Thursday, April 4, 2013
Alexandria Sen. Adam Ebbin voted against amendment that will prohibit certain health insurance companies in Virginia from providing coverage for women seeking an abortion.
By Mark Robinson Capital News Service The General Assembly on Wednesday narrowly approved an amendment by Gov. Bob McDonnell that will prohibit certain health insurance companies in Virginia from providing coverage for women seeking an abortion. McDonnell added the anti-abortion amendment to House Bill 1900, sponsored by Delegate Thomas Davis Rust (R-Herndon). The assembly passed the bill in February to comply with the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Under the system, Virginians who cannot afford health insurance will participate in a federally operated health insurance exchange. McDonnell’s amendment will prohibit insurers participating in the exchange from covering abortion except in the case of rape or incest or if …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The former City Council candidate has joined the Commission on Military Installations and Defense Activities, which will investigate the impact of sequestration on Virginia.
Gov. Bob McDonnell has created a new commission to examine the impact of federally mandated budget cuts on the commonwealth and has appointed Old Town Alexandria resident Bob Wood to the team. The new Commission on Military Installations and Defense Activities will examine the “indiscriminant defense budget cuts due to sequestration,” which are expected to have a “potentially devastating impact in Virginia,” according to Executive Order No. 60 (2013). The order says that it is estimated Virginia could lose about 82,000 direct jobs at federal agencies and contractors and an additional 82,000 indirect jobs supported by business and personal spending. Northern Virginia is expected to absorb more than 60 percent of these losses, Hampton Roads …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Does the commonwealth need another name on the ballot?
Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling took himself out of Virginia's race for governor last week, leaving, at least for now, what's shaping up to be a two-person race. The choice for the Old Dominion's next governor, seven months before Election Day, seems to have boiled down to presumptive Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli, the state's socially conservative attorney general, against likely Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a McLean businessman. The Republican Party of Virginia will hold its convention on May 17 and 18 in Richmond to formally select its nominee. Democrats go to the polls on June 11 to cast their ballots in several races, including governor and lieutenant governor. …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The Alexandria PTA Council states its opposition to “Opportunity Education Institution” legislation.
- OPINION
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Thursday, February 21
Dear Editor, The Alexandria PTA Council, on behalf of its 3,000 members (parents, teachers and students) throughout the city, is writing to express our strong opposition to the “Opportunity Education Institution” legislation recently adopted by the state Senate (SB1324) and House of Delegates (HB 2096) and awaiting Governor Bob McDonnell’s signature. While we support the goal of improving the quality of education for all, this legislation would transfer local authority and local taxpayer funding for certain schools to a vaguely defined state entity that would not be accountable to the parents in the communities in which the schools reside. The most alarming aspect of this legislation to us as parents and PTA leaders is that it ignores and …
Friday, February 15, 2013
A bill pending in Virginia's General Assembly could give control of several Alexandria schools to a state body.
10:35 a.m. Saturday update — Alexandria School Board Chairman Karen Graf said the affected schools include Francis Hammond Middle School 2 and 3, not Francis Hammond 1. — — — — 4:41 p.m. Friday update — Senate Bill 1324 passed the House appropriations committee Friday on on a 17-5 vote. It will now be heard in the full House of Delegates. — — — — Changes to a Virginia education bill could increase the number of schools that a proposed state government body could control. The bill, which would amend the state constitution to allow the General Assembly to create a statewide schools division to take over schools at risk of failure, was amended in a Senate committee to include schools that have been accredited with a warning for three …
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Governor's speech will focus on small business and the economy.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will give a speech on small business and the economy Tuesday during the Republican National Convention. According to The Richmond Times Dispatch’s Virginia politics blog, McDonnell’s keynote address will air after 8 p.m. on Tuesday—a premium speaking slot. McDonnell's speech is titled “We Built It,” referring to a remark made by President Barack Obama during a July event in Roanoke that has since become controversial on the campaign trail. Obama was speaking about the role of government investment in infrastructure and businesses when he said, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that,” Obama said in July. “Somebody else made that happen.” The statement, which some argue has been taken out of context in …
Friday, August 17, 2012
Alexandria resident Paul Friedman questions the efficacy of the governor's decision to hold the special election on Sept. 4.
- OPINION
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Friday, August 17, 2012
On Thursday, Aug. 2 and Saturday, Aug. 4, Democratic voters in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County participated in an “unassembled” caucus to select a Democratic nominee for the recently vacated Virginia 45th House of Delegates seat. Amazingly, over 2,400 voters cast their ballots for an election that had only been finalized a week prior. That high turnout number is a tribute to the voters of the 45th District, who are some of the best voters America, as well as the two Democratic candidates, Rob Krupicka and Karen Gautney, who focused on educating voters as much as possible about the dates and times of the election. Even though thousands of voters came to the caucus, having a “shotgun” election is a horrible way to run a government. …
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Should he have chosen McDonnell? What role could McDonnell play in a Romney administration?
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced his VP choice, Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Saturday morning as he prepares for a day of campaigning across Virginia. Romney will be in Manassas this afternoon on a campaign stop. (Go to Manassas Patch for live updates starting at 4 p.m. Saturday.) Who is scheduled to stand alongside Romney today in Manassas helping him campaign? Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who was talked about as a possible running mate for Romney. McDonnell has spent time this year campaigning with Romney across Virginia, as well as South Carolina, Florida and other states. McDonnell endorsed Romney after longtime McDonnell friend Texas Gov. Rick Perry dropped out of the race. On Saturday morning, McDonnell …
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Alexandrian Sarah Shellock seeks to ensure the delegate representing the state's 45th District is nonpartisan.
To the editor: Congratulations to Rob Krupicka for winning the nomination in the Democratic Primary for the 45th District House of Delegates. It is widely anticipated that he will win the Sept. 4 election against his Republican opponent in this heavily Democratic district. As a voter in Alexandria, I am disappointed with Krupicka’s early attacks on his future Republican colleagues and Governor Bob McDonnell for having the Special Election on Sept. 4. There are two special elections that day in Virginia, and due to the fact that the delegate in Norfolk should win the nomination for the Senate, his delegate seat will need to be filled on the Nov. 6 ballot. That is the reason Sept. 4 is the statewide date. If Krupicka goes to Richmond with a …
Thursday, June 28, 2012
High Court ruled 5-4 today to uphold what some call 'Obamacare.'
Area leaders were quick to react today to the news that the Supreme Court upheld President Barack Obama's health reform law. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R): "Today's Supreme Court ruling is extremely disappointing for Virginia and for America. The PPACA will create a costly and cumbersome system that will impair our country's ability to recover from these challenging economic times, infringes on our citizen's liberties, will harm small businesses, and will impose dramatic unfunded mandates on Virginia and all states. Simply put, this is a blow to freedom. America needs market-based solutions that give patients more choice, not less." (For the governor's full statement, visit his Web site.) On his Twitter feed, the governor wrote: "Simply …
Vasquez2
2:59 am on Monday, May 20, 2013
Wow, KEL, any credibility you might've had just went down the toilet with that post. more ›