The 2014 session of the Virginia General Assembly is in full bloom. Pardon the botanical metaphor, but the abundant flowering that emerges from barren desert following the first rains of the season seems germane. During the “long session” (i.e., the second year of the biennial budget) we consider thousands of […]

On Saturday, January 4, the Northern Virginia Delegation to the General Assembly convened its annual, non-partisan public hearing at the Fairfax Government Center. Most Northern Virginia elected representatives attended for at least part of this session, which ran for about five hours. More than 70 speakers pressed the delegation to […]

During the 2013 General Assembly session I introduced HB2286 requiring that school divisions report to the State Department of Education the number of broadband-connected schools and the number of computers in those schools. The purpose of this data collection is to develop a statewide picture of the capability of Virginia’s […]

In my previous column, I outlined my plan to tackle gaps in Virginia’s statutory constraints on “influence peddling” by elected politicians and government employees required to file financial disclosures. I apologize if this blunt characterization offends, but there is no doubt that influence pedaling is what the public and the […]

“You can’t trust my opponent, and here’s why” is the most universal, pervasive theme in politics, not “You can trust me, and here’s why.” If you are paying attention to the political ads in the Virginia Governor’s race, you know what I mean. Negative ads are like drugs of choice […]

For nearly three months, the tawdry spectacle of Governor Bob McDonnell’s eroding political credibility has been overshadowing the real work of governance in Richmond and diverting attention from the upcoming November election, which certain to have national ramifications. Many of my fellow Democrats have been outspoken in their criticism of […]

During this past session, I introduced a bill (HB2286), which is intended to address the current “digital divide” in our K-12 public school systems. The “digital divide” refers to the ever- widening gap in access, use and knowledge of information and communication technology that exists between the typical middle class […]

The General Assembly officially adjourned one month ago, and most Virginians have stopped thinking about the 2013 session. The issues raised and votes cast in Richmond are history; now we are focusing on the political future. Many Virginia politicians prefer this focus, because the future is more about promises and […]

The deadline for the Governor to amend, veto or sign the 813 bills sent to him by the General Assembly from the 2013 session has passed. We are now learning which bills he has signed into law, which ones he has vetoed and the amendments he has made. He is […]

This Saturday Senators Dick Saslaw and Dave Marsden and I held a joint legislative update town meeting at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. Before I continue with this column, I must thank the more than 100 people who attended. We were pleased that so many folks are following the actions of […]