By Susan Laume: Despite the known dangers, pet stores in Fairfax County and throughout Virginia can still legally sell puppies and kittens from commercial breeders, commonly called puppy mills. Virginia Democratic legislators sponsored anti-puppy mill bills this session, but the Republican-dominated legislature blocked them. Del. Jennifer Boysko, whose 86th district includes parts of Fairfax and Loudon Counties, and Sen. Lynwood…
By Brad Swanson: Medicaid expansion in Virginia will be a major issue in the special session of the legislature that begins on April 11. To understand the issue better, I looked at other rich Western countries and compared the quality and cost of their healthcare systems to ours. The results were stunning: Americans pay more for healthcare with worse results…
By Linda Liner: Despite the blustery cold, I felt my heart lift watching the students of South Lakes High School in Reston stage a 17-minute walk-out on March 14, exactly one month after the slaughter of 17 students in Parkland, Florida. With a small group of neighbors, I had trekked over to the school, posters in hand, to let them…
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…
By Holly Hazard: VA Democracy Forward (VADF) is a local, progressive group working to turn Virginia blue by connecting people, sharing ideas, and taking action toward a better future. Here, Holly Hazard interviews Chris Le Menestrel, its Co-Lead. Q: Other than the 2016 election results and/or the Women’s March, what was the spark that moved you to create VA Democracy…
By Mary Anne Mulligan: Tired of sitting on the couch, consuming carbs, and fretting about the Mueller investigation? Here are a few ideas for taking action over the next few months. 1. Grassroots groups and Democratic committees in Northern Virginia are united to elect a Democratic candidate to replace Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock in VA-10. Follow BlueWaveVA10 for opportunities to canvass…
By Kathi Levin and Maggie Godbold: It was the 14 th of the month, and, just as every month on that date, protesters had gathered outside the National Rifle Association headquarters in Fairfax to wave signs, encourage drivers to honk in support and, occasionally, listen to speeches. But this time it felt different. The protesters included quite a few “regulars”,…
By Allison Dickert Madson: The outlook was dismal when Terry McAuliffe assumed office in 2014 as Virginia’s governor. A federal government shutdown, coupled with budget sequestration, meant big trouble for the state that receives more federal dollars than any other. Paul Reagan, who served as McAuliffe’s chief of staff during the entire four-year administration, remembers the sense of urgency as…