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 […]
Giving Thanks for What Makes America Great
Alexis de Tocqueville never met Nancy Slater White, but he would have liked her. Tocqueville, of course, is the observational author whose 1835 book, Democracy in America, is considered by many to be a seminal work in defining what made America and the American character unique among nations. White was a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania businesswoman and […]
You Just Paid More RGGI Tax, Virginia!
Last week Virginia collected another $76 million in carbon tax dollars through the ongoing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative allowance auction. That was the sixth such sale since Virginia joined RGGI, and the state’s total tax take is now $378 million in 18 months. Do not for one minute allow yourself to be fooled into thinking […]
The Jefferson Journal: Economic Recovery Made Harder
Now that the General Assembly’s “Cops and COVID” special session is all but finished, will it be easier or harder for the state’s struggling economy to recover in 2021? It will be harder, probably.
The Jefferson Journal: TCI Returns!
Having imposed a carbon tax on Virginia electricity generation in 2020, the General Assembly, starting in January 2021, will consider adding a similar tax on every gallon of gasoline and diesel sold for vehicle use. The Transportation and Climate Initiative, an environmentalist dream for a decade, is finally ready for its close up.
Jefferson Journal: Taxaginia Reappears as Special Session Looms
The General Assembly reconvenes on August 18 for a special summer session, and the left has already begun the call to raise taxes. But Steve Haner points out that raising taxes in a recession is one of the worst things the General Assembly can do.
The Jefferson Journal: No Escape From New Rules
The first thing every employer in Virginia needs to understand about the state’s new COVID-19 temporary workplace standard (here) is it is universal. It applies to every workplace, public and private, for-profit and non-profit, with 10,000 workers or two, The rules are the same, “one size fits all,” without regard to the nature of the […]
The Jefferson Journal: Stop the Problem Before It Begins
With the General Assembly taking up policing reform in this summer’s special session, there should be at least one bill stopping a problem before it begins. Provisions commonly found in Collective Bargaining Ageements negotiated between governments and the local police union create obstacles to holding bad cops accountable. Unless the General Assembly takes action now, […]
The Jefferson Journal: Spaced Out, Hidden, Here Come the 2020 Tax Hikes
The 2020 General Assembly, with its new progressive Democratic majority, passed nearly two dozen changes in Virginia tax laws that will begin to hit individuals and businesses in a few weeks on July 1. Here’s a list of what’s coming.
The Jefferson Journal: Governor Punts On First Down
Just as COVID-19 was starting its destruction of the world’s economy in early March, the Virginia General Assembly took final action on an exuberant two-year state budget within shouting distance of $140 billion. Six weeks later at Reconvened Session, with the economic damage obvious but not yet measured, the Assembly reaffirmed the same spending plan. […]