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White: Ranked choice voting improves democracy. Will Va. embrace it?
This year, Virginia voters have been going to the polls for critical elections across the commonwealth, and in many cases, they've seen a lot of names on their ballots. From the recent Democratic lieutenant governor primary to the 11th Congressional District special election primaries, Virginia has two real-time examples of how ranked choice voting (RCV) could benefit voters in crowded races. Both demonstrate why it's time for Virginia's political parties to further embrace RCV.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says his family escaped Texas floods
Virginia first lady Suzanne Youngkin and other members of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s family were stranded at property they own on the Guadalupe River in Texas on Friday, but they were unharmed by the devastating flash floods that have killed more than 100 people. The governor was in Virginia at the time. . . . Youngkin detailed how his family was in touch with him during the flood as he attended July 4 events in Virginia. He said Texas officials offered to airlift them out, but when it was clear they were no longer in danger he told authorities to see to other nearby life-threatening situations first.
Richmond civilian police review board delayed again
After nearly three years, a civilian review board meant to give oversight to the Richmond Police Department still hasn’t gotten off the ground. Now, it faces yet another delay after city councilors agreed to again push back a vote on the board’s policies. The initial push for a CRB started in 2017 with the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project, but it didn’t gain momentum until widespread protests over George Floyd’s murder and police violence in 2020. Council voted to create the review board two years later. . . . Many involved in the effort blamed the slow wheels of bureaucracy for the delays, with some raising questions about the process and voicing worries that the holdup has already impacted Richmonders.
Fredericksburg City School Board Has New Policy on Member Travel to Conferences
In a 4-2 vote, the Fredericksburg City School Board approved a new policy on Monday night governing School Board members’ participation in professional development. Jennifer Boyd, Ward 3, and Malvina Kay, Ward 4, voted against the new policy, BHB1, which was proposed in June. The policy states, “Attendance at all other conferences or professional development events [aside from VSBA conferences] by School Board members that require the use of School Board funds must be approved by the School Board in an open session prior to the event.”
Youngkin marks early success on regulatory reform, sets new goal for 35% reduction
Sweat beaded on foreheads inside the sweltering warehouse of 84 Lumber on Richmond’s Southside Tuesday, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin appeared unfazed by the heat as he declared victory on one of his administration’s signature promises — slashing red tape across Virginia’s government by 25%. “The heart of the day is recognizing that when we reduce the burdens of excess regulations on businesses in Virginia, businesses come, businesses thrive, businesses grow,” Youngkin said to applause. . . . The benchmark, established in Executive Order 19 during his first year in office, set in motion a sweeping review of every agency’s rules, guidance documents, and permitting practices — an effort that culminated in the streamlining or repeal of nearly 89,000 regulatory requirements and the elimination of 11.5 million words from official documents, according to state officials.
Virginia politicians look outside the state for political punching bags
Republicans running for statewide office in Virginia have a couple of surefire ways to rile up crowds at campaign stops: mention New York City’s mayoral race or Maryland’s budget woes. “New York … has nominated a socialist!” GOP gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears thundered last week at a rally in Vienna, drawing a cascade of boos directed at New York Democrat Zohran Mamdani. . . . Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger has her own guaranteed crowd-riler: Washington, particularly Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and other social relief programs. “We reject much of what we see coming out of Washington, D.C.,” Spanberger told a crowd last week in Lynchburg, turning the cheers to boos when she mentioned Republicans’ “terrible, terrible MAGA [budget] bill” that she said would lead to Virginia hospitals closing down.
Registrar rejected original petitions by Roanoke County School Board candidate
The Roanoke County registrar rejected election registration materials submitted by a longtime county school board member in May, citing “major defects” in his petition pages. Tim Greenway, current member of the Roanoke County School Board, first submitted his petition pages to get on the ballot on May 24. School board candidates must submit a petition signed by 125 qualified voters to be eligible for election.
Yancey: Two Virginia districts would be good targets for Musk’s new party, but what he really needs is ranked choice voting
Elon Musk wants to start a new political party. Good luck with that, pal. I will hardly be the first to point out the difficulties in that. While we’ve occasionally had third parties pop up around a galvanizing figure — Theodore Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party in 1912, George Wallace and the American Independent Party in 1968, Ross Perot and the Reform Party in 1992 and 1996 — none have lasted in any serious form.
Trump’s megabill slashes wind energy incentives, but Dominion’s Virginia Beach project spared
A late addition to President Donald Trump’s signature policy bill means Dominion Energy’s Virginia Beach wind farm will not be at risk of losing federal tax credits. The bill, which Trump signed into law Friday, slashes many of the solar and wind energy incentives enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act by former President Joe Biden and others. The bill quickly phases out clean energy tax credits for wind and solar projects. Now, projects that are not operational by 2027 will lose out on the tax credits.
Fisher: Trump wins the ritual sacrifice of U-Va.’s president. So now what?
When University of Virginia students return to campus this fall, everything will be different. Their school president will be gone, sacrificed on the altar of the MAGA movement’s campaign against the bogeyman of diversity, equity and inclusion. The school’s DEI programs will be history. The selection process for the next president will be underway, as Trumpian forces transform one of America’s premier universities into a place where students are no longer inculcated with identity politics, no longer infected with anti-Americanism, no longer submersed in leftist values. It will be a MAGA super-paradise come to life on, of all places, a college campus. Or maybe not.