Why Harvard University and the United Daughters of the Confederacy Should Both Keep their Tax Exemptions
Every taxpayer dollar sent to any university or private entity should be closely scrutinized. In the case of the billions sent to Harvard University and other elite schools, the probe being imposed by the Trump administration is long overdue. The research grants which make up the majority of Harvard’s non-medical federal funding, notoriously lack transparency, allow for […]
Trump’s Double Whammy to Virginia’s Economy
No one can say we weren’t warned. During his debate with then Vice President Kamala Harris, President Donald Trump clearly stated, “other countries are going to finally, after 75 years, pay us back for all that we’ve done for the world, and the tariff will be substantial…” Promises made, promises kept. Unfortunately. I don’t think, however, that anyone […]
Senator Lucas: Our Neediest Students Deserve an Opportunity Now!
To say that there is a crisis in Virginia’s education system would be a gross understatement. As the Thomas Jefferson Institute’s Hannah Schmid recently wrote: “The 2024 Nation’s Report Card revealed 42% of Virginia fourth graders and 34% of eighth graders were reading at a below basic level on the national assessment. That means more than one-in-three […]
Virginia is Ready to Take Full Control of Education
Last night, as promised repeatedly during the campaign, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education (the Department). The order also ensures the continued delivery of essential services such as federal student aid and funding for students with disabilities. This historic move will […]
Virginia General Assembly Recap and Veto/Sign Recommendations for Governor Youngkin
Despite a shortened 2025 General Assembly session due to a water plant failure in Richmond, Legislators still managed to introduce and debate almost 2,500 bills — an impressive workload by any measure. In the end, however, a total of 1,440 of those bills were killed, with 409 (or 28 percent) killed without even the dignity […]
Senator Roem’s “Free School Meals” Campaign is Bad for Students and Creates Food Deserts
After failing to pass legislation last year that would have made breakfast and lunch free for all public school students regardless of income (at a staggering cost of $201.5 million), Senator Danika Roem (D-Manassas) pared down that bill to focus solely on funding a universal free school breakfast program this session. Fortunately, the pared down bill also failed in the final […]
A Conscious Veto of Sen. Locke’s Unconscious Bias Bill
Senator Mamie Locke (D-Hampton) and the Progressives in the General Assembly have again sent a bill to Governor Youngkin’s desk requiring doctors in Virginia to complete training in “unconscious bias and cultural competency.” Last year, when Governor Youngkin vetoed a similar bill, Sen. Locke took to X (formerly Twitter) to smear the Governor: “It is a shame unconscious […]
Senator Hashmi Chooses Politics Over Virginia Parents and Children
Senator Ghazala Hashmi, chair of the Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee, is introducing a bill that has no chance of becoming law — apparently trying to carry water on behalf of the Virginia Education Association (VEA) in hopes of gaining support for her campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Hashmi’s bill would require a “delay” in the implementation […]
New Poll Shows Near Unanimous Support for Greater School Accountability
While Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly appear unanimous in their opposition to the Governor’s new School Performance and Support Framework, there is near unanimous support among registered voters for enhanced educational standards that measure both growth and accountability by student subgroups according to a new poll. In a survey conducted on behalf of the Thomas Jefferson […]
Governor Youngkin’s Reaganesque Approach to Regulatory Reform Should be a Model for Other States
Regulations, while usually well-intentioned, are often a drag on economic growth. They increase costs for businesses, stifle innovation, and can create barriers to entry for new entrepreneurs. With a runaway administrative state, simple laws passed by Congress or a state’s legislature can become complex and burdensome rules that require hordes of lawyers or already overburdened […]