State and National Government
First State Senator Bill Carrico announces he will not run again for office this November; now fellow Republican State Senator Frank Wagner says he too is retiring from the General Assembly this year – after 28 years as a state legislator. Wagner was also a GOP primary candidate for Governor in 2017. Republicans hold a slim majority in the State Senate.
Statement from Roanoke Police Chief Tim Jones: During the February 19th Public Safety briefing with Roanoke City Council, I responded to questions from members of Council regarding the increased reports of rape and sexual assault. Regrettably, my explanation has sparked dismay within our community. I was attempting to convey information gained from our investigations as to how citizens might best protect themselves. I believe it is now clear that I failed to convey this information to the public in a manner that was sensitive to victims of rape and sexual assault. For this, I offer my sincere apology. My hope is that we can collectively focus our efforts toward empowering all people within our community to keep themselves safe. The offenses of rape and sexual assault are offender based and should never happen to women in our society. My response to council concerning the increased instances of rape were not intended to hurt or lay blame towards any victim. As Chief of Police, I am committed to the safety of our City. I want to assure each of you that the collective body of police officers here at the Roanoke Police Department are committed to putting the best interest of this City and the safety of its citizens first, as we continue to serve and protect all within our City.
Mark Herring
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring says he’s focused on repairing the damage he caused by recently revealing he wore blackface in college, but he hasn’t ruled out a future run for governor.Herring made the comments Monday during an interview on The Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU in Washington. It was his first interview since he admitted on Feb. 6 to wearing blackface while a student at the University of Virginia.Herring says he wants to combat institutional racism as attorney general. He also says his previously announced plans to run for governor in 2021 are the “last thing” on his mind. But he did not say Monday that he wouldn’t run.Herring is one of Virginia’s top three Democrats, all of whom have been embroiled in scandal recently.
The State Water Control Board in Richmond did not vote this afternoon to revoke a water quality certification it previously approved for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Opponents say its construction has violated environmental rules hundreds of times. Several people were escorted out of the room after the Board came out of a closed hearing and there were shouts of shame! (see audio clip below) after the unaminous vote not to revoke the pipeline permit. One board member also claimed they did not have the authority to revoke federal permitting for the MVP. Another was concerned about what they saw erosion-wise while visiting the pipeline right of way, while another board member promised “vigorous enforcement” of the requirements MVP agreed to for controlling soil erosion and runoff.
From First Lady’s government website
There’s been another racist allegation at the Governor’s Mansion. This time it centers around Virginia’s First Lady allegedly giving pieces of cotton to black students during a tour. WFIR’s Ian Price has the latest:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia first lady Pam Northam has expressed regret after the mother of an African-American teenager complained that a tour of the governor’s mansion was racially insensitive. Northam said Wednesday that is she is working to make sure the stories of slaves who worked in the mansion’s historic kitchen before the Civil War are told properly. Northam’s statement comes amid heightened racial tension in Virginia politics. Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring have recently apologized for wearing blackface decades ago. The state’s highest elected black official, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, has compared himself to Jim Crow-era lynching victims after two women accused him of sexual assault.
State employee Leah Walker made the complaint. Her eighth-grade daughter toured the mansion this month as a part of the Senate page program. Walker says Pam Northam singled out African-American students when passing out cotton and discussing the horrors of slavery. Northam’s office said the first lady did not single anyone out. Walker’s account differs from an account of the tour written by her daughter. Her daughter did not explicitly say only African-American pages were singled out by the first lady. Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell and Republican Sen. Bill Stanley said both their daughters, who were also on the tour, said Northam did not single anyone out.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A bid to tighten Virginia laws around using cellphones while driving will have to wait another year. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that lawmakers rejected legislation aimed at keeping drivers off their phones died during the final moments of the 2019 legislative session. Both the House and Senate passed legislation that would have outlawed hand-held phone use while driving but the two chambers couldn’t agree on compromise language to get a single bill through both chambers. Some lawmakers expressed concerns the bill would lead to racial profiling by police. Advocates for a ban on hand-held phone use while driving said they would try again next year.
A new report finds that an Independent Presidential candidate on the ballot in 2020 would hurt Democrats a lot more than President Trump. WFIR’s Ian Price has more: