State and National Government
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Former vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine is jumping back into campaign mode to defend his seat in the U.S. Senate.
The Virginia Democrat is kicking off a series of statewide rallies and fundraisers Monday.
Kaine told reporters in Richmond his campaign would focus on improving the economy and making a more inclusive Virginia.
A former mayor and governor, Kaine was undefeated in electoral politics until he was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016. Kaine said he learned from the loss that Democrats need a “crisp” economic message.
Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012. Three Republicans are vying to take on Kaine this year: Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors; Nick Freitas, a state delegate; and E.W. Jackson, a minister.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia’s director of the Department of Environmental Quality will be staying on the job. A spokesman for Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday that the governor has reappointed Director David Paylor. Paylor has led the department since 2006 under both Democratic and Republican governors. The department has around 1,000 workers and oversees the state’s biggest polluters. It conducts tasks including permitting, monitoring, and inspections and enforcement. Paylor has drawn criticism in the past for accepting a trip to the Masters golf tournament in Georgia paid for by Dominion Energy, which DEQ regulates. The department itself has recently come under fire from opponents of two controversial natural gas pipelines, who contend DEQ has not been thorough or transparent in its review process. Northam said in a statement that Paylor has served “admirably.”
Although the U.S. Senate doesn’t get a vote in confirming the national security adviser, Virginia’s Tim Kaine has expressed concerns that John Bolton won’t be granted full security clearance. More from WFIR’s Ian Price:
US Senator Mark Warner – co-chair of the Senate Intelligence committee – says President Trump should not fire special counsel Robert Mueller as he investigates possible collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia:
President Donald Trump on Sunday declared “NO MORE” to a deal to help “Dreamer” immigrants and threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the U.S. He claimed they’re coming to take advantage of protections granted certain immigrants. “NO MORE DACA DEAL!” Trump tweeted one hour after he began the day by wishing his followers a “HAPPY EASTER!”
He said Mexico must “stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!” The U.S., Canada and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement at Trump’s insistence. Trump says NAFTA is bad for the U.S.
Trump, when addressing reporters briefly before entering the church, again blamed Democrats for failing to protect the “Dreamers.” “They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance, but we’ll have to take a look because Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. It can’t happen that way anymore.”
The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents can’t do their jobs properly because of “ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws” that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge.
And then there were 3: Ivan Raiklin of Fairfax County was the last of three Republican contenders who failed to file enough valid signatures in order to make it on to the June 12 primary ballot. That’s according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Minerva Diaz and Bert Mizusawa also fell short. That leaves Corey Stewart, E.W. Jackson and Nick Freitas as the three GOP candidates on the June 12 primary ballot. The winner faces Democratic US Senate incumbent Tim Kaine in November. Recent polls show Kaine trouncing any of the Republican hopefuls at this point.
On a somewhat related note, Roanoke County resident and former Cave Spring supervisor Charlotte Moore says she did qualify for a June 12 Democratic primary where she will face off against two other Democrats for the 6th District Congressional nomination. That’s the seat being vacated by Bob Goodlatte.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – Seven people who pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme involving Virginia Department of Transportation officials and snowplow contractors say corruption is endemic to the agency. The Washington Post reported Thursday that the officials and contractors alike indicated that corruption extended beyond the scheme that put all seven behind bars for terms ranging from three months to seven years. Even prosecutor Samantha Bateman said in court that corruption “is a more pervasive problem in the Virginia Department of Transportation than is known.” Agency spokeswoman Jennifer S. McCord said in a statement the department is conducting reviews and internal control to better safeguard procurement and contracting processes. Judge Leonie M. Brinkema has said the snowplow scheme, which also involved drugs, didn’t hurt taxpayers, but did undermine faith in the system.
A special General Assembly session called to pass a budget begins a week from Wednesday. Governor Northam says he is working behind the scenes in efforts to find a budget agreement that would include Medicaid expansion, but most Republicans remain adamant in opposition, and there are no outward signs of any pending agreement. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
