Virginia Politics

Norquist: Revamping gas tax violates anti-tax pledge

Laura Vozzella — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:07:00 GMT

Grover Norquist has a little advice for Virginia legislators as they look around for ways to pay the commonwealth’s ever-growing transportation tab: If you want to honor your no-tax pledge, don’t link the gas tax to inflation.

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Virginia Politics blog has moved

Washington Post Editors — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:34:48 GMT

Looking for Virginia politics stories? Our Virginia Politics blog has moved. Please check our new Virginia Politics page

Here’s where you’ll find statewide political stories as well as government and politics issues from towns, cities and counties around the Commonwealth from our staff and other media sources.

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Fairfax County may force smoking workers to take cessation classes, lawyer says

Corinne Reilly — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:10:00 GMT

Fairfax County may legally force employees who smoke to take classes aimed at helping them quit, but it can’t require workers to actually kick the habit, the county’s top attorney has informed the Board of Supervisors.

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Fact-checking Pete Snyder’s barbecue claim

Laura Vozzella — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 23:20:58 GMT

It’s one of those candidate claims just begging to be fact-checked: Pete Snyder, a Republican running for lieutenant governor of Virginia, holds himself out to be a “World Championship certified BBQ judge.”

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Tareq Salahi rebuffs GOP pledge in governor’s race

Laura Vozzella — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:03:21 GMT

Tareq Salahi, the vintner and White House party crasher running as a Republican for Virginia governor, is refusing to sign a pledge to support all of the party’s 2013 nominees — a stance that could prevent his participation in the GOP convention and lead to an independent bid.

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Conflict of interest charges raised over Arlington transit vote

Patricia Sullivan — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:45:26 GMT

Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey is questioning whether fellow board member Chris Zimmerman should vote on a matter related to the Columbia Pike streetcar project because he is a consultant with a major international construction firm that has worked for Arlington on transit issues.

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Environment, economy, energy factors in debate over uranium mining in Virginia

Errin Haines — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:35:00 GMT

The question of whether to allow uranium mining in Virginia could come down to a debate over the environment, energy and the economy.

A panel convened to discuss the issue on Wednesday at the annual AP Day at the Capitol in Richmond largely agreed that proposed guidelines outlined in a recently published state-ordered report won’t completely eliminate the potential risks associated with uranium mining. There was less consensus about whether those risks outweighed the possible benefits.

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Va. Sen.-elect Tim Kaine reaches out, across aisle to fellow freshman Ted Cruz of Texas

Errin Haines — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:44:02 GMT

Sen.-elect Timothy M. Kaine (D-Va.) has a new Republican BFF: fellow freshman Ted Cruz of Texas.

Kaine and Cruz have neighboring offices on Capitol Hill, and their proximity has served as a catalyst for a budding relationship. Talking to reporters in Richmond on Thursday, Kaine said the two have been bonding over their mutual love of history, biographies and trivia.

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Ralph Northam to formally announce lieutenant governor bid

Laura Vozzella — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:52:00 GMT

State Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) will formally announce his bid for lieutenant governor Thursday afternoon, promoting himself as someone who would help steer an evenly split Senate away from the social agenda pushed by Republicans in the last General Assembly session.

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Bill would make texting from car reckless driving

Laura Vozzella, Errin Haines — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:07:00 GMT

Texting from behind the wheel would constitute reckless driving under a bill submitted by two Virginia lawmakers, one of whom opposed new legislation on the matter earlier this year.

Del. Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) and Del. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) announced Wednesday that they had submitted a bill to make it a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by as much as a year in jail and a $2,5000 fine, to use cellphones while driving for anything other than a call.

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Ben Pershing — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:36:00 GMT

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Supervisor Hyland again asks for information on forced smoking cessation classes for Fairfax workers

Corinne Reilly — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:16:00 GMT

Fairfax County Supervisor Gerry Hyland has been overwhelmed with less-than-pleasant feedback in response to his suggestion that the county try to require employees who smoke to take cessation classes, he said Tuesday.

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Tareq Salahi launches ‘Crash the Vote’ Web site promoting gubernatorial run

Errin Haines — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:52:35 GMT

Republican gubernatorial candidate and vintner Tareq Salahi is trading on his reality show fame as a White House crasher with the launch of his campaign Web site.

Salahi announced the official launch of Crashthevote.com on Tuesday. According to a release, the site, which is also available in Spanish, will feature contests for viral videos and unconventional campaign ads.

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Virginia uranium mining ban would end under Watkins bill

Errin Haines — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:47:00 GMT

Veteran Virginia Sen. John Watkins (R-Midlothian) says he will sponsor legislation during the upcoming session that would end the state’s 30-year ban on uranium mining.

In a statement Monday, Watkins said he believes it is “appropriate” to formulate such legislation and has asked the General Assembly’s Legislative Services division to craft a bill based on the suggestions outlined in a report published last week on the issue.

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Va. lures D.C. satellite provider Intelsat to Fairfax .

Errin Haines — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:30:38 GMT

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell announced Monday that the world’s leading provider of satellite services is moving its U.S. headquarters from the District to Fairfax County.

Intelsat will move at least 430 employees to Tysons Tower in McLean in mid-2014. The company will lease approximately 188,000 square feet at the site, which is under construction.

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Terry McAuliffe lines up more Democratic supporters for gubernatorial campaign

Laura Vozzella — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:18:00 GMT

Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman running for Virginia governor, announced additional campaign co-chairs Monday.

They are: Del. David J. Toscano of Charlottesville; Del. Mark Sickles of Fairfax; Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon L. Taylor of Henrico; and Del. Mark L. Keam of Fairfax.

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Ex-Va. House minority leader Armstrong won’t run for attorney general

Errin Haines — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:52:00 GMT

Former House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong says he won’t run for attorney general, but he is telling supporters not to count him out of politics next year.

The Democrat has been weighing a run for the state’s top legal post since he lost his seat when Republicans eliminated his largely rural Southside district. In a release Monday, Armstrong said his 20 years of service in the House of Delegates took time away from his family and business and that those priorities “now deserve my focus.”

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Sen. Ralph Northam announces lieutenant governor bid

Laura Vozzella — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 23:06:00 GMT

State Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) announced to Democratic Party officials Sunday that he was running for lieutenant governor in an e-mail that played up the social issues Republicans pushed during the last General Assembly session.

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Terry McAuliffe golfs with President Obama, Bill Clinton

Laura Vozzella — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:27:00 GMT

While Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Ken Cuccinelli huddled with fellow Republicans at the GOP Advance this weekend, the attorney general’s only declared Democratic rival enjoyed a confab of his own.

Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, played golf Sunday with President Obama, former President Bill Clinton and U.S.Trade Representative Ron Kirk , the White House said.

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How Pete Snyder snagged Ollie North

Laura Vozzella — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:11:00 GMT

So how did Pete Snyder, a Republican running for Virginia lieutenant governor, manage to get Oliver North on his team?

The retired Marine and Iran-Contra figure was the surprise headliner at the gathering Snyder hosted during the GOP Advance in Virginia Beach over the weekend. North shook hands and gave away signed copies of his new book, “Heroes Proved,” creating a lot of buzz for one of the seven — yes, seven! — Republicans running for the office begin vacated by Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R), who dropped out of the race for governor last week.

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Terry McAuliffe announces campaign co-chairmen

Laura Vozzella — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:03:13 GMT

Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman running for Virginia governor, announced on Friday a team of campaign co-chairmen from across the state.

They are: Rep. Gerry Connolly, Senate Minority Leader Richard L. Saslaw of Fairfax, state Sen.A. Donald McEachin of Henrico, Sen. Mamie E. Locke of Hampton, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, outgoing state Democratic Party Chairman Brian Moran, Del. Alfonso Lopez of Arlington, Del. Jennifer McClellan of Richmond, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sharon Bulova, former delegate Shannon Valentine of Lynchburg, and Wise County Clerk of Court Jack Kennedy.

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Group issues proposed guidelines on uranium mining in Va.

Errin Haines — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:01:00 GMT

The Virginia group tasked with proposing guidelines for how the country’s largest known uranium deposit should be safely mined presented its report to lawmakers Friday.

The Uranium Working Group, composed of staff from Virginia’s Department of Health, Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, has been studying the issue for nearly a year and held several public meetings on the issue. The group’s report, which was due Saturday to the state’s Coal and Energy Commission, explores what a regulatory framework could look like if the General Assembly were to lift a 30-year moratorium on uranium mining in the commonwealth.

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Bill Bolling partly pinned hopes on Romney win

Laura Vozzella — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:14:58 GMT

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling has known since June, when rules for the GOP gubernatorial nomination got changed in the middle of the game, that he had an uphill battle against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II.

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Controversy escalates after Loudoun supervisor calls atheists ‘terrorists’

Caitlin Gibson — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:39:00 GMT

This year, Loudoun County leaders hoped to avoid yet another season of controversy and media attention over the placement of holiday displays on the Leesburg courthouse grounds.

But the focus on Loudoun's infamous annual debate has only heightened in recent weeks after local atheists presented readings from Charles Darwin on the public property — and county Supervisor Kenneth D. “Ken” Reid (R-Leesburg) referred to the the group as “terrorists” for their continued opposition to religious displays on the grounds.

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Bolling says no ‘current’ plan to run as independent

Laura Vozzella — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:27:00 GMT

Lt. Gov. Bolling said he has no current plan to launch an independent bid for governor, but he did not rule out the possibility entirely.

Bolling made the comment in an interview Wednesday, hours after announcing via email that he was suspending his campaign for the GOP nomination in the 2013 governor’s race.

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