VaNews
February 28, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** CGI
------------------------------------------------------------

eVA - Advancing State and Local Contracting and Business Opportunities for Small, Women and Minority Businesses. Visit eVA, Virginia’s eProcurement Portal ([link removed])

Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])
Top of the News


** Northam considers jumping into fight over redistricting ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Amid a deadlock between House and Senate Democrats, Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration is weighing intervening in the process to secure passage of redistricting reform, a key campaign promise now in peril. Northam is considering sending down his own legislative proposal and holding a special session on the topic, among potential tools to end the schism ...
------------------------------------------------------------


** Seeking a Sanders alternative but lukewarm on Super Tuesday choices ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By ANTONIO OLIVO, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The meeting at the pub resembled a group-therapy session, with participants — a town mayor, a former school board member and about 15 other moderate Democrats — sharing anxiety over Tuesday’s presidential primary election in Virginia. They all wanted to know: How is it possible that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) might win the party’s presidential nomination? And why weren’t they excited about any of the other candidates?
------------------------------------------------------------


** Fairfax breaks tie to pass 'red flag' bill; Senate also backs one-gun-a-month ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax broke a tie vote in dramatic fashion in the Virginia Senate on Thursday to allow temporary confiscation of firearms from people who pose a substantial risk to themselves or others. Fairfax broke a 20-20 tie to approve House Bill 674, proposed by Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax, after a heated debate that focused on legal due process for people whose firearms would be taken away under the “red flag” law.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Virginia lawmakers pass bills easing abortion restrictions ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Abortion restrictions that were enacted when Republicans controlled Virginia’s General Assembly are being undone in legislation approved by the Democrats who are now in charge. The House on Thursday gave final passage to a bill that would roll back provisions including a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion and a requirement that women seeking an abortion undergo an ultrasound and counseling.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Virginians will no longer have their driver’s licenses suspended for unpaid court fines ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By DAVE RESS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Legislation that says driver’s licenses will no longer be suspended if offenders don’t pay fines or court costs passed the General Assembly on Wednesday and is headed to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk to be signed into law. Northam, a Democrat, had urged the legislature to pass the measure ...
------------------------------------------------------------


** Democrat says party is doing too much after Virginia lawmakers adjourn past midnight again ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By JACKIE DEFUSCO, WAVY

One Democrat says late nights in the General Assembly are an indication that his party took on too much this session. Both chambers adjourned at 1:20 a.m. on Thursday morning after working since noon on Wednesday. Lawmakers had until midnight to send bills with a fiscal impact to conference committee, a group of members from both parties chosen to work out disputes between House and Senate drafts.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Hospital stay helped delegate see need to boost health care career education ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

An idea came to Del. Terry Austin two years ago when he was lying in a hospital bed in Texas while recovering from a treatment related to cancer. The nurses and doctors around him at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he underwent bladder reconstruction surgery, told him about how they went to a special high school for teenagers wishing to enter the medical field.
Leave feedback for VaNews:
[link removed]
The Full Report
45 articles, 26 publications

Read Online ([link removed]) 10 Most Clicked ([link removed])


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
------------------------------------------------------------


** No more ‘second-fiddle’ ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By SEAN JONES, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

While the General Assembly mulls Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s biennium budget proposal, the governor made a pitch for part of it in remarks Wednesday at Virginia State University. Northam outlined for group of VSU political science majors an $895 million request for Virginia’s colleges and universities that includes $150 million in funding for VSU.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
------------------------------------------------------------


** Virginia Legislature Passes Bill Rolling Back Abortion Restrictions ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MAIREAD MCARDLE, National Review

Virginia lawmakers on Thursday sent a bill to the governor’s desk that would roll back several abortion restrictions, including the requirement that an abortion be provided by a physician. In a 53-to-45 vote, the Democrat-controlled House passed the Reproductive Health Protection Act, which scraps the 24-hour mandatory waiting period for a woman before getting an abortion as well as the requirement that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and counseling.
------------------------------------------------------------


** From minimum wage to guns, Senate moderates temper progressive push ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Blocking high profile gun laws. Scaling back a proposed minimum wage increase. A more conservative approach to Confederate statue removal. A handful of moderate Democrats in the Virginia Senate are embracing their role as foil to the more progressive House of Delegates as they enter the frantic final days of the party’s first General Assembly session in power in more than two decades.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Virginia in the spotlight as decision on redistricting looms ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

Virginia Democrats are in the spotlight as they argue over how legislative and congressional boundaries should be drawn, with only a few days left to make a decision. Redistricting reform has been a top priority for Democrats in Virginia and around the country after a tea party wave a decade ago helped Republicans convert big electoral gains into favorable congressional and state legislative maps.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Conference committee to begin work on casino bills ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

A 10-member Virginia General Assembly conference committee, that includes one Southwest Virginia lawmaker, is expected to begin work soon to resolve differences in two casino bills.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Driver's license suspensions, no-excuse absentee voting among bills headed to governor ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The quest to permanently end Virginia’s practice of suspending people’s driver’s licenses for failing to pay court fines is no longer unfinished business for Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County. Stanley photographed the electronic voting board in the Virginia Senate at 8:25 Wednesday night to record a 39-1 vote to approve an amendment by the House of Delegates to his Senate Bill 1, which repeals the state license suspension law once and for all.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Undocumented immigrants may soon be able to get a Virginia driver’s license ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Areli Enriquez is 17, with no way to drive around Onley on the Eastern Shore. Her parents died in a car crash last year, leaving her and her 14-year-old sister in the hands of legal guardians. Enriquez is a junior in high school and wants to go to community college for two years before going to the University of Virginia. But as an undocumented immigrant, she can’t get a driver’s license.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Latino Community Asks For Driver’s Licenses For All, Not ‘Privilege Cards’ ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE

Hundreds of people rallied at the state capitol today for legislation that would allow undocumented Virginians to legally drive a car. This comes as lawmakers negotiate what the driver’s license would look like. The group chanted “Si Se Puede” or Yes, you can, aimed at lawmakers who are are set to approve a bill this session that would allow undocumented immigrants to get a driver’s license. Daniella Queen lives in Richmond.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Virginia moves toward joining cap-and-trade program ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Virginia lawmakers have given final approval to a measure that will make the state a full participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multistate carbon cap-and-trade program. The House and Senate held final votes late Wednesday night on two companion measures, sending them to Gov. Ralph Northam.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Bill Would Dial Up Solar Energy in Virginia ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MALLORY NOE-PAYNE, WVTF

More than 10,000 homes in Virginia have solar panels, according to the Department of Mines Minerals and Energy. Proponents of renewable energy say those numbers could be higher and Virginia law is partially to blame. Now there’s an effort to get more houses, schools and governments connected to the solar grid.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Senator pulls bill to give carbon allowances to Charles City plants ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

A Democrat-backed bill that, under the state’s new carbon cap-and-trade regime, would have provided carbon allowances to two unbuilt natural gas plants in Charles City County died Thursday at the request of its patron. Sen. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake, asked for his bill, SB 992, to be stricken from the House Labor and Commerce Committee’s docket.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Virginia lawmakers vote to loosen restrictions on welfare, end ban on assistance for drug felons ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

The General Assembly passed a package of legislation this week to loosen restrictions on food and cash assistance programs for the poor. One bill repeals a “child cap” aimed at discouraging women receiving welfare from having additional children after they’ve enrolled, which the NAACP opposed when it passed in 1995 and advocates call plainly discriminatory. Another will allow disabled, homeless and elderly food stamp recipients to use their benefits to purchase hot meals in restaurants.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Lawmakers Weigh College Tuition Freeze, Northam’s G3 Proposal ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MEGAN PAULY, WCVE

Virginia lawmakers are weighing some big investments in state colleges and universities this year. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed budget does not include funding for the tuition freeze that lawmakers approved last year. Lawmakers gave colleges the option of accepting extra funding in exchange for holding tuition flat.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Lawmakers OK excused absences for student mental health ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By WILL GONZALEZ, VCU Capital News Service

The General Assembly passed an amended bill that will allow K-12 students excused absences for mental health issues and create uniformity for how Virginia school districts address emotional and mental health needs within its schools. House Bill 308, introduced by Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, would give the Virginia Department of Education until Dec. 31 to establish guidelines ...
------------------------------------------------------------


** Legislature passes bill to extend kindergarten hours ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By ZOBIA NAYYAR, VCU Capital News Service

A Senate bill that almost doubles the instructional hours of kindergarten classes required for school accreditation from 540 hours to 990 hours passed its final hurdle in the House Thursday with a vote of 94-6.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Menhaden legislation among bills to be considered by Gov. Northam ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MEGAN SCHIFFRES, Rappahannock Record (Paywall)

Gov. Ralph Northam will consider a bill to transfer regulatory authority over Atlantic menhaden from the Virginia legislature to the Virginia Marines Resources Commission after it passed both the House and Senate earlier this week. Senate Bill 791, introduced by Sen. Lynwood Lewis of Accomac ...
------------------------------------------------------------


** African American groups in Valley successfully lobby to delay history center decision ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By BRIDGET MANLEY, Harrisonburg Citizen

A state budget amendment to pay for a proposed African American History Center in New Market failed to make it into the House or Senate versions of the budget after several area African American groups successfully lobbied against the measure. The budget amendment, which would have given the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation the funding to purchase a historic home on Main Street caused frustration among African American groups in the Valley.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Segregationist Laws Will Soon Be Tossed Out of Virginia Code For Good ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE

This year, the General Assembly will repeal more than a dozen 20th century policies that enforced racial segregation in the state and helped perpetuate discrimination in housing, education, voting and other areas of public life.


** STATE ELECTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------


** State Dems target Chase in fund-raising ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Virginia Democrats this week released their latest plea for donations centered around the statewide candidacy of an area state senator. And Amanda F. Chase’s campaign could not be happier. “Amanda Chase just declared she’s running for governor,” the state Democratic party wrote in an email to supporters. “Can you chip in so we can stop her?”


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------


** Bernie Sanders, in Richmond, touts 'vibrant' campaign, agenda 'that speaks to the working class' ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator and front-runner among Democrats vying for the presidency, pitched his campaign to a Richmond crowd Thursday as the “strongest multigenerational, multiracial, grassroots movement this country has ever seen.”
------------------------------------------------------------


** Bernie Sanders rallies supporters in Richmond ahead of Super Tuesday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The thousands of people who showed up to a rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders five days before the Super Tuesday Democratic primaries did not come to size up the presidential candidate. They were all in for Sanders (I-Vt.), who was trounced in Virginia by Hillary Clinton four years ago, but who was tied for the lead with former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg in the most recent poll for this year’s contest.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Sanders’ appeal tested in moderate Virginia on Super Tuesday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By ALAN SUDERMAN AND WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

Rep. Elaine Luria is the kind of up-and-comer the Democratic Party would like to keep in Congress. But the former Navy commander with a moderate bearing, who flipped a coastal Virginia House seat in 2018, said she’s afraid that will be far more difficult if her party nominates Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for president.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Dems Do Battle on Super Tuesday ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By BEN HITCHCOCK, Cville Weekly

Mike Bloomberg’s Charlottesville campaign office is cavernous—and, on a Wednesday afternoon with the Virginia primary less than two weeks away, totally empty. The ninth-richest man in the world set up shop across the street from Friendship Court, one of Charlottesville’s largest low-income housing neighborhoods, but it doesn’t seem to have led to any foot traffic. Bloomberg’s website says there’s a canvass scheduled, but the office is locked and dark.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
------------------------------------------------------------


** 'Hitting a brick wall': Rollout of new online system at State Corporation Commission has caused problems ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By JOHN REID BLACKWELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia’s State Corporation Commission rolled out a new, online electronic filing system in December designed to make it easier for businesses in Virginia to file corporate documents and simplify the online search for business records. Instead, the switch to the new clerk’s information system, or CIS, has flooded the SCC’s office in Richmond with phone calls from people who are having trouble using the new portal.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Jail Costs Continue To Soar ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

News-Gazette

An ever-climbing inmate population at the Rockbridge Regional Jail is not only overtaxing staff at the facility but also busting the budgets of the local governments. As of Feb. 12, 130 inmates were being housed at the jail and another 99 were being housed at other jails at the expense of Rockbridge area taxpayers. The jail, built in 1988 at a rated capacity of 56, can, with double-bunking, hold 111.
------------------------------------------------------------


** State fines Bland County farmer for silage leak that killed 51,000 fish ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

State environmental regulators have cited a Bland County farmer for a silage leak that killed about 51,000 fish. The incident last July was one of the worst fish kills in Southwest Virginia in recent years, according to officials with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
------------------------------------------------------------


** HQ2 Mastermind: Amazon's Brian Huseman has big plans for the company in the region. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By JONATHAN CAPRIEL, Washington Business Journal (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

What do Dolly Parton, Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump have in common? They’ve all been photographed with Brian Huseman. The proof hangs on an office wall of the vice president of policy for Amazon.com Inc. Huseman splits regular working weeks between 1800 S. Bell St. in Crystal City and Amazon’s D.C. office two blocks from Union Station — a signal of how important the planned second headquarters in Arlington is to the company and Huseman ...
------------------------------------------------------------


** Richmond-area businesses brace for economic impact from coronavirus ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By JOHN REID BLACKWELL AND GREGORY J. GILLIGAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The phone lines have been busier than usual this month at Henrico County-based Allianz Partners. Employees at the company, which operates businesses that provide travel insurance and international medical assistance, has been fielding about 50% more calls from travelers over what it normally sees. The reason: Travelers are concerned about the coronavirus ...
------------------------------------------------------------


** Coronavirus impact — but not the disease — spreads to Virginia ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By SYDNEY LAKE, Virginia Business

The coronavirus, which has spread across China, South Korea, Italy, Iran and other countries, has inevitably spread to the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 59 people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of the flulike illness known as COVID-19, and public health officials say it’s expected to spread further. No cases have been confirmed in Virginia so far, but hospitals, businesses and airports in the commonwealth have emergency plans and measures in place and are closely watching CDC guidelines and updates about the virus.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Edwards Virginia prevails in State Supreme Court — jury will decide fate of historic ham company ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MATTHEW KORFHAGE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Edwards Virginia Smokehouse just won a pivotal victory in its years-long, $20 million legal fight against its insurers. Edwards is one of the last and oldest salt-cured ham companies in Virginia, run by four generations of family. But on Jan. 19, 2016, a fire tore through the Edwards family’s smokehouses and curing rooms, destroying their entire production facility and millions of dollars worth of ham.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Farmers feeling effects of tariffs ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By FREDERIC LEE, Smithfield Times (Paywall)

Some Isle of Wight County farmers are feeling a pinch as the trade war with China wages on, putting the value of soybeans in its crosshairs. That being said, Isle of Wight County Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent Livvy Preisser hasn’t seen a decline in planting that particular crop — a top commodity in Isle of Wight — by local farmers.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Growing pains aired at hemp industry summit ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By SUSAN KYTE, South Boston News & Record

Caution was the watchword as stakeholders in the burgeoning field of hemp production gathered Monday in Danville for the third annual Industrial Hemp Summit, ... Speaking to a crowd of more than 400 growers, processors, scientists, and business leaders involved in the hemp industry, Bill Richmond, chief of the USDA Domestic Hemp Production Program, reminded them that the 2018 Farm Bill that decriminalized hemp “is still in its infancy.”


** HIGHER EDUCATION
------------------------------------------------------------


** How can GMU's new president win more state funding? He expects Amazon to be a powerful ally. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By ALEX KOMA, Washington Business Journal (Subscription required for some articles)

George Mason University may rank as one of Virginia’s largest public universities, but the school’s leaders have persistently fretted about a lack of state funding to match that status. Yet GMU’s incoming president suspects one very prominent partner will help change that dynamic: Amazon.com Inc.


** LOCAL
------------------------------------------------------------


** Minutemen marching forward ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By GRACIE HART BROOKS, Madison Eagle

Plans for the Minutemen are moving forward, but without board support. During last week’s Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting, Madison County citizen Matthew Hooser presented the board with a resolution seeking support for the establishment of the Madison County Minutemen Quick Reaction Force, an unorganized militia allowed under title 44, chapter one of the Code of Virginia.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Developer interest in Coliseum and Downtown persists despite claims ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By JEREMY M. LAZARUS, Richmond Free Press

Developer interest in the vacant Richmond Coliseum and Downtown real estate near it appears to be alive and well. Evidence of that interest continues to flow in, undermining previous claims that Richmond City Council’s Feb. 10 decision to kill the $1.5 billion Richmond Coliseum replacement plan and associated development would prevent anything from happening.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Hampton renames Magruder Boulevard. It will be Neil Armstrong Parkway. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By LISA VERNON SPARKS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Hampton City Council voted Wednesday to rename Magruder Boulevard — making it Neil Armstrong Parkway. The 3.3-mile road was named for Confederate general John B. Magruder, but city officials said the change happened only because a NASA employee last July emailed Mayor Donnie Tuck, suggesting naming it for the famous astronaut.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Surry getting wired ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By FREDERIC LEE, Smithfield Times (Paywall)

Following two grant awards, every household in Surry County will be hooked up to rural broadband internet through an agreement between Prince George Electric Cooperative and Dominion Energy, according to officials.
------------------------------------------------------------


** No alternative to James River site ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By DAVID HOLTZMAN, Central Virginian

The James River Water Authority spent the past few months studying eight alternative locations where it could draw water for Louisa County’s future needs. Of those eight, the least damaging but feasible option is the one Louisa and Fluvanna counties chose more than six years ago. That’s the conclusion reached by consultants who presented their findings to the authority at its Feb. 25 meeting.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Reversion marks end of a city, heralds beginning of a town ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By DEBBIE HALL, Henry County Enterprise

While signage and some services may change, an after-reversion Town of Martinsville would bear a striking resemblance to its current self, according to Assistant City Manager and City Attorney Eric Monday. City officials are moving forward with the process of reverting to a town due to a static or declining tax base, lack of competitive business sites and they say because consolidating services would promote efficiency and create revenue savings.

Today's Sponsor:


** CGI
------------------------------------------------------------

eVA - Advancing State and Local Contracting and Business Opportunities for Small, Women and Minority Businesses. Visit eVA, Virginia’s eProcurement Portal ([link removed])


** EDITORIALS
------------------------------------------------------------


** Virginia’s promising practices for expanding broadband access ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Reliable internet service is a key component of 21st century living. As Virginia works to connect hundreds of thousands of unserved or underserved residents, a new report credits the commonwealth as one of a handful of states with promising practices for expanding broadband access.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Short-term rental regulations are about more than tourism ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Over the past decade, short-term rentals (STRs) have become a leading option in the hospitality industry, thanks to the development of efficient online platforms. At the end of 2017, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky tweeted out some data showing the meteoric rise of his company’s popularity ... Government is finally catching up.


** OP-ED
------------------------------------------------------------


** Goodwin and Scott: Legislators about to force the state into the church ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By DAVID GOODWIN AND PHILIP SCOTT, published in Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Christian school leaders and church pastors typically prefer to stay out of divisive political debates because they want to focus on their mission of feeding the souls and minds of families who come to them for spiritual nourishment. That’s why what’s happening this week is so remarkable — pastors and headmasters of religious schools are taking time out of their schedule to personally visit the State Capitol and wait for hours for a chance to give their perspective.

Goodwin is President of the Association of Christian Classical Schools. Scott is in-house counsel for the Association of Christian Schools International.
------------------------------------------------------------


** Wrenn: Removing slave auction block will destroy an important historic site ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By TONY WRENN, published in Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Regarding the proposed move of the auction block in Fredericksburg, The Free–Lance Star editorial [“Is Architectural Review Board irrelevant?” Feb. 13 ] was correct in stating that the ARB is absolutely necessary to the city to ensure preservation of its architectural and cultural heritage. However, it seems that the ARB ...

Tony P. Wrenn, an architectural historian and former member of the Virginia State Review Board, Department of Historic Resources, lives in Fredericksburg. Facebook Twitter Email Print Save
------------------------------------------------------------


** De Sube: Virginia Values Act sends powerful message about inclusion ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By DE SUBE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The Virginia Values Act made headlines this month as the nondiscrimination bill passed with bipartisan support in Virginia’s House and Senate. As the bill continues its trajectory and is signed by Gov. Ralph Northam, Virginia will become the first southern state to pass comprehensive LGBTQ protections.

De Sube, a Virginia Beach resident, founded the Gender Expression Movement and the Transgender Assistance Program of Virginia, where she serves on the board of directors.


** THE FRIDAY READ
------------------------------------------------------------


** They Killed Their Husbands. Now in Prison, They Feel Free. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

By MAY JEONG, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

Violence against women is rampant in Afghanistan. For some, murdering their husbands was the only way they could escape their abusive marriages.
------------------------------------------------------------
Donate ([link removed]) Subscribe ([link removed]) Content Policy ([link removed]) Privacy ([link removed])

============================================================

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Virginia Public Access Project . P.O. Box 1472 . Richmond, VA 23218 . USA