IN THE NEWS:

Balacing the Books: Governor Glenn Youngkin does not get to write Virginia's budget, he does get to kick off the process by making the first pass, sending his suggestion to members of the General Assembly. Outlining his proposal to the House and Senate money committees. As Thomas and Michael discuss, the Governor's controversial proposal prioritizes tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy over addressing the state's unmet needs.

Law and Order: A majority of voters in Virginia say they feel safe, even after all the criminal-justice reform efforts in recent years. That's the conclusion of a new poll from Data for Progress, which asked about decriminalizing marijuana, prohibiting racial profiling in traffic stops and ending the death penalty. The poll shows that Virginia voters prioritize community safety over prisons and jails, demonstrating a shift away from tough on crime policies.

Behind the Scenes: The primary to snag the Democratic nomination for the congressional seat formerly held by the late Donald McEachin is tomorrow, and the race features Senator Jennifer McClellan and Senator Joe Morrissey. Until a few days ago, it also featured Delegate Lamont Bagby, but he unexpectedly dropped out of the race last week.

Trivia:

Before George Vanderbilt selected Asheville, NC to construct the Biltmore mansion, he also considered a site in VA. Where was that site?

What Richmond landmark because the temporary home and office for the governor after a 1925 fire nearly burned down the Executive Mansion?

This week, Thomas and Michael are joined by an unusual duo--Shawn Weneta of the ACLU of Virginia and Ben Knotts, Legislative Director of Americans for Prosperity. They discuss the lack of transparency in Virginia's prison system--including the exorbitant prices for phone calls and emails, the perverse incentives of the for-profit prison system, and the burden placed on poor families. This all comes in the context of Senator Joe Morrissey's new proposed bill calling for a study of fees that jails charge to people who are incarcerated.

IN THE NEWS:

A recent report from Virginia's Commission to Combat Antisemitism made several recommendations to aid in its mission, including increasing police training and improving data collection on hate crimes. One of its recommendations has come under scrutiny, following a theme of the Youngkin administration: a recommendation to "prohibit indoctrination in public education." Thomas and Michael discuss what this means and how it misses the mark as an actionable tactic.

Aging In Place: one in five Virginians is aged 60 or older, and that number is set to increase in coming years. A researcher at UVA's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service recently published research showing that rural people age in place at a higher rate than people in urban areas--and she also says it’s important not to romanticize aging in place.

AI Podcasting: This week, we used the aid of ChatGPT, and artificial intelligence chatbox, to help write the script for the episode. Some of its recommendations included new segments--such as a "behind the scenes" look at Virginia politics, as well as its own ideas for combating antisemitism.

At the Watercooler: The Family Foundation has some trouble getting a restaurant reservation in Richmond, and the remains of Confederate General Ambrose Powell Hill are set to be removed along with his statue in Richmond, marking one of the last Confederate statues to be removed from the state's capital.

This week, Thomas and Michael are joined by Tarina Keene and Lexi White, the executive director and policy director of REPRO Rising Virginia, a pro-abortion organization fighting to protect reproductive rights in the state. They discuss their efforts to fight Republican attempts restrict abortion and contraceptives, as well as policy goals going into next month's General Assembly session.

IN THE NEWS:

The death of Aston Donald McEachin. The late congressman served four terms in the House of Delegates, two terms in the state Senate and three terms in Congress. He was just elected last month to what would have been his fourth term. Now people across Virginia are remembering a man who was a lawyer who also had a master of divinity from Virginia Union University.

Teenage Voters: Back in the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, advocates for changing the voting age from 21 to 18 adopted the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote." Now advocates might be adopting a twist on that: Old enough to drive, old enough to vote. Elijah Lee is a 14-year-old activist who wants to vote in local elections when he turns 16.

More tragic gun violence in Virginia after a shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake killed six people. Thomas and Michael discuss the state of gun control in Virginia and the difficulty of achieving much progress under the current administration.

At the Watercooler: Republican Delegate Tim Anderson seeks to repeal Virginia's anti-gay constitutional amendment.

Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA 3rd) returns to the show to discuss his time spent as chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, his work on the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act helping to protect worker pensions and reduce drug costs, as well as investments in historically Black colleges and school meal plans.

The end of fossil fuels is blowing in the wind. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind proposal would be a massive new wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach. But only if state regulators approve it. That decision is expected in the next month or so; even the membership of the three-member commission is in flux.

Do a better fracking job: That’s the message from the Government Accountability Office, which says the federal agency responsible for regulating pipelines needs to do a better job with the availability of data and consistency of enforcement. Opponents of pipelines say a lack of transparency and inconsistency of enforcement goes way beyond the problems outlined in the GAO report.

The Golden Goose. Virginia is sitting on one of the largest uranium deposits in the world. Plus, the recent discovery of gold in Buckingham County is reopening old discussions about commercial mining operations. Lawmakers are about to consider a ban on gold mining in Virginia that would be similar to the longstanding ban on uranium mining in Virginia, which dates back to the early 1980s.

At the Watercooler: Former Congressman Tom Garrett is seeking a return to the House of Delegates, while Delegate Sally Hudson is running for the state Senate against Senator Creigh Deeds.

No full episode this week, but Thomas and Michael want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving—and a quick discussion on the origins of the tradition.

Republicans are having an identity crisis. Is Donald Trump the leader of the Republican Party? Several prominent Virginians don’t think so. Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears says it’s time to dump Trump--and she's not the only one who seems to be getting off a sinking ship.

Virginia has two special elections on the horizon next January for seats in the General Assembly. In Northern Virginia, voters will fill a seat vacated by former Delegate Mark Keam, who stepped down to take a position in the Biden administration. Voters in Virginia Beach will also fill the vacancy in the state Senate created by Jen Kiggans, who was recently elected to Congress.

Indexing the Income Tax. Virginia is one of 13 states that does not currently index income tax brackets for inflation, and advocates for this reform have been pushing the idea for decades. Some scholars say that's easier said than done.

At the Watercooler: The Virginia Department of Elections delayed approval of new social science education standards provided by the Youngkin administration last week--which had several clear missteps including referring to Virginia Indians as "America's first immigrants" and omitting mention of President Barack Obama while mentioning President Ronald Reagan five times.

Prospectors hope to strike it rich in rural Buckingham County, about 60 miles west of Richmond. Residents are worried the mining process will contaminate fundamental things like air, soil, and even drinking water. Buckingham County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jordan Miles joins Thomas and Michael to discuss why he thinks a ban on gold mining would be a good idea to protect his constituents--and where such proposals might stand in the General Assembly.

With a midterm election that saw incumbent Congresswoman Elaine Luria unseated for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, we thought it'd be a good time to look back at a strange moment in the history of that seat--the election fraud scandal of former Congressman Scott Taylor just a few years ago. After an investigation found hundreds of falsified signatures on a 3rd-party candidate's ballot petition, one former Republican Congressman's entire campaign staff has been indicted or convicted on dozens of counts related to election fraud. Fmr. Congressman Scott Taylor (VA-02) also remains under investigation. Originally Aired: Nov. 26, 2021.

On this episode, Thomas and Michael are joined by Dr. Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington to discuss the Virginia races in the 2022 midterms--including takeaways for Republicans and Democrats, as well as the landscape moving forward.

Guns at Polling Places: This election cycle is seeing a rise in armed poll-watchers, raising concerns about voter intimidation. Guns are prohibited at polling places in Virginia, but that only applies to 40 feet from the front door of the voting location. As Thomas, Michael, and Lauren discuss, there's a clear difference between ordinary gun-carrying citizens and clear attempts at voter intimidation.

Cameras at Polling Places: Polling places have become a hotspot for vigilante surveillance, with cameras attached to political signs pointed toward ballot drop-boxes and polling places. Other reports show people taking photos of license plates and individuals traveling to and from polling places. While journalists still need to be able to do their jobs at polling places, how do we draw the line between good-faith journalism and more voter intimidation?

Sample Ballots at Polling Places: Local polling places have sample ballots to help explain the voting process, but political parties also mail out their own sample ballots--often indicating the party-endorsed positions. Analysts call this an important heuristic, especially for smaller races. But what about attempts at misleading sample ballots designed to confuse voters about their local party positions?

At the Watercooler: Lauren Burke discusses her latest reporting on the campaign trail following incumbent Democrats Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger, Thomas notes a controversy at a Prince William County polling place where Republican policies have made it difficult to field enough poll workers, and Michael highlights a ProPublica story that reveals how many Fortune 500 companies have failed to uphold their pledges after January 6th

On this episode, Thomas and Michael are joined by Chris Piper, former Virginia Elections Commissioner and now COO of the nonpartisan Elections Group. Chris explains how Virginia's Department of Elections prevents voter fraud in multiple ways--from strict protection of Internet-free voting machines to coordination with other states and the "Master Death File" that keeps track of recently-deceased Virginians.

IN THE NEWS: Early Voting Processing: A new Virginia law will make it easier for localities to process absentee ballots before election night, hopefully avoiding the "Red Mirage"-- a phenomenon where Republican Election Day voting totals look higher until early votes and absentee ballots, processed later, swing things back toward Democrats. Still, there's little evidence that increased voting helps any one political party anyway. October Surprise Come Early: With the rise of early voting, we've also seen Election Day turn more into Election Month, and that's changed the pace of campaigning. So-called "October Surprises"--revelations that change the game--have started coming earlier, such as President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. Falling Test Scores: Governor Youngkin claims a new federal report card reveals "catastrophic learning loss" in state public schools. But scholars say Virginia's accreditation system paints a more complete picture--and the main problem is a lack of resources to help with staffing shortages and in-school services. As Thomas and Michael discuss, struggling schools are often those that need the most government support. At the Watercooler: A new report from The Appeal reveals a contract between the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office and a telephone vendor for county jails--a contract that included the ability for the Sheriff's office to go on a Caribbean cruise. While the office says nobody has gone on a cruise, Thomas and Michael highlight how this sort of contract is indicative of huge issues in America's incarceration system.

On this episode, Michael is joined by CNalysis' Chaz Nuttycombe, as well as Nathan Moore and Alana Bittner from WTJU's Bold Dominion podcast, to discuss the upcoming midterm elections in November. From Congressional races to local elections, Virginia could be a bellwether--are we in store for a Red Wave or the Democrats holding control?

IN THE NEWS: Place Your Bets: Virginia may soon have four casinos up and running by 2025. Last week, members of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission received a report titled “Oversight and Administration of Gaming in the Commonwealth" which details the pros, cons, and recommendations for Virginia casinos going forward. Another new report from JLARC maps out ways to reduce the tax burden on low-income people while leaning more on wealthy people to balance the books--primarily, fixing the tax brackets that were set more than 30 years ago and adjusting them for the modern day. Zoning for the Missing Middle: When the JLARC outlined ways lawmakers in Richmond could increase the stock of affordable housing last year, hopes were high. But then the General Assembly failed to take action. Now JLARC director Hal Greer listed last year's recommendations on affordable housing as unimplemented but important recommendations for the 1 in 3 Virginians who are considered "cost burdened" by housing.

On this episode, Pod Virginia producer Aaryan Balu interviews Michael Pope about his new book, "The Byrd Machine in Virginia: The Rise and Fall of a Conservative Political Organization." They discuss the origins of machine politics in the early 20th century, the legacy of Byrd's anti-union and massive resistance positions, and the ways echoes of the machine still resonate in Virginia politics. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia

Live from the Linden Row Inn in Richmond, Virginia, where we attended the RESONATE Podcast Festival this weekend! https://www.resonatepodfest.com/ IN THE NEWS: New polling numbers from the Wason Center at Christopher Newport University reveal a host of interesting results: Virginians overwhelmingly support legal abortions, but also show narrow majority support for a 15-week ban. Meanwhile, President Biden's approval rating sits around 40%, with Governor Youngkin at around 50%. Former Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman is endorsing Democrat Abigail Spanberger in a new ad--joining a long tradition of cross-party support in Virginia politics. Natural gas is leading the list of items rising in price on the new Consumer Price Index--along with food and other household items. With energy prices tied so heavily to the world economy and Russia in particular, that rise in prices has far-reaching geopolitical implications.