Despite the General Assembly taking on of various ethics bills for its members, none of the legislation I've seen addresses the lobbyists. And some of these relationships between lobbyists and members of the legislature have a certain odor to them. Case in point: Del. Watkins Abbitt (I (but really R)-59th) and his wife, Madeline. Del. … Continue reading The lobbyist & the delegate: husband & wife
Category: Virginia
The struggle toward inclusiveness
This op-ed appeared in the Virginian-Pilot on Sunday, February 14, 2010. I’VE BEEN thinking about the subject of race in an ideal society, a world where we talk about race without making everything about race. It’s something I long for, something I once thought was not only possible but just around the corner. I’m no … Continue reading The struggle toward inclusiveness
More on Howell’s asbestos bill
I knew there was something fishy about that asbestos bill that only benefited a single company. The Washington Post's Anita Kumar takes a much closer look in this article and this blog post. What she finds stinks. First we have a group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has been pushing legislation for the favored … Continue reading More on Howell’s asbestos bill
Schapiro on Wilder
Richmond Times Dispatch political columnist Jeff Schapiro takes on Doug Wilder's latest missive, published by Politico. He's got some real zingers in here. I'm guessing Schapiro isn't much of a Wilder fan.
ALERT: Help kill water-damaged car bills
The Senate Transportation Committee will take up House Bill 392 and Senate Bill 539 at its meeting on Thursday at 2pm. These bills will raise, from $1,000 to $5,000, the amount of water damage that a vehicle can sustain before it is required to be disclosed to the buyer. Water damage to a vehicle can … Continue reading ALERT: Help kill water-damaged car bills
“Guns in every bar”
The Virginian-Pilot has another funny editorial today, this one with the title above. Tackling a serious subject with humor and satire is a new twist for the Pilot's editorial board, making for interesting reading. I'm betting I know which one of the board's writer's wrote this - and an earlier, equally funny - editorial. Of … Continue reading “Guns in every bar”
Sen. Lucas on International Paper
Remarks offered by Sen. Louise Lucas on the floor of the Senate Tuesday regarding the visit by Gov. Bob McDonnell
Interesting vote on asbestos bill
As The Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday, a bill designed to benefit one company was engrossed by the House of Delegates Monday. (The Pilot reported that the bill had passed on Monday - according to the Legislative Information System, that is not the case. Engrossed, according to this definition, simply means that the bill is ready to … Continue reading Interesting vote on asbestos bill
Quick look at bills of local legislators
Here's a quick look at a few bills from legislators in Hampton Roads: HB570 related to real estate assessments, HB207 related to rules for lineups and SB185 related to menhaden fishing. More below the fold. HB 570 - Del. Sal Iaquinto (R-84th) - This bill changes the burden of proof for real estate assessments from … Continue reading Quick look at bills of local legislators
Quayle votes with Dems against discrimination
The Virginia Senate voted 23-17 to pass Sen. Donald McEachin's SB66 Monday afternoon. The bill prohibits discrimination in public employment and includes sexual orientation. Senator Fred Quayle of Suffolk broke ranks with his Republican colleagues and joined the Democratic majority to pass this bill. According to The Virginian-Pilot, Quayle voted yea for a rather simple … Continue reading Quayle votes with Dems against discrimination
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 