Across Virginia
From Wason Center : As the Virginia General Assembly convenes a special session to focus on gun control in response to the May 31 mass shooting in Virginia Beach, two recent polls by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University show that a majority of Virginia voters say it is more important to control who owns guns than to protect gun ownership rights (54%-41% in 2018; 55%-41% in 2016). The special session begins on Tuesday, July 9.
The 2016 and 2018 surveys of registered voters showed partisan gaps on the general question of gun control versus gun rights, with Democrats strongly favoring gun control (82%-13% in 2018; 82%-15% in 2016) and Republicans favoring gun rights (64%-32% in 2018; 66%-31% in 2016). However, the partisan disagreement was reduced or erased entirely when voters were asked about specific gun control policies.
- Requiring background checks for all gun sales was overwhelmingly favored overall (84% in 2018; 88% in 2016). Support was strong among both Democrats (96% in 2018; 96% in 2016) and Republicans (76% in 2018; 81% in 2016).
- Allowing anyone who legally owns a gun to conceal carry without a permit was overwhelmingly opposed overall (76% in 2018; 84% in 2016). Opposition was strong among both Democrats (88% in 2018; 93% in 2016) and Republicans (72% in 2018; 77% in 2016).
- Banning assault-style weapons was supported by a strong majority overall (65%-34% in 2018; 62%-33% in 2016) but a partisan split was evident. Democrats overwhelmingly supported a ban (84%-16% in 2018; 86%-12% in 2016). Republicans split evenly on the proposal in 2018 (49%-49%) and opposed it by a slight majority in 2016 (50%-45%).
“With some close contests in the November election, this gun-control disconnect among Republican voters could put Republican lawmakers in a tight spot in the special session,” Wason Center Director Quentin Kidd said. “Their voters oppose gun control generally but strongly favor specific gun control proposals that will likely be on the agenda in the special session.”
The 2018 survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.6%. The 2016 survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.
Photo: Justin Fairfax Facebook
(Update 7-10) The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that a lawyer for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax has told a prosecutor that a witness was present and can corroborate that Fairfax’s sexual encounter with Meredith Watson at Duke University in 2000 was consensual. Fairfax lawyer Barry Pollack says a witness backs up Fairfax’s claim that Watson’s charge against him is “demonstrably false.” Another woman has also accused Fairfax of sexual assault
(Previously filed ) RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is resigning from the law firm Morrison & Foerster, where he has been on leave since February amid allegations of sexual assault. News outlets report Fairfax and the firm confirmed Monday that he’s resigning as partner. When allegations emerged, the firm hired outside counsel to investigate Fairfax’s tenure uncovering no evidence of misconduct while he was an employee. Two women publicly accused Fairfax of sexually assaulting them in 2000 and 2004. Fairfax says their sexual encounters were consensual. Both women have urged the Virginia General Assembly to hold hearings on their allegations, but Democratic legislative leaders have resisted. Fairfax said he would welcome an investigation by authorities. Republicans have called for hearings on the sexual allegations against Fairfax next week.
Mark Herring
Virginia’s Attorney General Mark Herring announced today he has filed suit against two Roanoke-based telemarketing companies and a local resident. WFIR’s Ian Price has more:
The full news release can be found below
From Attorney General Mark Herring: Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced today he has filed suit against two Roanoke-based telemarketing companies, and Roanoke resident Bryant Cass, for illegal robocalling and deceptive sales practices. The Complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, alleges Cass, and his companies, Adventis, Inc. and Skyline Metrics, LLC, made hundreds of thousands of unsolicited robocalls nationwide pitching car selling services to people who listed cars for sale on Craigslist, Autotrader.com, or similar sites.
“Robocalls have become something that Virginians have to deal with on almost a daily basis,” said Attorney General Herring. “While robocalls are extremely annoying, they can also be dangerous and could potentially scam Virginians out of hundreds if not thousands of dollars. My team and I will continue to do everything we can to protect consumers and shut illegal robocall operations like this one down.”
In the Complaint, Attorney General Herring alleges the businesses used automated equipment to pull telephone numbers from websites, make hundreds of calls a day – even to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry – and leave prerecorded voicemails in which Cass used fake names like “Peyton” or “Brian” to pitch car selling services for a “small fee” with a “money back guarantee.” If people called back, they reached a telemarketing boiler room in downtown Roanoke, where trained salespeople worked off a scripted pitch to make sales.
Under Virginia and federal telemarketing laws, those making illegal calls are subject to damages or civil penalties of $500 or more per call. The Complaint alleges that from 2014 to 2017 alone, Cass and his companies made 586,870 unsolicited telemarketing calls just to numbers with Virginia area codes.
The Complaint also alleges that the companies enticed people to pay $289 for online car sales services through deceptive claims like these:
We have “buyers in your area” or buyers looking for “vehicles like yours,” regardless of whether the companies actually had such buyers.
We also pre-screen buyers for financing to “make sure they are serious and they have a plan for paying you.” In fact, there was no such pre-screening.
“We have a Money Back Guarantee!” If you sell your car on your own, “you’re eligible for a refund in the first 45 days.” In fact, refunds were hard to get, and Mr. Cass instructed employees to limit the number of refunds given, even to customers who took all the steps to qualify for a refund.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Virginia was the 7th highest state in the nation for Do Not Call Registry complaints with 181,936 complaints in 2018. Additionally, Virginians made more than 118,000 complaints to the FTC about robocalls alone.
Americans received almost 18 billion scam robocalls in 2018 and overall, robocalls increased in the U.S. by 57 percent from 2017 to 2018. The FCC reports that impostor scams have reportedly cost consumers $488 million just in 2018.
Attorney General Herring’s Consumer Protection Section has recovered more than $301 million in relief for consumers and payments from violators. The Section has transferred more than $33 million to the Commonwealth’s General Fund, and following a major reorganization and enhancement in 2016 the Section has been even more effective in fighting for Virginia consumers.
The Attorney General has the following tips for Virginians to help manage robocalls:
Don’t answer calls from numbers you do not recognize.
If it’s an unwanted robocall, hang up.
Don’t press any numbers. This could lead to even more calls, even if the robocall claims you can press 1 to speak to a live operator or press a number to get your number off the calling list.
Register your home and mobile phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the number you wish to register.
Report robocalls to the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov. Federal and state law enforcement officials have access to the complaints filed through the National Do Not Call Registry.
Contact your phone service provider and ask about available robocall-blocking technology.
Consider using mobile apps or other features that may already be built into your phone to block robocalls.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Virginia officials say a party bus was operating without proper permits when a woman fell out of it last year and died.The Virginian-Pilot reports that the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles says the bus that Kisha Marrow-Lott fell out of during a bachelorette party was not “a legal passenger carrier.” Unauthorized operators are common in the party bus and limo industry.State police say the bus was entering an interstate when Marrow-Lott fell from the bus. She died at the scene.The 37-year-old was a mother of two teenagers. Prosecutors called Marrow-Lott’s death an accident and have not pursued criminal charges.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Virginia Republican Del. David Yancey says he thinks his gun control idea tackles the problem from a new angle and could gain bi-partisan support in July’s special session .On the heels of the Virginia Beach mass shooting in May, Virginia lawmakers will convene for a special session on gun control July 9.The Virginian-Pilot reports Yancey wants to bring a federal procedure to the state level that would crack down on illegal firearms trading. The national procedure, called Rule 35, encourages prisoners to tell police if they know who’s selling stockpiles of stolen guns. According to the federal policy, if those offenders then give police information that could bring the criminals to justice, a judge could slash the inmates’ sentences.Yancey says his idea won’t infringe on Second Amendment rights.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia tax officials are reminding taxpayers that they must file their individual income taxes by July 1 in order to qualify for the Tax Relief Refund.The refund is the result of state legislation passed by the General Assembly earlier this year in response to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.An individual filer could receive up to $110, while a married couple filing a joint return could receive up to $220.The law requires checks to be mailed out by Oct. 15.The Department of Taxation will withhold all or part of the refund and apply it to outstanding tax bills for anyone who owes Virginia state taxes.The department will also withhold refunds to pay debts to local governments, courts, state agencies or the Internal Revenue Service.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – The millionaire founder of an “alt-right” think tank may be dismissed as a defendant in a lawsuit related to a deadly white nationalist rally in Virginia.The Daily Progress reports Judge Richard E. Moore on Tuesday heard arguments about whether to dismiss William Regnery II.Regnery is the publisher of a far-right website and founder of the National Policy Institute led by white nationalist Richard Spencer. Spencer helped organize the 2017 rally that killed a woman and injured several people, including two sisters who later sued more than a dozen people connected to the rally.Plaintiff attorney David Dickens says Regnery should have known violence was planned for the rally as articles encouraging violence were published on his website. Regnery’s attorney says his client wasn’t involved in the rally’s planning.
Photo: Justin Fairfax Facebook
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Republicans are renewing their push to hold a bipartisan hearing into sexual assault allegations two women have made against the state’s Democratic lieutenant governor. Their effort looks doomed, as Democrats quickly opposed it and called it a political stunt. GOP Del. Rob Bell sent a letter to Democrats on Monday saying an upcoming special legislative session on gun laws could double as an opportunity for a bipartisan hearing on Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s behavior. Two women earlier this year publicly accused Fairfax of sexual assault and said they want to testify before the legislature, but only if both political parties participate. Fairfax has denied any wrongdoing. “We respectfully ask the Democratic Caucus to agree to something — anything — that would allow bipartisan public hearings to take place,” Bell said in his letter. Republicans currently control the General Assembly, but Bell said GOP leaders would agree to create a special committee equally split among Republicans and Democrats for the hearing.
Virginia lawmakers weren’t originally scheduled to return to the Capitol this year. However, in response to a mass shooting last month in Virginia Beach, Gov. Ralph Northam called a special session for July 9 to debate gun laws. Democratic leadership have previously rejected a GOP proposal for a hearing on Fairfax and quickly shot down Bell’s latest request. “We will not participate in House Republicans’ political games, nor will we turn such serious allegations into a partisan sideshow,” House Minority Leader Del. Eileen Filler-Corn said in a letter Tuesday.
In February Vanessa Tyson publicly accused Fairfax of forcing her to perform oral sex in his hotel room during the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004. Meredith Watson has also publicly accused Fairfax of sexual assault. She issued a statement accusing him of raping her two decades years ago while they were students at Duke University. The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault, but both women have come forward voluntarily.
Democrats have been divided on how best to respond to those allegations, caught between supporting the only African-American elected official in statewide office and the #MeToo movement that gained steam after allegations of sexual misconduct arose against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Several Democratic House members have said they don’t believe the General Assembly is the best place to investigate the allegations and said they don’t want to impede possible criminal investigations. But other Democrats have said lawmakers should prioritize the wishes of the alleged victims and allow a public hearing.
Photo: VSP
State Police are looking for a 71-year-old man who they say eluded troopers during two recent high-speed chases. Willie Elmore is believed to be living somewhere in Pittsylvania or Halifax Counties. Police say both pursuits were discontinued because of the danger his erratic driving posed to other drivers. Elmore is also wanted on warrants from Danville.
NEWS RELEASE: PITTSYVANIA, Va. – The Virginia State Police are asking for the public’s assistance with any information regarding the location of Willie Junnie Elmore, 71 years of age. Elmore is believed to be residing in Pittsylvania County or Halifax County, VA. Elmore is wanted on multiple charges resulting from two high speed chases by the Virginia State Police and the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, which were both discontinued do to the danger posed to the public by Elmore’s erratic driving. Elmore is also wanted by The City of Danville Police Department for Felony Shoplifting, (3rd offense) and Felony Failure to Appear. Elmore is known to drive a black 2001, two door Dodge Ram pickup truck, displaying VA tag number UUL-8175 and is known to frequent the City of Danville. Elmore does not have a driver’s license and does not pose a danger to the public unless he is driving a vehicle. If you have any information regarding Elmore, please contact the Virginia State Police, Area 43 office, in Chatham, VA. Phone # (434)432-7287, or #77. You may also contact the Pittsylvania Sheriff’s or Danville Police Department.