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article thumbnail Health Care Law Individual Mandate Ruled Unconstitutional By Appeals Court
Monday, 15 August 2011 | Greg Bluestein | Huffington Post

The divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded Congress overstepped its authority when lawmakers passed the so-called individual mandate, the first such...

Afghanistan/Iraq/Iran

article thumbnail Afghanistan: Billions In Aid Failed To Create Progress
Saturday, 06 August 2011 | Reuters | Huffington Post

The Brussels-based think tank said the United States and its allies still lacked a coherent policy to strengthen Afghanistan ahead of a planned withdrawal of foreign combat troops from the...

Finance Reform

article thumbnail The New Finance Bill: A Mountain of Legislative Paper, a Molehill of Reform
Friday, 16 July 2010 | Robert Reich | Robert Reich's Blog

As if to prove him wrong, Goldman Sachs simultaneously announced it had struck a deal with federal prosecutors to pay $550 million to settle federal claims it misled investor — a sum...

Restore Our Vote

article thumbnail Roanoke Voter Restoration Clinic
Thursday, 02 December 2010 | Andrea Miller

and COMMUNITY FORUM ON THE RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18th 2:00-4:00 p.m. Roanoke Higher Education Center 108 North Jefferson Street Roanoke, VA...

Economy/Jobs

article thumbnail Citizens United against Citizens United
Friday, 16 April 2010 | Public Citizen

  Visit www.DontGetRolled.org to learn more!  

 
 
Democrats select attorney Powell to oppose Cantor

Saturday, 14 April 2012 | Olympia Meola | Richmond Times Dispatch

article thumbnail The district's Democratic committee announced the nomination Friday. Powell will face the Republican nominee selected in a June 12 primary. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor...
+ Full Story

Sen. Steve Martin Responds to Questions on War on Women

Monday, 02 April 2012 | From Sen. Steve Martin

article thumbnail Thank you for taking the time to contact my office with your concerns, regarding two pieces of legislation that were considered during the 2012 General Assembly session and your...
+ Full Story

ACLU of Virginia announces director Willis' resignation

Tuesday, 20 March 2012 | Mark Bowes | Richmond Times Dispatch

article thumbnail Willis has been a tenacious fixture at the ACLU since he was hired in October 1987 as an associate director. He was promoted less than two years later to executive director, a post he...
+ Full Story

Virginia receives failing grade on government integrity

Tuesday, 20 March 2012 | Wesley P. Hester | Richmond Times Dispatch

article thumbnail Only three states were ranked below Virginia on the "Corruption Risk Report Card" from the State Integrity Investigation, a study conducted over several months by the Center...
+ Full Story

Legislators battle over state Capitol protest arrests

Monday, 12 March 2012 | Wesley P. Hester/Reed Williams | Richmond Times dispatch

article thumbnail Angry Democrats took to the floor of the Virginia Senate to denounce the treatment and arrest of the protesters. Gov. Bob McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling — speaking at a...
+ Full Story

Voter ID Bill Heads to Conference, Will Add to State Spending

Friday, 09 March 2012 | Commonwealth Institute

article thumbnail    RICHMOND, VA - Senate and House of Delegates conferees will have to figure out not only how to resolve the differences between two bills that will significantly change voter...
+ Full Story

Senate Democrats list concerns on budget

Thursday, 08 March 2012 | Jim Nolan and Olympia Meola | Richmond Times Dispatch

article thumbnail So Democrats on Tuesday wrote a list meant to prove them wrong — identifying in a letter to the governor a dozen specific areas in the proposed $85 billion, two-year spending plan...
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House sends voter ID bill to governor

Thursday, 08 March 2012 | Wesley P. Hester | Richmond Times Dispatch

article thumbnail The bill -- which was previously the subject of fierce debate with Democratic opponents claiming it was designed to disenfranchise minorities, the elderly and the young -- passed 64-34....
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Dem Heroine: You Say Ultrasounds for Women Wanting Abortion, I Say Rectal Exams for Men Needing...

Tuesday, 31 January 2012 | Julian Walker | VA Pilot

article image It's one of several anti-abortion bills now moving through the General Assembly. Others would give legal rights to unborn children, prohibit abortions after 20 weeks unless a woman's...
+ Full Story

 

Environment

article thumbnail Conference speakers tout the benefits of wind power
Monday, 06 June 2011 | Jack Reid Blackwell

Virginia has "one of the windiest coastlines on the planet," said Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, a group that advocates development of...

Accountability

article thumbnail Obama Nominee for Justice Withdraws
Friday, 09 April 2010 | Associated Press

The Senate Judiciary Committee had recommended Johnsen's confirmation on party-line votes. But several Republicans objected to her sharp criticisms of terrorist interrogation policies under...

 

Net Neutrality

article thumbnail Internet Freedom and Innovation at Risk
Sunday, 11 April 2010 | ACLU Newsletter

 
 
PDA - Virginia
Democrats select attorney Powell to oppose Cantor PDF Print E-mail
Written by Olympia Meola | Richmond Times Dispatch   
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Richmond-area attorney E. Wayne Powell has secured the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District.

The district's Democratic committee announced the nomination Friday. Powell will face the Republican nominee selected in a June 12 primary.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Floyd Bayne are seeking the GOP nomination, according to the State Board of Elections. Bayne ran in 2010 as an independent candidate in the 7th.

Powell, an attorney who spent 30 years in the Army and commanded an intelligence unit after Sept. 11, said in a statement that he's gratified by the support he received from 7th District Democrats.

"From growing up as the son of a welder in Richmond's Church Hill, I've had to work my heart out for everything I have — nothing has been given to me," he said. "I pledge to run this campaign on the same work ethic that has guided me throughout my personal, military and professional career."

The district's Democratic committee canceled caucuses scheduled for today and Monday after Powell's opponent, David Hunsicker, suspended his campaign.

The committee said 80 percent of those who had filed to participate in the nominating process were backing Powell.

Hunsicker, a retired Air Force member and real estate broker from Orange County, said Friday that he suspended his campaign after seeing the delegate count.

"Seeing the number, there wasn't any need to waste a lot of money and time and effort to have an election that the outcome was already determined," he said, adding that he plans to support the Democratic Party slate.

"I think we did the best for the party."

Non-party candidates have until June 12 to file paperwork to run for the 7th District seat.

Link to article from Richmond Times Dispatch

 
Sen. Steve Martin Responds to Questions on War on Women PDF Print E-mail
Written by From Sen. Steve Martin   
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Sen. Martin is my Senator; I know, some people have all the luck. Below is a message that Sen. Stephen Martin (VA-11) asked us to pass along in response to the petition “Stop the War on Women” (http://signon.org/sign/stop-the-war-on-women-1)


Thank you for taking the time to contact my office with your concerns, regarding two pieces of legislation that were considered during the 2012 General Assembly session and your belief that we spent too much effort in those areas.

My votes on those two bills - and their companions in both committee and on the floor - amounted to less than a quarter of one percent of my votes (that's less than 0.0025). So, obviously, it did not command as much of our time as the press reports and your assertion would suggest.

As you may already be aware, House Bill 1 (commonly called the “personhood” bill) was recommitted to the Education and Health Committee and continued to the 2013 Session. That is usually considered to be an action to kill the bill, but for some reason is being treated as if it received favorable treatment. However, it is important that the facts be presented as they are, and not as various media sources or certain opponents purport them to be.

HB 1 in no way and at no time would have restricted a woman’s lawful access to birth control, in-vitro fertilization, or even to abortions in the state of Virginia. It even had specific language to assure that these remained available. In other words, it dealt with construct of law – and in its own language, defers to the Constitution and rulings of the Supreme Court as to its limitations. So despite what you may have heard, Roe vs. Wade and the “choice” it provides for abortions would not have been affected by the legislation. What the bill would have actually done is create a legal cause of action for civil suit in court, in cases where an unborn child dies as a result of harm caused to the mother. That is something we all agree is an important ability for a mother to have, when it comes to what happens with her child, in her body.

The other piece of legislation that received so much media attention, House Bill 462, did pass both the House and the Senate with bi-partisan support and was signed by the Governor. This bill, despite incredibly false claims to the contrary, does not require or mandate any procedure that abortion providers do not already require (for compliance with the law) in almost every case. In fact, Adrienne Schreiber – an official from the Washington, D.C. Planned Parenthood office - states: “That’s just the medical standard…To confirm the gestational age of the pregnancy, before any procedure is done, you do an ultrasound” (Goodman, “Planned Parenthood Says it Won’t Do Abortions Without Ultrasounds”, Commentary Magazine).

The fact is, the procedure is indeed very necessary. HB 462’s only real effect is that a woman be offered an opportunity to view the results of the ultrasound, and that the results be put into her medical file. And, while some health insurance companies may not provide coverage for the abortion itself, they will cover the cost of the necessary ultrasound beforehand (in addition to the numerous facilities across the Commonwealth that offer them, at no cost). Again, the procedure is already required by present standards of practice and already covered by insurers. So, the only new element is that the mother be offered the opportunity to view the image from the ultrasound.

It is hard for most citizens to see where the “war” on women is occurring – particularly since the patrons of both pieces of legislation regarding ultrasounds are, in fact, women. One of them is pregnant at this very time, herself.

You can be assured that my focus as a legislator always has been – and always will be – promoting economic growth, ensuring personal liberty and safety, striving for excellence in education, and making sure Virginia maintains its reputation as a business-friendly state. If something were actually happening legislatively that would endanger or oppress Virginia’s women, I would be the first to stand in opposition.

Again, thank you for being involved in the process and voicing your concerns to me. As the legislature returns to Richmond in the coming weeks to address the remaining issue – passage of the budget – know that I will be working towards resolution on that topic, that affects the general well-being of Virginia families. You, and all citizens, do deserve better.

Sincerely,

Steve Martin

Last Updated on Monday, 02 April 2012 19:47
 
ACLU of Virginia announces director Willis' resignation PDF Print E-mail
Written by Mark Bowes | Richmond Times Dispatch   

Kent Willis, whom many Virginians identify as the embodiment of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, is leaving his post as its leader after building the organization into one of the top ACLU affiliates in the nation.

Willis has been a tenacious fixture at the ACLU since he was hired in October 1987 as an associate director. He was promoted less than two years later to executive director, a post he has held 23 years as of this month.

Willis' departure date was not announced, but the organization's board of directors said in a news release late Monday that he will leave when his replacement is named. That could come soon. "They are in the final stages," Willis said Monday evening.

In the release, the ACLU said Willis informed the board of directors last fall of his intent to leave, at which time the organization began a nationwide search for his successor.

"I've been here a very long time, and it feels like it's time for someone else to run this organization," Willis said. "There's nothing pushing me out and there's nothing beckoning me to move into a different direction, except that I feel like it's time to just try something else."

Willis said he "could not have had a more rewarding job" and that he was "proud to have been part of the ACLU's many accomplishments and enormous organizational growth over the last 25 years."

At 64, Willis said he has no plans to retire, but he hasn't precisely decided what his future holds.

"The problem with giving an indefinite leave date — depending on the hiring of the new person — is that you really can't make plans to do anything," Willis said.

 
Virginia receives failing grade on government integrity PDF Print E-mail
Written by Wesley P. Hester | Richmond Times Dispatch   

Virginia is among eight states that received failing grades for state government integrity, and its weaknesses leave the commonwealth highly vulnerable to corruption, according to a new report.

Only three states were ranked below Virginia on the "Corruption Risk Report Card" from the State Integrity Investigation, a study conducted over several months by the Center for Public Integrity, Public Radio International and the nonprofit group Global Integrity.

The study looked at 330 indicators in 14 categories. Virginia flunked nine of the categories: public access to information, political financing, executive accountability, legislative accountability, judicial accountability, state budget processes, lobbying disclosure, state pension fund management, and ethics enforcement agencies.

"This is a real wake-up call for Virginia," said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, suggesting that Virginians have become too self-satisfied with a state that has historically been free of corruption.

"We live in a whole new world from the Virginia that many of us grew up in," he said. "Government was much smaller, we were tradition-bound, and senior officials lived by the honor system they had learned in school. All that's gone with the wind."

That theory was affirmed by the report, in which the Virginia summary attributes the low grade in part to "the state's lax oversight rules, weak consumer representation protections, dwindling Capitol press corps, and coziness between political and economic elites."

 
Legislators battle over state Capitol protest arrests PDF Print E-mail
Written by Wesley P. Hester/Reed Williams | Richmond Times dispatch   

As 14 of the 30 women's rights protesters arrested Saturday at the state Capitol made initial court appearances Monday, a war of words erupted at the General Assembly over the police response.

Angry Democrats took to the floor of the Virginia Senate to denounce the treatment and arrest of the protesters.

Gov. Bob McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling — speaking at a news conference on today's GOP presidential primary — then blasted Senate Democrats for criticizing the judgment of law enforcement and called on the legislators to apologize.

The arrest of the protesters — reported in newspapers and on television stations around the country — again drew national attention to Virginia over a contentious bill that would require women to undergo an ultrasound before having an abortion.

McDonnell said law enforcement officials are doing what they are supposed to do but said he had no involvement in the police response. Asked whether he was directly involved in the protesters' arrests, McDonnell said: "Absolutely not."

Sen. J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax, raised the issue first Monday, saying the heavy police presence during the rally, attended mostly by females, was a "completely over-the-top response … more appropriate for a bar fight than a civil protest."

Last Updated on Monday, 12 March 2012 15:03
 
Voter ID Bill Heads to Conference, Will Add to State Spending PDF Print E-mail
Written by Commonwealth Institute   
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Conferees will have to face the reality that new provisions will cost up to $1.2 million

  

RICHMOND, VA - Senate and House of Delegates conferees will have to figure out not only how to resolve the differences between two bills that will significantly change voter identification requirements in Virginia (SB1 and HB9),  they'll also have to face the fiscal reality that the new requirements are costly.

According to recent analysis published by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, implementing the new voter ID requirements of either of the bills will cost between half a million to over a million dollars and involve significant public education efforts, staff training, and provisional ballot administration.

"So far debate on these bills hasn't adequately addressed these significant costs," says Michael Cassidy, president and CEO of The Commonwealth Institute.

Under the bills, the voters who show up to the polls without an acceptable form of identification would be required to vote provisionally, resulting in significant implementation costs.  The Institute's analysis examined voter ID laws in Maryland, North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nevada, Georgia and South Carolina, and put the cost for Virginia between $522,263 and $1,258,959.

In a year of budget tightening and program cuts in other areas, the costs to the state represent significant tradeoffs. The cost of implementing these voter ID requirements is the rough equivalent of providing health care to between 396 and 954 Virginia children or  providing support for an additional 109 to 262 Virginia children to attend high-quality pre-school.

"Rather than pushing a costly and misguided solution to a nonexistent problem, Virginia could be investing this money in ways that strengthen our economy and build jobs for a brighter future for our children," says Cassidy.

 

Analysis: Tighter Voter ID Requirements Come with a Cost

 
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31 December 1969

Books and Film

article thumbnailKevin Spacey Gambles on Casino Jack (Interview)
15 January 2011
When Kevin Spacey walks in a room, he expresses himself with such a forthrightness and uncompromising directness that the air crackles. Sometimes he can say things that bluntly "tell it like it is" or be as evasive as that mysterious character, Keyser Sose, from The Usual Suspects --...

Restore our Vote

article thumbnailDemocracy Restoration Act of 2009
24 February 2010
Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 - Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence...

In the General Assembly

article thumbnailLegislature at odds over congressional districts
11 June 2011
Link to Interactive Virginia Redistricting Maps The House of Delegates and Virginia Senate rejected each other's congressional district plans Thursday, leaving a six-member committee of conference to work out the differences. The House hopes the matter can be settled by mid-July, but...