This week, Michael and Thomas are joined by Bill Leighty, former Chief of Staff to Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and author of "Capitol Secrets", where he dives into his long history in Virginia politics--from Kaine and Warner's leadership styles, the legislative tricks of Senator Ed Willey, and convincing Tom Hanks to film a historical miniseries in Virginia.

IN THE NEWS:

Governor Glenn Youngkin has removed "equity" from the title of his director of diversity, equity and inclusion, calling the term "confusing." But experts say the term is important to capture the unequal playing field in the United States, and the governor now faces calls for his DOI chief to resign.

The latest campaign finance disclosures show several incumbent members are falling behind the competition: Senator Joe Morrissey, Senator Amanda Chase and Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler. Some say that shows controversial candidates are not appealing to the donor base.

Public funds are for public schools. That's the message from supporters of Virginia schools, who say the governor should not be appropriating money from the lab school fund to private institutions.

At the Watercooler:

- Adult video sites are threatening to pull out of Virginia

- Arlington County Board Elections and the "missing middle"

This week, old friend of the show Trevor Southerland joins the Thomas and Michael to discuss the chaotic upcoming primaries for Virginia's state legislature--including campaign fundraising numbers, the influence of Dominion Energy and Clean Virginia, and some of the latest drama across the aisle.

- Senator Louise Lucas v Senator Lionel Spruill in Senate District 18

- Senator Jeremy McPike v Delegate Elizabeth Guzman in Senate District 29

- Senator Joe Morrissey v Delegate Laschrese Aird in Senate District 13

- Delegate Suhas Subramanyam v former Delegate Ibraheem Samirah in Senate District 32.

- Senator Amanda Chase v Tina Ramirez v Glen Sturtevent in Senate District 12.

- Delegate Kelly Fowler v Susan Hippen, Brandon Hutchins, and Sean Monteiro in House District 96

IN THE NEWS:

• Both parties are showing huge fundraising numbers.

• Virginia sees a labor force participation rate that is slightly higher than it was before the pandemic started.

• Richmond city leaders are considering an expansion to the bus rapid transit system known as the Pulse

At the Watercooler:

• Senator Louise Lucas is throwing shade at Northern Virginia Senators.

• Lots of endorsements in Virginia races, including from Lt. Governor Winsome Earl-Sears and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert.

TRIVIA: What is the highest peak in Virginia?

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.

Youngkin proposed an amendment allowing non-utility third parties to compete to operate offshore wind turbines.

Labor leaders want to make sure Virginia's labor history is part of the history standards currently under consideration by the Virginia Board of Education.

Virginia's budget negotiations are still apparently at a standoff.

Chaz Nuttycombe of CNalysis joins us to discuss his forecast for a host of Virginia races that'll be on the ballot this year.

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.

Marijuana Bill Gets Ratioed, the controversy between Youngking and the Assembly

Democratic House Leader Don Scott says that's a return to the days of Jim Crow.

Virginia voters oppose efforts to prevent transgender athletes from competing in sports

At the Watercooler:

• Governor Youngkin vetoed only 3 bills this year, compared to 33 last year.

• Governor Youngkin is raising record amounts of campaign cash. Last week, his fundraising groups announced $2.75 million in the first quarter of 2023

• DC claps back against Attorney General Jason Miyares’s letter criticizing its criminal justice system--by pointing out a large part of the problem is gun trafficking that originates in Virginia.

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.

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 Your Tailpipe: On the flipside, Governor Youngkin vetoed a bill that would create a work group to look at cars modified to have so-called "macho mufflers" that make a lot of noise. It's rare for a work-group bill to pass both houses of the General Assembly only to get vetoed, so Michael and Thomas discuss what might've happened.

Regulating Dominion: The often-mentioned "Dominion Bill" has passed the General Assembly and is likely to see just a few technical amendments from the governor. That bill would restore power to the State Corporation Commission to help regulate Dominion's rates and profits.

At the Watercooler:

- Lots of last-minute campaign announcements in advance of last week's filing deadline.

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.

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 General Assembly is now considering a clean source of energy that is not renewable: nuclear energy. While small modular reactors are still in the research phase, they could represent a promising energy future as long as nuclear waste is accounted for.

Towing the Line: Governor Youngkin is signing a bill that will help people whose cars have been towed. Currently some operators prohibit people from having access to the stuff that's in the car without paying a fee--things like laptops, car seats, and even life-saving medicine. That new bill will go into effect on July 1.

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. Now, thousands of people being released from prison aren't getting the right to vote, and they don't know why.

IN THE NEWS:

• Money on the Line: Virginia is facing sanctions for failing to provide services to students with disabilities. The latest revelations about failure to meet federal expectations comes from the U.S. Department of Education, which means federal dollars might be at risk.

• Registrar Rage: Six local election officials say they've experienced threats. Many have decided to move on rather than confront yet another election cycle of harassing phone calls and intimidating emails.

• When a Loan Isn't a Loan: "earned wage access" cash advance qualifies as a loan--drawing parallels to the payday loan and car-title loan controversy twenty years ago.

At the Watercooler:

• Strategist Jeff Roe ditches Youngkin team in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

• This weekend, Michael will be moderating a panel on podcasting for the Society of Professional Journalists with some notable names-- Marc Filippino, Ellein Weiss, and David Schultz, to name a few.

Trivia: Which former vice president was arrested for treason?

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.

IN THE NEWS; Empty Seats: Several Assembly members are moving to new addresses due to new district maps. VA Constitution means those members can't participate in any special session to deal with the budget this year.

Collective Bargaining: Teachers and support staff and cafeteria workers across Virginia are trying to hammer out new collective bargaining agreements.

Return of Payday Lending: GAO recommends that the CFPB decide whether "earned wage access" cash advance qualifies as a loan.

At the Watercooler; According to the ADL, Virginia ranks #3 in incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism, and terrorism by state.

The March 20 issue of the New Yorker has an article by Virginia local D.T. Max about a famous Cuban author who turned out to be a compulsive liar, drawing parallels to Congressman George Santos.

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. What do those stories mean for the upcoming primary elections and the future of Southwest VA?

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 outsized influence over how electric utilities are regulated, and the three member commission currently has only one member. That's because Democrats and Republicans can NOT agree on appointments. But does this inability for the SCC to regulate certain industries mean better outcomes in the face of climate changes?

Whole milk was prohibited from school cafeterias a decade ago as part of the Department of Agriculture's School Lunch Program as part of the Obama administration Let's Move initiative. Now people are starting to second guess that idea, including Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat from Northern Virginia’s 7th District. But does this really matter?

At the Watercooler:

- Republican Delegate Matt Fariss of Campbell County is facing two felony charges

- Both Democrats and Republicans are both having a hard time getting people to run for the Loudoun County School Board as it comes under heavy national right-wing scrutiny.

Trivia: What was the name of the Nazi leader who ran for governor in 1965?

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 deficit.

How did the error happen, what can be done to fix it, and where does it leave Virginia's school systems? This week, Thomas and Michael are joined by Laura Goren, Director of Research and Education at the Commonwealth Institute, as well as Chad Stewart, the Policy Analyst at the Virginia Education Association, to explain.

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 instruction, Jillian Balow, has resigned--and Governor Youngkin still hasn't answered why, despite facing direct questions about what went down.

According to a new poll, Governor Youngkin's job approval is at 57 percent, and his unfavorability rating is at 35 percent. The poll also explores interesting head-to-head matchups between President Biden and prospective 2024 Republican presidential candidates in Youngkin, De Santis, and Trump.

At the Watercooler:

- Delegate Lamont Bagby has won the Democratic firehouse primary for Jennifer McClellan’s Senate seat.

- Amazon pauses development on its HQ2 in the face of remote work

Trivia: What's the name for the old-fashioned practice of political candidates serving booze to voters. Hint: BLANK the BLANK with BLANK