News
The Democratic Primary is June 11, 2013. Please exercise your right to vote. There are two contested statewide races: Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. The candidates for Lt. Governor are Senator Ralph Northam of Norfolk and Mr. Aneesh Chopra of Arlington. Candidates for Attorney General are Senator Mark Herring of Loudon County and Mr. Justin Fairfax. It is imperative that in discerning who to vote for that the individual has a good chance of winning in November. This is a critical election year for Democrats and our focus must be on putting together a team that can win in November against the Extreme Team recently selected by the Republican/Tea Party.
To update constituents on General Assembly actions and other information of interests, I will be holding a TOWN HALL MEETING on July 6, 2013 at the YMCA in York County. This meeting is scheduled for 10 – 11:30 a.m. Please make plans to attend.
The Democratic Party of Virginia Jefferson-Jackson dinner will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2013 at the Marriott Hotel in Richmond. The State Central Committee Meeting and Luncheon will be held earlier in the day. The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus will be presenting the Billy P. Robinson Award for community service posthumously to the late Senator Yvonne B. Miller. Her family will receive this award at the luncheon.
On May 30, 2013, I and several other members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus stood with Governor Bob McDonnell as he unveiled a new policy on the restoration of the right to vote to non violent felons. Specifically, if an individual has served his/her time, ended probation, paid all fines and fees, and has no pending charges, then their civil rights will be automatically restored. This affects approximately 100,000 Virginians. I spoke at the press conference, highlighting the fact that Senator Yvonne B. Miller championed this move for years. In order to fulfill her vision completely, a constitutional amendment will be necessary. However, this is a great first step.
