By Lynn R. Mitchell
The proposed natural gas pipeline in Augusta County just got a whole lot more important with support from Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and a public outpouring of support from the business community as well as public officials including former Augusta County-Staunton Delegate Chris Saxman (R-20th), now executive director of the Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
As the trial of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and wife Maureen goes to the jury, my prayer is that the Governor is cleared of all charges and can try to resume and pick up the pieces of his life including his reputation.
Interestingly, as the weeks have dragged on with this trial, a number of Democratic friends have purposely sought me out to say they don’t think any quid pro quo was proven or that the governor did anything illegal, and they feel badly for him and his family because of all the sordid personal details that have been exposed.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Thursday was Congressman Eric Cantor’s last day as majority leader and on Friday he announced his resignation from Congress effective August 18. He explained why he had asked the governor for a special election (see Cantor to resign from Congress on Aug. 18 by Markus Schmidt):
Cantor said he has asked Gov. Terry McAuliffe to call a special election for his district that coincides with the general election on Nov. 4.
By having a special election in November, the winner would take office immediately, rather than in January with the next Congress.
“That way he will also have seniority, and that will help the interests of my constituents (because) he can be there in that consequential lame-duck session,” Cantor said.
Cantor’s resignation marks the end of a successful 14-year congressional run that included his role as House majority leader for more than three years and the prospect of becoming the next speaker of the House.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
“I’ll be the first to tell you I was devastated the night Eric Cantor lost. We lost the House majority leader. We’ve never had a speaker in Virginia history; I would love for Eric Cantor to have become speaker.” –Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-VA)
In an interview during Channel 4 NBC Washington’s “Ask the Governor,” Virginia’s Governor Terry McAuliffe said in a nutshell what so many Republicans want: a leader who will work with those across the political aisle (see Virginia Gov. McAuliffe ‘heartsick’ over Eric Cantor’s primary loss).
Noting that Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA 7th) was very easy to work with, the governor said:
By Daniel P. Cortez
As the congressional clock ticks with continued inaction, Virginia and the nation seek resolutions regarding immigration reform. Fleeing illegal Hispanic children housed in Augusta County and Prince William County, Virginia, demand compassionate but firm action as more may arrive.
This was a key topic of discussion for the Governor’s Virginia Latino Advisory Board meeting last week in Northern Virginia. The subject was as unresolvable as the group’s desire to find relevancy.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing will be on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) beginning October 18, 2014, and running through January 11, 2015. VMFA was chosen as the first art museum in America to enter into a collaborative project with the Palace Museum in Beijing China.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
This week Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced hundreds of new jobs coming to three locations in Virginia:
– Hampton: “… Liberty-Source PBC, a flexible onshore business process outsourcing model that uniquely harnesses the talent of military spouses, will invest $1.56 million to establish an operation at Fort Monroe in the City of Hampton. The company will provide finance, accounting, human resources, customer care and additional support services for its clients, creating 596 new jobs.”
It was a showdown Monday evening in Richmond between Governor Terry McAuliffe and House Speaker Bill Howell over Medicaid. From Michael Martz and the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, refused on Monday to allow the House to consider McAuliffe’s veto of budget restrictions on his ability to use federal funds for health coverage without the approval of the General Assembly.
…
Howell ruled the governor’s veto unconstitutional and out of order. That prevented a vote by either the House or Senate on whether to override the veto of budget amendments Republicans rammed through June 12 to prevent McAuliffe from unilaterally expanding health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.“I cannot idly allow unconstitutional actions to be considered by this body,” the speaker said in a statement. “To do otherwise would be an unacceptable acquiescence of legislative branch authority.”
The first season of AMC’s “Turn,” filmed in Virginia, was a success so now the second season will continue with filming in central Virginia. Governor Terry McAuliffe’s office wrote:
Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that the AMC television series TURN will be returning to Virginia to film its second season. Based on Alexander Rose’s book Washington’s Spies, TURN is a historical thriller set during the Revolutionary War that recounts the story of America’s first spy ring. TURN features Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell), a farmer living in British-occupied Long Island who, along with his childhood friends, is part of a group of spies called the Culper Ring. This unlikely team of secret agents works with George Washington during the War for Independence, and in the process, creates espionage techniques still in use today. Season 2 picks up the story of Woodhull and his compatriots as they work to balance their ordinary lives and pursuits with the extraordinary circumstances in which they find themselves.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Staunton realtor Phillip Lacey, a VMI graduate and reservist with the Virginia National Guard’s Camp Pendleton-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group, joined his unit of 70 on Sunday as they prepared to leave for Fort Hood, Texas, to train for deployment to Kuwait.
From WVEC ABC-13 news:
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Governor Terry McAuliffe held a news conference Friday (see Terry McAuliffe: Statement on 2015-16 budget actions) to announce his intentions with the state budget and Medicaid. The Roanoke Times noted:
From Governor Terry McAuliffe’s office….
Good Morning.
Over the past six days, my finance team and I have carefully reviewed the Biennial Budget that was transmitted to my office last Sunday by the General Assembly.
This budget was completed almost three months late, after the Republican leadership of the House of Delegates stubbornly refused to take even the most modest steps toward closing the health care coverage gap.
Virginians in every corner of the Commonwealth know that the lack of health care is hurting families, stunting economic growth, damaging hospitals and clinics, and causing too many of our citizens to suffer needlessly.
It is unconscionable that one of the wealthiest states in one of the wealthiest nations in the world does not provide health care to its needy citizens, particularly when we have already paid for it.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Reporter Jim Nolan with the Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting that Democratic State Senator Phil Puckett, 66, has resigned throwing Democrats into the minority and noted:
Puckett’s stunning resignation throws Democratic budget strategy into chaos by opening the way for Republicans to seize control of the chamber and reorganize its committees with GOP majorities.
Family reasons have been cited as the reason for the sudden resignation but there’s more in Nolan’s article. Stay tuned as this story develops….
UPDATED Sunday at 10 pm: Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) issued a statement Sunday evening about Senator Puckett’s resignation:
“I am deeply disappointed by this news and the uncertainty it creates at a time when 400,000 Virginians are waiting for access to quality health care, especially in Southwest Virginia. This situation is unacceptable, but the bipartisan majority in the Senate and I will continue to work hard to put Virginians first and find compromise on a budget that closes the coverage gap.”
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Governor Terry McAuliffe announced his latest round of appointments and a familiar name was one of them. Under the James Madison University Board of Visitors:
The Honorable William T. Bolling, of Mechanicsville, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for RCM&D and former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
The Bollings’ son Kevin graduated from James Madison, and Bill and Jean Ann have been faithful supporters of the university and attend many football games throughout the season. My son graduated with the JMU Class of 2007. It’s good to have someone who will serve well in that position. Congratulations to the LG!
Other appointments from the Governor to Virginia’s college and university Boards of Visitors and higher education boards are:
By Lynn R. Mitchell
On Thursday State Senator Emmett Hanger, concerned about the looming state budget deadline, proposed a compromise in the Medicaid expansion standoff currently taking place between the state Senate, House, and Governor Terry McAuliffe.
“It is my strong belief it would be totally unacceptable,” Hanger said in Thursday’s press release, “for the legislature to abdicate it’s responsibility to produce a balanced budget in a timely manner.”
House leaders expressed encouragement that a state budget may be reached by the deadline.
Hanger, chairman of the Medicaid Innovation & Reform Commission (MIRC) and chairman of the Senate Finance-Health & Human Resources Subcommittee, prefaced his proposals with a few comments:
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