By Paul O’Shea: For the first time in Virginia’s history, capital punishment, a grim and tragic legacy, may finally be abolished. That was the theme of the recent annual awards luncheon of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP). Currently, with a Democratically-controlled Virginia General Assembly and growing support from conservatives and libertarians, death penalty abolition legislation could be…
By Dr. Vivian Thomson: Is an African American community in rural Virginia the right place to put a massive compressor station for a natural gas pipeline? This is the question the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board will consider at their meeting Tuesday, January 8. The compressor for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is one of only three along the 600-mile planned…
Sen. Tim Kaine, running for re-election in the Nov. 6 election, recently stopped by to help Democratic Party volunteers “chase” absentee voters by mail. For readers not familiar with the term: An application for an absentee ballot is a public record, including name and address. Political parties obtain these records then contact or “chase” potential absentee voters to encourage them…
By Lainie Singerman: Two very different styles were on display when Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D) faced off against Corey Stewart, the Republican vying for his Senate seat, at a candidate panel at Congregation Olam Tikvah in the Mantua area of Fairfax on Sunday, October 14. Sen. Kaine was firm in his views but showed a positive manner and was…
By Linda Sperling: (Ed. Note: The author is a Democratic candidate for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Springfield District) The Equal Rights Amendment could finally become law in 2019, if the Virginia legislature ratifies it. The amendment needs approval from 38 states to become effective, and 37 have done so already. As most people know, the ERA would ensure that…
By Karen Kirk: Virginia’s candidates for U.S. Senate Tim Kaine and Republican Corey Stewart have different takes on climate change: Sen. Kaine believes that human activity is causing significant climate change and we have an obligation to do something about it. Stewart believes the climate has cycles and we can’t change it. Both Sen. Kaine and Stewart, Chairman of Prince…
The climate crisis is bringing together Sen. Tim Kaine and his Republican rival for the Senate, Corey Stewart, for a discussion on climate change — with a focus on Virginia — on Tues. Sept. 18 in Vienna, Va. The Virginia Climate Crisis Forum takes place against a backdrop of rising temperatures — not just globally but here at home. Days…
By Janelle Hartman: Pride was as thick as the humid air Saturday as Lee District Democrats gathered for their annual luau, where a special guest symbolized the contrast between an inclusive Virginia and those who want to turn back the clock. Anne Holton was 12 years old when her family became role models for desegregation, as her father, Linwood —…
By Paul O’Shea: The last person executed in Virginia was mentally ill. Yet Virginia, which has executed more people than any state except Texas, has no law protecting the mentally disabled from capital punishment. It’s time to change that. When Virginia completed the task of executing William Morva at 9:15 p.m. on July 6, 2017, it had killed a disturbed…
By Karen Kirk: Immigration has helped Virginia rise from poverty to affluence, notes Sen. Tim Kaine. Kaine does the numbers: In 1968, only 1% of Virginians were immigrants and the state ranked 38th in income per person. Today, immigrants make up 11% and we have shot up to become the 12th richest state in terms of per capita income. Although correlation is…
By Brad Swanson: Democratic elected officials took turns praising Virginia’s role in turning the tide after the disastrous 2016 election and urging continued attacks on Republican majorities in the mid-term elections in November. The politicians were speaking at Sunday night’s Jefferson Obama Dinner, the main fundraising event of the year for Fairfax County Democratic Committee. “We wake up tomorrow in…
By Chris King: A vote for Democrats is a vote for … business? That is not what voters usually hear, but it is true. Especially here in Northern Virginia, which is a diverse and dynamic business hub: tech, defense, engineering, real estate, law, non-profit, others. Many of the region’s executives and entrepreneurs are Democrats. And as Democrats we know that…