State and National Government
It’s now a done deal that this year’s General Assembly elections will be conducted under a redrawn election map, this following yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision. WFIR’s Clark Palmer has more.
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.
UPDATE:Virginia’s upcoming state elections that could determine the control of the General Assembly will be held under a redrawn election map following a decision by the US Supreme Court. WFIR’s Clark Palmer has more.
Previous: The U.S. Supreme Court has just upheld a lower court decision that House Republicans in Virginia’s General Assembly “lack the standing” in their appeal of a case regarding a District Court’s remedial redistricting of 11 eastern districts that were ruled unconstitutional for being racially gerrymandered. It means the lines drawn by the District Court will stand and be in place for the November General Assembly elections. House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn and Caucus Chair Charniele Herring called it “a major win for voting rights and civil rights in our Commonwealth.” The Republican party of Virginia tweeted: “Today’s ruling from SCOTUS will make victory in November even sweeter. We are confident Virginians will choose the common sense leadership of House Republicans over the radical agenda of [House Democrats].
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters will elect lawmakers to the Virginia House of Delegates using a map seen as favorable to Democrats, under a ruling from the Supreme Court. The justices’ 5-4 decision Monday was perhaps telegraphed by the fact they previously allowed election planning to go forward using the map. Virginia held its primary last week. Republicans control the House by a slim 51-49 margin. The Republican-run House had urged the Supreme Court to let the state use an election map previously struck down by a lower court as improperly factoring race into the drawing of some districts. This is the last time the state will use the map to elect lawmakers to the House because that map will need to be redrawn following the 2020 census results.
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said over the weekend that marijuana should be legalized but what about the federal ban? WFIR’s Ian Price has more:
With the party primaries now out of the way, Democratic and Republican strategists now turn their attention to the November elections. Virginia Tech Professor Bob Denton says the General Assembly races will also get plenty of national attention as analysts will look for signs whether they might predict national trends in next year’s presidential election. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:
Mark Herring
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is calling for the legalization of marijuana.
Herring said Saturday that Virginia should start decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana and eventually legalize the drug.
The Democratic attorney general said criminal prosecutions are costly to the state and local governments and disproportionately affect African Americans.
Herring made the remarks in an op-ed in the Daily Press and in comments to reporters at a Democratic fundraiser in Richmond.
Herring’s announcement won’t have any practical impact on marijuana prosecutions, which are typically handled at the local level. But Herring said he hopes his public support for legalization will help spur lawmakers to act.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly has killed past efforts to decriminalize marijuana.
Photo: wv.gov
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – A company owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s family has avoided a tax sale by paying more than $400,000 to cover back taxes.The Daily Progress reports that officials in Albemarle County, Virginia, say the James C. Justice Cos. recently paid all delinquent taxes and fees, plus the first half of 2019 taxes. The money was due June 5.The county began the tax sale process on 52 of the company’s real estate parcels in March. The tax sale process typically takes about a year but the county was pushing for a quicker sale because of the large amount due.Many of the parcels are a part of an area called the Presidential Estates. The Justice organization purchased the land in 2010 for nearly $24 million.
Two members of Governor Northam’s administration are conducting a series of events in parts of the state from today through next Tuesday connected in advance of next month’s special General Assembly session on state gun laws. Northam’s office says the events will discuss what the governor calls the “gun violence emergency” in Virginia. Almost all the events are in Richmond and northern Virginia. The only one west of Richmond is in Abingdon.
From Governor Northam’s Office: In the lead up to the July 9 special legislative session called by Governor Ralph Northam, Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran and Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey will participate in a series of roundtables across the state with community leaders and advocates to discuss the gun violence emergency in Virginia and commonsense gun safety legislation.
Last week, Governor Northam asked legislators to engage in an open and transparent debate, in which the bills brought before the legislature are put to a vote by the entire General Assembly.
Thursday, June 13
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran to Host Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable in Alexandria
4:00 PM
Alexandria City Courthouse
520 King Street, Suite 301
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Friday, June 14
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran to Host Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable in Fairfax
11:30 AM
Primetime Sports Bar & Grille
11250 James Swart Circle
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Monday, June 17
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran to Join U.S. Senator Tim Kaine at Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable in Richmond
10:00 AM
New Life Deliverance Tabernacle
900 Decatur Street
Richmond, Virginia 23224
Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey, M.D. to Join U.S. Senator Tim Kaine at Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable in Fredericksburg
2:00 PM
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg
25 Chalice Circle
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22405
Tuesday, June 18
3:30 PM
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran to Host Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable in Abingdon
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Room 233
One Partnership Circle
Abingdon, Virginia 24210
AND
Secretary of Health and Human Resources Daniel Carey, M.D. to Host Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable in Richmond
5:30 PM
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance
1118 West Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23220