Jennifer McClellan receives a new endorsement and there is another GOP candidate for Governor
Care In Action endorses McClellan for Governor, Chase files lawsuit, and advocates upset with Democratic leadership over police reform.
Welcome to Wednesday. The special session of the General Assembly begins today so that lawmakers can complete the legislation that they were unable to finish during the regular session.
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.*
Care in Action Endorses Jennifer McClellan (D) for Virginia Governor
Today, Care in Action — the nonprofit, nonpartisan group dedicated to fighting for dignity and fairness for the 2.5 million domestic workers in the U.S — formally announced its endorsement of Senator Jennifer McClellan as Virginia’s next governor.
“Jennifer McClellan is a champion for domestic workers, women and the people of Virginia,” said Alexsis Rodgers, Virginia State Director for Care in Action. “She understands the value of our care economy and has fought tirelessly to provide the first-ever labor protections for 60,000 domestic workers in Virginia. Her track record of public service and legislative wins is unmatched by any candidate in this race. We are thrilled to endorse her campaign because she has a proven track record of improving the lives of families across the commonwealth.”
"As the daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and niece of domestic workers, I am so honored to be endorsed by Care in Action," said Sen. McClellan. “For 400 years, the American economy has been built on the backs of domestic workers. Ending Jim Crow laws preventing fair wages for domestic workers in Virginia has been one of the proudest accomplishments of my career. As Governor, I will continue to champion progress for domestic workers and other Virginians who have been left behind for far too long."
Care in Action is the policy and advocacy home for women who care, working on behalf of more than two million domestic workers and care workers across America. Among the fastest growing sectors in our economy, domestic workers are also among the most vulnerable and undervalued. As a mostly women and majority women of color workforce, this growing constituency consistently and overwhelmingly supports progressive values in American political life. Learn more at careinactionvotes.org.
Ex-think tank CEO Peter Doran announces GOP bid for governor - Associated Press
Another northern Virginia executive is joining the Republican race for governor. Peter Doran of Arlington announced Tuesday that he is seeking this year’s GOP gubernatorial nomination.
Doran is former CEO of the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis. In his role he warned about Russian efforts to undermine Western democracies.
ICYMI: Amanda Chase filed a lawsuit against the Republican Party of Virginia
She said she wants it to be clear that she is not doing this for herself, but gubernatorial candidate Amanda Chase (Chesterfield) believes that the Republican State Central Committee (SCC) is disenfranchising voters by choosing to nominate statewide candidates with a convention. That is why she filed a lawsuit against the Republican Party of Virginia on Tuesday, she says.
“I am suing the Republican Party of Virginia on behalf of the people of Virginia, who want a say in who their next Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General will be,” Chase said on Tuesday. “Currently, the Republican Party of Virginia has chosen a method that is illegal under the Governor’s current executive orders and is secretly planning to choose the statewide nominees themselves, bypassing the people of Virginia. I will not stand for this. The people should be allowed to vote on Republican nominees.”
The SCC is scheduled to meet again on February 27 when they will try once again to change the nomination method from a typical convention to an unassembled one. The change is needed due to COVID-19 restrictions that are were put in place by Governor Ralph Northam that put a limit on large gatherings.
Some lawmakers running statewide will utilize loophole to raise money in session - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Patrick Wilson
Because of some unusual mechanics, 11 members of the General Assembly who are running for statewide offices can now raise campaign money while they legislate.
Some said they will wait until the legislature adjourns to comply with the spirit of a law prohibiting fundraising during regular sessions. But others said they would be at a disadvantage if they didn’t start raising money now, which the law allows.
After hectic 2020 election, Virginia might change the way absentee votes are counted - Virginia Mercury
by Graham Moomaw
Despite lingering ,and unfounded, fraud suspicions on the right, a recently issued state report called the 2020 election the “most safe, secure, and successful” in Virginia’s history.
This year, the Democratic-led General Assembly has rejected several Republican proposals to tighten election laws, while preserving several policy changes lawmakers enacted last year on an emergency basis like ballot drop boxes and looser rules for absentee voting.
VMI sees surge of COVID-19 cases - Roanoke Times
by Claire Mitzel
More than 20% of the Virginia Military Institute’s 1,700 cadets were in isolation or quarantine Tuesday as the military college experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases.
VMI’s case dashboard reported 131 active, confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 128 of those from cadets. That’s about 7.5% of the cadet population. An additional 235 cadets were quarantined, which means they were separated from the Corps of Cadets for reasons such as having close contact with someone who tested positive.
Herring’s office defends tenants
Attorney General Herring’s Office of Civil Rights has settled a lawsuit alleging four counts of housing discrimination against the owner and property managers of a Pulaski County townhome community, who threatened to evict tenants because they had an assistance animal living in their apartment with them. Attorney General Herring and his team argued on behalf of the Virginia Fair Housing Board in this case.
“Virginians with disabilities have the right to live with an assistance animal, especially if that assistance animal helps them live happier, more full lives – assistance animals are not pets and cannot be subject to fees or breed and weight restrictions like other pets can be,” said Attorney General Herring. “Assistance animals, like the Butler’s, are often the best way for individuals with debilitating symptoms caused by various mental or physical impairments to substantially improve their quality of life. I am proud of my newly created Office of Civil Rights for their hard work on this case and I hope this sends a message to other landlords that housing discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in the Commonwealth.”
Before and after they moved into their apartment, the complainants Charlene and Michael Butler requested and provided clinical verification of the need to bring Charlene’s assistance dog to live with them in the Unique Deerfield Village Townhomes Complex, Herring’s office said in a press release on Wednesday.
Herring’s press release continued to say that the on-site property managers repeatedly refused their reasonable accommodation request, instead imposing weight limits and pet deposit fees on the assistance animal. When the Butlers elevated their request, the owner of Deerfield, Jeffrey Stump, sent the Butlers a written denial that threatened eviction saying, “It has come to my attention that you have a pet residing in your unit. It makes no difference that is an emotional support dog. It is still a pet.” Stump made good on that threat and attempted to evict the Butlers. The Butlers prevailed in that court case and filed a complaint alleging housing discrimination with the Virginia Fair Housing Office.
Advocates Frustrated by Democratic Leadership on Police Reform
By Josephine Walker
Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia has made headlines in recent months for criminal justice reform measures but advocates say more needs to be done. They are disappointed lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly recently killed proposals to reduce qualified immunity protections for police officers.
State lawmakers so far this session have advanced bills to legalize marijuana, remove mandatory minimum sentences and abolish the death penalty. During the special session called last year, the General Assembly banned police from using no-knock search warrants and chokeholds.
Qualified immunity shields government officials from civil liability while performing duties in their line of work as long as their actions don’t violate “clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known,” according to a Congressional Research Service report.
Teamsters Local 730 and Teamsters Joint Council 55 Endorse Elizabeth Guzman for Lieutenant Governor
“Electing our union sister Elizabeth Guzman as lieutenant governor would be a seismic shift for the Commonwealth, which as recently as 2019 was ranked the worst state in the nation for workers,” said Ritchie Brooks, Presidentof Teamsters Local 730. “Elizabeth has been at the forefront of the fight on virtually every labor issue, from raising the minimum wage to repealing right-to-work to leading the charge for paid sick days. Teamsters Local 730 enthusiastically endorses her candidacy, and we look forward to supporting her campaign.
“The Teamsters represent essential workers in Virginia who have kept our country running throughout the pandemic, and we are proud to endorse Elizabeth Guzman as our next lieutenant governor,” said Frank Myers, President of Teamsters Joint Council 55. “Ever since her first campaign, Elizabeth has boldly defined herself as a voice for working families. Time and again, she has spoken truth to power and fought for workers over the powerful corporate class. We look forward to electing a union sister to statewide office in Virginia; we need a fighter like Elizabeth Guzman as the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to ensure workers’ rights legislation makes it to the governor’s desk.
“I am honored to have earned the backing of my union family at the Teamsters and will continue to fight for them and for all working people as lieutenant governor,” said Guzman. “Workers are the reason our businesses succeed, so we need to start treating workers as human beings and not simply production machines. The Teamsters represent many essential workers who have kept our grocery stores stocked throughout the pandemic, and I promise to always be their voice as lieutenant governor.”
The Latest From the Executive Branch
Governor Ralph Northam made multiple announcements on Tuesday with economic impacts on localities across Virginia.
Spanberger Elected to Again Serve as Chair of House Agriculture Committee’s Conservation & Forestry Subcommittee
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee announced that U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger was elected to serve as Chair of the Committee’s Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee in the 117th Congress. Spanberger also served as Chair of the Subcommittee during the 116th Congress.
“Throughout our history, farmers and producers have been some of our nation’s most prolific conservationists. During my first term in office, I saw firsthand how voluntary conservation practices and an abiding love of the land help guide the decision-making of our district’s growers,” said Spanberger. “I’m honored to again serve as Chair of this Subcommittee, and I’m looking forward to bringing new voices to the table to share their perspectives on responsible stewardship and sustainable economic growth across the rural economy. Farmers have critical insights on how our nation can make progress on a wide array of pressing issues – including our economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19 and our response to the climate crisis – and I hope this Subcommittee will remain a venue for America’s farmers to help guide the national conversation on these topics.”
More News:
Lexington child welfare advocate to challenge Del. Ronnie Campbell for GOP nomination
Arlington Democrats see access to urban corridors as key to 2021
Virginia Democrats Plan To Restore Voting Rights For Felons, But Remain Divided On How Far To Go
Lawmakers weigh how far to go in changing a decades-old law criminalizing HIV
Virginia lawmakers mull competing mandatory minimum sentencing proposals
Rod Hall joins the race for 31st District House of Delegates seat
Report finds Virginia's schools are not adequately serving students with disabilities
