GOP nomination confusion still exists, GOP leader condemned by Jewish leaders, and more

The latest political news in Virginia.

Feb 15, 2021

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*This newsletter is sponsored by the Legal Aid Justice Center. They partner with communities and clients to achieve justice by dismantling systems that create and perpetuate poverty. Justice means racial justice, social justice, and economic justice.*

The GOP nomination discussion has a new development

A group of Republican State Central Committee (SCC) members has taken advantage of quorum requirements and scheduled a meeting of the committee for February 20. The group called for the meeting with the intention to change the nomination method from a typical convention to a party canvass.

A canvass, also known as a firehouse primary, would be a party run process where each locality typically has one voting location for convention delegates to vote.

Chairman Rich Anderson did not call for the meeting - but according to the party plan, if 1/3 of the committee members sign their name to a document calling for a meeting, then it can happen.

31 members of the committee signed off on the call for the meeting, which well surpasses the 1/3 threshold.

The group also sent a letter, signed by no one in particular, to their fellow committee members to explain their reasoning. “We believe it would be disastrous for the SCC to nominate our candidates and we remain firmly opposed to that outcome,” they wrote. “In order to end this impasse, we have made the first move and are willing to “meet in the middle” by supporting a Party Canvass.”

The author of the letter says that the members who signed originally supporters of a primary election to choose statewide nominees this year. “As evidenced by our previous votes, we believe a Primary would best position our nominees to prevail on November 2,” they wrote. “In the interests of resolving the current impasse, however, we are willing to vote for a Canvass as the method of nomination.”

As COVID-19 restrictions have made it nearly impossible for a typical convention to take place, Anderson has warned that the committee might be left with no choice but to choose the nominee themselves. “We are now on a trajectory that will preclude an assembled convention, an unassembled convention, and a primary,” Anderson wrote to committee members recently. “That will require that our three statewide nominees be selected by the SCC, which will take on the perception of party bosses huddled in a smoke-filled back room.”

Anderson has not responded to requests for comment. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

“In the interest of unity and the spirit of compromise, we have agreed to support a Canvass,” wrote the committee members in the letter. “At Saturday’s meeting, we will move for a Canvass as the method of nomination. We hope you will join us in supporting that motion.”

While the group was able to successfully organize a meeting, it is unclear if they will flip any of the additional votes needed to reach the 2/3 majority needed to change the plan from a typical convention. There has already been several attempts to change the plan in recent months and they all have failed, often sending each meeting into disaray.

Virginia’s RNC official deletes comment comparing Trump trial to Nazi show trials - The Jerusalem Post

By BEN SALES/JTA

A member of the Republican National Committee from Virginia has deleted a Facebook comment apparently suggesting that Nazi show trials were fairer than the recent Senate trial of former President Donald Trump.

A top Republican Jewish leader called the comment “outrageous and indefensible” before Patricia Bast Lyman, the Republican committeewoman, apologized and said she had been misinterpreted.

Virginia lawmakers move to cut state funding for adoption agencies that refuse LGBTQ couples - Virginia Mercury

by Ned Oliver

Virginia lawmakers are on the verge of rolling back a state law that allows faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies to refuse service to LGBTQ families.

The legislation has spurred heated debate, with representatives of Catholic charitable organizations arguing that being forced to serve gay couples would violate their faith and civil rights advocates decrying the existing rules as state-sanctioned discrimination.

Virginia Democrats to unveil plan to reopen schools as political pressure mounts - Washington Post

by Greg Schneider

Democrats in the House of Delegates are set to unveil legislation on Monday to get students across Virginia back into public school classrooms by summer, signaling a way forward for a topic that has become increasingly politically urgent as the coronavirus pandemic drags on.

The proposal calls for school systems to devise plans for both in-person and virtual instruction during the 2021-2022 academic year that follow federal health guidelines. It includes protections for schools or teachers to insist on remote, online sessions in the event of an outbreak or serious health concerns.

Report: Virginia's land use policies promoted racial segregation, contributed to wealth gap - Richmond Times-Dispatch

by Mark Robinson

Zoning and master plans adopted throughout Virginia in the 20th century promoted racial segregation in housing, and played a direct role in growing the wealth gap between Black and white residents, according to a new report.

Although explicitly racist zoning laws are now a relic, their effects linger, and present-day land-use policies perpetuate segregation by race and income, according to the report put together by the McGuireWoods Zoning and Segregation Work Group and released earlier this month.

A college’s basketball team protested the Capitol riot. Its president then forced it to forfeit. - Washington Post

by Glynn A. Hill

The basketball team at a small southwest Virginia college wanted to make a statement against racial injustice in the United States. But when players at the NAIA’s Bluefield College opted to kneel during pregame renditions of the national anthem, and the display attracted attention from local and social media, the school president punished the team amid a postseason push.

As his actions draw attention, the players plan to continue to push their message — albeit more subtly. “It’s bigger than us, and we don’t want to have the season taken away from us,” forward Stanley Christian told ESPN. “We feel like we’re in a great position to bring this school a title. So we’ll stay in the locker room during the national anthem. They don’t want any more backlash, and we would definitely take a knee during the anthem.”