Youngkin encourages Republicans to talk kitchen table issues
Watch the debate from last night between Good and Throneburg
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The rundown
In an op-ed for The Economist, Gov. Youngkin writes that Republican candidates should focus on kitchen table issues.
Watch Throneburg and Good debate in VA-05
Gov. Youngkin announced Wednesday that the Virginia Board of Social Work, a health regulatory board under the Department of Health Professions, has enacted regulations that will speed up the process by which a social worker from another state can receive a license in Virginia.
Everything else happening in Virginia politics
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Executive Schedule
8:45 AM: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN DELIVERS REMARKS AT THE 2022 VIRGINIA GOVERNOR'S TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE
Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote the following op-ed in The Economist earlier this week saying Republicans should focus on kitchen table issues
Here is the text from an op-ed published from Governor Glenn Youngkin in The Economist:
IT HAS BEEN said that all great change starts at the kitchen table. It is a place where families to discuss their most profound worries about schools, caring for an elderly parent, recession and the silent thief—inflation—stealing their hard-earned paycheques.
Driven by a desire to restore academic excellence, bolster safe communities and lower the cost of living, the people of Virginia showed up to elect new leadership last November. They voted for a government that serves as a catalyst, not an obstacle, for opportunity. They voted for leadership that tackles the kitchen-table concerns of working families throughout Virginia.
On the campaign trail, I’d speak at a school or at a business, and someone would grab me by the arm and pull me aside for a private moment. Quietly and out of earshot, I would hear a Virginian say, “I’m a Democrat, but I’m here anyway. I’ve never voted for a Republican before, but I want you to know what’s happening at my daughter’s school...”
Since January, our administration has chartered a bold course to champion common-sense solutions for kitchen-table concerns. Whereas past administrations simply hoped that Virginia would prosper, we recognise that hope is not a strategy. Instead, we reined in excessive big-government edicts that have fractured the freedoms intended for us by our founding fathers.
We’ve made steps to lower the cost of living and ease the economic burdens on Virginian families by providing nearly $4bn in tax relief, almost doubling the standard deduction, providing the largest tax rebate in the state’s history and eliminating the regressive state grocery tax.
We’re also delivering on our promise to restore academic excellence by working to fix our academic standards, providing the largest education budget in Virginia’s history and signing key measures into law, such as the Virginia Literacy Act. We have emphasised excellence in our schools and safety in our communities by investing in facilities and raising pay for teachers and law enforcement alike. We are running a state government that works for, not against, Virginians.
We came into office ready to lead and serve on day one. As articulated in our state code, parents have a fundamental right to make decisions with regards to a child’s upbringing, education and care. Families need choice. We have restored their ability to choose whether their child wears a mask in the classroom. We have reaffirmed their right to be informed before their child is exposed to sexually explicit materials. We have delivered on our promise to empower parents because we know that children belong to families, not bureaucrats and school boards. The elected officials that sit on Virginia’s school boards should bring parents into discussions, not shut them out. Although many of these officials weren’t up for election last year, they are now.
Parents matter in Virginia, and they care about the quality of schools as well as the content of lessons. So do we. As promised the night I was elected, the state has passed its largest education budget ever with $3.2bn in additional school funding, pay rises and bonuses for teachers and a historic investment to create new Lab schools. We have formed partnerships with universities, colleges and businesses to establish these schools. They encourage innovation, maintain high expectations and provide choice within our public-school system. They will ensure that thousands of young Virginians realise their potential and develop expertise in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, languages and the arts, and acquire skills critical for our growing manufacturing, energy and construction industries.
In order to get Virginia back to work, we have made a commitment to re-energise the engine of our economy. Since my administration took office, we’ve sent the message around the world that Virginia is once again open for business. We’ve recruited iconic American aerospace companies such as Boeing and Raytheon, to move their headquarters to Virginia out of high-crime cities like Chicago, in the case of Boeing, and high-tax states like Massachusetts, in the case of Raytheon. I was pleased to welcome LEGO to Virginia, which will now be home to the company’s first American manufacturing facility. The toy firm is investing $1bn and creating nearly 1,700 jobs.
Every day we are working hard to build a more prosperous Virginia, with greater opportunity for future generations. There are tough issues that we face here in Virginia and around the country: open borders, a fentanyl epidemic, inflation and recession, bureaucrats standing between children and their parents, and violent crime.
Today, too many see a system where one side must win and the other lose. I believe that is zero-sum thinking. My administration is focused on bringing people together and delivering results for all Virginians. With a Republican-led House of Delegates and a Democratic majority in our state senate, every legislative goal we’ve accomplished came to my desk with bipartisan support.
What we’ve found is that voters of all political stripes desperately want to restore common sense to government—whether in education, the economy, public safety or basic government services. This means basic good governance and stewardship of the public trust, buoyed by listening closely to the people most affected by policymaking: the voters themselves.
From day one, our goal has been to make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family. We are keeping our promise to make the Commonwealth worthy of the ambitions of its people.
Youngkin continues to travel and campaign for GOP candidates
GOP governor candidates call in Youngkin for help in tough campaigns - Politico
Youngkin, in Wisconsin, stumps for GOP's Michels in race for governor - RTD
VA-05 Debate
Rep. Bob Good (R) and his Democratic challenger Josh Throneburg debated for the only time last night ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Throneburg is trying to defeat Good and take his seat in Congress for the fifth congressional district.
According to an analysis from VPAP, Republican Glenn Youngkin won this district by 21 points last year.
Good, Throneburg meet at Hampden-Sydney in only joint appearance - RTD
Gone for Good? Josh Throneburg hopes to flip the 5th - Charlottesville Weekly
Youngkin Announces Accelerated Social Worker License Process
Gov. Youngkin announced Wednesday that the Virginia Board of Social Work, a health regulatory board under the Department of Health Professions, has enacted regulations that will speed up the process by which a social worker from another state can receive a license in Virginia.
The changes to Virginia’s Social Work Regulations will allow a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Master’s Social Worker, or a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker licensed in another state to obtain a license in Virginia by:
Providing verification that they have a license in good standing in another state,
Providing verification of passing the examination at the same level that they are seeking licensure for in Virginia.
These regulations also simplify the process for social workers with an expired or inactive Virginia license to regain their license and re-enter the workforce.
“There is a critical shortage in Virginia of mental health professionals, and this is a significant step by the Board of Social Work to help address this shortage," Youngkin said. “A priority of my administration is to reduce state regulations and regulatory barriers, and this action shows how regulations can be streamlined to remove barriers to practice with the goal of bringing more mental health professionals to the Commonwealth.”
Vega on bankruptcy: Student debt repaid, not forgiven - Inside NOVA
by Nolan Stout
After a protracted battle with a lender, Prince William County Supervisor and Republican congressional candidate Yesli Vega paid off her student loans to a shuttered for-profit college that the federal government said defrauded hundreds of thousands of students.
The student loans were not discharged through a 2009 bankruptcy filing, Vega told InsideNoVa. She provided documentation to support her statements. The 7th District GOP candidate spoke to InsideNoVa Tuesday after reports last week that she had nearly $46,000 in student loans discharged through the bankruptcy filing. The reports noted that Vega has consistently criticized President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.
Printer takes responsibility for incorrect voter postcards sent to thousands of Virginians - Virginia Mercury
by Graham Moomaw
A Richmond-area printing company acknowledged it was partly responsible for errors that caused roughly 60,000 Virginians to get incorrect voter notices ahead of the Nov. 8 midterms. Choice Printing Services, a vendor the Virginia Department of Elections and several other state agencies have used for years, was given the job of creating and sending the millions of notices recently mailed to eligible Virginia voters, according to state procurement records. The company is listed as a small, woman-owned business that’s done a variety of work for government customers, including printing bat guides for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, maps for the Science Museum of Virginia and flu clinic posters for the Chesterfield Health District.
The election postcards were meant to inform people where to vote and what congressional and legislative districts they’re in after the 2021 redistricting process, but ended up causing more confusion for thousands of recipients in Northern Virginia and Southwest Virginia.
Va. inspector general starts investigation of tourism ad contract for Youngkin political firm - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Patrick Wilson
The state inspector general said Wednesday that he’ll investigate allegations regarding a state tourism contract for the political media firm that works with Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The administrative investigation will include examining whether the Virginia Tourism Corporation used an appropriate procurement process for selecting Richmond-based Poolhouse to create the video, said Kate Hourin, a spokeswoman for Inspector General Michael Westfall.
Va. prosecutor often sought violent suspects’ detention and didn’t get it, data shows - Washington Post
By Olivia Diaz
Fairfax County’s top prosecutor, who has faced criticism for practices some view as too lenient, released data Wednesday showing that his office recommended people accused of violent crimes be denied bail at 76 percent of hearings but that judges did so only about half the time.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano (D) said Wednesday that his office released the bond data dashboard to increase transparency and identify disparities in local criminal justice. “You can't fix what you don't measure,” Descano said Wednesday. “You can’t address and find things anecdotally. We're actively trying to be part of the solution to build a better system — and data is a big part of that.”
Ex-Va. education secretary criticizes Youngkin ahead of public comment closure on trans student policies - WAVY
by: Regina Mobley
Children don’t belong to the state; they belong to families,” was a statement that Governor Glenn Youngkin made last month while visiting the Hispanic business community in Virginia Beach. Youngkin would go on to use that catchy line over and over in various appearances around the Commonwealth.
At midnight on October 26, 2022, the public comment period ends for parents, students, and concerned citizens who desire to weigh in on his controversial proposal. Under the Youngkin plan, parents will have a say in how transgender children are treated in the use of names, pronouns and activities in public schools.
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