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Since the regular session of the 2010 General Assembly ended, the Commonwealth of Virginia has been the subject of quite a bit of national coverage. Not because of outstanding achievements in education or any other notable achievements. But because the Governor chose to become nostalgic about the glorious days of the Civil War that were not so glorious. Imagine a proclamation touting the Civil War as the "defining chapter" in Virginia's history, and should be examined in the context of the time in which we live. The Governor chose to ignore slavery, acknowledging that slavery was simply one among any number of issues leading to the conflict between the North and South; however, he chose to focus on the issues that he thought were "most significant for Virginia." In the words of Arsenio Hall, it was one of those things that makes you go "hmmm…" If we examine the Civil War in the context of the time in which we live, as proclaimed by the Governor, then it clarifies a lot for me. In 1865 in its first edition after the Civil War ended the Richmond Times Dispatch declared that the war had been about the struggle for the South's "sense of rights under the Constitution." Inherent in the Governor's proclamation is this notion of a state's right to resist an oppressive federal government. So, in 2010, are we back to 1865 arguments? One would think so given the ranting of the Tea Party fananticals and the efforts on the part of the current Administration to resist the "oppressive federal government's" health care reform, environmental efforts, etc. The Governor followed this "oops" with a policy (well, not really a policy; it's in draft form, even though over 200 individuals received letters advising them of the new policy) that requires a literacy test for felons to have their rights restored. Weren't literacy tests banned by the Voting Rights Act of 1965? I guess that this "sense of rights under the Constitution" doesn't apply to individuals who have paid their debt to society.
- The Reconvene Session saw many of the Governor's amendments to the budget as an attempt to divert general fund dollars from health and human services to economic development projects. While I do not oppose economic development, it should not be done at the expense of the poor, handicapped, or elderly. Many of the proposals would have done just that. There were efforts to derail public broadcasting, the Community Services Act, federal Medicaid matching funds, and fund an out of state medical school. These proposals were voted down.
- I am honored to be the recipient of the Legislator of the Year Award from the Virginia Education Association.
