RICHMOND — Virginia’s health commissioner abruptly stepped down Thursday over proposed new regulations that would require abortion facilities to meet strict, hospital-style building standards that many clinics say would put them out of business.
In her resignation letter, Karen Remley, a pediatrician first appointed by then-governor Timothy M. Kaine in 2008, said: “Unfortunately, how specific sections of the Virginia Code pertaining to the development and enforcement of these regulations have been and continue to be interpreted has created an environment in which my ability to fulfill my duties is compromised and in good faith I can no longer serve in my role.”
I doubt that the anti-choice right will be crying the blues over her resignation. That frees up another spot for an extremist position. The extremists will say and do anything to advance their agenda.
Dr. Karen Remley is to be commended for her personal integrity as well as her dedication to safe women’s health practices in Virginia. She knows that the TRAP laws turning abortion clinics into mini hospitals are simply a ruse to make abortion more difficult, less accessible and more expensive. She knows that Ken Cuccinelli acted unethically and perhaps illegally when he failed to certifiy the recommendation of the State Health Board.
We should all be worried when someone’s zealotry replaces the Rule of Law.
Nearly 7,000 Virginia children whose families have opted to keep them out of public school for religious reasons are not required to get an education, the only children in the country who do not have to prove they are being home-schooled or otherwise educated, according to a study.
Virginia is the only state that allows families to avoid government intrusion once they are given permission to opt out of public school, according to a report from the University of Virginia’s School of Law. It’s a law that is defended for promoting religious freedom and criticized for leaving open the possibility that some children will not be educated.
Oh Dear God, its all up to Ken Cuccinelli whether or not Virgil Goode stays on the presidential ballot. You know the answer already. I am betting on the Lucy trick. Yes, Ken Cuccinelli promises to be fair and unbiased. Watch him snatch the ballot out from under Virgil Goode faster than Lucy snatches the football out from under Charlie Brown.
“Absolutely Objective” and Ken Cuccinelli are just 2 terms that don’t seem to go together. Oil and Water. Fire and Ice. Cuccinelli supports Romney. He was one of his chief cheer leaders at the GOP Convention. I am not sure *I* could be completely objective. Cuccinelli is known for playing loose with political ethics for causes he believe correct. He even tried to change the State Seal of Virginia because Lady Virtue had an exposed breast (such as it was) peeping out from under her tunic.
The State Board of Elections says Virgil Goode stays on the ballot but Ken Cuccinelli owns the power.
Rachel Maddow is right. Ken Cuccinelli and Virgil Goode take on national importance. This isn’t an ordinary year. Mr. Goode could be Mr. BAD for the GOP.
Here are Virginia’s most recent voting requirements. Note, you will no longer be allowed to come in without ID and sign an affidavit.
Under the previous Virginia law, voting officials could require identification at the polls, but was it not required. It was a felony to lie. This past year, the General Assembly passed legislation that requires all voters to present one of the following to vote: a voter registration card, social security card, a valid Virginia driver’s license or government ID, passport, valid Virginia student ID, employer photo ID, utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows the voters name and address.
DOJ has blocked voter identification changes in several southern states, but cleared Virginia’s voting law changes this week. Our law allows a broader number of documents to establish identity.
Everyone should have their new voter ID card from the State Board of Elections also.
I can’t think of a reason why anyone wouldn’t have one of those forms, regardless of how old or poor they are. Perhaps I have overlooked something.
Several Prince William County teachers, some of whom were placed on administrative leave, will have to undergo retraining after giving students inappropriate help on state-mandated exams, and students were required to retake tests, according to a school official.
County schools spokesman Phil Kavits said the teachers, who were supposed to interact minimally with students during testing in the spring, were overzealous in offering assistance
Twenty-eight students had to retake tests, Kavits said. He could not say exactly how many teachers were involved.
The testing problems were first reported Tuesday in the Washington Examiner.
Columnist Robert McCartney has declared Gubinatorial hopeful Ken Cuccinelli a multiple legal loser. Why? Cuccinelli keeps batting out in his rather grandiose legal challenges. The Washington Post today reminds us about his failed lawsuits that pandered to his base–health care and climate change being his biggest swing and a miss challenges.
With two new, major court defeats last week, Cuccinelli’s record is almost as woeful.
… Cuccinelli is used to coming up short. Although he’s won battles over voter redistricting and Medicaid fraud, he’s had a remarkable number of losses on closely watched cases. Ironically, his much-publicized complaint against Obamacare didn’t even make it to the Supreme Court, because an appeals court tossed it out on grounds that he lacked standing to sue.
Governor Bob O’Donnell is giving himself another black eye. This time it is for dodging the issue at UVA. Not only has McDonnell dodged the issue, it is he who appointed the leader of the ouster, Rector Helen Dragas, from a mere post on the Board of Visitors to the University Rector (chairman of the BoV).
Dragas has bungled her attempt to overthrow popular President Teresa Sullivan. 42 Department chairs have taken a stand against her behavior. The Faculty Senate has condemned her and the Board of Visitors in support of Sullivan. Student and faculty protests and demonstrations have been ongoing since the announcement of Sullivan’s ouster.
The Women’s Strike Force condemns Speaker Howell’s demeaning and condescending rhetoric aimed at Anna Scholl, executive director of ProgressVA. During an exchange captured on video, Scholl questioned Howell’s dissatisfaction with a ProgressVA report. As usual, Speaker Howell’s offensive attitude towards women surfaced. Howell’s remark to Scholl that “I guess I’m not speaking in little enough words for you to understand” is demonstrative of the legisltature’s outrageously offensive attacks on women’s rights.
The Women’s Strike Force applauds Scholl’s response to Howell, Scholl responded “I’m a smart girl, actually. I went to the University of Virginia; I benefited from public education; I think words with multiple syllables would be just fine for me.”
Why would speaker Howell address anyone like that? Anna Scholl was being perfectly polite to him. He simply must just be a rude pig. There is no other explanation. He owes Anna Scholl an apology and he needs to disassociate himself with ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council.
The smug look he carries around on his face says it all.
The measure was inspired by a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the right of governments to take private property for economic development projects.
The legislation passed the House and Senate last year. It came before the General Assembly again this year because in order to amend Virginia’s Constitution, the proposed change must pass the General Assembly twice, with an election in between. Then, it must be approved by voters through referendum.
Nothing got people’s hackles up like the Eminent Domain Supreme Court case decided back in 2005. The very idea that the government can seize someone’s property. Although the moderates and liberals were fairly outraged, not one did the mad thing like the conservatives. What I find interesting is that those calling for the City of Manassas to seize the property in Georgetown South and at 9500 Liberty Street seem come from the conservative wings of the City.
I suppose it all depends on the language of this proposed amendment. I remember back when the interstates went through Virginia. If the state wanted your land, they took it, paid you what they thought it was worth and that was the end of that. Public good. The State certainly should have to work hard to take your land. I expect I will vote for the amendment but all depends on the language.
What will you do? Is it a shoe-in since this year is a presidential election?
A Richmond grand jury on Monday indicted 10 convicted felons on charges of election fraud for allegedly lying on voter registration forms during the 2008 presidential election campaign.
The grand jury indicted five men and five women on one count each of making a material false statement on a voter registration form, a felony.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring said the charges stem from a statewide investigation by the Virginia State Police into allegations of fraud in 2008.
Herring said each of those indicted spoke with a solicitor who was trying to get people to register to vote. In most cases, the person told the solicitor that he or she was a felon, and some of those indicted told a solicitor they therefore could not vote.
Ken Cuccinelli’s witch hunt against climate scientist Michael Mann was stopped by the Supreme Court. Good for UVA for failing to roll over and play dead. However, in the wake of this law suit are a lot of unpaid bills. UVA had to raise about $600,000 to cover its legal costs . Then there are the bills generated from the State Attorney General’s office. Let’s hear Cuccinelli try to tell us to ‘stop the spending.’ He has lost his fiscally conservative street cred.
This witch hunt was motivated by Cuccinelli’s own personal political agenda rather than from anything real that happened or any reasonable suspicion of wrong-doing while Dr. Mann was in residence at UVA. The newly elected attorney general had a bug and he rashly wasted the taxpayers’ money pursuing his own silly paranoid anti-scientific endeavors.
Mr. Cuccinelli’s inspiration appears to have been the conspiracy theorizing that emerged from the so-called Climategate scandal, in which global-warming opponents stole scientists’ e-mails — including a few of Mr. Mann’s — and then misinterpreted them to justify their activism.
Now that the Supreme Court has shut Mr. Cuccinelli down, what’s left is a range of consequences that can only hurt the commonwealth. The university had to raise nearly $600,000 for legal fees — money the cash-strapped university should have been able to use for something productive. On top of that are the public resources of the attorney general’s office that Mr. Cuccinelli wasted. Scientists in Virginia now have reason to wonder whether they will suffer similar pressure if they publish research government officials don’t like. And, because of some of the Supreme Court’s legal findings, the powers of the attorney general to pursue actual fraud have been clipped.
How many scientists will not want to work at UVA because of the climate of fear inspired by Cuccinelli? Virginia has a long history of enlightenment that goes back to the time of Jefferson, Washington, and even further. To have Cuccinelli try to ride his wave of anti-intellectual hocus pocus through the state at our expensive is simply unacceptable. Mr. Jefferson would not like his school under attack and Virginians are tired of this administration causing them continual embarrassment.
UPDATE: VA SENATE SHELVED PERSONHOOD AMENDMENT THIS EVENING.
Rachel Maddow sticks the skewer in Right Wing Virginia zealots one more time as she examines the ultra-sound bill once again. The bill sponsor has pulled the bill. Republicans met with Governor McDonnell this week to discuss the problem he had, being painted into a corner. Some legislators simply blew him off. When it was decided to ‘reword’ the bill, they all decried that they knew not what they did. Rachel calls them out as liars. Of course they knew. They were told by women’s groups and the Democrats that ultra sound involved trans-vaginal ultrasound.
This week we will be gathering information on the vote. You might want to examine if you want to cast your ballot in the future for someone who would mandate that a woman be probed without her consent just to undergo a medical procedure.
Making a list and checking it twice. Gonna find out whose naughty or nice. Woman control tried to come to town.
Deputy House Majority Leader C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) said Tuesday night that he “regretted” his “insensitive comments”earlier in the day about abortion being a “lifestyle convenience.”
“Abortion is a sad and deeply serious occurrence,’’ Gilbert said in a statement. “Individuals on both sides of this issue agree that it is tragic for all involved. I recognize that few women undergo the procedure lightly. It leaves scars, both mental and physical, that can last forever. I regret that my comments earlier today on the House floor were insensitive to that reality.’’
What was that Elena said about a war on women? What further proof do we need? How dare this arrogant man speak of “Lifestyle Convenience?” How dare he!
I feel so betrayed tonight. My grandfather’s family were Virginians back in the mid-1700′s. My grandmother was a member of the DAR, her family were Virginians. My people were here before there was a United States. Yet tonight I sit here, as a grandmother myself, wondering what has happened to my state. Who are these men who came marching in here and decided what they thought was best for the women of Virginia? These dumb asses will be vanquished. Sic semper tyrannis
Governor McDonnell has said he will sign the ultra sound bill. That doesn’t sound like a real good idea if he wants to be considered for vice president. See the bill in full text.
Meanwhile Rachel Maddow discovered Bob Marshall. She is horrified and pointed out how Colorado and Mississippi rejected a similiar bill by double digits. What are our Virginia legislators doing to us? We have become the laughing stock of America. We have become the anti birth control state. I am mortified.
Meanwhile, make sure you don’t swear in Bob Marshall’s district. I hope he listens in. He will get an earful.
Meanwhile, the women of Virginia have to flood the governors office and tell him not to sign either of these bills should they pass the legislature. Gov. McDonnell’s number: (804) 786-2211
When Virginians make purchases from Amazon.com they are not paying sales tax on that item (unless the consumer reports it on their taxes).
The Virginia General Assembly is considering a bill to change that.
The bill clarifies the current law, which says that any retailer with a physical presence in Virginia must collect and remit the 5 percent sales tax. Amazon, which has two facilities in Virginia, hasn’t done that.
Apparently a 2007 ruling from the state tax department said that Amazon isn’t required to collect and remit sales tax because its facilities in Virginia don’t handle sales.
To add to the story, it was announced last month that Amazon would receive more than $4.3 million in financial aid and other incentives from the state to build two fulfillment centers outside of Richmond. Those centers would bring 1,350 jobs to the area. Amazon is investing $135 million in the buildings.
The retail community has voiced its displeasure with the loophole.
