Alexandria Politics

Alexandria Politics

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Opinion: Commentary: We Both Deserve $15. Why Don’t Our Virginia Senators Think So?

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Why a Regional Wage in Virginia?

Effort to raise minimum wage hits snag on Senate floor, leading to regional approach.

It’s shortly after 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night, and state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36) is working the Senate chamber to save the minimum wage increase. This particular Tuesday isn’t just any day of the week. It’s the final deadline for Senate bills to cross over to the House, so the pressure is building as the clock winds down. Senators are tired and cranky, and they will be working past midnight.

General Assembly Snuffs Marijuana Legalization Hopes for Now in Virginia

General Assembly advances marijuana decriminalization by Herring and Ebbin.

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Over 1,000 Democrat-Backed Bills Pass by Crossover in Virginia

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Dieting Sisters in Virginia

From road diets to balancing the books, Alexandria and Norton compare notes.

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Ghost of Harry Byrd Haunts Virginia Assembly

Effort to remove statue prompts soul-searching at the Capitol.

The statue of Harry Byrd stands in a prominent spot in Capitol Square, watching lawmakers as they scurry from their offices to committee meetings and closed-door caucus meetings. It was erected in 1976, a time when memories of the segregationist governor and U.S. senator were still fresh among the Democratic majority. Now times have changed, and many people would like to see it removed and tucked away in a museum with a note explaining his plan to close public schools rather than integrate them.

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Cracking Down on Predatory Student Lenders

Northern Virginia lawmakers hope to regulate student-loan servicing companies.

Sen. Janet Howell (D-32) and Del. Marcus Simon (D-53) have introduced a bill they call the Borrowers Bill of Rights, which would use the power of the State Corporation Commission to crack down on what they call the egregious practices of student loan servicing companies.

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After Virginia Ratification of Equal Rights Amendment

Don Beyer: ‘Next Steps Depend On Congress’

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Closing All the Loopholes

Democrats poised to impose new regulations on high-interest lenders.

The days of unregulated high-interest lending may be coming to a close in Virginia. Now that Democrats have seized control of the General Assembly, members of the Legislative Black Caucus say cracking down on predatory lending is one of their top priorities for the 2020 session.

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Virginia Gun Rights Advocates Take Second Amendment Stand

Capitol Police estimates around 22,000 people attended peaceful gun rights rally in Richmond.

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Advocating for Equal Rights

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Change in the Virginia Landscape

401st VA General Assembly reconvenes with a tsunami of filed legislation.

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Virginia Assembly – Week One

Highlights of some of the bills proposed.

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Opening the Floodgates

Northern Virginia Democrats struggle with power now that they have it.

When they were in the minority, Democrats were mostly united in their views about everything from gun control and reproductive rights to the Equal Rights Amendment. Now that they’ve seized power, though, members of the newly minted majority are hearing from opposite sides on everything from gerrymandering and labor rights.

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