Today's Sponsor: Virginia Chamber of Commerce

VaNews Nov. 12, 2019
------------------------------------------------------------

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Chamber of Commerce
------------------------------------------------------------

The 10th Annual Economic Summit hosts business leaders from around the Commonwealth to discuss the perspectives on Virginia’s economic future. Learn more and register here. ([link removed])

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


** FROM VPAP
------------------------------------------------------------


** VISUALIZATION: DEFEATED INCUMBENTS ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
The Virginia Public Access Project

Historically, the re-election of a sitting state legislator has been one of the surest bets in politics. That is still true in the State Senate, which last week witnessed its first incumbent defeat since 2011. But House Republicans have lost 16 legislators to general election defeats in the era of President Trump. The only thing that comes close is House Democrats losing 11 seats during President Obama's first term.


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


** FROM PARIAH TO POWERHOUSE: RALPH NORTHAM’S UNLIKELY REBIRTH IN VIRGINIA ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TRIP GABRIEL, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Nine months ago, Democrats at every stratum in Virginia called on Gov. Ralph Northam to resign over a racist photograph on his medical school yearbook page. Mr. Northam bumbled his response, admitting he was in the picture before saying he was not, then seemed like he might demonstrate Michael Jackson’s moonwalk at a news conference where he acknowledged blackening his face for a dance contest.


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


** WHAT HAPPENS AFTER VIRGINIA RATIFIES THE ERA NEXT YEAR? NOBODY’S QUITE SURE. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Virginia is almost certain to become the 38th and final state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment when the General Assembly convenes in January. Incoming Democratic leaders, who will hold majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, have offered repeated and unequivocal promises to pass the measure.


** CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE TO WEIGH ERA DEADLINE ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will consider legislation this Wednesday to remove the 1982 deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. ERA supporters say this will clear a path for Virginia to become the 38th and final state needed to add the amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Virginia Democrats will likely vote to ratify the ERA when they take control of the state house in January. Republicans previously blocked those efforts. Opponents fear the ERA would be used to justify taxpayer-funded abortion. And they argue the effort is moot because the deadline Congress set for ratification has expired.


** ADVOCATES EYE VIRGINIA IN PUSH TO RATIFY EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By BARBARA SPRUNT, WAMU

For Lisa Sales, chair of Fairfax County Commission for Women, last Tuesday’s Election Night was the culmination of years of advocating for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia, something made all the more possible by the Democratic takeover in the House of Delegates and the State Senate. “Euphoric is the best word I can think to describe how we all felt,” Sales says.


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


** ABUNDANT SPELLING VARIATIONS AS CULPEPER CERTIFIES 5,205 WRITE-IN VOTES FOR NICK FREITAS ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALLISON BROPHY CHAMPION, Culpeper Star Exponent (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The three-member Culpeper County Electoral Board on Friday certified results in the 30th District House of Delegates election that amassed a historically significant number of handwritten votes for incumbent Del. Nick Freitas. The Culpeper Republican, presumed winner, declared victory Tuesday night over Madison Democrat Ann Ridgeway even as the vote counting prepared to launch. The effort that got him reelected was certainly substantial.


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


** BEN LOYOLA ANNOUNCES BID FOR REPUBLICAN NOMINATION IN 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SARAH FEARING, WAVY

A U.S. Navy combat veteran has announced his intent to challenge Elaine Luria for the 2nd Congressional District seat next year. Ben Loyola announced in a news release Monday he will run for the Republican nomination for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.


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


** SKILL MACHINES LAWSUIT AGAINST PLATANIA IS MOVED TO FEDERAL COURT ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A lawsuit filed by skill machine manufacturers against Charlottesville’s commonwealth’s attorney has been moved to U.S. District Court. The lawsuit in question was filed in June by skill machine manufacturers Queen of Virginia, POM of Virginia and Miele Manufacturing, who sued city Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania in his official capacity.


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


** DOMINION TRANSMISSION LINE WILL CONTINUE OPERATION DURING ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By JACK JACOBS, Virginia Gazette (Metered Paywall - 5 Articles per Month)

A federal judge ruled Dominion Energy doesn’t need to vacate a permit that allowed the construction of its 17-tower transmission line across the James River near Skiffes Creek while the Army Corps of Engineers conducts an environmental impact statement for the project.


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


** DOCTORED SAMPLE BALLOTS MAR FAUQUIER COUNTY, VA. SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By NEAL AUGENSTEIN, WTOP

The chairman of the Fauquier County Republican Committee has confronted an incumbent school board chairman in Northern Virginia after sample ballots at Election Day polling stations were doctored to falsely suggest the candidate earned the GOP endorsement. Suzanne Sloane defeated Michael Hammond by approximately 40 votes, and Shelly Norden in the three-way Scott District race, which includes The Plains and New Baltimore, in the largely rural county.


** MY PARHAM WINS PETERSBURG CIRCUIT COURT CLERK ELECTION FOLLOWING WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SEAN GORMAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

My Parham has won the write-in election to be Petersburg Circuit Court clerk, vote tallies show. Parham, a teacher and the wife of Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham, won with 32% of the votes cast, said Dawn Williams, the Petersburg voter registrar.


** CIRCUIT COURT CRACKING DOWN ON JURORS WHO DON’T REPORT ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By ALI ROCKETT, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Deondra Taylor said she’d love to serve on a jury. That’s what she told a Richmond Circuit Court judge Nov. 1 after failing to show up for jury duty in September. Taylor was one of 11 no-shows summoned to the John Marshall Courthouse that day to “show cause,” or explain why they didn’t fulfill their civic duty. Courthouse officials estimate a quarter of the jurors called on a given day don’t report.


** HAMPTON SEEKS ABILITY TO HOST CASINO GAMING ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By LISA VERNON SPARKS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

With the opening of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium at the Power Plant of Hampton Roads, gaming fever has come to Hampton. In the past week, hundreds of patrons have waged a bet or two, or more on historic horse races, via the business’ 700 electronic gaming devices.


** FROM PRISON, EX-NORFOLK TREASURER ANTHONY BURFOOT IS FIGHTING HIS REMOVAL FROM OFFICE ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SCOTT DAUGHERTY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

For most of the past eight months, former Norfolk Treasurer Anthony Burfoot has been in a minimum-security federal prison camp in rural Pennsylvania. He did not seek re-election last month and – as a convicted felon – could not have won it if he had tried. But Burfoot is still fighting the court orders that suspended him from office in February and removed him for good in April.


** MARTINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE UP THAT WORD: "REVERSION" ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By BILL WYATT, Martinsville Bulletin

The word “reversion” is on the agenda of tonight’s meeting of the Martinsville City Council. It’s the first scheduled mention of this word at a meeting in several months, but it won’t be the last. There’s a public information meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 19, for which the only item listed is the consideration of “reversion to a town status.”

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Chamber of Commerce
------------------------------------------------------------

The 10th Annual Economic Summit hosts business leaders from around the Commonwealth to discuss the perspectives on Virginia’s economic future. Learn more and register here. ([link removed])


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


** WHY VIRGINIA'S 1949 ELECTION MATTERED ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

This year marks significant anniversaries of three important governor’s races in Virginia, all of which still have relevance today.


** VOTER TURNOUT WAS UP THIS YEAR ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Free Lance-Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Love him or hate him, President Donald Trump apparently is great at getting voters to the polls. Nearly 40 percent of eligible Virginia adults voted in the recent General Assembly elections that saw Democrats take control of both houses.


** COLUMNISTS
------------------------------------------------------------


** CASEY: QUESTIONS LEFT HANGING IN RADFORD U STUDENT-NEWSPAPER SCANDAL ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By DAN CASEY, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Why did a low-ranking Radford University employee steal student newspapers from four campus news racks back in September? Who stole the papers from 18 other racks? What happened to the stolen newspapers? After a seven-week investigation by Radford University Police, those and other questions remain unanswered.


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


** CRAWFORD: WHY PIPELINES WILL LEAD TO HIGHER ENERGY PRICES ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By DAN CRAWFORD, Published in the Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The Mountain Valley Pipeline claims to have over 230 miles of pipe laid, but they have a lot of complicated, expensive construction challenges ahead, not to mention the numerous suspended permits and legal challenges due to work that fails to meet numerous regulatory requirements. You’ve heard the old saying; Don’t throw good money after bad. Read on, please...

Crawford is chair of the Sierra Club Roanoke Group.


** GUN CONTROL MAY BE THE BIG WINNER IN VIRGINIA ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
By SCOTT MARTELLE, Published in the Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Much of the focus on results from last Tuesday’s off-year elections has been on whether they might be proxies for the 2020 prospects of President Donald Trump and many of his fellow Republicans. But in Virginia, the bigger takeaway might involve a potentially seismic shift in gun policy.

Scott Martelle, who joined the Los Angeles Times editorial board in 2014, is a veteran journalist and author of six history books.
------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe ([link removed]) Donate ([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