Friday's political news: Sam Rasoul raised a large sum in the race for Lieutenant Governor
Here are the top political from around Virginia
Welcome to Friday! The General Assembly is closing out the first week of the legislative session today and it is also the deadline for 2021 candidates to report their 2020 fundraising numbers.
Mark Herring, Jay Jones, and the Death Penalty - Virginia Scope
Delegate Jay Jones (D-Norfolk) is calling on Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) to no longer defend the commonwealth in the appeals of two individuals on death row. Jones and Herring are both seeking the Democratic nomination for Attorney General, a job Herring has held since 2014.
Both formally announced their opposition to the death penalty this week.
“I think [Herring] has got to put his money where his mouth is,” Jones said in an interview with Virginia Scope.
Legislators Planning Criminal Justice Reform Efforts - VPM News
by Whittney Evans
Virginia Democrats and some Republicans have a range of criminal justice-related issues they plan to tackle during the upcoming legislative session. Most of the proposals are holdovers from 2020 when disagreements between the House and Senate stalled action on key reforms. This year they’ll consider abolishing the death penalty, restoring voting rights for felons, and the automatic expungement of criminal records among other priorities.
Virginia's schools should now prioritize in-person instruction, VDH and VDOE say in new guidance - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Kenya Hunter
State agencies say Virginia will now prioritize in-person instruction going forward in the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Education released new guidance on how to safely reopen school buildings and have students return to the classroom, replacing the phase guidance issued in July.
Democrats eye vehicles as the next target for cutting carbon emissions - Virginia Mercury
by Sarah Vogelsong
While Virginia Democrats’ big environmental push of 2020 was the Virginia Clean Economy Act, a sweeping omnibus measure designed to eliminate carbon emissions from the state’s power grid by 2050, during the 2021 session they’re setting their sights on a tougher and more diffuse source of carbon: transportation.
According to 2017 figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, almost half of Virginia’s carbon emissions — 48 percent — come from transportation. Electric power, by contrast, accounts for almost a third, at 29 percent.
Virginia Delegates Collect Daily Payments During Virtual Session - VPM News
by Ben Paviour
Members of Virginia’s House of Delegates may be meeting remotely, but they’ll still collect $211 daily payments during their virtual 2021 session to supplement their salaries.
The so-called "session payment" rate is pegged to federal estimates of Richmond meal and hotel prices. Unlike formal per diems normally given to lawmakers who travel to Richmond during session, the 2021 payments are subject to taxes.
Biden unveils $1.9 trillion plan — including $1,400 checks for most Americans — to stem COVID-19 and steady the economy - Associated Press
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR AND BILL BARROW
President-elect Joe Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan Thursday to end “a crisis of deep human suffering” by speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the pandemic’s prolonged economic fallout.
Called the “American Rescue Plan,” the legislative proposal would meet Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration, and advance his objective of reopening most schools by the spring. On a parallel track, it delivers another round of aid to stabilize the economy while the public health effort seeks the upper hand on the pandemic.
Morefield not seeking Chafin's 38th District seat in Virginia; field swells to five - Bristol Herald
by David McGee
The race for the vacant 38th District Virginia Senate seat now has a legal challenge, a rushed primary, a potential frontrunner who declined to run and two new candidates.
A petition challenging the March 23 election date set Tuesday by Gov. Ralph Northam was filed in Dickenson County Circuit Court. Andrew Rose, of Clintwood, filed the complaint against Northam, a Democrat, for the seat held by the late Sen. Ben Chafin, a Republican who died Jan. 1 from COVID-19 complications.
Prince William school custodian and her daughter die of COVID-19 days apart - Inside Nova
The family of a Prince William County schools employee who died of COVID-19 on Sunday is mourning another loss -- her eldest daughter has also died of the virus.
Virginia uses Google Translate for COVID vaccine information. Here's how that magnifies language barriers, misinformation - Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Sabrina Moreno
The Virginia Department of Health's main sources for translating critical COVID-19 and vaccine information are three marketing agencies that don't list translation services on their websites and Google Translate, whose reliability experts and Google itself have cautioned against.
That’s how “the vaccine is not required” became “the vaccine is not necessary" on the Spanish version of VDH’s frequently asked questions page for nearly a month.
Many Grocery Store Workers Are Unaware They Can Sign Up For COVID-19 Vaccines, At Least In Arlington - Blue Virginia
by Will Driscoll
Grocery store workers in Arlington can now sign up for Covid vaccine, at https://www.arlingtonva.us/covid-19/vaccines/, and the same may be true for grocery store workers in other Virginia counties and cities.
But Arlington County is apparently not notifying grocery store workers about this option. Grocery store managers and employers of other “frontline essential workers” in Arlington can also help their employees sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine, at a different website.
Survey finds 73% of HCPS employees ready for vaccine - Henrico Citizen
by Tom Lappas
More than 73% of the Henrico Schools employees who responded to a school system survey earlier this week said they are very likely or likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available to them.
Nearly 3,500 (about 59% of respondents) said they were very likely to take the vaccine. Another 14.5% said they were likely to do so.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Terry McAuliffe for Governor
"Terry's progressive record as Virginia's 72nd governor is second to none. Despite unprecedented Republican opposition, he delivered for Virginians time and again - restoring their civil rights, fighting back extreme Republican attacks on women's health and LGBTQ rights, and creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs. His bold vision and inclusive leadership are exactly what Virginia needs at this critical time, and I am proud to endorse him for governor," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Voters around this country and across the Commonwealth are hurting, and they are looking for big, bold solutions from our leaders like those Terry has proposed. His plans to invest in education, rebuild Virginia's economy, and create a stronger, more equitable Commonwealth are exactly what's needed. Together with our Democratic majority and the incoming Biden Administration, I know Terry will deliver for Virginia families again."
Delegate Sam Rasoul Raised Over $650K in 2020
Del. Sam Rasoul announced Friday that his campaign for Lieutenant Governor raised over $650,000 in the fundraising period that ended on December 31st. His campaign is relying entirely on individual donors and forgoing contributions from PACs, corporations, and special interest groups.
“When I made the decision to refuse cash from political action committees and industry interest groups, several people told me I would be putting our campaign at a disadvantage.” Rasoul said. “Fundraising this way is certainly more difficult, but I believe it’s the right thing to do. Our results show that lots of people agree.”