IN THE NEWS:

Marijuana Bill Gets Ratioed: Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed a bill cracking down on intoxicating products with THC. But Governor Glenn Youngkin added some amendments to make sure the bill didn't outlaw some CBD products that help with epilepsy. But the amendments sparked controversy over whether the ratio system is more useful than a standard milligram measurement.

The Ghost of Jim Crow: Virginia's 1902 constitutional convention added a provision calling for voting rights to be stripped from anyone convicted of a felony--and while recent governors created a system of automatically restoring voting rights, Governor Youngkin has discontinued the automatic practice. Democratic House Leader Don Scott says that's a return to the days of Jim Crow.

On the Wrong Side of Public Opinion: According to a new poll from the Schar School, most Virginia voters oppose efforts to prevent transgender girls from competing in sports, and disagree with legislation that would prevent transgender students from using the bathroom of the gender they identify with. The dean of the Schar school says puts Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin in an awkward position, given his positions on transgender issues.


At the Watercooler:
- Governor Youngkin vetoed only 3 bills this year, compared to 33 last year.
- Governor Youngkin is raising record amounts of campaign cash. Last week, his fundraising groups announced $2.75 million in the first quarter of 2023
- DC claps back against Attorney General Jason Miyares’s letter criticizing its criminal justice system--by pointing out a large part of the problem is gun trafficking that originates in Virginia.



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On this week's live-to-tape game show, Michael sits down with Senator Scott Surovell, Delegate Alfonso Lopez, Delegate Marcus Simon, and Alexandria Assistant City Manager Sarah Taylor to get their takes on a variety of hot topics--from last-minute budgets to presidential runs and small nuclear reactors.

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IN THE NEWS:

Youngkin Signs Reparation Bill: Massive Resistance is a dark chapter in Virginia history, a time when Virginia closed public schools rather than integrate them. Now the governor is putting his signature on a bill introduced by Democrats that will extend an existing education fund to help victims of Massive Resistance who were denied education because of the racist policy.

Stick It In Your Tailpipe: On the flipside, Governor Youngkin vetoed a bill that would create a work group to look at cars modified to have so-called "macho mufflers" that make a lot of noise. It's rare for a work-group bill to pass both houses of the General Assembly only to get vetoed, so Michael and Thomas discuss what might've happened.

Regulating Dominion: The often-mentioned "Dominion Bill" has passed the General Assembly and is likely to see just a few technical amendments from the governor. That bill would restore power to the State Corporation Commission to help regulate Dominion's rates and profits.

At the Watercooler:
- Lots of last-minute campaign announcements in advance of last week's filing deadline.


Trivia: In October 2020, we had a guest who predicted the events of January 6th, 2021. Who was that guest?

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Dr. Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington joins the show to discuss the 1965 election for Virginia's governor--tracking the fall of the Byrd Machine in the wake of Massive Resistance, a third-party candidate who earned more than 13% of the vote, and a candidate running from Virginia's Nazi party.

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IN THE NEWS:

High Times: When session ended their session last month, the General Assembly sent the governor a bill to crack down on the kind of products with THC available at smoke shops and gas stations. One of the Governor's recent amendments seems aimed at making sure CBD products were not excluded in the process.

Radioactive Politics: With all the talk of renewable energy in recent years, the General Assembly is now considering a clean source of energy that is not renewable: nuclear energy. While small modular reactors are still in the research phase, they could represent a promising energy future as long as nuclear waste is accounted for.

Towing the Line: Governor Youngkin is signing a bill that will help people whose cars have been towed. Currently some operators prohibit people from having access to the stuff that's in the car without paying a fee--things like laptops, car seats, and even life-saving medicine. That new bill will go into effect on July 1.

At the Watercooler:

- Former Governor Terry McAuliffe is endorsing Destiny Bolling for the House District 80 seat recently vacated by Lamont Bagby.
- Some interesting races for Commonwealth's Attorney in Fairfax and Loudoun, as incumbents in both counties are facing primary challengers.

Trivia: In which foreign country did Transition Virginia first chart?

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Shawn Weneta of the ACLU of Virginia joins the show to discuss Virginia's constitutional policy of stripping voting rights from people convicted of felonies--a policy born in the Jim Crow era. Bipartisan policies from Governors McDonnell, McAuliffe, and Northam have restored rights to thousands of disenfranchised voters based on public criteria, but that policy has stopped with Governor Youngkin. Now, thousands of people being released from prison aren't getting the right to vote, and they don't know why.

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IN THE NEWS:

Money on the Line: Virginia is facing sanctions for failing to provide services to students with disabilities. This comes at a time when lawmakers are still trying to fix a $200 million math error in calculating basic aid to school divisions. The latest revelations about failure to meet federal expectations comes from the U.S. Department of Education, which means federal dollars might be at risk.

Registrar Rage: The environment of threats and intimidation being experienced right now by election workers is just not sustainable for some, with a recent national survey showning that one in six local election officials say they've experienced threats Many have decided to move on rather than confront yet another election cycle of harassing phone calls and intimidating emails.

When a Loan Isn't a Loan: A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office recommends that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau decide whether "earned wage access" cash advance qualifies as a loan--drawing parallels to the payday loan and car-title loan controversy twenty years ago.

At the Watercooler:

- Strategist Jeff Roe is leaving the Youngkin team in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
- This weekend, Michael will be moderating a panel on podcasting for the Society of Professional Journalists with some notable names-- Marc Filippino, Ellein Weiss, and David Schultz, to name a few.

Trivia: Which former vice president was arrested for treason?

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Jess Brown, the chair of the Competitive Commonwealth Fund (an organization co-founded by none other than our own Thomas Bowman), joins the show to discuss the Fund's mission: to invest in Democrats running in strongly Republican districts, closing election margins in hopes of flipping seats.

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IN THE NEWS:

Empty Seats: Several members of the General Assembly are moving to new addresses so they can run later this year under new district maps, as some incumbents may no longer live in the districts they represent. But a line in the Virginia Constitution means those members can't participate in any special session to deal with the budget this year.

Collective Bargaining: Teachers and support staff and cafeteria workers across Virginia are trying to hammer out new collective bargaining agreements. It's happening in Albemarle, Arlington, Charlottesville, Fairfax and Prince William. Union leaders say groups considering collective bargaining in their local school divisions should be on the lookout for unreasonable requirements for union elections.

Return of Payday Lending: A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office recommends that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau decide whether "earned wage access" cash advance qualifies as a loan.

At the Watercooler:

- White Supremacist propaganda is hitting an all-time high, especially in Virginia. According to the ADL, Virginia ranks #3 in incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism and terrorism by state.
- The March 20 issue of the New Yorker has an article by Virginia local D.T. Max about a famous Cuban author who turned out to be a compulsive liar, drawing parallels to Congressman George Santos.

Trivia: What document is former Governor Terry McAuliffe signing in his official portrait?

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Markus Schmidt of Cardinal News joins the show to discuss a busy week for Southside Virginia. Delegate Matt Fariss of Campbell County is facing two felony charges after a woman accused him of hit and run with his 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe on U.S. 501. Meanwhile, a judge says the commonwealth "fell short" of proving Delegate Marie March's misdemeanor assault allegations against Delegate Wren Williams. What do those stories mean for the upcoming primary elections and the future of Southwest VA?

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