Pod Virginia

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News IN THE NEWS: Lawmakers are weighing the odds about how to handle the governor's amendment to their legislation allowing skill games in convenience stores and truck stops.  The amendment says skill game machines cannot be within 35 miles of a casino or a historic horse racing facility--which knocks out a lot...

LINKS: Sponsor:  My Own PAC Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media As it happens every year in Virginia, primary season is just around the corner! And this week, Michael is joined by political analyst Sam Shirazi to break down a few of the most competitive Congressional primaries heading into the 2024 race. Those include the open seat in the 10th District following the retirement of...

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News IN THE NEWS: The new six-week ban on abortion in Florida will change the dynamics of abortion across the South. Advocates on both sides agree this means more people will come to Virginia to seek services that are not available in other states. But can Virginia handle the need? Governor Glenn Youngkin is veto...

LINKS: Sponsor:  My Own PAC Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media This week, Michael is joined by former Governor and current Senator Tim Kaine to discuss his latest book, Walk Ride Paddle. Over the last few years, Senator Kaine hiked the Appalachian Trail, biked Skyline Drive, and canoed the James River. Along the way, he discusses the last few years of American politics, reflects...

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News 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 sale...

LINKS: Sponsor:  My Own PAC Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media 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?

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News 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 Congression...

LINKS: Sponsor:  My Own PAC Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media 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-pa...

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News 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...

LINKS: Sponsor:  My Own PAC Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News 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.

LINKS: Sponsor:  My Own PAC Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News 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...

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. Learn more at http:/...

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media 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 Vir...

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...

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News IN THE NEWS: The AFL-CIO is opposing the proposed arena and entertainment district in the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria, dealing a major blow to legislation now under consideration at the state Capitol in Richmond. The labor groups say the developer should have entered into a labor agreement, adding that t...

Former House candidate Susanna Gibson joins Michael and Lauren for her first-ever podcast appearance, discussing the Washington Post story and the Republican smear campaign that brought her race under scrutiny--all from videos that she never consented to being recorded, re-hosted, and distributed years after they were streamed. They discuss her support for Delegate Irene Shin's bill to crack down...

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News IN THE NEWS: Democrats say they're not worried about the governor's threat to veto a raise in the minimum wage. They campaigned on the issue, and now they have made this their top priority -- House Bill One and Senate Bill One. License plate readers can read hundreds of license plates a second, technology th...

Learn more about Jackleg Media Everyone's favorite General Assembly game show is back as Michael sits down with Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, Delegate Alfonso Lopez, and Delegate Marcus Simon, to get their takes on the Alexandria arena getting voted down, Governor Youngkin's partisan speech, kicking members off committees, bill hearings, and skill games.

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News IN THE NEWS: Protestors gathered in Captiol Square to oppose the proposed Alexandria arena. Supporters of the arena say it'll create 30,000 jobs, but they have yet to provide information about what kind of assumptions were made to calculate those numbers. Democratic Senator Jennifer Boysko of Herndon says Vi...

Learn more about Jackleg Media Virginia's left and right wings join together on Pod Virginia once more; this time, as Michael is joined by Shawn Weneta of the ACLU of Virginia and Ben Knotts of Americans for Prosperity. They're working together to advocate for bills reform the state prison system. One bill would grant incarcerated people a "second look"-- a chance to petition the court to review a...

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News IN THE NEWS: Democrats and Republicans are standing together in a rare bipartisan effort to get rid of legacy admissions in colleges and universities. But while the Governor has signaled his approval, his comments also suggest his dismissal of affirmative action. A lot of Democratic priorities were cut from...

Learn more about Jackleg Media Former Delegates-turned-lobbyists Brian Moran (D-46) and David Ramadan (R-87) join Michael from the General Assemby building to talk about the strategy and prospects of a whole host of bills making their way through the General Assembly this year--from marijuana licensing to the car tax, plus the fall of Democratic priorities like paid sick days and the minimum wage....

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: Members of the Senate are considering a bill that would allow Virginia's sixth casino, in Fairfax County. Some legislators say they're hearing strong negative feelings from constituents. Senator Creigh Deeds has introduced a bill to ban assault weapons in Virginia, and it's now on the floor of the Senate Finance Committee. U...

Learn more about Jackleg Media VPLC This week, Michael is joined by Jay Speer and Christie Marra of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, to learn what bills the VPLC are supporting in this year's General Assembly sessions. Those bills include ones to combat shady practices from realtors, loophole payday loans, and unfair fees and rent increases from predatory landlords.

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Check out Black Virginia News IN THE NEWS: During the pandemic, convenience store owners and truck stop owners benefited financially from having games similar to slot machines in their businesses. Now lawmakers are considering a bill that would bring them back permanently. Senator Danica Roem, a former journalist, knows that local govern...