Just a week after the hotly contested primaries in Virginia, where the more progressive candidates won in the Democratic primaries and where the Youngkin-endorsed candidates won in the Republican primaries — November was already bound to be an ideological battle for control of the Commonwealth. Now, to add fuel to this...
Members of the General Assembly who voted for a bill in 2021 mandating that new vehicles sold in Virginia must be all-electric by 2035 forgot to do the math to show exactly how that would work in real life. As the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy noted in February when we unsuccessfully...
Work isn’t just about a paycheck. At its core, work is about freedom, accomplishment, respect, human dignity, and even companionship. Work gives purpose and is essential to a thriving community, and thriving communities are essential to a thriving state. That is why it is not surprising to see Gov. Youngkin focus so...
Renewable energy donor Clean Virginia Fund was the biggest winner in Tuesday’s primaries, going head to head against Dominion Energy Virginia in several nomination contests and often winning. Senior incumbent Democrats with strong Green New Deal voting records went down to defeat, because good wasn’t good enough. Come Election Day in November, the contrast...
There are few issues with more economic consensus than the negative impacts of the minimum wage. Originally designed to mimic racially discriminatory laws in other countries, the minimum wage continues to be a means of picking certain classes and geographic locations over others. For example, the minimum wage benefits the high-cost-of-living areas in...
Over the last few years, homeschooling has grown in Virginia by almost 40 percent. In fact, homeschoolers in Virginia now account for almost 60,000 students — making homeschooling the fifth largest school district in the Commonwealth. Because homeschoolers are self-funded, this saves Virginia’s state and local governments almost $800 million per year. More importantly,...
Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Board voted Wednesday to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, keeping Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s promise to eliminate the related carbon tax that has been imposed on electricity ratepayers under RGGI since January 2021. It was a step long advocated by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for...
Because the federal government cannot operate without constantly borrowing money, members of Congress in both parties recently held their noses and voted for a compromise budget and borrowing deal. That need not and should not happen now in Virginia. There is no similar pressure in Virginia, even though the June...
As the Virginians debate over the direction of education, public employee unionization, taxes and energy policy, it is essential to have a strong, independent voice standing for freedom and flourishing for our great Commonwealth. Round Hill, VA, June 5, 2023. The Thomas Jefferson Institute announced today that Derrick Max has been...
Given a choice between an energy future that is a) dependent on generation using sun, wind or falling water, or b) dependent on thermal sources using fossil fuels or uranium, or c) a combination of both, which do Americans prefer? Should it surprise anybody that the answer is both? Reliance...
