By Brad Swanson: Virginia’s citizen boards will retain control over pollution emitters for at least another year as a bill to transfer this authority to a state agency has been downgraded to require passage by two consecutive annual legislatures. In…
By Susan Laume: Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) announced Virginia’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) on Monday, Jan. 27. In her official statement, she said, “We stand today on the shoulders of the thousands of women —…
By Bob Burnley: A current bill in the Virginia House would seriously weaken environmental protection by transferring power from citizen boards to a state agency. This is a terrible idea. I should know — I am a former director of…
The 50+ Committee of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee spent a busy day in Richmond on Jan. 16 meeting with state lawmakers on issues that are key to seniors. Sen. Dick Saslaw (D-35), the Senate’s majority leader, recognized the group…
By Marcus R. Motta: Am I sick of Republican gerrymandering? Yes, and I am proud that I helped Democrats win control of both houses of the Virginia legislature last November. I wish I could have done more, like a lot…
As the Virginia state legislature opened for business this week, Northern Virginia legislators scored more than half the standing committee chair positions – as well as providing the Senate Majority Leader, Speaker of the House, and House Majority Leader. Senators…
Gun rights advocates interrupted speakers frequently with boos, shouts and chants as the Fairfax County state legislative delegation held its traditional public forum on Jan. 4, four days in advance of the opening of the General Assembly this Wednesday. Gun…
Andrew Pavord and Saddam Azlan Salim have been elected co-chairs of Providence District Democratic Committee for 2020-21. Providence, like all Democratic committees in Fairfax County magisterial districts, is undergoing a biennial top to bottom reorganization, including election of new members…
By Susan Laume: The Fairfax County Government Center auditorium was packed, despite cold and rainy weather, as elected officials, including Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay, took their oaths of office on December 16. Several hundred friends, family and well-wishers…
Democratic Party committees in each of Fairfax County’s nine magisterial districts are electing officers as Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC, website here) starts its new biannual cycle. (See story on FCDC reorganization here). In this article, we report on Springfield…
By Brad Swanson: Even as Fairfax County grows more blue, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee is growing smaller — deliberately. FCDC, which is the core of Democratic Party activism in the county (click here for website), has decided to constrain membership…
By Susan Laume: A large group of Northern Virginians interested in redistricting reform and several of their legislators attended a League of Women Voters (LWV) forum on the topic on Sunday at Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax. Virginia Del. Mark…
By Rep. Gerry Connolly: When I first ran for office here in Fairfax County in 1995, it was a Republican place. Democrats could and did win elections, but the default was Republican. Today, there are just four remaining Republicans representing…
By Todd Smyth: The “Public Option” for healthcare insurance was a distraction, promoted several years ago by the insurance industry, to keep people from supporting a single-payer system. Pres. Barack Obama actually dropped his support for a public option in…