State and National Government
Gov. Ralph Northam
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s governor said he has developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus a little less than two weeks after he and the state’s first lady tested positive.
Ralph Northam said Monday that he had “a little bit of cold-like symptoms over the weekend” and had lost his sense of taste and smell, The Washington Post reported.
The Democratic governor said other than that, he felt fine. Northam, 61, said he learned on Sept. 25 that he and first lady Pam Northam had tested positive for COVID-19.
In a tweet Monday, Trump told the American people: “Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life.”
Northam said Trump sent the wrong message. The governor pointed out that more than 200,000 Americans have died and more than 7 million people across the globe have been infected.
“It’s irresponsible to make a statement like that,” Northam said.
Northam is a former military doctor who served on the staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He noted that Trump “has access to the best medical care, medications, treatments other people don’t have access to.”
A bill that would allow cities, counties and towns to more easily take down Confederate statues on their properties has died in this General Assembly special session, but the proposal is likely to be revived in next year’s regular session. A law that took effect July 1st allows localities to make those decisions, not the state, but it also includes procedures that involve waiting periods. This new proposal would permit immediate removal in some circumstances, including civil unrest. The Senate Local Government Committee voted this week to delay action — pending review by parties including the Attorney General’s Office. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Nicholas Betts
Rep. Ben Cline
Incumbent Republican 6th district Congressman Ben Cline faced off with his Democratic challenger Nicholas Betts yesterday via Zoom in a debate sponsored by the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. Some of what they said from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
One of the bills passed in the General Assembly special session would allow more prisoners deemed terminally ill to be granted “compassionate release”. Under current state law, inmates believed to have less than three months to live may petition the Virginia Parole Board for early release. This bill would expand the time frame to 12 months, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
Virginia lawmakers appear close to agreeing a final version of a revised state budget, one that addresses the lower tax revenues brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impacts. The budget will not include a proposed provision for parents of many public school students that some area state senators favored. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
The fall ballot includes a proposed amendment to Virginia’s Constitution that would change the way the state’s General Assembly and Congressional districts are drawn up. The Democrat party opposes it — the GOP is in favor. But a recent statewide poll from Christopher Newport University suggests Virginians largely disagree with their own parties, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
From CNU’s Wason Center: Virginia voters appear poised to pass the state constitutional amendment that would change how redistricting is done, with support at 48% and opposition at 28% (24% are undecided). Support is strong among Democratic voters, Black voters, and college-educated voters. Republican voters oppose the amendment and independents are largely split on the question. “Considering that the Democratic Party of Virginia opposes this amendment, there seems to be a real disconnect with voters at the grassroots about reforming the way legislative districts are drawn,” said Wason Center Research Director Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo.
| Q9: Do you support or oppose amending the Virginia constitution to establish a redistricting commission made up equally of members of the General Assembly and citizens of the Commonwealth, to draw congressional and state legislative district lines. The new legislative lines will be subsequently voted up or down by the General Assembly, but cannot be amended? | |||||||||||||
| All | Rep | Ind | Dem | Males | Females | White | Black | 18-44 | 45+ | Non-College | College | ||
| Support | 48 | 32 | 41 | 64 | 51 | 45 | 46 | 58 | 47 | 49 | 41 | 56 | |
| Oppose | 28 | 42 | 41 | 12 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 24 | 24 | 30 | 32 | 22 | |
| Undecided (vol) | 20 | 22 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 25 | 17 | 22 | 18 | |
| Dk/Ref (vol) | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
Photo: Virginia House GOP
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox has filed paperwork with the state to run for governor next year, joining a small field of Republicans looking to enter the race. Cox, a retired school teacher who has served in the House of Delegates since 1990, on Wednesday filed a “statement of organization” to establish a campaign committee. Cox said he will not formally enter the race until after the presidential election in November. Cox, 63, was elected as speaker in 2018, but lost that role after Democrats won a majority in both the House and Senate in November. He announced in August that he was seriously considering a run for governor, citing what he called a “vacuum of leadership” created by Democrats.
Cox has criticized Democrats during the current special legislative session, which was called by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam to deal with the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and to consider dozens of criminal justice and police reforms in the wake of the killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. Cox has characterized some of the police reforms as “anti-law enforcement.” In a written statement released Thursday, Cox said the special session has convinced him “that Republicans not only need to put forward a strong candidate that can actually win statewide, but also a series of ideas and policies that will improve lives and livelihoods.” Grant Fox, a spokesman for the Democratic Party of Virginia, said Cox has spent years blocking gun safety legislation and anti-discrimination laws.
A Virginia law now in effect bans held-held use of cellphone while driving, but AAA wants the word out now that actual enforcement begins three months from today. The law technically took effect July 1st when Virginia joined many states outlawing hand-held cellphone use while at the wheel. AAA Mid-Atlantic says it is one of several factors contributing to distracted-driving accidents and deaths in the state. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
New voting options for Roanoke County residents – a satellite in-person voting location at the Brambleton Center will be open October 19th through the 31st. Two drop-off locations for completed absentee ballots will be available October 19th through the 30th at the Hollins Library and the Roanoke County Parks & Recreation office on Kessler Mill Road. And completed absentee ballots will be accepted at any county polling location on Election Day. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more on the temporary centers: