VB Dems

From the Virginia Center for Public Safety:

In another example of the degree to which he’s prepared to pander to his allies in the political fringe, Gov. Bob McDonnell has taken action to give the National Rifle Association an exclusive mandate to “educate” all primary school children in Virginia on their idea of gun safety.

In the 2010 session, HB1217 was introduced as a firearms safety measure to be added to the K-6th grade curriculum of public schools. This legislation would require the Board of Education to adopt curriculum guidelines using the National Rifle Association materials.

With little hope of shielding our children from exposure to the NRA’s agenda, opponents managed to get the bill amended in the Senate to include the National Crime Prevention materials, known for its education materials featuring “McGruff the Crime Dog” and steps to help “Take a Bite Out of Crime”, as well in an effort to broaden options for resource materials for the Board of Education.

Apparently intending to use a typo as an excuse, the Governor has now recommended that all mention of the National Crime Prevention Council be removed from the bill. In effect,the Governor’s recommendation gives the NRA exclusive control over part of every Virginian child’s education.

State legislators will reconvene on Wednesday April 21 in Richmond and will consider/vote on McDonnell’s amendments to HB1217. Contact them now and tell them to vote “no” granting exclusive control to the NRA to any part of our children’s education.

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A double whammy has been delivered on the Navy with encroachment by land and encroachment by sea. “In one short day, the Governor and Legislature have delivered a gift wrapped package to the citizens of Florida. First, over the stated objections of the Navy and DoD, they passed the off shore drilling bill. Then, they cut funding for the joint land use program that was part of the concerted effort to retain the master jet base at NAS Oceana and of course the carriers and supporting ships in Norfolk. Way to go Legislature; makes one wonder why we even try here in Hampton Roads when our needs and requirements are simply paid lip service to the Grover Norquist inspired anti tax zealots. This one day was a debacle and will take years to mend, if ever.” – Mike Barrett commenting on recent Virginian-Pilot article.

Adding insult to injury, eight lemmings on the Virginia Beach City Council followed Gov. McDonnell off the cliff. “The Governor made me do it”, is Mayor Sessoms reply. That is so so sad.

Virginia’s offshore wind development better produce a lot of jobs to make up for all the lost jobs caused by the Navy packing up and leaving for Florida. Governor McDonnell is both the Pied Piper and the Emperor with No Clothes, for there are no jobs with drilling off Virginia. It’s a net loss with the Navy saying “Adios, Virginia”.

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Damn the clean beaches and healthy seas,
Senator Frank Wagner has Big Oil to please.
Oh all the riches on him they’ll reward
With juicy big contracts to his polluting ship yard.

For he is Frank Wagner, Virginia’s Energy King!
How dare you speak out against uranium mining,
Don’t bother with silly citizen participation.
Only the rich have voices in policy decision.

Voice opposition to the plans he’s conspired?
He’ll go to your employer to get you fired.
Erupting in anger, getting red in the face,
Perhaps noticeable signs of a need for AA.

The road isn’t easy for Big Oil’s prostitute,
Those treehuggers in Virginia can be so resolute.
But who better to champion their greedy plans
Then a man fined $ for environmental violations.

One of 13 millionaires in the General Assembly,
Yet lobbyists still fund meals and junkettes to Norway.
They’ll pen the op-eds submitted in his name.
Hell, they write all his bills. It’s all just the same.

Fined $400k for ripping off the Navy,
Only the beginning for his dealings quite shady.
Especially versed in making shit up,
Frank’s latest scam may be his death cup.

Last week in committee he declared it with glee,
“I’ve worked out an agreement with NASA and DOD”.
Drill, baby, drill. Screw Sec. Salazar.
We’ll simply avoid certain blocks in the lease area.

Yet DOD officials involved with OCS matters
Deny such discussions, alleged agreement in shatters.
Avoiding certain areas is an unacceptable solution.
It’s illegal, lacks legal standing, violates constitution.

So let’s compel him to produce alleged DOD agreement,
Coz all along their opposition has been vehement.
It’s again typical of a Frank Wagner “truth”.
As the Navy stands between him and his pie-in-the-sky loot.

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From Dominic Melito:

Public Education needs your help! The cuts that are being proposed by Governor McDonnell would DEVASTATE public education in Virginia and Virginia Beach as we know it. On top of the $1.12 billion dollars in cuts to public education already in Kaine’s proposed budget, Governor McDonnell wants to tack on an additional $732 million dollars in cuts. For Virginia Beach, that’s another $21 million in cuts on top of the previous $32 million dollars in cuts from Kaine’s proposed budget.

To make matters even worse, Kaine’s budget called for freezing the changes to the composite index for 1 year. After initially agreeing to the freezes, Governor McDonnell decided to unfreeze the changes. As a region, Hampton Roads stands to lose $58 million dollars in state education funding with the change to the composite index. Most of the money moving out of Hampton Roads will be going to Northern Virginia. In Virginia Beach, it means $14.9 million dollars MORE will come out of the school budget next year. Hundreds of teachers will no longer have positions next year and class sizes will increase dramatically.

Here’s how you can help.

1) Please go to www.supportvirginiaschools.com. You will find a link to a pre-written e-mail to the Governor and your state legislators. You can edit the letter and/or personalize it if you’d like.

2) Write or e-mail your Delegate and Senator. Tell them NOT to make anymore cuts to public education! You can find their contact information here.

3) Sign up to receive e-mail updates on what’s happening with public education in the General Assembly here.

Any help that you can give us will be greatly appreciated. We must stand together and save Public Education in Virginia!

Thanks everyone,

Dominic Melito

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A couple of years ago I indirectly accused Delegate Sal Iaquinto of being a homophobe for his use of the term “secret agenda” in an email response to me. I was challenging his vote on a bill allowing school boards to prohibit student clubs that allegedly “encourages or promotes sexual activity by unmarried minor students”. It was aimed at denying youth the support they need by preventing Gay/Straight Alliances (GSAs). Turns out Iaquinto was naive to the real definition of “secret agenda”, a definition that I was highly suspect of having used it to beat down Virginia’s second biggest homophobe, former Delegate Dick Black. (FYI… Virginia’s biggest homophobe Del. Sideshow Bob Marshall unfortunately still holds office.)

I wish Soapblox would give me my data files so that I could link back to old VB Dems posts on this. I got pretty beat down with comments glowing about how cool Del. Iaquinto actually was – Sal himself even commenting in his defense.

Since then, Del. Iaquinto has bent over backwards to give fair hearing to GLBT issues. He is always quick to point out his support of legislation allowing hospital visitation rights to whomever patients choose. When a group of us from VB came to chat with him as a part of Equality Virginia’s lobby day, Sal momentarily left a committee meeting in order to talk to us. There have been other votes (one of which I got into a fight with Sean Holihan over) that I can’t remember and don’t have old posts to refer to. (Come on, Soapblox!)

Anyway, so here we are with a very important bill, SB 66, that just passed the Virginia State Senate and is now headed to the House of Delegates. This bill adds sexual orientation to the State’s nondiscrimination employment policy, alongside race, religion, gender, disabilities and other classifications.

Passage of this bill became all the more important as Governor McDonnell yesterday signed a non-discrimination order does not include sexual orientation.

So will Delegate Iaquinto put his money where his mouth is, exercise some leadership and rally his fellow Beach delegates to support SB66? He is the only normal sane person and the only hope we have amongst the rest of our Beach delegation. The others are either mindless sheep (Knight, Stolle, Villanueva) or batshit crazy (Tata, Purkey).

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For once, thank goodness to Sen. Dick Saslaw and his Senate Dems. Today they killed Sen. Frank Wagner’s imaginary revenues bill. As reported in the Virginian-Pilot Saslaw called the bill “a fantasy” that seeks to dedicate dollars “the state is never going to see.”

Continues the Pilot, “A similar defeat likely awaits offshore-drilling royalty legislation from Del. Chris Stolle.”

Wagner adds that “[u]pcoming November elections could alter the political makeup of Congress and change how it deals with offshore drilling.” As long as non-coastal states outnumber coastal states switching up revenue sharing is about as likely as Virginia developing anything off its coasts.

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What goes around, comes around!

For years, anti-choice advocates have been trying to muscle through the General Assembly a license plate that says “Choose Life”. They’re at it again this session. However this year, there is a “Trust Women, Respect Choice” license plate also trying to make its way through the GA. Proceeds from its sale will benefit Planned Parenthood of Virginia.

This presents quite the legal pickle for anti-choice legislators. For it is unconstitutional to permit an anti-abortion plate without allowing “all other viewpoints on the same subject”. Reports the AP: “The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has twice ruled the government cannot unreasonably censor or favor one viewpoint on specialty plates because they are a public forum. ‘The General Assembly has stepped into a legal morass now,’ said Sen. Janet Howell, who is sponsoring one of two bills to establish the plate. ‘You can’t have just one point of view represented on license plates. You have to have both.’”

And ACLU stands at the ready to file suit if the State so proceeds. The State will lose and Cuccinelli’s right-wing zealotry will cost us taxpayers big $ bucks.

But it may not get to that point as it’ll be all or nothing. The Senate Transportation Committee yesterday packaged all the license plate bills into one omnibus bill. Anti-choicers interested in getting their plate through will have to vote for the pro-choice plate as well. Ha!

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Newbie Senator Jeff McWaters voted against SB66 which prohibits “discrimination in public employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a special disabled veteran.” The bill passed with a 23-17 vote. All Democratic senators supported the bill which also picked up the support of Portsmouth Republican Sen. Fred Quayle.

I’ve emailed Sen. McWaters asking for an explanation for his vote. I will post that response here if and when I get it.

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Legislators from Hampton Roads released the following statement today in response to the Department of Defense’s Quadrennial Defense Review.

“We are deeply troubled that the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review includes plans to remove an aircraft carrier from Naval Station Norfolk. Transferring a carrier to Florida will cost taxpayers close to one billion dollars at a time when the Navy should be focusing on more pressing needs.

“We are very concerned that removing a carrier from Hampton Roads will have a devastating economic impact on our region. Transferring a carrier could cost thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in the middle of a severe recession. We will do all we can to keep these jobs in Hampton Roads where they belong. We will continue to work with our partners in the U.S. Congress to find a solution that is in the best interest of both Hampton Roads and the Navy.”

Legislators issuing today’s statement are: Senator Maime Locke, Senator Louise Lucas, Senator John C. Miller, Senator Yvonne B. Miller, Senator Ralph S. Northam, Delegate Robin Abbott, Delegate Kenny Alexander, Delegate Mamye BaCote, Delegate Bill Barlow, Delegate Algie Howell, Delegate Matthew James,
Delegate Johnny Joannou, Delegate Lynwood Lewis, Delegate Paula Miller, Delegate Lionell Spruill, Delegate Roslyn Tyler, and Delegate Jeion Ward.

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I ragged on Sen. Jeff McWaters for the shameless political posturing done in his so-called inaugural “Legislative Update”. Thus I was very amused to see this introduction to his second such update. (Emphasis added is mine.)

Throughout session I will be sending weekly updates on what is happening in Richmond. This email is my first, true “Update”. Please feel free to pass it along to your friends or have them sign up for this newsletter at www.jeffmcwaters.com.

We’ve had a busy and energy packed week full of pomp and circumstance, however now is the time to get to work. (The entire email is below the fold.)

Be still my heart! Could it not only be that my Republican legislator is reacting to communication from this lowly Democrat? And OMG, weekly updates?!?!!!! A Republican is actually planning to send out weekly updates?!?!!!!! And shit, he’s actually noted his visitors to his office last week.

One such group visiting was the Interfaith Center for Public Policy, who I joined for its Lobby Day last Tuesday. We were tailed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and their article here mentions our visit with Sen. McWaters. The print version has a pic of our group to include my ugly fat self. Ugh! Luckily there’s no attribution. The Interfaith Center did an outstanding job with its Lobby Day activities. One of our lunchtime speakers was blogger extraordinaire Waldo Jaquith who is also the creator of Richmond Sunlight. The Interfaith Center hosts this terrific legislative tracking site.

It so nice to see folks working together to make the legislative process so accessible and transparent! Great work all!

And thank you, Sen. McWaters for starting to de-campaign your website. Yeah, no more Mitt Romney!

(more…)

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Every year Virginia’s General Assembly comes together, there always sees to be one bill that is tagged most ridiculous and made the butt of jokes across Virginia. So in honor of droopy drawers and truck balls, may I present 2010’s honoree. Check it out at Article XI.

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The man with more money than God can, should and must quickly pull down the Republican “rah rah” and turn to the job of representing ALL his constituents, not just his Republican supporters.

Check out these sites for State Senators both Republican and Democrat. None of them scream partisanship anywhere close to same volume levels as Jeff McWaters. Here’s just a few examples: senatornorment.com, senatorbarker.com, stuartforsenate.com, senatorjillvogel.com, fairfaxsenator.com, markobenshain.com, markherring.org, walterstosch.com.

Instead we get a site that “welcomes” us with the smiling mug of Mitt Romney, exclamations of McWaters’ “57 Point Landslide”, lists of his endorsements, and events listing nothing but VB GOP breakfasts.

Okay, it’s been just over 1 week since he was elected. Some allowances of time could be given to switch things over from campaign mode to legislative mode. But then I got my first “Legislative Update” and I’m starting to think we’ve got a real battle on our hands. Seeing “General Assembly Update January 19, 2010″ in the subject line of a recent email, I got excited thinking that it would substantive and relevant to his work in the GA. But no! Just like his website, it’s all “rah rah, I’m a Republican and I rule”. (Full email below the fold.)

I shot back a return email requesting that he redesign his site and updates to being a constituent service rather than political posturing. I have visions of his staff getting that reply email and thinking “Shit! How’d Lefty Lucy get on our Republican-Only mailing list?” They were thinking they could easily continue with the emails and websites all supporting the Jeff McWaters’ Rah-Rah Club and continue life in a world catering only to their Republican supporters.

Boy, do I have a news flash for them! I’m a screaming liberal 8th district resident and I like to blog! Shape up, McWaters, or it’ll be a long four years for both you and me.

(more…)

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I’m headed to Richmond this morning for the environmental community’s Conservation Lobby Day. I’ve got appointments with Delegate Sal Iaquinto and Delegate Barry Knight. I’ll be talking to each specifically about offshore drilling, mountaintop removal and energy efficiency.

I’ve heard that tea baggers will be in Richmond too. Things will be hopping in the GAB! I’ll say “hey” to old friends Sean Houlihan (who’s he working for?) and Jessica Bowman (Lynnwood Lewis’ aide).

Tomorrow I’ll be heading back with the Virginia Organizing Project. I’m not sure exactly what we’ll be lobbying for them. They’ll be supposedly getting me an appointment with “my” senator Jeff McWaters. We’ll see…

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As “VB Dems”, I’ve started tracking bills of interest on Richmond Sunlight.

Two bills of particular interest to the environmental community are as follows (snips from the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition’s one-page fact sheets):

Virginia Jobs and Efficiency Act (SB 71) – Sen. Don McEachin
Senator McEachin’s “Virginia Jobs and Efficiency Act” (Senate Bill 71) calls on Virginia utilities to take the lead by requiring them to reduce energy consumption 12% by 2022 by investing in readily-available energy-efficiency improvements.

The McEachin bill would create up to 10,000 new jobs in the Commonwealth. Efficiency investments will boost Virginia’s economy and create a demand for energy efficient construction and weatherization, energy auditors and engineers, and other jobs.

Efficiency would enable Virginia to meet its energy needs without constructing new, expensive power plants like the 1500-megawatt coal-fired plant proposed for the Hampton Roads area, estimated to cost as much as $6 billion – the most costly coal plant in the U.S.

The plant would be the biggest coal-fired plant in Virginia and would release over 14 million tons of global warming pollution every year.

Stream Saver Bill (SB 564) – Sen. Patsy Ticer
The “Stream Saver Bill” will end the practice of filling Virginia headwater streams with coal mining waste by prohibiting the dumping of coal mining waste into Virginia streams. Prohibiting the filling of streams with mining waste will curtail the practice of mountaintop removal and preserve the integrity of our waterways.

I’m getting ready to head to the Women’s Legislative Roundtable meeting in Norfolk this morning. More bills of interest will be forthcoming.

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In so much as Jeff McWaters is now my State Senator, I crossed my fingers in hopes that once elected, a true legislative representative would emerge – that underneath all the campaign crap was a thoughtful, considerate, responsible Virginian with the ambition of doing due diligence in service to all his constituents.

Nope. What was elected on Tuesday January 12 was not a statesman who would put aside most of the hyper-partisan campaign wrangling, seeking first to educate himself on the issues, holding close the best interest of all persons great and small that he now represents, and giving to fair and thoughtful consideration to all sides of an issue.

Nope. What got elected to represent us in the 8th district for the next four years is a 100% political hack.

These were McWater’s most disgraceful words last night as part of the Senate GOP response to Governor Kaine’s final speech before the General Assembly:

“With the assault on business from Washington in the form of Obamacare, card check and cap and trade, Virginia’s business-friendly policies will be even more important as a last line of defense.”

Gosh, Jeff. I’m surprised you forgot the required GOP mention of “death panels”.

So someone explain to me how I’m supposed to go to my State Senator with my concerns for global warming pollution and holding polluters responsible for their contributions to it. He has already written that concern off as an “assault on business”. I’m doomed before even opening my mouth to speak assuming I even get as far as actually having an appointment to meet.

I’ve had pretty much only Republicans representing me since May 1985 (Bill Mims, Joe May, Russ Potts, Terrie Suit, Ken Stolle, and Barry Knight). They very often voted straight “R” which was often contrary to what I wanted. But if I got to them before the fact, they at least pretended to be interested in hearing my side of the argument. And if I got to them after the contrary vote, they appeared honest in their attempt to explain their reasoning. It was bogus most of the time but it was sincere and they went to bed at night at least knowing one little constituent of theirs was watching and wasn’t happy.

But with Jeff McWaters, I’ll get the “take a hike, treehugger and don’t come back. I don’t have time for your nonsense as I’ve got fat cats to serve”.

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