Pod Virginia 9/26/22 Pod Virginia 9/26/22

Early Voting, Financial Data Transparency, and New Guidelines for Transgender Students

Republican Delegate Phillip Scott says Virginia's 45-day early voting period is too long, causing an undue burden on Virginia's registrars and Department of Elections. Thomas and Michael discuss early voting and the possibility of getting a recurring absentee ballot sent directly to your house. Transparency in government: Senator Mark Warner has introduced the Financial Data Transparency Act, which would require state and local governments to submit financial documents in a machine-readable format--something private corporations have been required to do for years. This would make it easier to read, research, and verify financial information in government documents. New state guidelines for school districts suggest policies that would allow teachers to misgender students. Delegate Danica Roem had some choice words in response to the new policy, which currently has no enforcement mechanisms.

Pod Virginia 9/22/22 Pod Virginia 9/22/22

Dr. Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo: Elaine Luria, Jen Kiggans, and the Race for Virginia's 2nd District

Dr. Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, Associate Professor of Political Science and Research Lab Director of the Judy Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, joins Michael and Thomas to talk about the hotly contested midterm election for Virginia's 2nd District. Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria faces a challenge from Republican Jen Kiggans in a newly-redrawn district: what do these candidates want their voters to take away and how will the election shape up?

Pod Virginia 9/1/22 Pod Virginia 9/1/22

Dr. Stephen Farnsworth: Abigail Spanberger, Yesli Vega, and the Fight for Virginia's 7th District

Professor Stephen Farnsworth, Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, joins Michael and Thomas to talk about the hotly contested midterm election for Virginia's 7th District. Democratic incumbent Abigail Spanberger faces a challenge from Republican Yesli Vega in a newly-redrawn district: what do these candidates want their voters to take away and how will the election shape up?

Pod Virginia 8/29/22 Pod Virginia 8/29/22

Mountain Valley Pipeline Extension and the Midterms Changing Tides

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is giving the Mountain Valley Pipeline an additional four years to obtain all the necessary permits to finish construction. This isn't the first time FERC has granted an extension--but some experts say it's a bad deal for Virginians, both environmentally and economically. According to a new Roanoke College survey, consumers are feeling better about the economy--eight points up from the spring. While consumer confidence is still at a historic low, the upturn might be one good sign for Democrats in what's otherwise looking to be a difficult midterm election.

Thomas Bowman 8/22/22 Thomas Bowman 8/22/22

Junk Science Conversion Therapy and Challenging the Earned Sentence Credits

Thousands are behind bars right now, even though they should've been released--that's the result of a recent budget amendment that changed how "earned sentence credits" worked. A lawsuit by the ACLU challenges whether the amendment can undo the credits earned since the 2020 law was passed.

Also in the news: While conversion therapy is illegal to perform on LGBTQ+ children, it's still not illegal for adults. Despite the practice being widely discredited, the Virginia Department of Health Professions is telling licensed state health professionals that it's okay to keep using this junk science on adults.

Thomas Bowman 8/16/22 Thomas Bowman 8/16/22

Lauren Burke: 10 Things Comms Directors Need to Know About Journalists

In this episode taken from our Patreon feed, Lauren Burke of the Burkefile Podcast joins us to discuss the latest trends in journalism, as well as 10 tips for elected officials and communications directors trying to work with reporters.

Thomas Bowman 8/14/22 Thomas Bowman 8/14/22

Holly Seibold: The Six-Year Journey to Eliminate Virginia's Tampon Tax

GUEST: Holly Seibold, founder of BRAWS (Bringing Resources to Aid Women's Shelters) discusses her work helping women's shelters and the six-year process of convincing the General Assembly to eliminate the state sales tax from pads, tampons, and other hygiene products.