Inspectors General are (and should be) vital cogs in any governmental or organizational machine. Many federal agencies have them, state governments use them, and local governments depend on them. They bring to light the waste, fraud, and abuse that can permeate and be...
Noah Page is the first transgender person to run for an office position in Henrico County, marking a historic moment. However, her candidacy should not be defined solely by her gender identity. Page is an individual with original ideas and a strong desire to aid others. Her unique background affords her a profound comprehension of how the...
Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner should not be leading the Virginia Democratic Party establishment in trying to block Alexsis Rodgers and Delegate Dawn Adams. The two Democratic lawmakers are openly backing Delegate Lamont Bagby in this Sunday’s firehouse primary. This Democratic Party nomination process will chose the party’s nominee in the...
While we believe any Democratic candidate would do a great job, Alexsis Rodgers is our choice because we need new voices and ideas in the Virginia State Senate. She has shown tireless dedication to fighting for home healthcare workers, leading field organizing efforts, championing abortion rights, and speaking out against social injustices....
Two bills related to psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms, have been under debate by Virginia lawmakers. The first bill, HB 1513, proposed by Del. Dawn M. Adams (D), seeks to legalize the distribution and possession of psilocybin for specific medical use cases, such as depression, PTSD, and end-of-life anxiety. The bill...
While it is legal to grow, possess, and consume cannabis for personal recreational use in Virginia, it is still illegal to sell recreational cannabis. As things stand, only the state-approved medical marijuana operators are allowed to sell marijuana in Virginia. The fact that multiple bills introduced this session failed to gain enough support to...
RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia lawmakers and advocates are fighting to enshrine women's reproductive rights in the state constitution amid a slew of anti-abortion bills, some which passed the House ahead of the session midpoint. Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance, VREA, celebrated “Repro Advocacy Day” last month by lobbying state legislators. VREA...
RICHMOND, Va. -- Anti-transgender legislation is on the rise nationwide and in Virginia. Even if proposed legislation fails, the vitriol that makes headlines impacts LGBTQ communities, advocates say. Legislation considered anti trans usually falls under efforts that introduce discrimination or fail to create inclusive and affirming protections...
Mobility is freedom, but just as the slaveholders who founded this country never believed in liberty for all, today too one need only look at a map of Richmond’s bus system to see the limits of many folks’ freedom. Routes that end at the county line and buses that only run once an hour are two of the most visible boundaries that fence in...
When I was seven years old, I lived through one of the deadliest weather-related disasters in recent U.S. history. It was July 1995 and my family lived in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, IL, in a two-story house on a corner lot with a big, beautiful weeping willow tree and a few purple lilac bushes in the backyard (ironic to me now,...
