Although hunters can’t bag and tag the growing elk population in Southwest Virginia just yet, residents can now purchase short-term trip hunting licenses that were only provided to non-residents.
Handful Of Priority Recommendations From Select Committee On School Safety To Become Law
Following last February’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the General Assembly passed some of the security enhancing priority recommendations provided by Virginia’s first select committee commissioned in 155 years.
Protections For Pets And Animals Passed By Virginia House GOP
During the 2019 General Assembly session, House Republicans worked hard to send a message to would-be animal abusers.
Republican Derails Democrat’s Raucous Racism Rant Over Sanctuary Cities Bill
A bill banning sanctuary cities in Virginia caused fireworks on the floor of the House of Delegates today after a Democratic lawmaker charged the GOP-led bill’s directives as “dog whistle politics.” The contention led to a top Republican legislator unequivocally charging the Democratic Caucus to “clean up their own house first” if they “want to talk about racism.”
The situation comes as both Governor Ralph Northam (D) and Attorney General Mark Herring (D) are battling against calls for their resignation after appearing in “blackface” decades ago.
The legislation taken up during Tuesday’s session involved S.B. 1156, patroned by State Senator Dick Black (R-Loudoun), which would prohibit any locality from adopting any ordinance, procedure, or policy that restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The measure, which would outlaw the establishment of sanctuary cities in the Commonwealth, is identical to last year’s H.B. 1257, which failed to become law.
Black’s bill passed the House with a 51-47 vote, but its fate remains uncertain after Governor Northam vetoed the similar measure after the end of the 2018 General Assembly session.
Though, the legislation is not the highlight of this story.
Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington) rose to make a point about the bill banning sanctuary cities.
“Let’s be clear. Let’s be very clear,” he said shakily. “This bill is really about dog whistle politics, created to stoke fear of ‘the other.'”
Delegate Lopez said the Republican legislation would “send the worst kind of message about Virginia.”
Responding to the seemingly-uncalled-for remarks, House Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) spoke to the implication that he said “many of us have grown tired of.”
“Just because we favor something as simple and clear as the rule of law – that we are racist – that was just what was uttered on this floor with the term ‘dog whistle politics,'” he said.
“For the last week,” Gilbert continued, “we have heard, by implication, suggestions that [Republicans] are racist, in some respect or another, and I am tired of it.”
Pointing to the left-leaning side of the aisle, the majority leader charged, “If our friends in the Democratic Caucus want to talk about racism, they need to clean up their own house first…and we’re waiting for you to do that.”
General Assembly May Look To Shed Light On Subcommittee Hearings
Following the viral video of Delegate Kathy Tran explaining her late-term abortion bill, the fight has been renewed for the General Assembly to record and archive all subcommittee hearings.
House & Senate GOP’s Tax Plan Puts Money Back Into Virginians’ Pockets
The General Assembly voted this week to approve GOP-led bills to provide nearly $1 billion in tax relief for Virginians.
GOP’s Billion Dollar Tax Reform Package Passed By VA General Assembly
Both bills were approved as “emergency” legislation, meaning their provisions will become effective as soon as they are signed by the governor.
Congressional Democrats Block Bill Outlawing Infanticide
Democratic lawmakers, both state and federal, remain committed to supporting infanticide.
All Gun Control Measures From House Democrats Defeated Before Crossover
Gun control’s “dead on arrival” prediction from House Republicans came true.
Bill Passes To Aid Library Of Virginia’s Processing Of ‘Governor’s Papers’
In the effort for providing better government transparency, a bill to aid the Library of Virginia in processing “Governor’s Papers” passed unanimously in the House of Delegates.