Tag: state government
Legislators report on bills likely to pass – or fail – in Richmond
Sen. Saslaw speaks to constituents at a Legislative Town Hall. Three members of the Virginia legislature who represent the Annandale/Mason area – Sen. Dick Saslaw, Sen. Dave Marsden, and Del. Kaye Kory – gave a progress report on the session Feb. 7. Saslaw spoke in defense of the so-called Dominion bill, which passed the Senate … Continued
Plastic bag tax fails in Virginia General Assembly
Plastic bags clog a stream feeding into the Chesapeake Bay. By Elizabeth Kirchner Despite widespread grassroots support and the possibility of about $20 million in annual revenue dedicated to Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, a bill establishing a 5-cent “plastic bag tax” failed to get out of committee Jan 21. The bill, introduced in the Virginia … Continued
Mobile DMV unit coming to Northern Virginia this month
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ mobile customer service center, called DMV 2 Go, will be in Northern Virginia this month, providing a convenient way to get and renew a driver’s license and take care of other DMV and other state government business. People without a driver’s license will be able to get a photo … Continued
Virginia immigrant youths can now pay in-state tuition for higher education
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has determined that undocumented immigrants youths who meet certain requirements are considered as having “Virginia domicile,” which means they are eligible for in-state tuition at the state’s colleges and universities. Herring made the announcement April 29 at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). The ruling applies to … Continued
Democrats vying for Moran’s seat in Congress outline priorities
Four of the 11 candidates still in the running in the Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by Rep. Jim Moran in the 8th congressional district outlined their priorities at a meeting of the Brigades, a grassroots progressive political group, March 13. The four candidates profiled here are talk show host Mark Levine, Urban … Continued
Sen. Marsden’s Richmond report: My legislative agenda
By Sen. Dave Marsden The 2014 General Assembly session has hit the crossover point, where all the bills passed by the Senate cross over to the House of Delegates and vice versa. This is traditionally thought of as the halfway point for the session. Transition of power The 2014 session will be remembered for many … Continued
State lawmakers update Annandale residents on actions in Richmond
Virginia General Assembly For the Democratic legislators that represent the Annandale/Mason area in the Virginia General Assembly, it’s been nearly impossible to get anything passed by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates. Nevertheless, Del. Kaye Kory, Sen. Dave Marsden, and Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw have been able to make some limited progress, they told constituents … Continued
Advocates of marijuana legalization hope the tide may be turning
Bismarck, the NOVA NORML mascot, appeared at a recent advocacy event in Annandale. NOVA NORML, the advocacy group pushing for the decriminalization of marijuana, is hoping that changing public attitudes, along with recent actions in other states to legalize or at least allow marijuana to be used legally for medicinal purposes, will spur action in … Continued
Immigrant students sue for right to pay in-state college tuition
NOVA student Giancarla Rojas Mendoza and Tim Freilich of the Legal Aid Justice Center. Giancarla Rojas Mendoza, 18, worked really hard as a student at Falls Church High School and planned to attend George Mason University, majoring in economics and political science. But when she learned she would have to pay the out-of-state tuition rate, … Continued
Mason District, Fairfax County support McAuliffe by wide margins
Terry McAuliffe and his wife, Dorothy, greet supporters after learning he’s been elected the next governor of Virginia. Fairfax County voters supported Terry McAuliffe for governor by a wide margin Nov. 5, resulting in a decisive win for the Democratic candidate. The Republican candidate, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli was actually ahead statewide in the … Continued
Vice President Biden campaigns for McAuliffe in Annandale
Left to right: Sen. Mark Warner, Terry McAuliffe, and Vice President Joe Biden. The race for governor in Virginia is “a choice between the mainstream and extreme,” Vice President Joe Biden told a crowd of Democratic campaign workers Monday morning at a get-out-the-vote rally in Annandale. The three Democratic candidates for statewide office were all … Continued
$140.7 million shortfall projected for Fairfax County schools budget
A class at Falls Church High School. Every year, Fairfax County Public Schools officials start getting ready for the budget cycle with dire predictions about the lack of funds—and somehow they find the money to keep going. This year, it’s a lot worse, says Superintendent Karen Garza. There is a $140.7 million shortfall, which Garza … Continued
Governor candidates attack each other’s credentials and agendas
Terry McAuliffe (left) and Ken Cuccinelli attack one another during a debate. [Photo by NBC4.] At a lively debate Sept. 25, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, Terry McAuliffe emphasized his business background and mainstream agenda, while Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli focused on his experience as attorney general and downplayed his ties to Gov. McDonnell’s … Continued
Lieutenant governor candidates Jackson and Northam clash in debate
From the left: E.W. Jackson, Ralph Northam, and Peggy Fox. [Photo by WUSA9.] At a debate Sept. 24 that pitted E.W. Jackson, the Republican candidate for Virginia lieutenant governor against Democrat Ralph Northam, Jackson tried to downplay some of the more controversial statements he’d made in recent months. Those statements—such as “gay people are perverted” … Continued
Virginia allows online voting registration
Virginia is now letting people register to vote online. You can also update your address and other information online and check to see whether you’re registered or not. This should reduce registration problems. There have been numerous incidents of people who thought they turned in a voting registration form and later found out it didn’t … Continued