The NRA makes plays after keeping distance from Youngkin before the election
The latest in Virginia politics.
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The National Rifle Association (NRA) made plays on Wednesday in an attempt to try and overturn some of the progress made by gun violence prevention groups during the last two years of Democratic control in the General Assembly. The group never once endorsed Youngkin, not in the primary or the general. They did endorse Miyares (AG) and Sears (LG) during the general. Youngkin did not even fill out the NRA questionaire ahead of the gubernatorial convention earlier this year in an obvious move to set himself up for the general election. It will be interesting to see if Youngkin is receptive to the group after his victory, however.
This move by Youngkin’s campaign was widely overlooked or chopped up to forgetting to fill out one of many questionnaires. Youngkin’s people at the time said they didn’t care about the traditional campaign methods and stayed true to that throughout the process.
Youngkin is hosting two “Thank You” rallies on Saturday. Onein Goochland (Sportspage Bar & Grille at 10:30 a.m.) and one in Hanover (Historic Hanover Courthouse at 3:30 p.m.)
NRA will ask Youngkin to remove gun control advocate Lori Haas from state's crime panel - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Mel Leonor
With a Republican soon to take over the Executive Mansion, the National Rifle Association is seeking to remove a prominent gun control advocate from the state’s crime board.
NRA officials in Virginia said Thursday they would appeal to Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin and ask him to remove Lori Haas from the Virginia State Crime Commission, an agency that studies and makes recommendations related to public safety.
Republican governors embrace Youngkin playbook as winning model for midterms - ABC News
Republican governors are anything but "tired of winning," and in Phoenix at the annual Republican Governors Association conference, it became clear that may not be the only point on which the party and the former president diverge.
Fresh off a national upset win in Virginia and a near-miss in New Jersey, the group of high-profile Republican governors and their strategists are now tasked with replicating their momentum across the map in some of the most highly competitive midterm races in decades -- a goal actively complicated by former President Donald Trump's continued endorsement of primary challengers to incumbent governors who have fallen out of his personal favor. And plans on how they navigate the minefield of remaining undistracted by Trump while not alienating him or his supporters remain fuzzy.
Commentary: Can the leaders in Petersburg be trusted to negotiate this deal?
After voters in the City of Richmond voted against allowing a casino to be built in the city earlier this month, a state senator and local leaders are pushing for the small city of Petersburg to be the next option for a gaming resort. Petersburg is 30 minutes south of Richmond and is split by Interstate 95.
Petersburg’s Mayor Sam Parham took the owners of Urban One, the company rejected in Richmond, on a tour to consider the city for a location recently. State Sen. Joe Morrissey says he plans to introduce the appropriate legislation to allow Petersburg to have a casino.
Petersburg would first have to be approved by the General Assembly for this type of gaming license. After General Assembly approval, a referendum could be put in front of the residents in Petersburg during the next general election asking for their approval on allowing a casino into the city.
Barb Rudolph, a community activist and founder of ‘Clean Sweep Petersburg,’ a group dedicated to transparency and accountability within Petersburg’s government, provided commentary on Thursday about her fears that local leaders might be in over their heads negotiating this deal. She notes that while the majority of the current city council was in charge in 2016, the city suffered a financial crisis and needed to be bailed out by the state of Virginia and consultant groups.
Read the full piece of commentary from Barb Rudolph below:
Wishin’ and hopin’ – That’s what the thread about “what would you do with revenue from the casino?” is. I love looking at houses online – real estate porn. And I even keep a file of ones I’d buy if I won the lottery. But realistically, I gotta take care of the not-grand house I live in now, and that’s where my money goes.
That’s why we also need to look at another of the many angles of “casino dreams”. My question is, are the people in leadership actually able to make this happen, even with a casino thrown in their laps (One Casino + Resort, Richmond’s reject)?
A few things to consider:
Our councilors have not been able to manage the city’s finances. You all remember 2016, and yes, the comeback has been remarkable. But council is taking no more actual interest in minding the store now than then – they’re totally reliant on staff and consultants. But it’s them we’re leaving the deal-making up to.
In the last 5 years, we’ve only had a person hired as the economic development director in the job for 6 months, and he’s been gone for over a year now. This department is anything but robust, and is relying heavily on the regional economic development organization – which is hooked up with developers who are not “representative of the city’s population”. One word I’ll come back to: cronyism.
Council has a high tolerance for low ethics. It would take a whole series of posts to flesh this out, but if you follow this group or even the news, you know.
Finally, look around – we’re supposed to be flush with money, but the city government is limping along with multiple vacancies in key positions, public safety is understaffed and perhaps underappreciated, there is no true partnership with the schools, signs of decay are everywhere but only one section of the city seems to grab all of the attention and resources. That just scratches the surface.
Would YOU invest your money in a deal brokered by these people, and count on the return on the investment helping you and others? That’s what we’ll be asked to accept, that this trust can be given and the results counted on to align with what’s been promised.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger talks about the future of Build Back Better
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., about Biden's policy agenda and the future of the social spending package, Build Back Better.
‘It’s unprecedented’: Norfolk doctor asks judge to overrule hospital on giving ivermectin to COVID-19 patients - Virginian-Pilot
by Jane Harper
Dr. Paul Marik, the longtime director of the hospital’s intensive care unit, sued Sentara Healthcare last week, arguing the organization is endangering the lives of its COVID patients by preventing him from using the treatment protocol he believes works best. The judge didn't immediately rule on his request to have the ban lifted, but said he would issue a decision soon.
Loudoun parent group files third recall petition against school board, targeting Vice Chair Atoosa Reaser - Washington Post
By Hannah Natanson
A Loudoun County parent group has filed a recall petition in court against school board vice-chair Atoosa Reaser (Algonkian District), after gathering roughly 1,900 signatures on a petition for her removal.
It’s the third such effort from Fight for Schools, which already filed recall petitions against board member Beth Barts (Leesburg), who later resigned, and board chair Brenda Sheridan (Sterling), who is fighting the recall effort.
From the Fight For Schools press release:
"As Vice-Chairwoman, Atoosa Reaser has been part of the leadership team that has overseen and personally contributed to a complete breakdown in trust between the community and the Loudoun County School Board,” said Ian Prior, the Executive Director Fight for Schools and former Trump official. "From violating open meetings law, to ignoring the school board's code of conduct, to neglecting to keep our children safe, all in the name of politics, Reaser has failed to lead and collaborate with parents and teachers that want a quality, safe education that respects the diversity of thought and viewpoint of the parents and students in her district."
** This is the second recall petition filed against a member of the Loudoun County school board recently. Last week, the same group filed a recall petition against the Loudoun County School Board Chair Brenda Sheridan.
Governor Northam Directs State Agencies to Consult with Tribal Nations
On Thursday, Governor Northam directed state permitting agencies to consult with Tribal Nations when evaluating applications for state permits that protect environmental, historic, and cultural resources. The action is designed to help identify any potential environmental or cultural concerns for the tribes regarding the proposed development projects.
Executive Order 82 ensures the Commonwealth provides opportunities for meaningful and culturally appropriate, written consultation with Tribal Nations when evaluating certain state permit applications for activities with potential impacts to environmental, cultural, and historic resources.
The Executive Order directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth to designate an ombudsman to work with Tribal Nations and the relevant state agencies. The Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Historic Resources, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission are directed to establish a Tribal Consultation policy within 90 days to ensure an opportunity for meaningful and timely input by Tribal representatives for the permits and reviews listed in this order.
“The Commonwealth has an important and unique government-to-government relationship with Virginia’s Tribal Nations,” Governor Northam said. “In recent years, we have worked to address past wrongs and strengthen our relationships with Virginia’s Tribes. Tribal Nations have always been integral to the cultural and historic fabric of Virginia, and this order is among the first steps that will affirm tribal sovereignty and enhance relationships between our governments.”
Governor Northam joined with the Chiefs of the seven federally acknowledged Tribal Nations indigenous to Virginia, including the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, Monacan Indian Nation, Nansemond Indian Nation, Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Rappahannock Tribe, and Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe, as well as leaders of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Historic Resources, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to sign this Executive Order.
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