Inaction on a criminal justice reform bill, prisoners criticize vaccine rollout, Hanger discusses gubernatorial run
The latest in Virginia politics and news
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Inaction on a criminal justice reform bill in a House subcommittee surprises supporters of the legislation - Virginia Scope
After spending the better part of a year on policies that would reduce the number of altercations between members of the public and police officers, advocates were shocked when a bill that passed unanimously in the Senate failed to receive a motion to advance out of a House subcommittee.
Senator Emmett Hanger’s (R-Augusta) SB 1437 would eliminate the requirement that a defendant sign a ‘promise to appear’ when a summons for a misdemeanor offense or an administrative violation is issued. Hanger says he submitted this bill after the former sheriff from Waynesboro gave him the idea.
This legislation would cut down on confrontations when individuals are afraid to sign the summons, forcing escalation from the officer by law.
The signature does nothing more than show that you will attend the court date and confirm the mailing address listed, but Hanger said he was surprised to find out that when an individual refuses to sign a summons, they are then taken directly to the magistrate by the arresting officer. “It is relevant right now as people in a lot of situations are threatened by authority,” he said.
After passing the Senate, the bill was sent over to the House of Delegates for consideration. It was then referred to the Court of Justice committee, with the crime subcommittee taking it up first.
After Hanger presented the legislation to the committee members, there was very little interaction other than a few questions.
Prisoners criticize VADOC vaccine rollout, coronavirus response
By Andrew Ringle
Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. — Jillian Floyd hasn’t seen her son in a year. She is one of many Virginia prisoners experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia’s correctional institutions, where thousands of incarcerated people have tested positive for the coronavirus since March and more than 50 who died also tested positive for the disease.
Floyd, a prisoner at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Fluvanna County, said she talks on the phone every day with her 10-year-old child. She said it is difficult for her son not to see her like he did before COVID-19.
“I used to have video visits with my son, and regular in-person visits too,” Floyd said in an email. “I could see how big he was getting.”
Now, without access to video calls and living in the red zone, an area designated for prisoners who test positive for COVID-19, Floyd said she can’t go outside and that she is expected to stay in her cell. She said she tested positive about two weeks ago. Prisoners in red zones may leave their cells to access phones, kiosks, showers, restrooms, nursing stations, food trays and laundry, according to Gregory Carter, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Corrections.
Emmett Hanger discusses his potential run for Governor
The state Senator from Augusta County has long been rumored as a potential Republican candidate for Governor, but Emmett Hanger has yet to publicly announce his candidacy as the nomination process moves forward.
Del. Aird helped secure 2,000 COVID-19 doses for Crater Health District - Virginia Scope
Delegate Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg) announced on Thursday that in partnership with The Virginia Department of Health, Sports Backers, and the City of Petersburg, she was able to coordinate an effort to deliver additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Crater Health District.
Her staff says that after collaborative and rigorous discussions with officials from the Department of Health and the Crater Health District, along with leaders from Petersburg, Hopewell, Dinwiddie, and Prince George about the large scale need facing these communities, 2,000 additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine doses were secured for the people in those localities.
Aird’s office says that the Crater Health District has recently been ranked as having some of the lowest vaccine distribution numbers, despite also having some of the lowest health indicators in the Commonwealth.
“This is a race against time,” Delegate Aird said, “and my office is laser-focused on solution-driven plans like this event to ramp up vaccine distribution with a focus on vulnerable communities.” Adding, “We cannot and we will not leave these communities behind.”
Officers’ testimony on Thursday differs from RPD account of police shooting on New Year’s Eve - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Ali Rockett
Testimony in court on Thursday from two Richmond police officers does not support the official account provided by the department about the shooting of a man on New Year’s Eve.
Orlando Carter Jr., 27, was shot three times in the back by an officer after a vehicle pursuit through Richmond’s East End that ended in the parking lot of Oliver Crossing Apartments in the 1300 block of Coalter Street. The incident unfolded just after 5 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Virginia college basketball team forfeits game after players get suspended for kneeling during national anthem - WXFR
Bluefield College, a school that competes athletically in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, has forfeited one of its games after players were suspended for kneeling during the national anthem at recent games.
In a statement on Thursday, Feb. 11, Bluefield College president David Olive said that after players knelt during multiple games in January and February, even after he’d told them to stop, he decided to suspend all athletes involved, which resulted in a forfeit of the NAIA Division II Appalachian Athletic Conference game against Reinhardt.
Former Montgomery County GOP chairman will challenge Chris Hurst in the 12th District - Roanoke Times
A well-known businessman hopes to take back the 12th District House of Delegates seat for Republicans in November.
Larry Linkous, owner of Linkous Auctioneers and former Montgomery County GOP chairman formally announced his candidacy Thursday, promising to bring unity to the statehouse.
Virginia considers overhauling auto insurance to protect crash victims; industry warns of higher costs
In the name of consumer protection, Virginia lawmakers are considering a trio of bills intended to give victims more power to recoup costs after car crashes, a push the insurance industry says could raise premiums for drivers at a time when many can’t afford it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Together, the three pieces of legislation would double minimum liability coverage levels, give drivers more power to sue their own insurance company for “bad faith” decisions and allow victims to get more money from insurance carriers on both sides of a collision instead of having the at-fault driver’s insurance offset the victim’s insurance.
Senators warned a Trump acquittal would embolden future challenges to democracy
By MADISON PEEK, JOY SAHA and JALEN WADE
Capital News Service
WASHINGTON – House impeachment managers on Thursday closed their arguments for convicting former President Donald Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection by warning the Senate that an acquittal would embolden that same president, should he return, or a successor to mount a future violent challenge to the democratic process.
Ending the trial’s second day, the House managers depicted Trump as a candidate and president who regularly used violent rhetoric in speeches to supporters and in tweets, a pattern of behavior that ultimately led to the deadly Jan. 6 on the United States Capitol.
In the hours and weeks after the assault, Trump has shown no signs of regretting his language, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-California, told senators.
“I’m a former prosecutor and was trained to recognize lack of remorse but it doesn’t take a prosecutor to recognize lack of remorse, he was showing defiance,” Lieu said. “President Trump’s lack of remorse shows that he will undoubtedly cause future harm if allowed because he still refuses to account for his previous high grave crime against our government.”
Virginia Hospitals Have Administered Nearly 537,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses So Far
Virginia hospitals have administered 536,796 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in the time since the Commonwealth received the first shipment of doses in mid-December. The current figure reflects doses administered by hospitals as of Tuesday, Feb. 9. It represents a 23 percent increase from the more than 435,000 administered doses reported by VHHA last week. VHHA will continue to provide weekly vaccination updates, which will be available on the Virginia Hospital COVID-19 Dashboard.
Virginia recently modified its vaccine distribution plan – the Commonwealth is now sending vaccines to local health departments which are facilitating clinics and distributing vaccines to a broader group of community partners including hospitals, physicians, pharmacies, and others. As a result, Virginia hospitals are not receiving any direct first dose vaccine allocation. The weekly supply they get is through allocations from local health districts. Because of that, available first doses on hand at hospitals are administered during the week within which they are received.