Man is a Coward. (“Mark Zuckerberg sat in the safety of his bubble this week, silent as Donald Trump dismantled and declawed the National Institutes of Health. Forty billion dollars in research funding now hangs frozen. Thousands of scientists wait in limbo.”)
While they’ve confirmed HUNDREDS of Youngkin’s appointees, Virginia Senate Democrats have rejected a handful they consider to be “inconsistent with the expectations, goals and values …of the work of those boards,” as Sen. Adam Ebbin puts it (see video, below). Of course, just like Trump, MAGA Glenn doesn’t like to be contradicted on ANYTHING, throws a sh** fit whenever that happens (as in this case – check out said sh** fit here, in which Youngkin rants that “Senate Democrats have rejected excellence” and that “they could not articulate a single substantive reason to reject them”).
Well, ok, so let’s go through the nine rejected nominees and articualte some substantive reasons – or not – why Virginia Senate Democrats should have rejected them (or what their thinking might have been in rejecting them, since Dems aren’t going into any details publicly). Also, see below for video of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee meeting on January 21, in which the Youngkin appointees were debated. I’ve contacted people who should know more details on the rationales here, but so far haven’t heard back. I’ll update this post if/when I hear anything…
P.S. Obviously, none of these people are who Democrats would prefer. The question, though, is what specifically about *these* appointees makes them unacceptable, as opposed to other Youngkin appointees…
P.P.S. It’s been pointed out to me by several people that Republicans MANY TIMES over the years have rejected highly qualified Democratic nominees and appointees, often giving no reason for doing so. For instance, remember this (Former Secretary of Education Atif Qarni Comments on the Rejection of Youngkin’s Board of Education Appointee, Wonders “are the Republicans in this case anti-merit and pro-equity?”)? Or how about this (“By a vote of 55 to 42, Republicans rejected Kaine’s choice of former AFL-CIO state director Daniel G. LeBlanc to be secretary of the commonwealth”)? Or this (“As of early afternoon, more than 1,000 of former Gov. Ralph Northam’s outstanding appointments to state boards and executive agencies were in limbo after the Republican-led House of Delegates refused to take up a resolution confirming them. By Friday evening, Republicans had narrowed the list of Democratic appointees they wanted to block, voting down 11 state board members picked by Northam.”)? Etc, etc.
Quintin Elliott to the VMI Board of Visitors: Not sure about this one; Elliott was actually named deputy secretary of transportation by Ralph Northam in January 2018 and “was previously appointed as Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in January 2014 by then Governor Terry McAuliffe.” Also, Elliott ” received a civil engineering degree from VMI and served in the Virginia Air National Guard from 1986 to 2008.” So, there could be a good reason for rejecting Elliott, I just haven’t been able to find what it might be.
John Clifford Foster to the VMI Board of Visitors: Foster “serves as a financial advisor and the Virginia complex manager for Raymond James, a global financial services firm”; “previously served as President of the VMI Club of Richmond, and as a board member of the VMI Keydet Club, and the VMI Alumni Association. He also served on an advisory committee to the Economics and Business Department at VMI for twenty years”; “was the business manager of The VMI Cadet, the school newspaper, and was a First Class Private in India Company.” So…not sure about why this nomination was rejected, either. Maybe there’s a great reason, but I can’t find anything and so far at least, nobody is giving any details.
Jeff Goettman to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority: Goettman had served as Youngkin’s chief of staff – “a powerful behind-the-scenes player who has guided most of the administration’s initiatives.” Goettman also ” was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Export-Import Bank in 2017, and in 2019 became an adviser to the U.S. Treasury Department under the Trump administration.” Maybe the antipathy to Goettman stems from this? “…earlier this year, when the administration essentially rewrote a bill passed by the General Assembly to legalize slot-machine-like ‘skill games’ at convenience stores. State Sen. Aaron R. Rouse (D-Virginia Beach), the measure’s sponsor, complained that Goettman had blindsided him by calling on a Saturday.” Other than that, not sure. [UPDATE: I’m told that Goettman is extremely difficult to work with, also that he’s supposedly not liked by General Assembly Democrats OR Republicans)
Kenneth Marcus to the GMU Board of Visitors: As State Sen. Adam Ebbin put it, “’I’m aware the nominee is a leader on that issue, and as a Jewish person I appreciate that’. But, he said, the nominee’s work to protect one group does not ‘give them a blank check when it comes to the civil rights of other Americans.’” Looking at Marcus’ Wikipedia entry, “Marcus has helped file or otherwise support Title VI complaints filed with the OCR, all related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…These complaints alleged that certain activities by pro-Palestinian activist campus groups constituted violations of Title VI anti-discrimination provisions through ‘harassment’ or ‘intimidation’ that ‘targets’ and creates a ‘hostile educational environment’ for Jewish students.” Also: “Ian Lustick, writing in The Forward, deplored both Marcus’s appointment, and his use of his office, arguing that: ‘Marcus came to his position not to protect and expand learning opportunities in American educational institutions, but to threaten and narrow them, especially when it comes to open debate about Israel and the Palestinians. And his use of accusations of anti-Semitism in order to silence debate about Israel is being done with the sanction of the President of the United States.'” And: “Marcus believed that under the Obama administration, sexual misconduct allegations were over-enforced, and that those who were accused of sexual misconduct were often deprived of their right to presumption of innocence and due process.” And: “Marcus has encountered criticism from advocacy groups such as Know Your IX and educational policy nonprofits such as the American Council on Education, who both stated that revoking Obama-era policies towards sexual harassment accusations during the COVID-19 pandemic was inappropriate, and possibly ‘retraumatizing’ to sexual assault victims subjected to cross-examination.” So maybe Youngkin’s nomination of Marcus was rejected for some or all of those things? (UPDATE: Also see this: “Mr. Marcus has not demonstrated a willingness and ability to enforce civil rights law and protect all students in our country from discrimination and he is therefore unsuited to lead the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights…Mr. Marcus has not demonstrated an understanding of and commitment to the rights of immigrant children and language minorities in our schools. When provided a clear example during his confirmation hearing of a hypothetical school policy denying noncitizen five-year-olds access to kindergarten, Mr. Marcus was unable or unwilling to demonstrate his understanding that those actions violated those children’s civil rights.[4] Mr. Marcus’ response in the hearing, and the absence of a previous record of support, fail to demonstrate a commitment to protecting immigrant and language minority children from violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” etc)
Nina Rees to the GMU Board of Visitors: Rees calls herself a “Parental Choice Advocate” and “former senior administration official during the presidency of George W. Bush.” “Most recently, she was the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement.” So, presumably, the charter schools issue is why Democrats rejected her?
Marc Short to the GMU Board of Visitors: Short “most recently served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence. Mr. Short also served as Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs at the White House for President Donald J. Trump. As the legislative affairs director, he worked to successfully pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and shepherd through the nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch.” Short also “was president of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, the largest free-market business league in the U.S. with an annual budget exceeding $300 million.” On the other hand, Short “said he does not believe the riot on January 6 at the US Capitol can be described as ‘legitimate political discourse,’ rebuking how the Republican National Committee recently framed that day in a statement.” Short also said “There’s nothing in the 12th amendment or the Electoral Count Act that would afford a vice president that authority [to refuse to certify the 2020 election results].” So…not exactly sure why Senate Dems voted to reject Short, although certainly he’s very conservative and worked in the Trump administration – maybe that’s the thinking?
Farnaz Thompson to the GMU Board of Visitors: Thompson, a “partner in the Washington, D.C., office of McGuireWoods LLP,” “served in the U.S. Department of Education from 2018 to 2021, first as special counsel and then as deputy general counsel for postsecondary education. She also served as assistant attorney general in the Civil Litigation Division of the Virginia attorney general’s office.” Other than serving in the Trump administration, I’m not sure what specifically caused this nomination to be rejected.
Trump’s Attempt to Redefine America (“The effect of the President’s executive orders was to convey an open season, in which virtually nothing—including who gets to be an American citizen—is guaranteed.”)
Mark Warner votes for Laken Riley Act: Must be gearing up for Senate re-election run (“Advice here to Warner: talking out of both sides of your mouth doesn’t fool anybody. In other words, Republican voters are still going to assume you’re a George Soros-funded communist and vote for whoever – literally whoever, convicted felon or otherwise – the MAGAs put up against you. And on something like this, the Democrats who have been sending you back to Washington every few years are going to be less enthused to do so again. But anyway, the radical centrist is gonna radical centrist.”)
Jeff Schapiro: Trump’s a big, beautiful headache for the Virginia GOP (“…reminders to Virginians of disputed Trump policies and that their elective leaders may put loyalty to him ahead of them can only mean trouble for Republicans, particularly in the state’s vote-rich eastern crescent, where the key to victories such as Youngkin’s is — short of winning — being competitive.”)
Good stuff, although obviously Glenn Youngkin will veto the legislation (along with ANYTHING that’s remotely progressive, pro-worker, etc.), because that’s how Youngkin rolls. Also note that the Virginia Senate Commerce and Labor Committee vote on SB 917, “Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s bill that would give public service workers across the commonwealth – including teachers, firefighters, home care workers, and employees of public universities – the freedom to come together to bargain collectively for a contract,” was 9-6, strictly along party lines (Democrats for it, Republicans against it). That also tells you a great deal about how different the two parties are these days, with Democrats being pro-worker and Republicans obviously not.
RICHMOND, Va. — By a vote of 9-6, the Virginia Senate Commerce and Labor Committee last night advanced SB 917, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s bill that would give public service workers across the commonwealth – including teachers, firefighters, home care workers, and employees of public universities – the freedom to come together to bargain collectively for a contract.
Virginia House Democratic Caucus Chair Kathy Tran has introduced the companion bill, HB 2764, in the House.
Virginia’s blanket ban on public sector collective bargaining was partially lifted in 2020, which has empowered tens of thousands of public service workers in localities such as Richmond, Alexandria, Fairfax and Loudoun County to collectively bargain. SB 917 and HB 2764 would give state workers and public sector workers in every locality the freedom to come together to negotiate a contract. The legislation also sets up critical state infrastructure needed to support local governments in this process.
A poll from Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center found that 68 percent of voters support public sector collective bargaining rights.
“Any worker can tell you what they need to do their job better, and collective bargaining gives them the vehicle to do that. If you look at Fairfax where I represent, the firefighters were able to negotiate a contract that guaranteed fair pay, training support, flexibility after pregnancy, and some other key provisions that are really important for first responders,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell. “It should be up to the workers, regardless of their zip code, regardless of the politics of their jurisdiction, to be able to have these exact same rights that those in the jurisdictions that have chosen to participate have, and that’s why we put this bill in.”
“Virginia’s economy is powered by our workers, and we build a family-first economy when our workers have a seat at the table,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Kathy Tran. “Our public sector workers are extremely dedicated to providing excellent service to our commonwealth. Teachers, home care workers, firefighters, they work really hard to make sure our kids are educated, that our families are cared for, that our communities are safe. And they all deserve the right to collectively bargain and have a voice in strengthening their workplaces.”
Home care worker Jeanne Robinson said, “Caseworkers, nurses, firefighters, care workers and other health workers deserve the right to come together to negotiate a fair contract no matter what zip code they live in. The bill would help ensure people aren’t left behind.”
“We love our jobs and we don’t want to leave them. But we need to secure basic workplace protections if we’re going to be effective,” said Harry Szabo, who teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Hungry people can’t teach well. People who are afraid of losing their housing or their jobs aren’t going to be as reliable for our students as people who know that their jobs are secure. Collective bargaining for higher education will allow us to focus on what we came here to do: making a bright future for our students.”
“It truly benefits our students when teachers and staff are taken care of, and it also benefits our communities,” said Sharon Gilbert, Administrative Office Associate at Richmond’s William Fox Elementary School. “I am calling for the General Assembly to pass the collecting bargaining bills, Senate Bill 917 and House Bill 2764. Let’s make our workplaces healthier, more productive and more valuable.”
See below for comments by Virginia’s Congressional Democrats on the confirmation of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense, as well as on Trump’s “Friday night coup” (firing 17 inspectors general) as Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) describes it.
Sen. Tim Kaine: “I’m shocked but not surprised at the willingness of GOP members to confirm a nominee who has been called out by so many (including his own mother) for egregious and disqualifying misconduct. Trump wanted to see if any had a gag reflex. He has his answer.”
Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04): “On the 12th anniversary of Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta lifting the ban on women in combat, the U.S. Senate confirmed a man who says that never should have happened to be the next Secretary of Defense.
“Pete Hegseth’s confirmation is a slap in the face to the 200,000 active-duty women service members and 2,000,000 women veterans who have dedicated — and in some cases gave — their lives to defend our country. With his credible allegations of sexual assault, financial malfeasance, and alcohol abuse, and backwards views on women in combat and building a fighting force that reflects the diversity of the nation it defends, Hegseth’s confirmation will inevitably hurt our military readiness, recruitment and retention efforts.
“Pete Hegseth has not demonstrated the experience, judgment, or moral character necessary to lead the United States’ armed forces and advance our national security interests around the globe.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11): “Trump’s Friday night coup to overthrow legally protected independent inspectors general is an attack on transparency and accountability, essential ingredients in our democratic form of government.”
Beyer: “Trump’s Purge Of Inspectors General Is Flagrantly Illegal And Crooked”
January 25, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) issued the following statement today on Donald Trump’s illegal purge of over a dozen inspectors general of executive branch agencies:
“Trump’s purge of inspectors general is flagrantly illegal and crooked.
“The inspector general position exists to guard against waste, fraud, and criminal behavior in federal agencies. That the Trump Administration found it necessary to break the law by removing these independent, nonpartisan watchdogs without the legally required cause or congressional notification points to their intent to commit acts of extreme corruption.
“I urge the inspectors general affected to defend the independence which is essential to their position in every way possible including through the pursuit of legal remedies. And I urge any members of the Republican majority in either chamber who still have a spine to stand up to this corrupt president and protect our essential institutions from Trump’s assault on the rule of law.”
