Pod Virginia

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IN THE NEWS:
Virginia has seven news deserts, and the news blackout is only growing. A new report from the State of Local News Project shows that in the last 20 years, one third of America's newspapers have stopped the presses.
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The license plate on your car may soon be a data point followed by 73 local police departments and sheriff's offices, a dozen colleges and universities plus two dozen homeowners associations and civic associations. Critics worry that this technology can be used to investigate what store you shop at, which political rallies you are attending and even which doctors you are visiting.

Community service boards across Virginia are receiving almost $60 million as part of a plan to add new crisis receiving centers and stabilization units across Virginia. The administration says the receiving centers will play an important role in making sure people in a mental health crisis don't get caught up in the criminal justice system.


TRIVIA: Which neighborhood in Richmond got its name because of how the streets are arranged?

At the Watercooler:
- Chatter and buzz about DC sports teams looking to move to Alexandria
- Abigail Spanberger's push to bring whole milk back to public schools has successfully passed the House

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This week, Michael is joined by Kim Bobo, Executive Director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, to discuss a bill that'll soon be in front of the General Assembly. The bill would require Virginia businesses to provide employees 5 paid sick days per year, with 1 paid hour earned for 30 hours worked. It'll be introduced by Delegate Jeion Ward in the House and Senator Scott Surovell in the Senate, signaling strong support from Democratic leadership.

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Sponsor: Early Impact Virginia
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Check out Black Virginia News

IN THE NEWS:
With two years to go before the election of Virginia's next governor, the field seems largely set. Republicans are likely to nominate either Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears or Attorney General Jason Miyares. As for the Democrat, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is throwing his hat into the ring to challenge Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. But are our candidates forgetting that there's a whole 2024 election in the way?

House Bill number one and Senate Bill number one are both aimed at a top priority for the new Democratic majority -- raising the minimum wage from $12 an hour to $15 an hour. Members of the General Assembly will be hearing opposition from the business community. Democrats seemed poised to put a bill raising the minimum wage on the desk of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who will have the power to amend or veto.

The State Corporation Commission regulates everything from electricity and insurance to railroads and predatory lending. The commission has three members, although two seats are vacant, and Republicans and Democrats were unable to agree during the era of divided government. Now Democrats will get to fill the seat--with no input from the Governor. So who's going to fill them?

TRIVIA: When was the last time Alexandria had an open seat for mayor?

At the Watercooler:
- The lack of support for Trish White-Boyd's run from the Democrats
- Interesting new Committee Chairs in the House of Delegates

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This week, Michael is joined by Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson to discuss Alexandria's recent move to approve Zoning for Housing/Housing for All -- a bid to expand the city's housing supply by eliminating single-family-only zoning and to fight discriminatory housing policies. He talks about the rationale and the effect--estimated to convert fewer than 70 of the city's 9,000 single-family lots.
They also take a trip down memory lane through Wilson's mayoral history--highs and lows from his first-ever election launch party (which Michael attended back in 2007), all the way through recent changes to bike lanes, bus lanes, renaming streets, and responding to COVID.

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Sponsor: Early Impact Virginia
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Check out Black Virginia News

IN THE NEWS:
The amendment to the Virginia Constitution introduced by Democrats protects the fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Supporters say it's a way to safeguard against future efforts to roll back existing rights. Opponents worry that the amendment actually expands existing rights.

The last time Democrats were in control of the General Assembly, advocates for preventing gun violence were hopeful they could ban assault weapons. But, in the end, that didn't happen. Legislation to ban assault-style weapons has already been filed in the House and the Senate. But even if Democrats are successful this time, they'll still be sending it to Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is widely expected to veto the bill.

Virginia has a two-year budget, which means that Governor Glenn Youngkin spent the first half of his time as governor revising and amending a budget he inherited from the previous governor. Now he'll finally get a chance to put together his own budget proposal -- a document often called the "legacy budget" because it's a governor's one and only shot at putting together a balance sheet from beginning to end. Tax cuts and education spending are likely to be key points of discussion as the new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate consider Youngkin's legacy budget in January.

TRIVIA: Who was the first woman elected to the Virginia Senate?

At the Watercooler:
- Candidates are already running for races next year--both statewide and Congressional, on account of Virginia's election schedule and some unexpected openings.
- Alexandria's City Council has unanimously voted to ditch single-family zoning--always ripe for controversy.

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This week, we're joined by Laura Stokes, the campaign manager for Senator-Elect Saddam Salim, who successfully primaried incumbent Senator Chap Petersen this summer before winning the general this month. Laura breaks down her campaign strategy--including win numbers, voter-outreach, and overcoming a money deficit--that earned the historic win.

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Next week sees the release of The New Dominion: The Twentieth-Century Elections That Shaped Modern Virginia--which we've covered a few times on the show. The book traces six key statewide elections that altered Virginia politics, how they shaped (and were shaped by) the state's culture, economy, and demographics, and what lessons we might be able to learn from those transformative moments.

So we've pulled a few interviews covering the book, including our interview with editors John Milliken and Mark Rozell of George Mason University, plus Stephen Farnsworth at the University of Mary Washington, aired in September and October.

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No full episode this week, but Thomas and Michael want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving—and a quick discussion on the origins of the tradition.

This episode originally aired for Thanksgiving 2022.

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Sponsor: Early Impact Virginia
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Check out Black Virginia News

IN THE NEWS:
While Democrats have a majority in the state House and Senate, those margins are razor-thin--which leaves open some questions about the balance of power. Can Republicans peel off votes for specific issues? What happens if Democrats are sick, out-of-town, or appointed to executive roles?

With Scott Surovell set to become the Senate Majority Leader and Don Scott as Speaker of the House, there's new leadership for the Democrats--and thirty new faces among the one-hundred seats in the Capitol building. What does that mean for the legislature this year?

The final votes are still being counted in the 2023 election, but both parties are already at work recruiting new candidates for 2025. Recent recruitment efforts like Senator-Elect Danica Roem's Emerge have seen some big wins across the state, so there's a lot to be said about the power of choosing wisely.

TRIVIA: When was the first Thanksgiving? Hint: It’s NOT the Pilgrims at Cape Cod in 1621. And it’s also NOT the Virginia Thanksgiving in 1619.

At the Watercooler:
- Susanna Gibson's comments about her election and the Washington Post piece that may have tilted things out of her favor. Michael and Lauren discuss crisis communications and the tricky balance Gibson may have faced in dealing with the situation.
- New leadership across Senate Committees--Louise Lucas will chair Finance, Mamie Locke will chair the Rules Committee, Scott Surovell will chair Judiciary, and more. Plus, shake-ups in the House seniority order that have huge effects on positions down the line.

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Karl Frisch, Vice Chair of Fairfax County's School Board, joins Michael to discuss last week's elections in terms of school boards across the Commonwealth. By and large, it was a rejection of book-bannings and anti-trans policies, with big wins for moderate and Democratic candidates in many localities, including some that went for Governor Youngkin in 2021. They also discuss the rise of several Fairfax County School Board members to statewide office, and how that will impact the incoming General Assembly as leadership power shifts away from Northern Virginia.