State and National Government
A bill to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act passed the House Judiciary Committee yesterday marking the first time a bill like that has ever passed a Congressional committee, but Virginia could decriminalize marijuana before Washington does. WFIR’s Ian Price has more:
Virginia’s Senior Democratic US Senator says a lack of regulations for social media platforms has contributed to current political discourse. WFIR’s Clark Palmer explains.
The symbolic head of the State Senate’s bills for the upcoming General Assembly is the Equal Rights Amendment. If it were approved by the newly Democratic-controlled General Assembly, the amendment that was first introduced in the 1920’s could be added to the Constitution — if it would survive legal challenges as to whether Virginia’s ratification came more than 40 years too late. WFIR’s Ian Price has more:
This is the first day that bills can be filed for consideration in next winter’s General Assembly session, and Democrats in the House of Delegates wasted no time doing so for some of their top priorities. They include proposals for universal background checks for gun purchases, approval of the Equal Rights Amendment, and prohibiting housing discrimination on the basis of sexual preference. Democrats will hold a majority in the House for the first time in two decades.
NEWS RELEASE: – As pre-filing for the 2020 session opened on Monday, House Democrats filed several bills that will set the tone for their first session as a majority in two decades. The House Democratic Caucus will formally announce its comprehensive 2020 legislative agenda before session begins on January 8.
“Over the past year, House Democrats have been working to formulate our 2020 legislative agenda, and we are looking forward to rolling it out over the coming months as the majority party,” said Speaker-designee Eileen Filler-Corn. “For years now, House Democrats have consistently pushed to build a Commonwealth that works for all Virginians, and the first bills filed reflect our commitment to equality and uphold our accountability to Virginia voters.”
The first bills filed include:
- HB1: No-excuse in-person and mail absentee voting; Patron: Del. Charniele Herring
- HB2: Universal background checks; Patron: Del. Ken Plum
- HB3: LGBTQ+ Housing Nondiscrimination; Patron: Del. Delores McQuinn
- HJ1: Equal Rights Amendment; Patron: Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy
“Similar bills have been introduced by House Democrats in the past and were unfortunately blocked, despite receiving widespread support from the majority of Virginians,” said Majority Leader-elect Charniele Herring. “Finally, these bills will get the consideration they deserve in the House of Delegates, and we can take our first steps toward improving voting rights, preventing gun violence, and recognizing all Virginians as equal regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.”
Photo: Kathy Byron Facebook
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Republicans in the House of Delegates have picked a new leadership team ahead of becoming the minority party for the first time in two decades. The House GOP caucus announced Sunday that Del. Todd Gilbert would be the minority leader, while Del. Kathy Byron will be caucus chairwoman. Del. Jay Leftwich will round out the leadership team as the minority whip. Democrats won a majority in legislative elections earlier this month. Voter antipathy toward President Donald Trump has helped fuel massive losses for House Republicans, who had a near super-majority when the president was first elected. Current GOP House Speaker Kirk Cox told fellow Republicans after this year’s loss that he would not seek a leadership position in the caucus.
The former mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, endorsed Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign on Friday, citing him as one of the people whose advice he sought ahead of the deadly 2017 clash between white supremacists and counter protesters.
Michael Signer, who was the Charlottesville mayor at the time of the Unite the Right demonstration, told The Associated Press that he turned to Buttigieg because of his experience as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan.
At a time when Signer was receiving what he describes as simplistic or minimizing advice, he said he found Buttigeg’s thoughts clear-eyed. Buttigieg, who is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, urged city officials to relocate the demonstration from a smaller downtown park to a larger park to improve security, Signer said.
“If anything, a grim and realistic take on the coming civil unrest was the most valuable perspective that we could have had, and that’s what the ultimate results showed,” Signer said. “I would credit his perception to, at least, to my decision to relocate the rally.”
The event still proved deadly. Anti-racism protester Heather Heyer was killed after an avowed white supremacist deliberately drove his car into a group of protesters during the Aug. 12 confrontation.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has cited the clash — and President Donald Trump’s tepid reaction to it — as a central reason he decided to run for the Democratic nomination. Signer, who left office last year, says his endorsement is not a slight toward Biden.
“I would fight my heart out for him,” if he’s nominated, Signer said. “With that said, I’ve been uniquely impressed by how Pete has grown his campaign and what I’ve said about the fresh start and the new era he describes every day.”
Signer was the 2009 Democratic nominee for Virginia lieutenant governor. Virginia is among 15 states to hold its presidential primary on March 3, 2020, so-called Super Tuesday.
A former Virginia Attorney General, and current Immigration Czar believes the Supreme Court could rule in favor of President Trump regarding DACA. WFIR’s Clark Palmer has the story.
Photo: Charlottesville City
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Democrats won control of Virginia government for the first time in decades on Election Day, and that means Confederate statues could soon be coming down in a state that’s full of them. The long-running debate over whether such displays are appropriate in public spaces intensified after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville grew violent two years ago, and many communities around the country quickly started taking monuments down. But in Virginia, local governments have been hamstrung by a 1904 state law that protects war veterans’ memorials. Previous attempts to amend it have been quickly dispatched in the Republican-controlled General Assembly, in votes largely along party lines. Democrats see an opening now. One lawmaker who represents Charlottesville says she intends to propose a bill that would give cities and counties control.