The Jefferson Journal
Commentary
The University of Virginia estimates that it spends $20 million a year complying with unfunded federal mandates, just for its academic division, reports Karin Kapsidelis with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The College of William & Mary estimates its compliance costs at $4.5 million to $6.7 million, and Virginia Commonwealth University puts...
The months since Election Day have brought forth a proliferation of lists of “needed” infrastructure projects. First came the Treasury’s list of 40 mega-projects that I critiqued last month. This was followed in short order by a list of 50 projects that was presented as if it came from the...
Things are never quiet on the climate front. After calling dangerous manmade climate change a hoax and vowing to withdraw the USA from the Paris agreement, President Trump has apparently removed language criticizing the Paris deal from a pending executive order initiating a rollback of anti-fossil-fuel regulations, to help jumpstart...
“On or about February 10, 2016, in the above named judicial district, the crime of FARM ANIMAL CRUELTY, in violation of HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 25990, a misdemeanor, was committed by Robert Allen Hohberg, Hohberg’s Poultry Ranches and Hohberg Properties, L.P., who unlawfully confined a covered animal, on a...
Virginia’s public school system is among the nation’s best, but there remain geographic pockets of underserved children. Of the 94 schools denied accreditation, 55 percent are in just five school divisions. Eleven schools have repeatedly been denied accreditation — one of them for 11 years! To help solve the problem,...
Governor Terry McAuliffe said yesterday that he supports legislation that would cancel the freeze in base electric rates on Dominion Virginia Power and Appalachian Power if President Trump kills the Clean Power Plan. The endorsement came a little late for state Sen. J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax City, whose bill to...
During my four years on the Virginia State Board of Education the most frustrating question was “What can we do about school divisions that persistently fail to effectively educate their children?” Virginia’s public education system remains one of the top performers in the nation, ranking high on such metrics as...
Most people have never heard the term “Chevron deference” and, if they have never practiced administrative law, could not be blamed. But, in the weeks ahead we are going to hear a great deal about it. Here’s why. “Chevron deference” refers to a rule the Supreme Court of the United...
Military dependent children move 6-9 times during their K-12 years, according to the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC). Although there is much uncertainty in every move, Military families typically begin the relocation process with two questions: 1) Where will we live? 2) Where will our children attend school? When transitioning...
Government watchers know there are two parts to federal policy. First, there is the law passed by Congress. Second, there is how agencies implement the law. For Medicare Advantage, congressional support remains robust – but the program’s future lies squarely with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS...