Republicans are using the typical talking points in Virginia ahead of midterms

Miyares faces pushback over pedophile’s case.

Mar 28, 2022

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Executive Schedule

9:30AM: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN ATTENDS CABINET MEETING
- LOCATION: Patrick Henry Building
- CLOSED PRESS

2:00 PM: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN VISITS THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
- LOCATION: Department of Conservation and Recreation HQ
- CLOSED PRESS

The rundown

Legislators are gearing up for the April 4 special session
One of Rep. Bobby Scott’s opponent released a video using typical GOP talking points in Virginia
AG Miyares is facing pushback over a plea deal with a pedophile
Governor Youngkin’s office provides an update on Virginia’s unemployment rate

Special Session!

Virginia politicians are patiently awaiting the April 4 special session when they will hopefully complete the state budget for the next two years. They also need to complete conference meetings on nearly 50 bills that passed in one chamber but failed to pass the identical version in the other.
- Lawmakers on Friday in Northern Virginia told attendees of the Loudoun County Chamber breakfast that the surplus they are expecting might actually be larger than anticipated, according to the Loudoun Times-Mirror.
The special session will be interesting to spectate as parliamentary procedures and technicalities can be quite useful, especially for Senate Democrats who can use certain rules and procedures to stop Governor Glenn Youngkin from making certain steps and appointments.
- For instance, the governor has special powers when the General Assembly is adjourned to take steps like appointing judges and members of boards across the commonwealth. When the General Assembly is in session, however, that severely limits the governor’s powers in these instances. The legislators are actually tasked with approving board picks, or hiring new judges, while they are in a legislative session.
- Multiple sources have told Virginia Scope that Senate Democrats are considering not formally adjourning from this session to prevent Youngkin from advancing his agenda throughout the Executive Branch through appointments.

Here are the outstanding bills remaining ahead of the special session

Attorney General Miyares faces heat over Loudoun case

Attorney General Jason Miyares is facing pushback from Democrats after his office didn’t pursue a second charge against a pedophile. (An earlier version of this newsletter said Miyares offered a plea deal - but the defendant actually pleaded guilty on his own. Miyares’ office says there was not sufficient evidence for the second charge that was not pursued.)

The move was first reported by NBC 4: “Former Loudoun County Sheriff's Deputy Dustin Amos was recently arrested and charged for two felonies for soliciting a minor online. Virginia State Police say Amos ‘repeatedly messaged’ who he thought was a 15-year-old girl but was actually a police officer and "expressed his sexual desire for her." Miyares’ office offered Amos a deal where he only pleaded guilty to one of the two felonies.

Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj responded in a statement to the decision from Miyares: “The deputy indicated that he had done this before. What is Miyares doing to investigate those prior incidents? What is he doing to make sure that those prior victims are actually taken care of? So, if you want to put victims first, how about you do the job?"

Democrats were attacked by Miyares for the last year for allegedly being soft on crime. The Democratic Party of Virginia responded in a statement over the weekend. “From day one, the Attorney General has shown Virginians how big of a hypocrite he really is,” said DPVA spokesperson Gianni Snidle. “Attorney General Miyares has criticized Commonwealth Attorneys across the state for cutting plea deals, but then cuts a plea deal with a dangerous predator. In his own office, there have been consistent patterns of corruption and far-right incompetence and this is just his latest case.”

Terry Namkung attacks Bobby Scott in his new campaign video

In Virginia’s third congressional district, Terry Namkung, an Air Force Veteran and Republican congressional candidate attacked the incumbent in his district, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA03), in a new ad.

According to VPAP, Terry McAuliffe won VA-03 with 63% of the vote last year.

In his video, Namkung hits hard on all of the typical Republican talking points right now.

"We cannot lose this generation to the mind-control poison that has permeated our schools," Namkung says in the video. "Our fathers and grandfathers did not die in battle only to lose our freedoms to soul-less Marxism. … We need leaders who love, honor, and respect our nation and are unashamed of its Christian values and traditions. I will be that leader!"

Scott is facing a slate of Republicans and a Democratic primary challenger as well.

Virginia’s unemployment rate decreased in February

According to an announcement from the governor’s office, Virginia’s unemployment rate fell to 3.2% in February while total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 21,300 jobs. The Commonwealth’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.2% is 1.4 percentage points below the rate from a year ago. The labor force increased by 14,138 to 4,291,990, as the number of unemployed residents decreased by 3,330 to 136,004. The number of employed residents rose by 17,468 to 4,155,986. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues to be below the national rate, which fell from 4.0 to 3.8 percent.

Virginia’s labor force participation rate increased slightly by 0.1 of a percentage point to 63.0 percent in February. The labor force participation rate measures the proportion of the civilian population age 16 and older that is employed or actively looking for work.

From February 2021 to February 2022, the VEC estimates that establishments in Virginia gained 111,900 jobs, an increase of 2.9%.

Catch up on redistricting:

A list of paired and open state Senate districts
Which House seats are wide open in Central Virginia
Which Hampton Roads delegates are paired after redistricting
Which House districts are open and which ones have paired incumbents in Northern Virginia
(Stay tuned for the rest of Virginia’s paired and open districts later today)

More Virginia News

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