Special Elections 2017 – Peake and Holcomb

Turnout will be everything for today’s Special Elections that are taking place in Virginia. Winners will begin their jobs tomorrow as the General Assembly’s “short” session begins.

In the 22nd State Senate District, Republican Mark Peake (Amherst County, Appomattox County, Buckingham County, Cumberland County, Fluvanna County, Goochland County, and part of Louisa County) needs your vote.

In the 85th House District, Republican Rocky Holcomb (Virginia Beach) needs your vote.

Polling places are open and voting is taking place at regular precincts until 7:00 p.m.

Rockingham supervisors endorse Sen. Emmett Hanger for re-election to State Senate

Sen. Emmett Hanger

By Lynn R. Mitchell

June 9th is the 2015 Primary when the polls will be open throughout the 24th Senate District, represented by Senator Emmett Hanger. Voters will choose a nominee to represent Augusta County, Staunton, Waynesboro, part of Rockingham County, Madison and Greene Counties, and part of Culpeper County.

The Rockingham County board of supervisors expressed strong support for the leadership of Sen. Hanger who is running for re-election — Supervisors Pablo Cuevas, Rick Chandler, Fredrick Eberly, William Kyger Jr., and Michael Breeden:

The Rockingham County community has benefited greatly from the leadership provided by the current senator from the 24th Senate District, Emmett Hanger. Each of the undersigned strongly supports Sen. Hanger and endorses his candidacy for re-election in 2015.

The supervisors expressed the need for local leaders to have a state-level representative who listens to the needs at the local level:

Sen. Hanger is a champion for local issues, listening carefully when local government raises issues with proposed legislation, seeking input from those who will have the responsibility to implement the new law at the local level and is insistent in the Commonwealth meeting its obligation for funding the state’s fair share of the programs the General Assembly mandates.

Back in the homeschool classroom: Did Terry McAuliffe understand the ‘Tebow Bill’ he vetoed?

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Virginia homeschoolers were disappointed when Governor Terry McAuliffe vetoed the “Tebow Bill” — a homeschool sports access bill — after years of working to get its passage in the General Assembly.

Jeanne Faulconer, a homeschool mom who has educated her children at home for 17 years, wrote in Friday’s Richmond Times-Dispatch about the governor’s seeming lack of understanding everything around the bill. Her response to the governor (see Homeschoolers Are In (Reaction to Governor’s Veto of Homeschool Sports Access Bill):

State budget hammered out, vote will be Thursday

By Lynn R. Mitchell

The state budget has been hammered out and will hopefully pass and allow representatives to close the 2015 General Assembly on time. After working through the weekend, the House and Senate budget negotiators reached an agreement with a vote on Thursday which will allow 48 hours for General Assembly members to review. The budget will posted online Tuesday.