Author: Eric Burk

McAuliffe Fundraises Off FiveThirtyEight Blog ‘Warning’ of GOP Gubernatorial Victory as Trump Supports Youngkin Again

Eric Burk
Terry McAuliffe, Glenn Youngkin and Donald Trump

Expectations for Virginia’s gubernatorial race have stayed stable – multiple experts rate the race as Lean Democrat. Still, Terry McAuliffe’s campaign is fundraising off of a June 7 FiveThirtyEight article that argues the GOP has a chance.

“With FEC reports releasing this week, there’s a lot going on, but we had to reach out with this news. Analysts at Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight are saying that Virginia is ‘the GOP’s best shot at flipping a Governorship in 2021,'” a Monday McAuliffe email states.

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Virginia Closes Admissions at Five State Mental Health Hospitals

Eric Burk
Allison Land

Five of Virginia’s eight state-owned adult mental health hospitals will be closed to new admissions temporarily, due to staff shortages. On Friday, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Commissioner Allison Land sent a letter announcing the shortages, citing 1,547 direct patient support staff vacancies out of about 5,500 state staff, with 108 resignations occurring in the past two weeks. Contract staff are also leaving, due to “unrelenting stress, required overtime,” and a “dangerous environment.”

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Stand Up Virginia Launches Effort to Recall Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj

Eric Burk

Stand Up Virginia (SUV), an organization that is trying to recall Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, announced a recall effort aimed at Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj, alleging that her progressive prosecutor policies are harming victims.

“Miss Buta Biberaj,  you do not do your job, nor have you done your job since the year ago when you were elected,” SUV President Brenda Tillett said at a Thursday press conference.

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Charlottesville Removes Lee and Jackson Statues

Eric Burk

Charlottesville, Virginia – The City of Charlottesville removed two famous Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson on Saturday. Workers began removing Lee shortly after 7 a.m. to a moderately sized crowd, but more people arrived later in the morning to see Jackson lifted off his pedestal and driven to storage. In a special meeting afterwards, the city council also approved removing Charlottesville’s Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea statue; workers removed that statue after the meeting.

“Taking down this statue is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America, grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gain,” Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker said in a speech before the monuments came down, according to The Associated Press.

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Watchdog: Virginia Employment Commission Still Struggling

Eric Burk

A spokesperson for the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) told legislators that the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) is still unable to answer most of its incoming calls and expressed concern about the backlog of certain types of claims requiring extra review. On Tuesday, JLARC Principal Legislative Analyst Lauren Axselle gave a brief update to legislators, noting that an interim report will be complete in September with a final report on the VEC scheduled for November.

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Botetourt School Board Disavows Critical Race Theory

Eric Burk

The Botetourt County Public Schools (BCPS) Board disavowed Critical Race Theory (CRT) in its July 8 meeting, saying CRT was not being taught in the school. After public comment, Chair Anna Weddle read a statement supported by all five board members.

“[BCPS] has not and will not be teaching [CRT]. The term is not mentioned in standards, nor in curriculum. This includes the current standards and those standards that will be taught beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. Collectively, we do not support [CRT] in K-12 education in Botetourt County,” the statement said.

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Former Governor Wilder Criticizes McAuliffe for Running Again; Trump Supports Youngkin; Youngkin and McAuliffe Trade Blows

Eric Burk
Governor Douglas Wilder

Former Democratic Governor Douglas Wilder handed Glenn Youngkin a messaging win July 2 when he criticized Terry McAuliffe on The Jeff Katz Show. Wilder attacked McAuliffe for seeking the support of Governor Ralph Northam after previously calling for Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring to resign during Blackface scandals.

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Virginia Among 37 States Suing Google

Eric Burk

Virginia is one of 37 states suing Google for alleged anti-competitive and unfair business practices, Attorney General Mark Herring announced Wednesday.

“Google has really become a major player in the tech market, so much so that its products play a role in almost every aspect of Virginians’ daily lives, including their cell phones and the apps that they use on a regular basis,” Herring said in a press release.

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Former Governor Harry Byrd, Sr. Statue Removed from Virginia Capitol

Eric Burk

The statue of former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry Byrd, Sr., was removed from Virginia’s Capitol Square on Wednesday. Byrd was a renowned Democratic politician who helped stimulate economic growth and a better road network. But he’s more well-known for orchestrating efforts to fight integrating Virginia’s schools despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision.

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Involvement in Virginia Local School Board Politics Is Increasing

Eric Burk

Public comment periods at the Loudoun County School Board have repeatedly gone viral as hundreds of parents and activists speak out against new transgender policies mandated by law and Critical Race Theory (CRT) equity initiatives. There’s also an effort to recall six of the school board members. But Loudoun County Public Schools isn’t the only Virginia school district to see new growth in public involvement in school politics.

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Talk Show Host Rob Schilling Suing Albemarle County Elections Officials over Mask Kerfuffle

Eric Burk
The Schilling Show

Conservative talk show host Rob Schilling is suing Albemarle County elections officials in a federal lawsuit. Schilling alleges that due to a dispute over masks, officials violated his right to vote and assaulted him when he voted in the June Democratic primary. Schilling’s lawsuit states that the mask mandate had already been mostly rescinded and that he had confirmed in advance that no mask was needed.

“I showed up of course without a mask on because I don’t play that game,” Schilling said Tuesday on The John Fredericks Show.

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As Lawsuits Proceed, Virginia’s Skill Games Ban Remains in Effect

Eric Burk

Skill games in Virginia remain closed as two lawsuits fighting to allow the slot-like electronic games despite a recent law banning them. On Friday, Norfolk Circuit Court Judge Junius Fulton III denied a request for an emergency injunction in one of the lawsuits that would have temporarily allowed the games to reopen while the lawsuit proceeds, according to Courthouse News.

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Court Dismisses Senator Lucas Recall Petition

Eric Burk

Chesapeake Circuit Court Judge John Brown dismissed a petition to recall Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) on Friday. Conservatives in her district had obtained about 8,000 signatures to remove Lucas, alleging misuse of office, but the court sided with Lucas’ legal team who argued that Virginia senators can only be recalled by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Separate provisions in the Code of Virginia and the Virginia Constitution detail processes for removing elected officials, but the Lucas team argued that only the constitutional provision applies to state legislators, and that therefore the court did not have jurisdiction, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

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Northam Appoints Eric Reynolds Head of Foster Care Watchdog Agency

Eric Burk

Governor Ralph Northam announced Virginia’s first Director of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman will be Eric Reynolds, who has previous experience as legal counsel for the Department of Social Services and the Office of Children’s Services. The announcement is the latest step in the creation of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman, established by the 2020 General Assembly to help oversee Virginia’s foster care program.

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Study: Virginia Is the 10th Most Patriotic State

Eric Burk

Virginia is the 10th-most patriotic state, according to a WalletHub study that looks at citizens’ civic and military engagement. Montana, Alaska, and Maryland make up the top three, while New York, Florida, and Connecticut are the U.S.’ least-patriotic states, according to the study. High military engagement in Virginia helped boost the commonwealth’s score despite a mediocre civic engagement score.

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Northam Seeks Artifacts for New Time Capsule at the Lee Monument, Asks City of Richmond to Not Remove Monument Avenue Pedestals

Eric Burk

It’s thought that there is a time capsule in the pedestal of the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond. The Virginia Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether or not the state can remove the monument, and in an announcement earlier this week Governor Ralph Northam said they will open the capsule when the monument is removed. He also invited Virginians to suggest new artifacts for a replacement time capsule to be placed at the site.

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Virginia Gubernatorial Roundup: Policy Plans and Public Appearances

Eric Burk

GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin rolled out a plan to combat human trafficking in Virginia. Youngkin’s plan calls for ramped up enforcement, survivor resources, and expanded education about human trafficking.

“When I am governor, we will not only bring the full weight of the law down on traffickers and buyers, we will also equip survivors to heal and flourish,” Youngkin said in a Thursday night stop in Falls Church.

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Federal Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Virginia Lieutenant Governor Fairfax’s Defamation Lawsuit

Eric Burk

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Court upheld the dismissal of Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax’s defamation lawsuit against CBS. The court said that Fairfax had failed to make the case that CBS’ actions were defamatory under heightened requirements of proof for public officials.

“Fairfax’s complaint fails to plausibly allege that CBS made the allegedly defamatory statements with knowledge or reckless disregard of their falsity, as required to state a claim for defamation of a public official,” the June 23 decision states.

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Virginia Sen. Warner and 20 Other Senators Announce Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, But Biden Says Democrats Still Need to Pass Separate, Larger Proposal

Eric Burk
Mark Warner of Virginia

Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and other members of a bipartisan team of 21 senators announced an infrastructure plan that includes $579 billion in new spending over the next five years. President Joe Biden also announced his support for the deal on Thursday. Warner and Biden highlighted it as a win for bipartisanship. At the same time, Biden emphasized that he wouldn’t sign the bill without Democrats passing an additional larger infrastructure bill through reconciliation.

“This group of senators, and all the American people, can be proud today, because we’ve reaffirmed once again: we are the United States of America,” Biden said. “I know a lot of you in the press, particularly, doubt that unity is possible, that anything bipartisan is possible. It’s hard, but it’s necessary, and it can get done.”

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Republican State Leadership Committee Targeting 13 Democrat-Controlled Virginia House of Delegates Districts

Eric Burk

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) announced 13 target House of Delegate districts held by Democrats. Republicans need to flip six seats in the General Election, and both parties have candidates in nearly every district in an effort to control the majority. The RSLC list of districts primarily focuses on areas around three urban centers: northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Richmond.

“Those are definitely where the battle is. It’s where we lost a lot of seats in ’17,” Prince William GOP Vice Chairman Willie Deutsch told The Virginia Star. “[It] also shows RSLC is trying to capitalize on perceived Democrat overreach in D.C. in these legislative races.”

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Virginia Rep. Spanberger Co-Sponsors Bill to Help People Transition from Unemployment Benefits to Jobs

Eric Burk

U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia-07) is co-sponsoring a bill that would provide $180 per week through Labor Day to people who get jobs after being unemployed. The Strengthening Unemployment Programs to Provide Opportunities for Recovery and Training (SUPPORT) for New Workers Act is meant to incentivize people to return to work who are currently receiving unemployment benefits, including an extra $300 federal pandemic unemployment benefit.

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Commission Looking for Long-Term Loans of Art to More Accurately Represent Virginia History in State Capitol

Eric Burk

The Speaker’s Advisory Group on State Capitol Artifacts heard a presentation from Librarian of Virginia Sandy Treadway about art currently in the Capitol — art that commission members noted largely represented white men. In the Tuesday meeting, the commission members suggested seeking long-term loans of appropriate art from museums and other institutions.

“It is primarily, with one or two exceptions, men who served either Virginia’s government over the years from the 18th century to the present, or served Virginia in the United States Congress, or who served in positions such as secretary of state, secretary of war, so forth,” Treadway said.

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Virginia Tea Partiers Submit Petition to Recall State Senator Louise Lucas

Eric Burk

After nearly a year of collecting signatures, Virginia Tea Party members turned in a petition to recall Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth). The petition alleges “Misuse of Office” as the reason for removal, and the grassroots group’s President Nelson Velez said it’s been signed by approximately 8,000 people – nearly double the number statutorily required.

On June 10, 2020 a protest erupted at the Portsmouth Confederate monument. A man was seriously injured when part of the monument fell down, and local police filed charges against Lucas for “conspiracy to commit a felony” and “felony injuring to a monument in excess of $1,000.”

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70 Percent of Adult Virginians Have Received at Least One Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine

Eric Burk

Governor Ralph Northam announced Monday that Virginia has reached a key vaccination milestone: 70 percent of adult Virginians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Virginia has reached a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19,” Northam said in his announcement. “Thanks to the millions of Virginians who have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated, the virus is in retreat, our economy is growing, and we are closer to putting this pandemic behind us.”

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Republicans and Democrats Field 196 Candidates for 100 House of Delegates Seats

Eric Burk

There are 100 districts in the Virginia House of Delegates, and both Republicans and Democrats are running candidates in nearly all districts. According to unofficial data compiled by The Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), Republicans have 99 candidates, and Democrats have 97. The State Board of Elections is scheduled to certify results from the June primaries on Tuesday, June 22.

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Checks and Balances Project Attracts Criticism over Links to Public Relations Firm

Eric Burk
Sentara Norfolk General

Watchdog blog the Checks and Balances Project (CBP) is facing criticism over its links to the Tigercomm public relations firm. On November 9, 2020, the Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) signed a contract with Tigercomm during a conflict with major Virginia health care network, Sentara. On November 13, CBP published its first story about Sentara. This month, The Washington Post and The Virginian-Pilot reported on the ties between Tigercomm and CBP.

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Developer Sues City of Norfolk in Casino Dispute

Eric Burk
Cordish Companies

Cordish Companies is suing the City of Norfolk for $100 million, alleging in its complaint that in a 2013 agreement to develop the Waterside property, the city promised to support Cordish’s effort to build a casino if casinos were legalized. The city is supporting a different proposal led by the Pamunkey Tribe, approved by the voters in November 2020. City Attorney Bernard Pishko said the complaint is not based in fact.

The Cordish lawsuit states, “Instead of keeping their contractual promises to ND [Norfolk District Associates, a Cordish LLC], Defendants, motivated by a personal agenda, conspired with the Pamunkey Tribe, Yarbrough, and Golden Eagle to deprive ND of its rights to develop a casino at Waterside.”

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Youngkin, Miyares, Sears Stop in Chester for Take Back Virginia Rally

Eric Burk

CHESTER, Virginia – The GOP candidates for governor, attorney general, and lieutenant governor stopped in Chester on Saturday afternoon for a rally with about 350 attendees. In 90-degree heat Glenn Youngkin, Delegate Jason Miyares (R-Virginia Beach), and Winsome Sears spoke, mentioning Juneteenth, opposed Critical Race Theory in schools, and called for tough-on-crime policies.

“Virginians for the last eight years have been crushed. And I’ll say right here, right now, eight is enough,” Youngkin said.

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Advocates Say Millions of Dollars Needed to Help Virginia Tourism Recover

Eric Burk

Virginia’s economy is recovering, but Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) President Rita McClenny told legislators this week that a major infusion of $50 million is needed to help the struggling tourism sector.

“The $27 billion tourism engine stalled out in 2020 as a result of the global pandemic. Every component sector was negatively impacted: lodging, food service, attractions, business, conventions,  events, transportation, entertainment and recreation. The entire sector needs financial recovery support,” McClenny told the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.

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Open Fairfax County Public School Board Coalition Collecting Signatures to Recall Three School Board Members

Eric Burk
Fairfax County Public School Board

A group of parents is collecting signatures to recall three members of the Fairfax County Public School Board (FCPS). FCPS has announced plans to have five-days-a-week, in-person school in the upcoming school year. But the Open FCPS Coalition is still seeking to recall Springfield District Member Laura Jane Cohen, Dranesville District Member Elaine Tholen, and At-Large Member Abrar Omeish.

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Virginia Attorney General Candidates Attack Each Other’s Weaknesses at First Debate

Eric Burk

Attorney General Mark Herring and Delegate Jason Miyares (R-Virginia Beach) laid out competing visions for the Office of Attorney General in their first debate Tuesday.

Herring said the attorney general should work for safety, justice, equality, and opportunity for all Virginians. “I believe the attorney general should be the people’s lawyer,” Herring said.

In his opening remarks, Miyares cited his experience as a prosecutor, “which I think is so important when you’re running to be Virginia’s top cop,” he said.

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Arlington County Prepares to Rename Lee Highway After Virginia’s First Black Congressman John Langston

Eric Burk
Lee Highway

The Arlington County Board is expected to vote in July on a motion to rename U.S. Route 29 from Lee Highway to Langston Boulevard. On Saturday, the Board voted to defer the vote to allow more time for community comment and to refine cost estimates, according to a county press release. The release said the supervisors expressed “broad support for the motion.”

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Richmond City Council Approves November Referendum on One Casino Proposal

Eric Burk

  The ONE Casino proposal will go to a Richmond voter referendum in November, after the City Council approved a recommendation from an evaluation panel. On Monday evening, the Council and the public discussed the proposal. Proponents said the casino would provide an economic boost for the Southside Richmond area including tax revenue and more jobs guaranteed to start at $15 per hour. Opponents said the casino’s profits would come at the cost of Richmond’s lower income communities and could struggle to attract outside tourism. “It’s just not a casino. It’s going to be entertainment, live entertainment. It’s going to be a park for the children, a park for the animals to be there. This is something that is really, really big for Southside, not only just the eighth district. This is probably the biggest development I know in the eighth district in over 50-some years,” Eighth District Council Member Reva Trammell said. Second District Council Member Katherine Jordan was the only member to vote against the proposal. Jordan explained, “I don’t support gaming, my constituents overwhelmingly said not only do they not want a casino in Scott’s Addition, but they didn’t want one, period, when they reached out to…

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Independent Investigators Release Report on Investigation into Virginia Parole Board Investigation

Eric Burk

Independent investigators found probable bias in the Office of the State Inspector General’s investigation (OSIG) into the Vincent Martin parole case, according to a report released Monday. The report says that OSIG’s investigation was not thorough enough and says OSIG failed to identify likely bias in its Senior Investigator Jennifer Moschetti. It also says the OSIG investigation and findings were not influenced by Governor Ralph Northam.

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Youngkin Nearly Tied with McAuliffe in New Poll; DPVA and RPV Attack Each Other’s Candidates

Eric Burk

The Virginia gubernatorial race is neck-and-neck, according to a new poll. 46 percent of respondents support former Governor Terry McAuliffe and 42 percent support GOP nominee Glenn Youngkin, with a 4.2 percent margin of error. The phone poll of 550 likely voters was conducted by JMC Analytics from June 9-12, and was commissioned by CNalysis with funds from 141 donors.

House of Delegates races are even closer. The poll found that 44 percent would support a Democratic candidate for House and 43 percent would support a Republican candidate. Democrats have stronger leads in the Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor elections.

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In Wake of Beef Supplier Attack, Wittman Co-Signs Agriculture Intelligence Measures Act

Eric Burk
Rob Wittman and Tom Cotton

Congressman Rob Wittman (R-Virginia-01) was one of six Republicans last week who cosigned a bill that would create an Office of Intelligence in the Department of Agriculture. The bill was originally introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congressman Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas-02) last fall, but the current House version, HR 1625, has gradually gained Republican cosigners this spring.

“Two weeks ago, JBS, an international meat supplier, fell victim to a severe cyber attack,” Wittman explained in a Friday newsletter. “This marks the second attack targeting the production of American commodities, such as gasoline and food. This attack highlights the threat cyberattacks potentially pose to the American food supply chain.

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Northam Announcements: Record May Revenue Increase, New Secretary of Finance, and Return to Earn Grant Program

Eric Burk

Virginia saw a 66.2 percent General Fund revenue increase in May according to a Friday announcement from Governor Ralph Northam. He also announced the appointment of Joe Flores as the new Secretary of Finance, and a Return to Earn Grant program to help provide bonuses to new hires at small businesses.

“Virginia’s economy is roaring back to life thanks to hard work following the science and one of the strongest pandemic responses in the country,” Northam said in a press release.

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Virginia Employment Commissioner Says Commission on Track to Address Claims Backlog; Legislators Still Receiving High Volumes of Complaints

Eric Burk

The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) is on track to finish adjudicating outstanding unemployment insurance claims that were pending as of May 10th, Commissioner Ellen Hess said on Thursday. A settlement in a lawsuit against the VEC requires the backlog of 92,158 claims to be resolved by Labor Day.

“As of June 5, 66,966 claims remain in this effort,” Hess told the Commission on Unemployment Compensation, a joint commission with legislators from both chambers.

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121 People Register to Speak at Loudoun County School Board Meeting

Eric Burk

The public comment period at Tuesday’s Loudoun County Public School Board meeting lasted about three hours after 121 people registered to speak. Several factors contributed to the high participation, according to LCPS citizen reporter Julie Sisson.

“It was insane,” Sisson said. “A combination of the first in-person audience in over a year, the fact that LCPS suspended Tanner Cross after the last one and the court ruling in his favor had come out earlier that day, last meeting of the school year, and the SB was supposed to discuss Policy 8040 (rights of transgender students) but they pushed it back to Committee.”

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Court Approves Emergency Injunction Reinstating Tanner Cross in Loudoun School Board Lawsuit

Eric Burk

The Loudoun County Circuit Court ordered Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) to reinstate teacher Tanner Cross in a decision Tuesday. Cross is suing the Loudoun County School Board after he spoke at a school board meeting saying he would not use students’ preferred pronouns.

On Friday, the case had a lengthy hearing in the court where the defendants asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit; Cross’ team asked the court to issue a temporary injunction to allow him to return to work while the case proceeds.

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Virginia Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Lee Monument Removal Lawsuits

Eric Burk

The Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments for two lawsuits blocking the removal of the Lee statue in Richmond on Tuesday.

A year ago, protests sparked by Minneapolis’ police treatment of George Floyd spread across the country. In Virginia, those protests spurred politicians to start removing controversial Confederate monuments. Although Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney was able to quickly remove most of the monuments on Monument Avenue, the most famous monument — a huge statue of Robert E. Lee — sits on state property ceded to the state under conditions that have complicated efforts to remove the bronze general.

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