The Jefferson Journal

Commentary

Stephen D. Haner
June 27, 2025

Once again, a spell of hot weather has proven that our economy and comfort depend on hydrocarbon fuels. As you can see from these simple pie graphs from the PJM regional energy market, two-thirds of the electricity sustaining Virginia on a recent hot afternoon was produced by natural gas, oil...

Derrick A. Max
June 26, 2025

Senator Tim Kaine recently sent out a fundraising email where he quoted the Washington Post that the Virginia “elections are seen as a referendum on the Trump administration.” This suggests that voters should cast their ballots based on how they feel about our current President, rather than the pressing issues...

Jefferson Forum
June 25, 2025

by Gabrielle Brohard The Commonwealth of Virginia currently mandates that most passenger vehicles display two license plates—one on the front and one on the back. While this policy may seem minor or administrative, it has direct financial, environmental, and practical implications. With a growing number of states abandoning this outdated requirement, Virginia...

Derrick A. Max
June 20, 2025

After this week’s primary results, Virginia’s more moderate center is all but dead. In two of the most closely watched statewide races, Democrats overwhelmingly chose far-left progressive champions over more moderate options: former Delegate Jay Jones for Attorney General and State Senator Ghazala Hashmi for Lieutenant Governor. Their victories, along...

Derrick A. Max
June 20, 2025

As a school founder and former principal who spent decades immersed in the resilient spirit of an inner-city school serving primarily low-income African American students in Southeast, DC, and as someone deeply invested in the nuances of education policy, Juneteenth holds a significance that extends far beyond a historical date....

Stephen D. Haner
June 9, 2025

When the smoke clears on the November elections and Virginia has a new governor and a different House of Delegates, energy policy will still head the list of crucial issues. It is in the state’s best interest to highlight those issues during what’s left of the campaign season and force...

Derrick A. Max
June 2, 2025

I want to thank the Heritage Foundation for hosting this important event. Having the honor of being on the same program, or even in the same room, as Professor Robert George is a bucket list-type day for me. So, thank you. It is indeed monumental that for the 100 years...

Christian Braunlich
May 29, 2025

May 17 marked the 71st anniversary of the 1954 court decision called Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS — but the case began here, in Virginia. In 1951 Virginia public education operated under the doctrine of “separate but equal,” but the definition of “equal” left much to be...

Jefferson Forum
May 27, 2025

Here we go again. As the 2025 election year heats up and warnings rise about electricity shortfalls this summer, the legislators behind Virginia’s coming ban on hydrocarbon electricity are pretending they see the problem. A May 22 headline out of a recent legislative meeting on energy claimed that “Democratic leadership...

Derrick A. Max
May 9, 2025

The Thomas Jefferson Institute’s opposition to President Trump’s tariff regime is now well known. Taxing imports only hurts those the President hopes to help most. While the President’s recent call to extend tariffs to foreign made films has gotten a lot of press, little attention is being paid to President...