Free Republic

RICHMOND, Va.— A month after the school shootings in Connecticut, President Obama is preparing to unveil a major gun control proposal Wednesday morning. And Virginia lawmakers are promoting legislation they say will make an immediate impact on gun safety in the state. Arlington Delegate Patrick Hope says he was stunned by how easy it was to purchase a handgun, when he and Alexandria Senator Adam Ebbin visited a gun show in northern Virginia recently. He showed the weapon to reporters at a State Capitol news conference Tuesday morning. "I bought this gun with nothing more than a request to see...

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell delivered his state of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday, marking his vision for the state as the General Assembly opens the 2013 session. One of the most striking parts of his presentation is a proposal to eliminate Virginia’s 17.5-cent per gallon gasoline tax, and replace this portion of state roads funding with an increase in the state’s sales tax.

Prayer breakfast calls on president to act 'for the people' Barack Obama is “an appointed minister of God to do what is good,” according to the prayer of Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell at the Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast held at the Richmond, Va., convention center. The annual breakfast yesterday drew more than 1,000 people, including many of the state’s leaders. In addition to McDonnell, others offering prayers included Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, House Speaker William Howell and state Democrat Chairwoman Charniele Herring. McDonnell asked, during his prayer for Obama, that God give him “the wisdom of Solomon.” The opening prayer was...

With a flood of new federal regulations hitting everything from healthcare, energy, food safety, and bird protection, it is encouraging to know that some states can still think for themselves. In Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell declared that he was going to make Virginia the Energy Capital of the East Coast—after all Virginia is blessed with abundant resources such as coal, offshore oil and one of the largest uranium deposits in the world. His plans have been thwarted by the federal government. The EPA is regulating coal mining out of existence. Federal restrictions have prevented Virginia from being able to access...

Gov. Bob McDonnell has certified health regulations that impose strict hospital construction standards on Virginia abortion clinics —triggering the next step in a multitiered approval process that could make the revised rules permanent by this summer. Unlike the public relations ballyhoo that accompanies many executive actions, McDonnell, an anti-abortion Republican, certified the regulations and had them posted to the Virginia Town Hall website without a public announcement on the Friday between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The signoff comes more than three months after the rules were adopted in September by the state Board of Health at a contentious...

VCDL IS PREPARING FOR ALL OUT CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS AND TO PROTECT SCHOOLS VCDL's thoughts & prayers are with the families, friends, and all who were affected by the atrocity committed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School by a criminal monster on Friday. Words cannot adequately express our deepest sympathy to the victims and the revulsion we feel for the vile act of a lunatic. Although some gun organizations have dropped off the radar screen, VCDL has been active and on the offensive - from newspapers to television, from local news to national shows. From the Washington Post...

Not completely unexpected, Governor Bob McDonnell's comment yesterday that maybe it is time for a discussion about arming some school officials is drawing fire from the predictable quarters: Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, Democratic caucus chairman, said, “The governor should know better than to suggest that arming citizens will solve anything. “Maybe the governor should focus on solutions that could actually have an impact, like banning the high-capacity magazines used to inflict horrific violence upon countless American cities.” The Virginia Education Association had a more measured response: Meg Gruber, president of the Virginia Education Association, the state’s teachers union, said...

Virginia is moving towards making card-check—the controversial union proposal to replace secret-ballot elections with simple card-signing petitions—unconstitutional in the state. The effort is led by State Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) who said that “no citizen” should be denied the ability to vote by secret ballot. …

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has called for tolls to pay for the state's much-needed road construction, but another option is now on the table. State Sen. John Watkins (R-Powhatan) proposed a plan that would increase Virginia's gas tax from 17.5 cents a gallon to 31.5 cents a gallon. The 14-cent increase would eliminate the need to add more toll roads. In the proposed legislation, taxpayers in the three lowest state brackets would get a break on their income tax. Electric and hybrid vehicles would also have to undergo an annual assessment of $102 a year.

Republicans are in position to extend their recent gains among governors as they compete for seats they haven't won in a quarter-century. Of the 11 states with gubernatorial elections in November, eight are now led by Democrats, and each of the most competitive races is a GOP pickup opportunity. The numbers suggests that Republicans soon will claim 30 to 33 governorships after holding just 22 a few years ago - an advantage not reflected in the divided Congress or competitive presidential race. 'It says that when people are choosing the government closest to the people, they're choosing Republicans,' Virginia Gov....

It's been called "snowicane" and "worse than the perfect storm," and it could knock out power in the mid-Atlantic through Election Day. Hurricane Sandy hasn't even made it past the Bahamas yet, but Sandy, or any natural disaster around Election Day, could wreak extreme havoc on the election, experts say. [PHOTOS: Hurricane Sandy Threatens Caribbean] Political scientists have long studied the effects of rain and inclement weather on voter turnout and, not surprisingly, have found many people would rather stay at home than brave the weather. But more extreme storms or natural disasters that affect an entire state or region...

Based on the chatter on gun blogs and Internet forums, it looks like a groundswell is underway in Virginia to borrow a page from Napoléon’s playbook and vote ‘to the sound of the guns.’ Thanks to a new law passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by Governor Bob McDonnell (R), all that it will take to vote in Virginia this year is a concealed handgun permit. This means no photo is required to vote . . .

What's the fiercest rivalry in American politics today? There's Obama-Romney, of course, but try O'Malley-McDonnell—neighboring governors battling across the Potomac River over how best to resuscitate a moribund economy. Martin O'Malley, Maryland's liberal Democratic governor, is competing for jobs, businesses and tax dollars with Bob McDonnell, Virginia's conservative Republican chief executive. Both are rising stars considered potential presidential hopefuls in 2016. Both are Irish Catholics—Mr. McDonnell playfully calls Mr. O'Malley "the big Irishman to our north"—and each leads his party's association of governors. The two regularly spar on the Sunday talk shows, on the pages of Washington-area newspapers, and over...

On C-Span Speakers today include: • RNC co-chairman Sharon Day • Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn • Convention chief executive officer William Harris • Tampa Bay Host Committee chairman Al Austin • House Speaker John Boehner • Chairman of committee on rules John Sununu • Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, chairman of committee on resolutions • U.S. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, co-chairs of committee on resolutions • Actor Janine Turner • Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum • U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire • Ohio Gov. John Kasich • Oklahoma Gov. Mary...

The Republican Party looks set to adopt platform planks at the upcoming GOP national convention in Tampa to support an audit of the Federal Reserve and to call for a commission to study a return to the gold standard, according to news reports. Analysts had a range of reactions to the news, varying from excitement to disdain and disbelief. Despite media claims that Republicans were seeking an end to centrally managed fiat currency and a return to gold-backed money, drafts of the platform revealed far less ambition. According to sources within the GOP cited in reports, the party is simply...

The Talk Shows August 26th, 2012 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann.MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Republican former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus; Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Republican former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.THIS WEEK (ABC): Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Platform Committee; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the Democratic National Convention. STATE OF THE UNION (CNN): Priebus; Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas;...

The Talk Shows August 19th, 2012 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Ed Gillespie, adviser to Romney's campaign; Robert Gibbs, adviser to Obama's campaign. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Govs. Martin O'Malley, D-Md., and Bob McDonnell, R-Va.; Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed; Ted Cruz, Republican Senate nominee in Texas.FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress.THIS WEEK (ABC): Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign; Kevin...

A potentially large change of events as former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder appeared at a Romney fundraiser today. This came after his criticism of Joe Biden for his "chains" comments the other day. According to Pajamas Media, Wilder (D-VA) was a surprise guest and was introduced by current Governor Bob McDonnell at the fundraiser in Richmond, VA. Wilder had said that slavery was not something for Biden to joke about:

August 10, 2012 10,000 Dead Virginia Voters Christian Adams The Virginia State Board of Elections provides an example of how states should be conducting election administration. While many U.S. counties have over 100 percent of living adults registered to vote, Virginia has none. Even better, Virginia has purchased the Social Security Death Index database so state election officials can run computerized matches against Virginia voter rolls.The new policy of the Virginia State Board has paid off.Virginia’s initial sweep has yielded 10,000 dead voters who were never before removed from the rolls. These zombies won’t be able to vote, through a...

A retired Navy captain is asking Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to support adding marriage equality to the GOP platform. McDonnell chairs the committee that will propose a platform at the national convention in Tampa later this month. Retired Navy Capt. Joan Darrah, in a letter to McDonnell, said the freedom to marry is in keeping with the party’s ideology. “If given the opportunity, we will testify in support of the inclusion in the Republican platform of both the repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and the right of same-gender couples to marry and for those marriages to...