Pod Virginia

IN THE NEWS: Both parties are showing huge fundraising numbers, suggesting this election cycle will be one of the hardest-fought in recent memory--as some incumbents race against each other and many new seats have opened up to challengers. Democrats have a fundraising edge, but they may burn through a significant amount of cash before the June 20 primary. Virginia is finally seeing a labor force p...

In this second half of our interview with, Colonel Larry Wilkerson, Thomas and Aaryan ask about his thoughts on the failed Ford electric vehicle plant, the threat of white supremacy in society and the military, and how China's biggest threat to the US is economic, rather than physical--and how we might just want to have more faith in America's ability to compete in the market. Learn more at http:/...

IN THE NEWS: Governor Youngkin recently proposed an amendment to a bill that would allow non-utility third parties to compete to operate offshore wind turbines. The amendment had lots of support, but the General Assembly rejected it without a vote. Labor leaders want to make sure Virginia's labor history is part of the history standards currently under consideration by the Virginia Board of Educat...

In this first of a two-part interview, Colonel Larry Wilkerson joins Thomas and Aaryan to discuss a variety of topics related to national security--why the Pentagon considers climate change to be the biggest threat to America, how the balance of geopolitical power involves the energy sector, and the role Virginia will have in these issues going forward. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia...

IN THE NEWS: Marijuana Bill Gets Ratioed: Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed a bill cracking down on intoxicating products with THC. But Governor Glenn Youngkin added some amendments to make sure the bill didn't outlaw some CBD products that help with epilepsy. But the amendments sparked controversy over whether the ratio system is more useful than a standard milligram measurement. The...

On this week's live-to-tape game show, Michael sits down with Senator Scott Surovell, Delegate Alfonso Lopez, Delegate Marcus Simon, and Alexandria Assistant City Manager Sarah Taylor to get their takes on a variety of hot topics--from last-minute budgets to presidential runs and small nuclear reactors. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Reco...

IN THE NEWS: Youngkin Signs Reparation Bill: Massive Resistance is a dark chapter in Virginia history, a time when Virginia closed public schools rather than integrate them. Now the governor is putting his signature on a bill introduced by Democrats that will extend an existing education fund to help victims of Massive Resistance who were denied education because of the racist policy. Stick It In...

Dr. Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington joins the show to discuss the 1965 election for Virginia's governor--tracking the fall of the Byrd Machine in the wake of Massive Resistance, a third-party candidate who earned more than 13% of the vote, and a candidate running from Virginia's Nazi party. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Add...

IN THE NEWS: High Times: When session ended their session last month, the General Assembly sent the governor a bill to crack down on the kind of products with THC available at smoke shops and gas stations. One of the Governor's recent amendments seems aimed at making sure CBD products were not excluded in the process. Radioactive Politics: With all the talk of renewable energy in recent years, the...

Shawn Weneta of the ACLU of Virginia joins the show to discuss Virginia's constitutional policy of stripping voting rights from people convicted of felonies--a policy born in the Jim Crow era. Bipartisan policies from Governors McDonnell, McAuliffe, and Northam have restored rights to thousands of disenfranchised voters based on public criteria, but that policy has stopped with Governor Youngkin....

IN THE NEWS: Money on the Line: Virginia is facing sanctions for failing to provide services to students with disabilities. This comes at a time when lawmakers are still trying to fix a $200 million math error in calculating basic aid to school divisions. The latest revelations about failure to meet federal expectations comes from the U.S. Department of Education, which means federal dollars might...

Jess Brown, the chair of the Competitive Commonwealth Fund (an organization co-founded by none other than our own Thomas Bowman), joins the show to discuss the Fund's mission: to invest in Democrats running in strongly Republican districts, closing election margins in hopes of flipping seats. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Allian...

IN THE NEWS: Empty Seats: Several members of the General Assembly are moving to new addresses so they can run later this year under new district maps, as some incumbents may no longer live in the districts they represent. But a line in the Virginia Constitution means those members can't participate in any special session to deal with the budget this year. Collective Bargaining: Teachers and suppor...

Markus Schmidt of Cardinal News joins the show to discuss a busy week for Southside Virginia. Delegate Matt Fariss of Campbell County is facing two felony charges after a woman accused him of hit and run with his 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe on U.S. 501. Meanwhile, a judge says the commonwealth "fell short" of proving Delegate Marie March's misdemeanor assault allegations against Delegate Wren Williams. W...

IN THE NEWS: After our episode on retirements, we learned of two more members who say they won’t be coming back, former Speaker Eileen Filler Corn and Senator Lynwood Lewis. That makes thirteen House members who say they will not run for reelection, and another thirteen say they won’t run for reelection in the House because they're running for the Senate. The State Corporation Commission has outsi...

Due to calculation errors, Virginia's Department of Education made a $200 million mistake in estimating basic aid for local school divisions this year--which caused schools to budget for far more than they're likely to get. The General Assembly wasn't able to agree on a budget before the regular session ended--and their compromise "skinny budget" accounts for only $16 million of the $200 million d...

Michael will be speaking at the Arlington Historical Society about The Byrd Machine in Virginia this Thursday, March 9. IN THE NEWS: The Department of Education's $200 million mistake in estimating school aid still hasn't been fixed--what analysts are saying and how the General Assembly's initial "skinny budget" doesn't go far enough to solve the problem. Virginia’s superintendent of public instru...

Chaz Nuttycombe of CNalysis joins Michael to run through the list of state Senators and Representatives who won't be seeking re-election next year, and why--from redistricting to spending more time with family, next year's General Assembly will look starkly different from the one we've come to know. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery...

IN THE NEWS: Almost a dozen House members are running for the Senate, so they are not running for reelection in their House districts. And more than a handful of other House members are not seeking reelection at all. When the House and Senate have different versions of the same bill, they send it into a committee of conference -- a way to get all the key players together and resolve differences. T...

This week Dylan Bishop, attorney and lobbyist with Eckert Seamans, joins Thomas and Michael to discuss the status of marijuana legalization in Virginia, the mix of cannabis-related bills in the General Assembly this year, and the "mess" that currently exists around retail marijuana and hemp regulation. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recov...

IN THE NEWS: The Idaho Stop: Senator Deeds proposed legislation that would give local governments authority to adopt local ordinances giving cyclists more leeway at stop signs--something that would benefit cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians alike. But the momentum of the legislation stalled after House Republicans voiced their concerns. A bill to make the Chincoteague pony the official state pony...

On this week's live-to-tape game show, Michael sits down with Delegate Alfonso Lopez, Delegate Marcus Simon, and Alexandria Assistant City Manager Sarah Taylor to get their takes on a variety of hot topics--from the Petersburg casino to corporate tax cuts to secret recordings and the prospect of a state pony. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addictio...

IN THE NEWS: Advocates for people incarcerated in Virginia prisons say it shouldn’t be a financial burden for them to stay in touch with their family. Now lawmakers are moving forward with a compromise bill that doesn't mandate free telephone calls, but does provide some oversight of those lucrative telecommunications contracts. Governor Glenn Youngkin is working with House Republicans to have a p...

Several bills passed the state House this session that would harm transgender kids--as well as all 1.2 million students in Virginia. This week, Thomas and Michael are joined by Bo Belotti, an activist and National Recruitment Director for the Trans Radical Activist Network. They talk about the harm of a bill that would require student athletes to verify their genitalia with adults before being abl...

IN THE NEWS: Solitary Fail: Advocates who want to ban solitary confinement were hopeful they were finally going to see a victory when Republican Delegate Glenn Davis signed on. The bill sailed through committees and reached the House floor--but Davis then substituted a version that stripped out the maximum of 15 days in solitary confinement. Playing the Odds: Virginia's betting and casinos are cur...