Pod Virginia

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IN THE NEWS:
The secretive plan to bring a sports arena to Alexandria is over--and the folks involved seem to be blaming everybody but themselves.

Back in December, Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed a new digital tax for consumers. If you bought a digital book, for example, you would have to pay the same sales tax as a hard copy book you got at the bookstore. Now the General Assembly is agreeing with the governor about consumers and adding businesses to the governor's proposal. 

"Cocktails-to-go" was one of the innovations of the pandemic. Now the governor is agreeing with lawmakers to allow the temporary fix to become permanent-- although the jury is still out on third-party vendors like DoorDash and Uber Eats.

TRIVIA: Which year did the cardinal become the state bird of Virginia?

At the Watercooler:
- Why is Governor Youngkin reviewing race-related education content at VCU and GMU?
- The Governor also vetoed a bill that would give the minimum wage to farm worker--which started as an explicitly racist Jim Crow-ear policy.

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This week, Michael is joined by political analyst for WAMU, Tom Sherwood, to discuss the breaking news as the Monumental Arena deal is now officially dead. What happened, and what does it mean for Virginia going forward?

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IN THE NEWS:
Next week is the final deadline for candidates who want to run for Congress this year, which means that the politics for this year's congressional races are already starting to take shape.  The primary election that's currently attracting the largest number of candidates is the Tenth Congressional District, which is open because Jennifer Wexton is vacating the seat.

"30,000 jobs" has become a rallying cry for supporters of a proposal to create a sports arena in Alexandria. But is that a credible number? A request for more information about how that number was calculated was initially met with silence and delays. Finally, 54 days after the request, city officials responded with a one-page document that lays out some but not all of the details. For now the arena proposal is in a holding pattern after the General Assembly failed to include it in its budget proposal. 

How many people should be working on trains that come through Virginia? Democrats say all those trains should have at least a two-person crew, and they sent the governor a bill that requires that. But the governor is vetoing that bill. His veto message says the proposed regulations disrupt the ability of railroad companies to access new markets. 

TRIVIA: Which Virginia mayor in the 1990s worked with James Comey on the initiative "Project Exile"?

At the Watercooler:
- Operation Ceasefire--Speaker Scott and AG Miyares were at an event last week to announce a reduction in violent crime in parts of Virginia.
- What exactly is going on with the "radio silence" communications strategy from advocates behind the arena?

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This week, Michael is joined by Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First to break down the latest on the Northern Virginia arena deal which died in the General Assembly Session. While there's still a chance it'll get resurrected this year, that's looking unlikely--with Senator Lucas holding fast to her opposition and the one-page report full of questionable estimates. Plus, what does it mean that a Monumental executive cancelled last-minute before appearing on this episode?

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IN THE NEWS:
House Speaker Don Scott says he didn't appreciate Governor Glenn Youngkin showing up on the last day of the General Assembly session and asking Republicans to vote against the budget. The governor has a line item veto, which he can use to make all kinds of changes to the budget. When asked about the idea that he might issue a blanket veto of the entire bill, Youngkin said he wasn’t far enough in the process to know quite yet. 

Senator Stella Pekarsky introduced a bill to make sure that DoorDash and StubHub weren't loading down customers with extra charges--and that bill died at the very end of the General Assembly session when some House Democrats did not support it. Likely, this was the work of some poweful lobbying from groups like the Virgina Chamber of Commerce.

Senator Ghzala Hashmi introduced a bill that would require health insurance plans in Virginia cover contraception, but now the governor is adding an amendment that would allow for a religious or ethical exemption for people who don't want to provide coverage.

TRIVIA: What happens if there is a tie in the election for Governor?

At the Watercooler:
- A Stateline article claims that Virginia's legislature has no working-class people holding office--but given the low pay for state officials, that's not quite true.
- The governor's been on a roll of vetos, and shows no signs of stopping. What does this say about his positions and relationship to the legislature?

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This week, Michael and Lauren are joined by none other than House Speaker Don Scott to discuss his first session as Speaker--his relationship with the governor, the balance of power in the legislature, and the state of bills on gun control, skill, games and the arena.

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IN THE NEWS:
This week, Governor Glenn Youngkin stood outside the Capitol talking about a proposed sports arena in Alexandria -- speaking about it in the past tense. Leading the charge against the arena proposal is Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman L Louise Lucas, who says the deal is no good for taxpayers.

In the era of Zoom, should state agencies and local advisory bodies be able to meet online? Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker has a bill that would expand the number of meetings that happen virtually, but opponents say this would remove an important facet of face-to-face public service.

Republicans who want to restrict the right to an abortion say they are tired of people being used as props. Democrats say they don't want a bunch of old, white men making decisions about women's healthcare. With government divided, the two sides are canceling out each other this year. But abortion rights are expected to be a major topic of conversation next year, when lawmakers will consider an amendment to the Virginia Constitution.


TRIVIA: What is the NEXT memorial to be added to Capitol Square? (Hint: planning is already underway, and Senate Clerk Susan Schaar gave the memorial a financial boost last week)

At the Watercooler:
- Former Richmond FOIA Officer Connie Clay is suing the City of Richmond, alleging she was fired after being blocked from doing her duties
- Breaking down the bills Governor Youngkin has signed, vetoed, and amended

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On this week's live-to-tape game show, Michael sits down with Delegate Alfonso Lopez, Delegate Marcus Simon, Alexandria Assistant City Manager Sarah Taylor, and pinch hitter Senator Jeremy McPike to get their takes on the end of the latest General Assembly Session: from passive-aggressive policies to "peace in the valley," invasive plants, and Jim Crow minimum wage exceptions.

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Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia

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Check out Black Virginia News

IN THE NEWS:
During session, Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears publicly misgendered Senator Danica Roem, leading to chaos in the chamber, public outcry, and not much of an apology. Michael and Lauren discuss what happened and to what extent it might have been intentional.

Farm workers in Virginia are exempt from the minimum wage, on account of a racist compromise made during the Jim Crow era. The governor now has a bill on his desk that would remove the exemption, but business interests are lining up to defend the existing law.

The movement to bring skill games (or electronic gambling machines) into truck stops and gas stations is seeing pushback from opponents who say they represent a public safety risk.

TRIVIA: How many constititutions has Virginia had?

At the Watercooler:
- A new bill from Senator Russet Perry to restrict the travel of local officials, coming after a trip to Ghana from a member of the Loudon County Board of Supervisors.
- Michael discusses the historical election where cross-party voters actually did make a difference in a primary election--back in 1949.

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This week, Michael is joined by Professor of Public Administration Heywood Sanders, as well as journalist and blogger Neul DeMause (author of Field of Schemes) to break down the one-page jobs report for the proposed Alexandria arena, recently shared by Monumental after months of requests. They discuss the plausibility of the estimates, the questionable assumptions, and the lack of commitments for if the estimates don't pan out--and why they're skeptical about putting millions of taxpayer dollars into the project.