VaNews
March 3, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
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Commemorating the centennial of the Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, which supports ophthalmologists and patients by advocating for high-quality eye care.

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Top of the News


** VPAP Visual 54,653 Ballots Cast Before Polls Opened Today ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

Today's 'Super Tuesday' primary will be the last statewide election before Virginia allows no-excuse early voting. Here's a quick snapshot of who has voted so far by age, geography and, yes, the stated reasons for casting an absentee ballot.
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** Senate panel kills measure to tighten regulation of Dominion ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A Norfolk delegate’s bill that he says could return some money to Dominion ratepayers died in a state Senate Committee that’s long been a supporter of the utility’s regulatory proposals. The bill, sponsored by Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, would have directed the State Corporation Commission to review Dominion’s rates and order credits or adjustments if it finds Dominion is earning excessive profits.
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** Constitutional amendment on redistricting clears key hurdle in House ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

A constitutional amendment reforming the state’s redistricting process cleared a House panel Monday, readying the measure for a contentious vote before the full House this week ahead of Saturday’s adjournment. Four Democrats joined all nine Republicans on the House Privileges and Elections Committee to approve the amendment, illustrating the divisions among Democrats over the process for redrawing legislative and congressional districts.
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** Conversion therapy for minors to be banned in Virginia ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday signed a bill banning conversion therapy for minors, the first LGBT rights measure to reach the Democrat's desk this year. Virginia will become the 20th state — and the first in the South — to outlaw the therapy, a widely discredited practice that purports to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics say it is traumatic for patients and has led to suicides.
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** College students help fuel Super Tuesday absentee ballot boost ([link removed])
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By HENRI GENDREAU, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

As Virginians head to the Democratic primary polls on Super Tuesday, college students are among those fueling a nearly threefold local increase in absentee ballots. ... Statewide, 14,780 students applied for an absentee ballot in the Democratic primary, compared to 7,905 students in 2016, according to Virginia Department of Elections data.
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** Shafted by a faulty elevator, McAuliffe and Stoney emerge to tout Biden ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Presidential campaigns have their ups and downs. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign is riding a high after a dominant victory in South Carolina on Saturday, but surrogates in Virginia were stuck on Monday.
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** Say goodbye to the bowl — General Assembly says tied recounts will require a special election ([link removed])
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By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

There’s one word that comes to mind when Del. Cia Price thinks about the 2017 election in which the 94th District winner was determined by pulling a name from a bowl: disenfranchised. “Young, old, black, white, Republicans, Democrats, they were coming up to me in stores while I was holiday shopping and saying, ‘This isn’t right,’’’ Price, a Democrat, said in early February when presenting her bill to a House subcommittee meeting.
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The Full Report
26 articles, 16 publications

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** FROM VPAP
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** VPAP Visual Super Tuesday: Putting Virginia in Context ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

With 99 delegates, Virginia has more clout than 10 other states holding Super Tuesday elections today. But Virginia's delegation to the Democratic National Convention will be dwarfed by that of California. See how Virginia stacks against other Super Tuesday states.


** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Fairfax calls McAuliffe, Stoney 'racist'. They again say they did not plant sex assault allegations ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s defense against sexual assault allegations brought against him last year spilled over Monday, as he called former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney “racist” and accused them of politically planting the allegations — something McAuliffe and Stoney deny.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Bipartisan redistricting measure advances in Virginia ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

A proposed constitutional amendment intended to prevent partisan gerrymandering advanced out of a House committee Monday, with a handful of Democrats helping Republicans fend off efforts to kill it.
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** Virginia lawmakers approve bill allowing speed cameras near schools and highway work zones ([link removed])
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By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

Virginia police officers can already use radar and lasers to spot speeders. But police officers still have to give out tickets the old-fashioned way: By catching the car and handing the driver a summons. That would change under legislation approved by the General Assembly allowing state and local police to set up speed cameras at highway work sites and school crossing zones. Virginia law already allows similar technology at toll booths and red lights, but the pending legislation marks the state’s first move into automated speed enforcement.
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** Va. Senate committee kills Dominion rate review bill ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Dominion Energy won a major victory Monday when a Virginia Senate committee killed a bipartisan bill that would have subjected the state's biggest utility to a review of whether its electricity rates are too high.
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** Bill removing race requirement in marriage records passes ([link removed])
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By ZACH ARMSTRONG, VCU Capital News Service

When William Christiansen married his college sweetheart, he was disturbed that they had to disclose their race to the registrar, considering they are an interracial couple. “It reminded me and my wife of a time when interracial couples were unable to get married,” said Christiansen.
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** Lawmakers Reject Compassionate Release Bill ([link removed])
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By SANDY HAUSMAN, WVTF

Governor Northam proposed Senate Bill 493 – a measure that would allow the parole board to release prisoners who are terminally ill or disabled and pose no threat to public safety. The Senate agreed, and inmates like Andre Daniels were encouraged. He’s undergone several rounds of chemotherapy for blood cancer. And now it looks like the 32-year-old, who’s already served 11 years for carjacking, might lose his life.
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** Recovery HS bill hits snag in Assembly ([link removed])
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By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

Legislation establishing a substance-abuse recovery program for area high school students appears headed to a conference committee after the House of Delegates rejected a Senate provisional amendment on it that the money come from an appropriation this year.
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** Legislature OKs mental health training for Virginia teachers ([link removed])
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By JOSEPH WHITNEY SMITH, VCU Capital News Service

The General Assembly passed a bill that will require full-time teachers to complete mental health awareness training, though some advocates are split on how the training should be implemented. Del. Kaye Kory, D- Fairfax, sponsored House Bill 74 ...
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** House and Senate lawmakers are deadlocked over expanding authority for pharmacists ([link removed])
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By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury

Both House and Senate lawmakers proposed legislation this year to give pharmacists more independence in administering certain drugs. But differences between the two bills could lead to a deadlock in a conference hearing, ending any chance of a final version being passed by the General Assembly. Both proposals share the same underlying goal: offer Virginians more access to treatment from their local pharmacy.
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** Split over bill banning plastic foam to-go containers ([link removed])
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By DAVID TRAN, VCU Capital News Service

A bill in the General Assembly that bans expanded polystyrene containers, also known as plastic foam, at all food vendors by 2025 currently is in limbo while both chambers hash out a Senate amendment rejected by the House. House Bill 533 would prohibit food vendors, including restaurants, catering trucks and grocery stores, from serving food and beverages in plastic foam containers


** FEDERAL ELECTIONS
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** Virginia Democratic primary results could be key indicator ([link removed])
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Associated Press

The results of the Democratic primary in Virginia - with its diverse electoral terrain of rural, urban, and suburban voters - could be a key indicator of which Democrat will be chosen to face President Donald Trump in the general election. The Old Dominion is one of 14 states voting in what’s known as the “Super Tuesday” Democratic primary. Other major states voting include California, Texas and North Carolina.
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** Candidates who dropped out are still on Virginia’s Super Tuesday ballot ([link removed])
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By MAX SMITH, WTOP

A number of candidates no longer running for president are on Virginia’s Super Tuesday Democratic primary ballot with the same status as the latest front-runners, because no candidates have formally withdrawn from Virginia’s contest. Sen. Cory Booker and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro are the first two candidates listed on the ballot, even though neither is campaigning anymore.
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** Outside of Sanders’ Virginia Beach rally, man with a Trump flag says he was thrown down by a guard ([link removed])
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By PETER COUTU, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A Virginia Beach man carrying a President Donald Trump flag outside of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ rally Saturday night said he was thrown to the ground by a security guard in a Virginia Wesleyan University parking lot.
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** How Moderates Split Between Biden, Bloomberg Could Give Sanders An Edge In Virginia ([link removed])
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By MARTIN AUSTERMUHLE, WAMU

For Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg, Super Tuesday has the potential to be a big day. When it comes to Virginia and its 99 delegates, the former vice president and former New York City mayor find themselves in a head-to-head battle that could split the Commonwealth’s moderate voters — and potentially give Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) an advantage in a state where he has historically struggled. Biden is riding high from a resounding win in South Carolina’s primary, while Bloomberg is making his long-awaited entry debut the Democratic nominating contests.
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** McAuliffe and others trapped in elevator before Biden event in Richmond ([link removed])
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By JENNA PORTNOY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Politicians aren’t known for their punctuality, but former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe had a good excuse Monday morning. He and 10 others — including his wife, Dorothy McAuliffe, and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney — got trapped in an elevator on their way to a news conference for former vice president Joe Biden...
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** Bloomberg makes final pitch in Manassas town hall ([link removed])
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By JARED FORETEK, Inside NOVA (Metered Paywall)

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg came to Manassas on the eve of Super Tuesday, when for the first time his name will appear on ballots in 14 states, including Virginia. Bloomberg, the 78-year old former mayor of New York City, described the presidency as a managerial job, leaning on his experience as an executive of the Bloomberg Corporation and as a three-term mayor of the most populous city in the country...


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** State Health Lab Doing Own COVID-19 Tests, Incident Management Team Working On Response ([link removed])
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By SARA MCCLOSKEY, WCVE

Virginia’s public health lab is beginning to do its own testing for the coronavirus, called COVID-19, instead of relying on tests from the federal government. The Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS), which is overseen by the Department of General Services, conducted the first two tests of suspected cases over the weekend. Those results came back negative. State officials say having testing available at the DCLS, compared to the federal labs, cuts down the time to report results from days to a matter of hours.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Speakers encourage gun rights supporters to stay engaged politically ([link removed])
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By ALICIA PETSKA, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Mitchell Tyler had a straightforward message for the crowd of well over 100 gathered before him: Stay informed. Stay energized. And, most of all, stay involved. “I think this has been a wake-up call,” Tyler said in an interview. “A lot of people have said I never thought I’d see this in Virginia.”
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** Senate panel to take up nomination of Cullen for judgeship ([link removed])
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By JEFF STURGEON, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen has a hearing in Washington on Wednesday about President Donald Trump’s plan to make him a federal judge. Cullen’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled for 10 a.m., a committee announcement said.


** LOCAL
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** Collective bargaining could increase costs for city of Danville ([link removed])
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By JOHN R. CRANE, Danville Register & Bee

Lifting the state’s ban on collective bargaining for public employees — a proposal now being considered in the Virginia General Assembly — would likely bring more costs to city government, Danville officials said. The city would have to hire at least three new employees — a negotiator, an attorney well-versed in the collective bargaining process and a human resources staff member ...

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
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Commemorating the centennial of the Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, which supports ophthalmologists and patients by advocating for high-quality eye care.


** EDITORIALS
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** Science shows value of vaccine uniformity ([link removed])
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Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Legislation that puts Virginia in line with federal guidelines on the childhood administration of routine vaccines is making its way through the General Assembly. We would like to say that there is partisan accord on such disease-preventing legislation, but we cannot.
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** Virginia leaps into the presidential fray ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Every four years, Americans pour into school gymnasiums, church meeting halls, public libraries and thousands of other places to determine who will lead the nation as its chief executive. Today, Virginia joins that process again with a Democratic Party presidential primary that could go a long way toward choosing who faces President Donald Trump, the all-but-official Republican Party nominee, this fall.


** OP-ED
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** De Wit: Fast-tracking internet access — Virginia leads the way ([link removed])
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By KATHRYN DE WIT, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Less than a century ago, Virginia had a major problem: 90% of its rural communities didn’t have electrical power. Noting the need for electricity to support those economies, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Rural Electrification Act in 1938. Fast-forward to 2020: 600,000 Virginians, mostly in the Southwest, Southside and Tidewater areas of the commonwealth, lack access to broadband

Kathryn de Wit is manager of the broadband research initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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** Amundson: The real two parties in Richmond right now ([link removed])
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By KRISTEN AMUNDSON, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Events in Richmond are bearing out this truth: The real two parties in any legislature are the House of Delegates and the state Senate. As the session nears its end, time on the floor is getting longer — and tempers are getting shorter. And that has led, inevitably, to the great bipartisan tradition of placing blame. Senators are grousing about the number of bills coming over from the House, with one even suggesting that there should be a filing fee for submitting legislation next year.

Kristen Amundson is the former chair of the Fairfax County School Board and a former member of the Virginia General Assembly.
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** Hourigan and Ampy: Taking control of our own destiny on transportation issues ([link removed])
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By MARK HOURIGAN AND KEN AMPY, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

As a region of more than 1.1 million people that’s growing, one of our largest challenges is addressing our current and future transportation needs. We need to act now to fix potholes and repave city streets and county roads, and we need to fix interchange and safety issues on Interstates 64 and 95, and state Route 288.

Mark Hourigan is CEO of Hourigan and chair of the ChamberRVA board of directors. Ken Ampy is CEO of Astyra and a member of the ChamberRVA board of directors
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