Tag: Gov. Glenn Youngkin

YoungkinWatch: Virginia State Senator-Elect Challenging Rep. Bob Good Once Described as Governor’s ‘Prominent Surrogate’

Tom Pappert

Virginia State Senator-elect John McGuire, who announced on Wednesday he is launching a primary challenge against against Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05), was described as a “prominent surrogate” for Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) in 2021. 

McGuire, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who is currently finishing his term as a Delegate in the Virginia House before he moves to the Virginia Senate, was described by The Washington Post as “a prominent surrogate for Youngkin” who “often” introduced him at campaign events when Youngkin was campaigning in 2021.

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YoungkinWatch: Governor’s Allies Retain Virginia House Leadership Positions Despite GOP Losses

Tom Pappert

The Republican members of the Virginia House of Delegates chose legislators considered allies of Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) for party leadership last Sunday, including one who spent over $500,000 to win a district considered safe for Republicans after Virginia’s 2021 redistricting.

Virginia Republicans chose House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) to become the party’s new Minority Leader in the House of Delegates, and Delegate Amanda Batten (R-York) will retain her position as the Republican Caucus Chair.

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YoungkinWatch: Democrat Speaker Nominee Wants Relationship ‘Reset’ as Governor Promises Bipartisan Legislation

Tom Pappert

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) appeared to receive an olive branch from Delegate Don Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth), who the Virginia Democrats elected as their Speaker-designee for the Virginia House of Delegates following Republican losses in last week’s elections, after Scott stated he wants “a reset” between the men during a Friday interview.

In Friday remarks to The Washington Post, the Speaker-designee described himself as a “pragmatic progressive” who is ready for “a reset” with Youngkin. The outlet reported Scott believes Democrats and Youngkin “can find common ground on areas such as education, mental health funding and creating good jobs,” and the publication noted Youngkin made similar promises in a press conference shortly after the electoral defeats of November 7.

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After a Decade of Deliberation, Federal Government Chooses Maryland over Virginia as New FBI HQ

The Center Square

The federal government has selected Greenbelt, Maryland, as the location for its new FBI headquarters concluding a search process that began more than 10 years ago.

Congress authorized the General Services Administration to start looking for a new site for the FBI headquarters in 2012 after a decade of complaints about the security, technological capabilities, “deteriorating infrastructure” and other issues with the current facility, located in Washington, D.C. The GSA narrowed its search to Greenbelt and Landover, Maryland, and Springfield, Virginia, in 2014, and state lawmakers and officials from both states have actively pursued the selection of their state throughout. 

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Virginia Legislative Elections in Dead-Heat: Poll

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In the key battleground state of Virginia, legislative elections appear to be in a dead-heat ahead of November, with Democrats leading Republicans by just one point, according to a Monday survey.

For a generic General Assembly ballot, 45 poll of likely voters supported the Democrats and 44 percent supported the Republicans, with 11 percent of respondents undecided, according to a Founders Insight poll. All of Virginia’s 140 state legislative seats are up for reelection on Nov. 7, and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin hopes to hold the House of Delegates and flip the Senate red.

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin Is Working to Ditch His State’s EV Mandate

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Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin appears poised to overturn his state’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate if his party fares well in upcoming statewide elections.

Virginia is one of 17 states that adhere to some or all of California’s vehicle emissions standards, after former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam enacted legislation binding Virginia to California’s standards prior to Youngkin’s election in 2021. Virginia is one of only two states, along with Nevada, that has a Republican governor in office and is also tied to California’s standards, which dictate that all new car sales in Virginia must be EVs starting in 2035.

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Virginia Tech DEI Director May Have Violated School Policy in Forwarding Email Slamming School Board Candidates over Youngkin Policies

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A diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at a leading university in southeastern Virginia may have violated her school’s policy by using work email to forward a message slamming conservative school board candidates as “hateful” and urging readers to canvass for the candidates’ opponents shortly before early voting begins.

One school board member targeted in the forwarded email told The Daily Signal that she is considering a lawsuit.

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Gov. Youngkin Pardons Virginia Dad Who Protested after Daughter’s Sexual Assault by Transgender Student

Just the News

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Sunday pardoned Scott Smith, a father who was convicted for protesting the Loudoun County School Board after his daughter was brutally sexually assaulted at school by a boy with a skirt in the girl’s bathroom.

“Scott Smith is a dedicated parent who’s faced unwarranted charges in his pursuit to protect his daughter,” Youngkin said when issuing his absolute pardon to Smith. “Scott’s commitment to his child despite the immense obstacles is emblematic of the parental empowerment movement that started in Virginia.”

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America First Legal Demands Answers After Biden DOJ Intervenes in Virginia School District’s Adoption of Youngkin Trans Policies

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Trans Flags

America First Legal is demanding answers after the Justice Department under President Joe Biden intervened in a Virginia school district’s adoption of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policies that center parental rights in transgender issues.

“The Department of Justice seems to suggest that protecting the constitutional rights of parents and students will lead to ‘hate crimes,’” Ian Prior, senior adviser at America First Legal, told The Daily Signal in a written statement Monday. “Once again, we are witnessing the top law enforcement organization in the land come unglued from reality and unmoored from its core functions, all in the name of opposing anyone that doesn’t approve of its state-approved message.”

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Global Shipping Container Company Announces Virginia Expansion

The Center Square

A global shipping container company announced plans to expand its headquarters in Virginia with a $30 million investment.

ZIM American Integrated Shipping Services Company, a subsidiary of the publicly held international cargo shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd, based in Israel, chose the Hampton Roads region to relocate and expand its U.S. headquarters.

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Gov. Youngkin Announces Famed Fireworks Maker Pyrotechnique by Grucci Expansion in Virginia

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the commonwealth beat out New York in a bid for a new location of a sixth-generation pyrotechnic company that contracts with the Department of Defense to expand in Pulaski County.

The New York-based Fireworks by Grucci, has an existing presence in the commonwealth through its manufacturing arm, Pyrotechnique by Grucci. The former is an American company that has supplied thousands of celebrations with its pyrotechnic arts since 1850, notably eight presidential inaugurations and four Olympic Games.

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Rural Virginia Communities to Receive Broadband Grants

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced funding to provide 20 predominantly rural, underserved communities with broadband access.

More than $59.5 million in grants will be made through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative, supplying broadband access to nearly 30,000 homes, businesses and community institutions, such as schools, libraries, public safety centers and health care providers.

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Virginia Governor Signs Bill Requiring Porn Sites to Verify User Age

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Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia signed a bill requiring pornography sites to verify their users’ age Friday night, WTKR reported.

The bill, SB 1515, states that online providers who have a “substantial port” of sexual content on their sites are open to civil liability if they do not take steps to verify their users are above the age of 18. SB 1515, which passed the state senate by a 37-3 vote, and a 96-0 vote in the House of Delegates, defined “substantial portion” to be more than a third of the content on the site.

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Youngkin Signs Executive Order Establishing Virginia Trade Office in Taiwan

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin took historic steps by signing an executive order establishing a foreign trade office while meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan in Taipei earlier today, kicking off his Asian tour. 

This will be the commonwealth’s fourth international office; others are in Japan, South Korea and Germany. Youngkin is scheduled to visit Japan and South Korea during his Asian trip.

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Virginia Lawmakers Approve Gov. Youngkin’s Amendments to Hemp Bills

The Center Square

Virginia lawmakers approved amendments proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to a pair of bills establishing regulations on hemp-derived products in the commonwealth, which includes a provision allowing some products containing both THC and CBD that are used therapeutically to remain on store shelves. 

The politically-divided General Assembly flocked to Richmond Wednesday to reconvene for a one-day session to consider the governor’s proposed amendments to 78 bills and three vetoes. Some of the governor’s amendments proposed technical changes to measures, while others proposed entire substitute bills. 

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Virginia Saw Exports Soar to $5.1 Billion in 2022

The Center Square

Virginia’s agricultural and forestry exports soared to a  value of more than $5.1 billion in 2022, according to new data released this week by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 

China is the state’s top export destination by far, purchasing $1.45 billion in agricultural and forestry products in 2022. Egypt, Taiwan, Venezuela and Canada are also in the top five destinations for Virginia’s agricultural exports. Soybeans and soybean meal are the state’s top exports, followed by pork, poultry and tobacco, according to data from VDACS. 

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Gov. Youngkin Proposes Amendments to 78 Bills

The Center Square

Virginia lawmakers will return to Richmond next week to consider Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed amendments and recommendations to 78 bills sent to his desk during the legislative session.

Last week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed more than 700 bills into law, vetoed three bills and submitted recommendations for 78 others. The legislature is set to reconvene for a one-day session in Richmond April 12 to consider the governor’s proposed recommendations and take votes on whether to accept or reject the governor’s amendments.

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Virginia Gov. Youngkin’s Administration Seeks Changes to Bills Setting Hemp Regulations

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is requesting changes to a pair of bills dealing with the regulation of hemp-derived products in the commonwealth, proposing an exemption that would allow some CBD products with THC to remain on store shelves. 

After weeks of debate and several amendments, lawmakers in the General Assembly voted to pass a pair of bills that limits the amount of THC – a chemical found in the marijuana plant that can be intoxicating to consumers – included in a hemp product to a concentration of 0.3% and two milligrams per package. The bills also establish labeling, testing and packaging requirements for hemp-derived products. 

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Virginia Gov. Youngkin Signs into Law More than 700 New Measures

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed more than 700 bills sent to his desk by the General Assembly by Monday’s action deadline, approving a slew of new laws that will take effect by July 1. 

The governor approved 738 bills by Monday’s action deadline and vetoed three as of Tuesday at 3 p.m., according to the state’s bill tracking system. The governor has also issued recommendations and amendments to 78 other measures, which the General Assembly will consider when it reconvenes in Richmond April 12. 

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New Laws Mean Greater ‘Buying Power’ for People with Disabilities

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law a pair of bills Monday aimed at providing greater financial flexibility for individuals with developmental disabilities who receive waiver services – a move supporters say will translate to greater “buying power” for people with disabilities to invest in technology that allows them to live independently. 

Virginia currently offers several kinds of Disability Waivers – including Community Living, Family and Individual Supports, and Building Independence waivers – for individuals diagnosed with a developmental disability. The waivers offer long-term support for people with developmental disabilities and include access to services, including assistive technology and electronic home-based services. 

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Virginia General Assembly Adjourns after Passing ‘Stopgap’ Budget, No Final Deal

The Center Square

The politically-divided Virginia General Assembly agreed on a “stopgap” budget bill before lawmakers adjourned the legislative session Saturday, with lawmakers indicating work remains to reach a final deal on amendments to the state’s two-year state spending plan. 

Without an agreement reached on key aspects of proposed amendments to the state’s budget – including $1 billion in tax cuts proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin – the legislature agreed to pass what House Appropriations Committee Chair Del. Barry Knight described as a “stopgap” budget with just a few items. 

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‘Democrats Should Be Ashamed:’ Youngkin Condemns Removal of Parent from Virginia Education Board

Admin

Virginia Democrats who voted to remove concerned parent Suparna Dutta from the state’s Board of Education on Tuesday should be “ashamed,” according to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office.  

“In an appalling show of partisanship, Senate Democrats said the quiet part out loud: Parents aren’t qualified to advise on education in Virginia,” Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter told The Daily Signal. “Suparna Dutta immigrated from India, exemplifies the American dream, and is a Fairfax County public school parent, who has continually advocated for parents and students to have a voice in their education.”

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Gov. Youngkin Condemns Black Lives Matter at School Push in Virginia Ed Union: ‘This Will Not Be Tolerated’

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Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office said the Black Lives Matter at School toolkit released by a Virginia teacher’s union “will not be tolerated.”  

The Virginia Education Association’s Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action toolkit champions BLM’s 13 principles in the classroom. It uses kindergarten through 12th grade lesson plans made by the education branch of the Southern Poverty Law Center to teach students principles including “transgender affirming,” “queer affirming,” “restorative justice,” and “globalism.”  

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Virginia Lawmakers Divided over Gov. Youngkin’s Tax Cuts, Spending Plans

The Center Square

With just a few weeks left in the legislative session, Virginia lawmakers in the House and Senate disagree on whether or not a key piece of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed budget amendments – $1 billion in tax cuts – should be included in the state’s amended spending plan. 

Proposed amendments to the biennial budget presented by both the House and Senate money committees Sunday, reveals disagreement between the two chambers over the inclusion of Youngkin’s proposed $1 billion in tax reductions. 

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Economic Experts Weigh Youngkin’s Decision to Halt Virginia Ford Plant

The Center Square

Growth in plants connected to electric vehicles has roared across the country.

Not everyone, however, is quickly jumping in.

When Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said last week that he stopped efforts to establish a Ford Motors battery plant at a megasite in the state due to its Chinese partner, it was the first time University of Texas professor Nathan Jensen could recall a state rejecting an economic incentive deal for a battery plant.

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Youngkin Unveils New Plan, Announces $230 Million for Behavioral Health in Virginia

The Center Square

Gov. Glenn Youngkin will propose $230 million in his upcoming budget amendments to bolster Virginia’s behavioral health system and build crisis care capacity as part of a three-year plan unveiled Wednesday.

Youngkin’s plan, titled “Right Help, Right Now,” is aiming to reshape the state’s strained behavioral health care system. The plan outlines a six-pronged approach – ensuring same-day care for individuals in a behavioral health crisis, relieving the burden of law enforcement and decriminalizing behavioral health, building capacity for treatment beyond hospitals, targeting substance use disorder treatment, prioritizing the behavioral workforce in underserved communities and innovating crisis care services.

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Virginia Companies, Research Universities Get $1.5 Million in Tech Grants

The Center Square
Rotunda at University of Virginia

Virginia companies and research universities will receive more than $1.5 million to fund 24 technology-related projects in the commonwealth.

The technology funding will be awarded through the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation’s Commonwealth Commercialization Fund. The program was launched in 2020 to promote technologies that could yield more economic development and job creation in the state, according to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office.

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Youngkin Responds to Trump Dig: ‘That’s Not the Way I Roll’

Just the News

Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday brushed off former President Trump’s criticism of him – which followed his lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, saying Trump should remove himself from GOP electoral politics. 

“Listen, you all know me,” Youngkin told reporters. “I do not call people names. I really work hard to bring people together … . That’s not the way I roll and not the way I behave.”

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Youngkin Defends Gender Identity Policies: ‘Children Don’t Belong to the State’

Just the News

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin defended his policy regarding gender identity rules for the public school system, saying children don’t belong to the state.

Under the rules, student bathrooms and sports teams should be based on sex assigned at birth, not gender identity. Parental approval would be required if a student wants to change their name, according to the new policy.

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Commentary: Youngkin Is Right – Under Democrat Rule, Virginia Is a Border State

Admin

Recently, Virginia Democrats and dishonest mainstream media pundits have attempted to dunk on Governor Youngkin for saying that under Democrat rule, “Virginia is a border state.” But while Virginia doesn’t share a physical border with Mexico, Governor Youngkin’s comments nonetheless underscore a stark reality for Americans in Virginia and throughout the entire country – thanks to Joe Biden and failed Democrat policies, every state is now a border state.

Governor Youngkin’s comments on Fox News were in reference to the opioid crisis that is sweeping our nation – a crisis that Democrats are apparently oblivious to or unwilling to acknowledge is directly related to the surge of illegal immigration at our southern border. The entire country, not just border states, is experiencing a spike in fentanyl overdoses as thousands of pounds of the deadly narcotic pour into the country. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 107,000 fatal drug overdoses in 2021, the highest number on record. In just the past two months, border patrol officers have seized more than 5 million fentanyl pills at just the border crossing in Nogales, Arizona.

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Youngkin Still Wants Commanders in Virginia, Path Unclear

The Center Square

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants the Washington Commanders to relocate to Virginia, but after funding plans fell apart during the last legislative session, the path forward is not yet clear.

“If the Commanders are going to relocate they should relocate to Virginia,” Youngkin recently said while visiting Annandale for a rally geared toward parents, according to ABC 7.

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Commentary: Virginia is Ground Zero for the ‘Latino Realignment’

Admin

The left denies it, but it’s truly happening – a massive realignment is underway in the American electorate as Latinos are leaning in with the GOP. This November, Republicans are running Hispanic nominees in key battleground districts, headlined by rising stars like Myra Flores, Cassy Garcia, and Monica De La Cruz in Texas, Michelle Garcia Holmes and Alexis Martinez Johnson in New Mexico, Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon – and of course, Yesli Vega in Virginia. Over the past two years, the Old Dominion has been ground zero for this shift, providing a glimpse into what the future of the Republican Party might look like on a national scale.

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The University of Virginia Will Not Say If 4.7 Percent Tuition Increase Will Be Reversed

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All but one public university in Virginia are taking steps to address students’ tuition burden after a call to action from the governor. 

Earlier this year, Glenn Youngkin requested that the commonwealth’s public universities reverse their planned tuition increases, citing inflation.

The University of Virginia (UVA) is the only public university not to announce a plan to reverse its tuition increase. NBC29 reports that UVA students will see a 4.7% tuition and fee increase, raising rates for first-year in-state students to $14,878 and $50,348 for out-of-state students. 

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Virginia Budget Deal Includes Middle-Class Tax Cuts, Grocery Tax Cut

The Center Square

After months of debate about Virginia’s biennium budget, lawmakers reached a deal to provide an income tax cut for the middle class, a reduction in the grocery tax and a pay raise for teachers.

The deal earned approval from Republicans and Democrats in a joint conference committee, but still needs to pass the House of Delegates and the Senate and be signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Republicans narrowly control the House and Democrats narrowly control the Senate.

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Youngkin in ‘Utter Disbelief’ over Supreme Court Decision Leak

Peter D'Abrosca

Virginia’s Governor Tuesday reacted strongly to the news that the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS) confidentiality had been violated, and a draft of its decision in a high-profile abortion case has been released. 

“I am in utter disbelief that the sacred confidentiality of the Supreme Court would be violated in this manner,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in a press release.

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Virginia Prohibition on School Mask Mandates to Be Determined by Courts

The Center Square

A new Virginia law prohibits school divisions from enforcing face mask mandates, but at least one school district and some parents are suing the commonwealth to overturn the legislation.

Senate Bill 739, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law in February, allows parents to opt their children out of any school-imposed mask rules. Under the legislation, which school districts were required to comply with beginning March 1, school officials are prohibited from using any disciplinary or academic punishments to enforce mask rules if a parent opted a student out.

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Virginia Democrats Encourage House GOP to Back Felon Voting Rights Constitutional Amendment

The Center Square

Virginia House and Senate Democrats are urging House Republicans to support resolutions to allow voters to decide the fate of two proposed constitutional amendments: the automatic restoration of voting rights for felons and same-sex marriage rights.

To adopt a constitutional amendment, both chambers of the General Assembly must pass two identical resolutions two years in a row, with a House of Delegates election in between those years. If approved in the Legislature, the proposed amendment would appear on the general ballot during the fall elections. If supported by the majority of voters, the proposed amendment would be adopted.

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Youngkin Stays on Virginia Public Schools, Rescinds Curricula Found in Violation of Civil Rights

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Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday followed through on his first official initiative after taking office in January to review, then rescind what his considers “inherently divisive concepts including Critical Race Theory” in commonwealth public school curricula.

Youngkin announced the move in a 19-page report in which he states: “Executive Order One charged the [commonwealth’s] superintendent of Public Instruction to begin the work of identifying and addressing inherently divisive concepts including ‘Critical Race Theory. … This interim report rescinds certain policies, programs and resources that promote discriminatory and divisive concepts as directed by Executive Order One.”

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Loudoun County Public Schools Won’t Comment After Judge Orders It to Follow Executive Order on Masks

Peter D'Abrosca

After a group of parents sued Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) for forcing students to continue wearing masks despite Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) issuing executive order banning that practice, LCPS declined to comment on the situation. 

Wayde B. Byard, LCPS’ public information officer, told The Virginia Star Thursday that the only comment he could offer was already made by Superintendent Scott Ziegler. 

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Court: Virginia County Can’t Enforce Mask Rules, Must Expunge Punishments

The Center Square

A court ordered that Loudoun County, Virginia Public Schools cannot enforce its mask mandate on students and will need to expunge students’ records if they had been punished for not wearing masks.

Loudoun County schools had intended to end the mask mandate Feb. 22, but the court order requires them to end it immediately. The school district immediately complied with the order and sent a letter to the school community, students and staff that explained the new policy.

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Virginia Mom Rips Into School Board over Hypocritical Mask Rules

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A Virginia mother addressed her children’s school board Thursday night regarding the district’s mask mandate, which subverts Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order allowing parents to choose whether or not to mask their children in school.

A Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) mother, Carrie Lukas, condemned the school board for requiring children to mask up for school while “across Virginia, right now, adults are gathering in gyms, bars and clubs and laughing together maskless.”

“Yet my five kids spent all day today, eight hours, in masks in Fairfax County Public Schools,” she said. “My first grader has never been inside his school without a mask. He’s never had a chance to smile at his friends or hear his teachers’ unmuffled voice, and it is outrageous and ridiculous.”

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