Is the GOP in Trouble in VA-07?: Henrico County

 

Any analysis of a particular race in Virginia these days often triggers many defense mechanisms. For too long these defense mechanisms have created a situation of denial for the Virginia GOP in which there has been little acknowledgement or change in the party messaging given the changing demographics on the ground in many localities in Virginia.

An objective analysis here based not only historical voting trends, demographics, metrics but also conversations with voters on the ground in Henrico County going into next months Congressional contest in the VA-07.

The VA-07 is an historically a very conservative district in Virginia currently represented by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) elected in 2018 during to so-called "blue wave" election that was the first Congressional cycle following the election of President Trump in 2016.

The Virginia GOP is seeking to unseat Rep. Spanberger and nominated Delegate Nick Freitas (R) late summer to challenge her via a nominating convention. Freitas was nominated after three rounds of ballots at the convention held in Doswell, Virginia.

I respect Delegate Nick Freitas and find him to be an outstanding Delegate from Culpeper County who is in my opinion one of the best orators on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates. While Freitas ran in 2018 for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate and lost to Corey Stewart (R), I hope that the result of this election does not negatively impact the future of this rising star in the Virginia GOP. Elections always can offer surprises however this cycle is probably one of the most divisive in Virginia history since the Presidential Election of 1860.

Often it is inevitable that "down ballot" candidates can be at the mercy of the Presidential race. One recent factor with independent voters is the takeaway from the first and possibly only Presidential debate last week that many perceived as the worst in debate history.

The coming 2020 Census will certainly reveal even more changes in demographics that have occurred in the last decade in Henrico County, however what is obvious to any political analyst is the the trends on the ground in suburban areas have shifted from supporting Republicans in Virginia overwhelmingly a decade ago to now supporting Democrats in Presidential, Congressional and statewide races for the Virginia Executive.

The Virginia Seventh Congressional District offers us insight into this shift given two of the largest suburban localities in Virginia comprise the majority of voters in the district. Both Chesterfield County and Henrico County were once Republican strongholds in Virginia election history. The latter no longer can be considered a Republican stronghold given the shift in the last decade and the former may shift left as well in the coming cycle.

Understand this. 

Henrico County will determine the winner of the Congressional race in 2020 for the VA-07.

No examination of the race for the VA-07 Congressional seat can ignore what has happened in Henrico County over the last few years politically. Henrico County truly illustrates the ground that the Virginia GOP has lost in suburbia. Many pundits on the right would likely disagree but the voting metrics reveal a very distinct transformation in voting behavior in suburbs the more the Virginia GOP takes extreme positions on social issues and federal immigration policies.  The messaging remains mixed and the perception is that the Virginia GOP does not support immigrants even though the intent was to address "illegal" immigrants. Candidates like Corey Stewart and State Senator Amanda Chase have alienated many immigrants according to many residents in the VA-07.

What has contributed to this shift in voting trends?

The biggest factor is clearly the demographic change that Henrico with roughly 330,000 residents has experienced over the last decade. 

One of the changes is that there are now more women living in Henrico now representing 52%+ of the population. A population now has a growing non-white population where the Blacks represent 30%, Asians 10% and Hispanics now 7%. This constitutes an estimated 47% of the population in Henrico.

The GOP nationally is facing declines in support from women and immigrant groups. Some political analysts and firms that track such polling data have estimated that the GOP is now -34% with women and -19% with immigrant populations. Whether one agrees with such analysis or not the metrics of this are playing out at the polls and is demonstrated in the correlation in the decline of Republican support in Henrico in the last few election cycles.

Henrico by any estimation is an affluent locality. 18% of population has a post graduate degree and 52% of the population as at least some college or a college degree. These metrics represent 10% higher than the Virginia averages.

Another relevant factor in 2020 is the rising 16% of the population that is 65+. This is a huge issue for the Virginia GOP and the Nick Freitas campaign because national polling is demonstrating that President Trump is losing support of seniors dramatically compared to 2016. 

One of the biggest metrics now in Henrico in terms of elections is the fact that 13.5% of the population is now "foreign born". This is a huge issue for the Virginia GOP on the coat tails of the Corey Stewart 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate and the current campaign for the GOP nomination for Governor by Amanda Freeman Chase for 2021. The GOP has steadily lost support in the immigrant community since 2013 after earning a large share of it in 2009.  The majority of immigrants coming to Henrico are from Asia (55%) and Latin America (23%) followed by Europe (12%) and Africa (9%). There appears little outreach efforts thus far from the Republican Party of Virginia this cycle to appeal to the immigrant communities throughout Virginia.

The factor that appears to have not drawn virtually any messaging from the GOP and specifically the Nick Freitas campaign is that the majority of new business start-ups have come from women and "foreign born" Virginians in Henrico. The impact of the Covid-19 crisis has directly impacted many of these business yet there appears to be very little mention of how President Trump's actions have supported the business communities whether lower corporate taxes or stimulus provisions to support small business. Rep. Spanberger has leveraged thus far the actions of Congress in terms of the first stimulus to her own ends in touting support for small business.

An example of the Spanberger pitch:

"For 2 years, I’ve worked to be a strong voice in Congress on the issues that impact people’s daily lives in #VA07. -Lowering the cost of prescription drugs -Expanding broadband internet access -Recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic"

Freitas is a Army veteran and 6.3% of the Henrico population are veterans with the overwhelming majority having served in Vietnam and the Gulf War 1990's. Recent polling has demonstrated weaker support from veterans in 2020 for Trump than in 2016 and this should be a real concern as well for the Freitas campaign. Rep. Scott Taylor is experiencing the same dynamic in his challenge for his old seat in the VA-02 comprising the Virginia Beach region.

The median income for residents of Henrico is roughly 68,000. This is a factor that should play well for the Freitas campaign however there has been very little messaging regarding the Trump tax cuts thus far from the campaign that certainly benefited a majority of residents living in Henrico. Instead the majority of the messaging thus far has targeted Rep. Abigail Spanberger's (D) voting record in Congress the last two years and her alignment with some of the most liberal in the House of Representatives.

What is interesting is the continued attempted links to Speaker of House Pelosi and the Spanberger voting record and the assertion that Spanberger is not as "moderate" or "blue dog" as she campaigns compared to when she is voting in Washington appears to be an extension of similar messaging that failed Rep. David Brat (R) in 2018. Spanberger in truth does not appear to have a very "moderate" record at all however the message does not appear to resonate with many voters in the manner in which it is asserted.

Thus far the approach appears to be a strategy set on "voting against" Spanberger as opposed to "voting for" Nick Freitas. The issue with this approach in talking with voters in Henrico  is that while the Presidential election very well may be a "referendum" election on Trump, many voters do not see this Congressional election in the VA-07 as a "referendum" on Spanberger. Spanberger like Freitas is very lpersonable nd likeable figure when you speak with people whom have met both of them

I recently had the opportunity to speak with some voters from Henrico where my wife lived for a time and what is rather interesting is the amount of split voting that may occur next month among independent voters that thus far is not showing up in any polling. It is estimated that roughly 14% of voters nationally are independent voters and these voters are often less concerned with "policy" per say as many other voters. They are not partisans by any means and many have voted for Democrats as many times as Republicans. Many for example supported Trump in 2016 yet supported Democrats in 2017 for Delegates representing Henrico in the Virginia General Assembly. These very seats have all flipped the last decade to the Democrats in the county.

What has to be  (or should be) alarming to the Virginia GOP is the steep decline in support for Republican candidates in Henrico County.

Out of a population of 330,000 some 105,000 voters turned out in 2018 at the polls in the last Congressional race for the VA-07. Spanberger won Henrico County 60.96% to 36.89% over Rep. David Brat (R).

In 2016 Rep. David Brat had won the county with 50.77% of the vote but came in -14% cycle over cycle. There are some reasons of course in examining the decline in support for the GOP candidates  however not one more meaningful than redistricting. The GOP used to have the support of Hanover County precincts to the tune of 70% in the years that Rep. Eric Cantor (R) held the seat when the GOP dominated the VA-07 at the polls.

In statewide races Henrico shifted from support of statewide and national Republicans to Democratic candidates where it once supported the likes of Bob McDonnell (R) for Governor in 2009 but by 2013 had started to shift to the left at the polls. Governor Terry McAuliffe decimated Republicans in 2013 with an astounding 51.2% to 38% over Ken Cuccinelli. Subsequent candidates from the GOP have met similar fate though Brat did win in an off cycle election in 2014 with 55% of the vote. 

If we examine Rep. David Brat's performance in VA-07 after defeating Rep.Eric Cantor (R) in an historic primary with the support of the Tea Party the movement quickly fizzled out and was reabsorbed back into into the GOP much to the dismay of many within it. Thus from 2014 where Brat earned 55%  in Henrico he declined to 50.77% in 2016 and ultimately 36.89%. Overall throughout the VA-07 in 2018 Brat earned 48.40%  some 12 points better than he performed in Henrico.

What is interesting when speaking to Henrico County voters when one canvasses or speaks to residents is that there is still support for some local Republicans. State Senator Siobhan Dunnavant withheld a challenge in 2019 by Delegate Debra Rodman (D) who she defeated 50.76% to 49.06%. Much of this can be attributed to the Hanover precincts that remain in the VA-12 Senate District that no longer are part of the VA-07 Congressional. 

Dunnavant outperformed both President Trump and Rep. David Brat in heavily "red" precincts and many of them by four to six basis points.

Lets examine a few precincts that will impact the 2020 Congressional race for the GOP:

103: Glen Allen

2012 : 61.95 (Cantor) 2016 : 60.38 (Brat) 2016:  49% Trump 2018:  48.57 (Brat) 2019:  Dunnavant 54.37

302: Cedarfield

2012: 64% (Cantor)  2016: 62% (Brat)   2016: 50% (Trump)  2018: 51% (Brat)  2019: Dunnavant 57%

403: Derbyshire

2012: 69% (Cantor)   2016: 66% (Brat)   2016: 54% (Trump)  2018: 55% (Brat)  2019: Dunnavant 60%

417: Tuckahoe

2012: 72% (Cantor)   2016: 69% (Brat)   2016: 54% (Trump)  2018: 56% (Brat)  2019  Dunnavant  65%

These are heavily conservative leaning precincts and illustrate that even among these districts there have been shifts metrics wise over last decade.

Some other races to consider: Henrico supported the following-

Hillary Clinton (D) 2016- 57%

Governor Ralph Northam (D) 2017 52%

U.S Senator Tim Kaine (D) 2018 57%

Now worth consideration for supporters of the Virginia GOP to consider is that the two Republican candidates that have outperformed all other GOP candidates are:

State Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R)  2019 50.76%

Jill Vogel (Lt. Governor Candidate) 2017 50%

Republicans must overcome the denial of the trends on the ground in suburbia that Henrico illustrate. The two women representing the GOP on ballots in Henrico County recently are the very two Republicans that the State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase wing of the party ( Cuccinelli, Stewart, Brat) have railed against and attempted to label as "Liberal Republicans" or  "Establishment" yet it appears these State Senators appeal to voters and know how to appeal to voters via dedicated messaging that speaks to families in the suburbs. Another is Lt. Governor Bill Bolling from Hanover that pulled in 56.29% of the vote across Virginia in 2009 and has become a target of the Chase campaign in recent weeks rehashing the 2013 race in which Bolling withdrew and AG Ken Cuccinelli supported by Chase won the nomination and ultimately lost to Governor Terry McAuliffe (D).

Given the trends on the ground and the historical metrics, the Virginia GOP and Delegate Nick Freitas appear in real trouble even in the wake of over reach by the Virginia State Legislature in the last year and an aggressive GOTV effort for GOP supporters.

I anticipate the following results next month in the VA-07 UNLESS messaging changes in the next three weeks----for example have yet to see a single Spanish ad this cycle or heard one on the radio thus far from Freitas ( if anyone has please comment below so I may locate it). 6% of the population speaks Spanish as primary language in the home in Henrico and there is a significant rising population in Spotsylvania and Chesterfield Counties. This something that Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) used effectively in 2009 yet the consultant trend in the GOP is to not spend in this area it seems the last few cycles. A correlation can be drawn directly to this lack of focus to the declining trend in Hispanic support for Virginia GOP statewide and Congressional candidates.

Important to note: 

2016 Trump won VA-07 51.14% to 43.30%

Amelia County: (6,000 voters) Freitas

Chesterfield County: (113,000 voters) Spanberger

Culpeper County: (20,000 voters) Freitas

Goochland County: (13,000 voters) Freitas

Henrico County:(105,000 voters) Spanberger

Louisa County: (16,000 voters) Freitas

Nottoway County: (6,000 voters) Freitas

Orange County: (16,000 voters) Freitas

Powhatan County; (18,000 voters) Freitas

Spotsylvania County: (38,000 voters) Freitas 

I expect Delegate Nick Freitas to win every rural locality in the VA-07 which all lean Conservative however I expect Rep. Abigail Spanberger to win re-election because she will will hold serve in both Henrico County and Chesterfield County she won in 2018. Spanberger easily wins Henrico County however Chesterfield while very tight race in 2016 between Trump and Clinton with Trump only winning the historically conservative Chesterfield by less than 1% supported Spanberger two years later in 2018 by 10 points.

Guest Contributor

Jonathan Scott

Chase Promises to Deliver Chesterfield: Nick Freitas VA-07

 

The visit from President Trump to Virginia this week has created a revival in the enthusiasm for Republicans on the front lines this cycle. With every Congressional seat down ballot of President Trump this November this shot in the arm is likely something that the Republican Congressional candidates need in VA-10 (Aliscia Andrews) VA-02 (Scott Taylor) VA-07 (Nick Freitas) and VA-05 (Bob Good).

No one needed this boost more than Delegate Nick Freitas (R) challenging Abigail Spanberger (D) who defeated David Brat (R) in 2018. Spanberger has 4-1 edge in campaign resources with over four million in her arsenal and she has been hitting Freitas with television, radio and social media ads repeatedly since the VA-07 GOP Convention in Doswell last month.

Spanberger has heavily concentrated her efforts on key localities like Henrico and Chesterfield where she dominated in 2018. In fact these were the only two counties in the VA-07 that Spanberger won outright in 2018. It so happens that these localities are the high population density areas of the VA-07 and in truth were once dominated by Republicans.  Former Delegate and Congressman Eric Cantor (R) held the seat in Congress for over a decade before losing to David Brat in a Republican primary. Brat held the seat for two terms before being defeated by Spanberger by two points.

It was the political shift at the polls in Henrico and Chesterfield that was Brats undoing. Brat lost Henrico County by 18 points and Chesterfield Countu by 10 points. While Freitas has attempted to raise the level of turnout in the rural counties of the district ultimately the race will be decided in Henrico and Chesterfield. The latter saw 110,000 or so voters come to polls in 2018 while Henrico County had just over 103,000. Traditionally these areas have voted conservative. For example in 2017 the district voted for Ed Gillespie over Ralph Northam for Governor and in 2016 supported Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton by eight points.

Since 2016, Henrico has shifted to supporting Democrat U.S. Senator Tim Kaine as well as Delegates to the Virginia General Assembly and came very close to winning the State Senate seat held by Republican Siobhan Dunnavant in 2019. Chesterfield still has maintained its Republican Delegates and State Senator Amanda Chase however saw State Senator Glen Sturtevant defeated in 2019. Senator Chase while winning re-election in 2019 saw her margin erode to 54.51% from 63.74%. The striking metric is that in 2015 her opponent only earned 36.26 but her opponent in 2019 reached 45.26. Thats a net 13% change for the Democrats in the VA-11.

These are the dynamics that Freitas faces this November while Spanberger is pumping more and more resources into Henrico and Chesterfield.

Enter State Senator Amanda Chase (I) who now operates without any affiliation to the Republican Party in truth after leaving the GOP Senate Caucus and being removed from her local GOP committee for violating GOP Party Rules in 2019. Chase has endorsed Delegate Nick Freitas in his Congressional bid and was a partcipant in the nominating convention that elected him and was on site supporting Freitas and encouraging conservatives to support him as the convention went to three ballots before Freitas ultimately won the nomination. Chase spent much of the day speaking with conservatives concerning not only Freitas with supporters of Tina Ramirez and Delegate John McGuire but also concerning her Gubernatorial run in 2021.

Chase reassured conservatives in the VA-07 that she would deliver Chesterfield County to Nick Freitas and flip the county from its support of Spanberger in 2018. Chase was on site at the opening of the Nick Freitas campaign office and Chesterfield and spoke with campaign staff and supporters.

Ironically enough, Chase is currently the only officially declared candidate for the 2021 Gubernatorial nomination for the Republican Party. Political analysts speculate that many are waiting until the result of the 2020 Presidential race before make a determination with regard to the Governor race. Chase declared early by traditional standards back in early 2020 for the race in 2021.

Can Chase "deliver" Chesterfield County? Its certainly a very optimistic claim given the metrics at the polls and the trends in the county. Chesterfield certainly has become a "battleground" county in 2020 with the changing demographics. The question remains whether Chase can appeal to this changing demographic. The county now has a younger voting population with new families  and a rising rental capacity base in the eastern areas of the county now while the western areas have greater home ownership. Urban sprawl has impacted both the Route 60 and Route 360 corridors of the county. Chase has not spent very much time in the county since her declaration to run as she has been campaigning throughout the Commonwealth for her own nomination prospects and it is unclear if Chase will even get the support in her effort from her local GOP committee that she no longer belongs to.

The contrary could also be true in that Chase's involvement  in support of Nick Freitas could actually hurt Freitas with some voters, especially independent voters given all the negative instances surrounding Chase with the police, supporters groups and other Republican colleagues in Richmond.

Clean Virginia Fund Donation "Controversy" Resurrected: 2021 Virginia GOP Gubernatorial Race

 

                        Are State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase Donation Claims True?

Most Virginians really are not paying much attention to the 2021 Executive Office races yet given everything else going on in the current political environment in Virginia. Within the last week, not has Virginia has seen one of the first polling data get released from the Wason Center of Public Policy at Christopher Newport University and now has seen visits from Jill Biden and President Trump. Not many analysts are willing to say that Virginia is "in play" however the dynamic is very interesting given the time of the Wason poll and the visits.

Given that backdrop, it is of course no ones surprise that State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase (I) currently the only officially declared Republican candidate for the nomination to run for Governor of Virginia in 2021 must break into the news cycle to solidify a sense of relevancy. That is just how the Chase campaign operates given it announced the candidacy last February on the steps of the State Capitol in Richmond.

With the Presidential, U.S. Senate and all Congressional seats on the ballot this November it has been very hard for State Senator Chase to grab any of the political oxygen. Her campaign has utilized a mix of  coat tail campaigning and "shock and awe". The coat tails aspect is linking herself to all the other events affiliated with other candidates. While continuing to campaign distancing herself from her colleagues in the Virginia Senate which she abandoned in November 2019 over political leadership differences, Chase continues to link herself to Daniel Gade ,Nick Freitas and of course President Trump.

With so much happening in Virginia, State Senator Chase managed to resurrect one of her own campaign misteps from early summer to get people on social media engaged on her page. After managing to politicize the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Chase posted  on her official page regarding the manner in which her campaign accepts donations.

One of the central themes of the Chase campaign thus far is her  "WE the People" platform. Chase asserted this week this:

https://www.facebook.com/Chase4Senate/posts/3482747691790682

"I'm sure you've noticed that we do things a little differently on this campaign. That's a GOOD thing!

Our campaign is funded by WE THE PEOPLE and not lobbyists or liberal PACs. As a result, I am turning to you to help kickstart the Take Back Virginia tour."

The assertion of course resurrected the claims made by Shaun Kenney, former Executive Director of Republican Party of Virginia mid summer in The Republican Standard that questioned Chase's donations. The initial assertion made by Kenney supported by financial reports filed and made public on the Virginia Public Access Project website were denied by State Senator Chase.

https://therepublicanstandard.substack.com/p/why-is-the-soros-of-charlottesville

Chase has remained very defensive over her campaign donation since being made public mid summer. Chase raised about 200,000 in donations since declaring her intentions to run for Governor while her opponents on the Democratic side who announced months after Chase did have doubled and tripled her donations. Chase has avoided commenting too much on her shortfall yet has gotten very defensive on her social media platforms with those that have sought clarifications or explanations regarding some of the donations.

Chase has been challenged on donations she accepted from the Clean Virginia Fund which many feel is a progressive, environmental lobbying concern that supports the Green New Deal policies of the national Democratic Party founded by Michael Bills of Charlottesville. Chase repeatedly refusing to answer constituents on her facebook page directly regarding the donations instead deflecting and than attacking private citizens.

Clean Virginia is an independent 501c(4) organization with an associated Political Action Committee, Clean Virginia Fund

Chase went so far as to actually threaten a "cease and desist" order on her official page. This threat has become a repeated theme when Chase is question openly on her actions. A few months ago, Chase threatened Merle Rutledge a fellow Republicans seeking the nomination of the Virginia GOP to run for Governor with the recently passed law regarding interactions with Virginia legislators. Rutledge had called Chase out for her continued misrepresentations and for misleading voters with regard to her donations.

Chase has accepted donations from Clean Virginia Fund and organizations like the Virginia Citizens Defense League which both lobby their own specific interests in Richmond. Yet recall the claim made by Chase on her facebook page regarding not taking any money from "lobbyists".

There is a consistent pattern where Chase makes social media claims that are unfounded and when asked questions regarding said claims she goes on the offensive rather than answer direct questions. Chase recently asserted on the floor of the Senate that she knew what it was like to be the victim and attempted to tie the actions of a Capital Police officer she had an altercation with to the recent issues with police occurring across the nation. Chase implied the officer was unqualified and was thankful was no longer with the police force yet never revealed that the officer was promoted to federal law enforcement and had a stellar record with the Capitol Police.

Why would Chase use the phrase "liberal PAC's" ? Why would "liberal" ones donate to Chase in the first place? Many suspect she used this phrase as an attempt to mislead followers than the Clean Virginia Fund is not "liberal" yet its donations tell an entirely different story.

Clean Virginia has donated 100,000 to both Delegate Jennifer Foy and State Senator Jennifer McCllellan both potential opposition to Chase in 2021 should she secure the nomination.

https://www.vpap.org/donors/322501-clean-virginia-fund/?start_year=all&end_year=all&contrib_type=all

The fact remains that Shaun Kenney's claims are supported by the financial statements of the Chase campaign. Chase has taken 10,000 in donations thus far from the Clean Virginia Fund which is a major contributor to liberal candidates in Virginia and many claim the money coming from Michael Bills, his wife, George Soros and Michael Bloomberg changed the entire 2019 campaign environment that resulted in the Democrats securing the "trifecta"---winning the House and Senate as well as holding the Executive.

https://www.vpap.org/candidates/180244/top_donors/

The question remains why Chase would take such a donation? Why she would take funds from a organization that Shaun Kenney has described as "Green Antifa"? Another question is once have the matter raised why not simply admit the donation or return the donation? Chase has also repeatedly taken in her tenure some 20,000 from VCDL, 8,000 from Middle Resolution PAC and $7,500 from GoPAC.

Given the recent campaign financial reports of all races in Virginia this cycle, many have implied that the next reporting period will not be positive for Chase given all the money flowing into other races that are on the ballot in November. Nick Freitas in the VA-07 and Daniel Gade for example have raised over 1 million

for their respective campaigns.

Chases should retract her assertion publicly on her facebook page and apologize for misstating the facts regarding her donations.

Christopher Newport University Presidential and U.S. Senate Polling: Wason Center of Public Policy (Virginia)

 

The Judy Wason Center for Public Policy  at Christopher Newport University (CNU) located ion Newport News, VA has released polling data from its surveys this week.

Polling data demonstrates the following shaping up throughout Virginia:

2020 Presidential Race (Virginia)--- margin of erro +/- 3.9%

Joe Biden (D) 48%

Donald Trump (R) 43%

Enthusiastic Voters-

Joe Biden (D) 51%

Donald Trump (R) 43%

Data Points/Metrics:

Joe Biden + 27% advantage among women (61% to 34%)

Joe BIden + 18% among voters younger voters (56%-38%)

Joe Biden + 61% among Black voters (75%-14%)

Joe BIden  +36% among college-educated voters (66%-30%)

Donald Trump + 17% among enthusiastic non-college-educated voters (54%-37%)

Donald Trump + 20% among white voters (53%-43%) 

Donald Trump +12% among men (52%-40%)

2020 Virginia U.S. Senate Race:

Likely Voters-/-Very Likely Voters:

Mark Warner (D) 52% /  52%

Daniel Gade  (R)  39%/  41%  

State Constitutional Amendment-- (redistricting)

48% Support

28% Opposed

24% Undecided

Virginia College and University Bailout: Democratic Base Camp

As the news fills with all the issues that localities are facing with regard to virtual learning and no "in-person" schooling for the elementary, middle and high schools all across the Commonwealth and the lack of adequate preparedness by the Northam administration, the political focus has shifted to colleges and universities in Richmond.

The question is why? 

Everyone understands the value of Virginia's colleges and universities, however the skyrocketing premiums paid for tuition in higher education has been unsustainable for quite some time burdening Virginia families and students with continued student loan debt without any relief in truth for twenty years. 

Virginia colleges and universities have been able to raise tuition and fees at will the past few decades so much that students today are being charged sometimes seven to ten times as much as their parents just two or three decades ago while the education lobbies have sought to prevent any alternative models in Richmond.

The college and university model in truth has never been afforded much competition. The lobbyists and politicians in Richmond have seen to that. For years other states have dedicated resources to distance learning at the college level and many well known universities have implemented massive online global campus programs to meet the needs of those seeking a degree or certificate in specific areas of study.

There is not one Virginia college or university known nationally for a distance learning program for adults, veterans or college bound students. In fact, about a decade ago there was push back from colleges and universities to keep such programs from even coming into existence in Virginia meanwhile place like the University Maryland Global Campus just across the Potomac River in Maryland now has over 85,000 students enrolled 100% online. Other states have similar programs. One such program is University of Texas El Paso- UTEP Connect which offers online programs targeting veterans as well as working families and students alike.

The question remains why Virginia with an estimated 750,000 veteran population has never determined to provide the resources for such programs at the state level to keep many of these veterans enrolled in Virginia instead of having to enroll outside the Commonwealth.

The pandemic has created much concern on campus however one of the real concerns that many are not addressing in truth is the fact that colleges and universities while dealing publicly with the Covid-19 situation and all the mandates are privately extremely concerned that the pandemic has now shown Virginia families that the four year college on campus "experience" may not offer the best method in terms of quality and affordability. For decades there has failed to exist true alternative for families other than the Virginia Community College System which has never been given its due with regard to the quality of education students receive. In fact, it was community colleges that were the first to implement limited distance learning programs for working adults years ago.

Now Virginia families are seeing that virtual learning or distance learning could have many benefits for college age students given it afford the opportunity for students to work while in college and stay at home if necessary and avoid campus living expenses and still receive a degree from the college or university. This creates a ton of fear at colleges and universities. No one wants to admit it but fact remains these colleges and universities are run like business entities that are subsidized by all tax payers. 

So much attention is paid to elementary and secondary education that very little every gets discussed regarding how much the Commonwealth actually pays to support colleges and universities. In 2019 Democrats campaigned on raising the level of funding for public school systems some 1 billion a year to meet the needs of schools. In order to do so where is that funding going to come from in the state budget? Why is education getting funded in the manner it is while roads , bridges and infrastructure go unaddressed? Its very simple. Roads do not vote.

Instead you see Virginia Democrats setting the table to implement measures like use of "internet sales taxes"dedicated to education. This should remind everyone of the promises made regarding proceeds from the Virginia Lottery. Democrats are very skilled at identifying areas of opportunities that must be addressed however never seem to figure out how to actually pay for them without having to raise taxes or create new taxes.

In the 2020 General Assembly Session, Virginians got real insight into the political priorities of the new majority in Richmond. In an effort to raise teacher salaries driven by the Virginia Education Association (VEA) the state would implement a college and university tuition freeze however than offset the impact of the freeze on colleges and universities by also providing them additional funding directly from the state. In effect the state shifted the funding from families paying any increases in tuition to providing colleges and universities the funding directly from tax payers (all) to compensate for any deficeit the freeze may have created. In essence a clever bailout.

In essence, college and universities would not have to cut expenses or implement wide spread structural changes to operations or how they conduct business due to the freeze in tuition. Of course many would claim that is a very simplistic observation but true nonetheless. Here is an example of how budgets simply move things around as a result of the "tuition freeze":

"Old Dominion gets another $2.8 million next year to increase need-based financial aid to undergraduate and graduate students, a 7.7% increase. Norfolk State University will get another $816,000 for financial aid, a 3.7% increase. The budget also grants the university $548,000 a year for its new Center for African American Policy.

Christopher Newport University will get $125,000 next year to increase need-based financial aid by 1.2%. The College of William and Mary will get another $146,000 next year for needs-based financial aid for undergraduate and graduate students, a 0.3% increase.

As their share of the tuition freeze funds, ODU would receive $3.2 million; CNU, $2.8 million; NSU, $1 million;and William and Mary, $900,000." (The Virginian Pilot)

Has the college model really changed all that much? It is basically the same model most parents experienced in college in terms of structure and form. The credit hour model and requirements are relatively unchanged just like the "four year' model approach however one thing that has changed has been the interjection of more and more "political" influence upon basic courses in humanities. Campuses have become incubators for both progressive and socialistic theory at the expense of conservatism. The political forces in Richmond understand this and understand that the college campus is a driver for the social and political movements that are the underpinnings of the Democratic Party. Liberal and Progressive educators now far surpass Conservative on campus and many argue that it has never been harder for a conservative educator to get tenure than today.

What we are seeing now with families and more engagement in learning and the overall education process and that scares the education industrial complex. A complex that has created a business model that is so insulated from any economic reality that families or society ever face whether recession, depression or even times of war. Yet the one thing that they could not have predicted was the impact of the Covid-19 virus and how it would create more awareness from parents in terms of the options they face with regard to education now.

The politicians are now faced with the fact that the virus may create a situation where less and less students begin to enroll in college. This would in effect blow up the model that has been created. Parents today are asking themselves for the first time whether or not it really is of value anymore to send children to college campus of the education they can receive online or virtually is equal or even better and at substantial savings.

Why would the state have to continue to increase financial aid funding if less and less students enroll? Why is the state having to increase the funding in the first place? Is it due to the fact that tuition has ballooned out of control? Why are colleges and universities  funded with state tax dollars not required to reduce operational expenses on their end and totally restructure in order to compete? Does not every college and university in Virginia whether public or private compete for each year's school enrollment? Is not the Commonwealth picking favorites in its budgets when it provides some schools with aid and others no aid. What is the model used to determine which schools get the aid? 

In the real business world we are seeing closures as a result of the pandemic of 2020. Are we seeing a school closures? Is not what we are talking about today in Richmond nothing more than a "bailout" for colleges and universities unprepared for the impact of pandemic? Governor Ralph Northam and the Democrats have yet to offer a single plan regarding the economic recovery of business development and jobs in Virginia during the month long "Special Session" and yet seeks to advance the following:

"Governor Ralph Northam today announced a higher education refinancing plan that will save Virginia’s public colleges and universities more than $300 million over the next two years. The Commonwealth of Virginia will take advantage of low interest rates by refinancing bonds issued by the Treasury Board of Virginia (TBV) and the Virginia College Building Authority (VCBA), which institutions of higher education use for capital projects. The Governor was joined by George Mason University President Dr. Gregory Washington and state legislators for the announcement at the university’s Fairfax campus.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have tremendous impacts on higher education, including the fiscal health of our colleges and universities,” said Governor Northam. “Families all over the country are taking advantage of record low interest rates to refinance their home mortgages, and we want our public institutions to benefit as well. Refinancing will free up millions of dollars in savings allowing our colleges and universities to make critical investments, meet the needs of Virginia students, and continue offering a world-class education.”

Virginia has successfully avoided cuts to higher education during the pandemic. The Commonwealth has worked hard to maintain its valued AAA bond rating, which has allowed the state to be eligible for these favorable interest rates.

“Our public higher education institutions are critical to Virginia’s success, and we know they are hurting right now,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Janet Howell. “Allowing them to refinance some of their debt is an innovative way to save money when they need it most, and I look forward to supporting the legislative portion of this proposal next session.”

Many Virginia colleges and universities have seen a decline in revenue traditionally used for bond payments. These institutions are also navigating uncertainty regarding in-person learning, with many unsure when or how students will return to campus. Under the Governor’s plan, institutions will make no principal payments on their VCBA bonds through fiscal year 2023. The proposed restructuring would also extend institutions’ payment plans for two years beyond their current schedule, for both VCBA and TBV bonds.

“As stewards of the Commonwealth’s finances, we are always seeking creative solutions to financial issues,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Luke Torian. “Helping public colleges and universities restructure their debt obligations allows them to focus their resources on the pressing needs they face right now as a result of the pandemic.”

As part of his plan, Governor Northam will work with the General Assembly to allow additional flexibility for higher education refinancing during the 2021 General Assembly session.

“Governor Northam is committed to supporting Virginia’s institutions of higher education,” said Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne. “These savings will make a tremendous difference for our colleges and universities as they navigate these challenging times.” (Office of the Governor)

Colleges and Universities are vital to the economy however there is no argument that the educational industrial complex is vital to the Democratic Party of Virginia politically and it is clear that Democrats seek to allocate more and more funding in this area without any real strings with regard to operational changes that would reduce tuition on Virginia families.

Democrats see very little need to demand such structural and operational changes to the education industrial complex as it simply plans to use more and more tax dollars generated on the backs of Virginians to fund more and more financial aid funding for Virginia colleges and universities requiring every Virginian to pay more at the end of the day whether a family has a student enrolled in college or not.

At some point does the Virginia Legislature not have to take into account the massive endowments that many colleges and universities in Virginia are sitting on or does it simply keep ignoring that fact and continue to "bailout" one of the largest business enterprises in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the education industrial complex.

Lets get back to putting Virginia families and students FIRST! Not an educational industrial complex that fails to put the needs of students first.

Guest Commentator, Jonathan Scott

September 25, 2020

"I know what its like to be the victim"- State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase

                                                     

During this weeks Virginia State Legislature's "Special Session", Virginia lawmakers debated law enforcement reforms in wake of the recent national instances of negative interactions between citizens and law enforcement. None of these instances however occurred in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In fact, more law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty over the last few years than "officer shootings" resulting in the death of any citizens.

Nonetheless, never letting a "crisis" go to waste the Democratic Party of Virginia has sought to advance reforms that would impact the manner in which Virginia law enforcement operates. Some of the provisions can be argued from a civil libertarian view point as valid. One such provision is "no knock" warrants. The "choke hold" measure however appears to be something that was derived from other states in truth or at the very least copycatted because Virginia law enforcement does not engage in "choke holds" as a means of force when interacting with citizens.

https://wamu.org/story/20/09/10/virginia-senate-votes-to-ban-no-knock-warrants-and-create-process-to-decertify-police/

The S.B. 5030 bill puts Virginia Democrats in a very tenuous position. The appearance or "optic" this week is that Democrats do not support law enforcement and are attempting to undermine the ability for law enforcement to do its job effectively. Suburban districts certainly do not wish to see what is happening in places like Richmond City happen in their communities. Some in the Democratic Caucus support defunding police entirely where the majority appears to simply seek to enact reforms to appease the far left of the party. Many see this week as mere posturing for next year in attempts by some Democrats to avoid primary challenges from the "progressive" wing of the party which is well funded with resources coming from outside the Commonwealth. This week has put Democrats on soft footing for the House races coming in 2021 which resembles the door Democrats provided Virginia Republicans in the 1990's in terms of making crime and law enforcement a central theme in campaigning. Many political analysts draw a direct line of this theme to the election of Governor George Allen (R) during that decade.

In what appeared to be the perfect opportunity for Virginia Republicans to come together in a focused effort to begin to formulate new messaging for 2021, appeared shattered with one speech on the floor during the S.B. 5030 debate. State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase (I- Chesterfield) who no longer caucuses with the Virginia Senate GOP managed to once again spotlight on herself. This has become habitual for the State Senator who is seeking the GOP nomination to run for Governor in 2021. 

State Senator Chase (I) 

In an effort to address her "stand" or support for law enforcement, Senator Chase once again played the victim card. A card that Chase has routinely played over and over on the campaign trail all across Virginia in 2020. Recently, Chase claimed she was the victim of "liberal" restaurant owners in Harrisonburg, VA when  owners asked for her to wear a mask in accordance with the state mandate governing restaurant services. The owners provided Chase with reasonable accommodation though Chase never owned this fact in terms of informing her followers. Chase claimed she was "denied service" because of her refusal to respect Governor Northam's mask covering mandates. Chase would later claim that a "medical condition" of some sort prevented her from wearing masks yet multiple images of her mask wearing appeared on social media to undermine this claim.

On the Senate floor, Chase rose to oppose S.B. 5030 and in doing so determined to bring up the 2019 incident in which she had involving an interaction with Capitol Police at Pedestrian Plaza in Richmond where Chase attempted to park her car in an unauthorized parking spot. Chase asserted on the floor that she knew "...what its like to be the victim" as she described this interaction only to receive moans from her colleagues.  Chase sated she was thankful that the officer was no longer with the Capitol Police implying that the officer was a "bad officer".

Chase's comments stem from the 2019 incident in which Capitol Police officer Ashley Berryman refused to permit Senator Chase from parking in an unauthorized spot and where Berryman stated Chase became "irate" and used profanities directed at her.

Chase was quoted as stating to Berryman "You don't know the equality of women's right" and "Do you know who I am?" while Berryman remained professional and radioed her superior and support officer to determine if she was permitted to allow Chase to park in the area. After word came down the chain of command that Chase was not authorized to park in the area, Chase became even more agitated with Berryman and stated:

"Madame Clerk, Miss Piggy, gets to park her fat ass in front" referring to the Senate Clerk Susan Clarke Schaars who apparently was in fact authorized to park in the location and at the time first term Senator Chase was not. Chase was directed to park in her authorized deck.

Now Chase appears to insinuate that Officer Berryman was "bad officer" and was now longer with the Capitol Police because of her performance yet this is not the case at all. Ashley Berryman is now a federal law enforcement officer and by all estimations was elevated in her career field. Berryman was never removed from duty by the Capitol Police and was a well respected member of the department.

This incident followed another with Capitol Police where many believed that Senator Chase was using the Capital Police as a personal shuttle service for her own benefit.

The 2019 incident was merely the first run in with law enforcement that Chase claims to support. One thing is very clear and while Chase may claim to "support" or "stand" with law enforcement her own actions appear to provide a very different position. Chase has continued to use law enforcement throughout her campaign as a sword to advance her own paradigm on various issues and routinely with no corroboration.

For example, Senator Chase claimed earlier this year that she had credible information from law enforcement in North Carolina that Governor Northam was traveling to Manteo, NC during the pandemic to vacation on the weekends. This claim nor any corroboration from law enforcement was every provided. Then a few months later, Chase claimed that the Chesterfield County Chief of Police informed her that Antifa was planning to cross the James River and terrorize residents of her district and that the militias were being called out. The Chief denied any such conversation concerning Antifa too place. This followed Chase's assertions a year prior that the Chesterfield Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Karl Leonard was soft on illegal immigration and ultimately opposed the Sheriff's nomination. This opposition resulted in Chase being ousted from her local GOP committee for failure to support a bonafide GOP nominee per RPV rules.

It has become rather evident to the political community that Senator Chase is nothing more than an opportunist who continues in every instance to claim the "victim" card when it suits her politically. Any time that any questions arise regarding Chase for her own actions or statements Chase claims they are simply coming from "liberal operatives" or some conspiracy against her.

Chase has repeatedly made this claim over and over. When supporters formed a grassroots Facebook group for Chase and the group refused to permit her control of the group messaging or permit her to place donation links on the group page, Chase took to her own social media calling the group creators "fake" and "liberal plants". Chase would claim a "bait and switch" yet refused any attempts at mediation in terms of the group now with over 12,000 members. 

Chase has sought on two separate instances to undermine the group, once in April after a article was released by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and than again in August with no success.  Chase claimed to have no personal knowledge of the creators on her facebook page yet text messages were published demonstrating that Chase had been in contact with the creators as far back as October of 2019 where she enlisted their support as well as calls and texts during the 2020 General Assembly session completely discredit Chase's assertions and claims.

The Democrats had a field day. The liberal Blue Virginia page reported the circumstance as follows:

https://bluevirginia.us/2020/05/sen-amanda-chase-far-right-candidate-for-virginia-governor-in-2021-goes-to-war-with-her-supporters-over-control-of-a-grassroots-pro-chase-facebook-page

The group has continued to grow from 8,000 to over 12,000 since Chase began her campaign to undermine it claiming she was the "victim" once again. The groups description clearly describes itself as unrelated or affiliated to any campaign. The group can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/999287823791649

The pattern of claiming to be the "victim" appears to be the central theme of the Chase for Governor 2021 campaign. Based on recent fundraising reporting from Virginia Public Access this theme does not appear to be resonating. Chase trails Delegate Jennifer Foy (D),  State Senator Jennifer McClellan (D) , former Governor Terry McAulifee (D-undeclared) in donations and in the first full quarter Chase reported only $200,953. Here is the breakdown:

https://www.vpap.org/offices/governor/elections/

Chase's own response to the 2019 incident involving Officer Berryman is indicative of every instance in which anyone challenges State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase:

"I am a bit surprised by this report, which honestly, looks like it was written by democrat operatives."

Virtual Learning: How Gov. Terry McAuliffe and VEA Failed Virginia Families

As the Virginia Legislature continues its "Special Session" next week, one of the biggest issues that will get debated by legislators is how to address the Commonwealth of Virginia's public school system and the lack of "in person" schooling taking place as a direct result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Legislators will have opportunity to consider legislation that attempts to address those students throughout Virginia that live in areas or regions that do not have broadband internet access to facilitate "on-line" or "virtual learning" as well as all the students in the urban and suburban areas with access.

However, it is important to remember that the unpreparedness that the Virginia public education system has experienced during the pandemic very well may have been avoided had it not been for Governor Terry McAuliffe and the Virginia Education Association.

In order to understand why things are where they are in Virginia in terms of education it is important to look backward.

This week during the "Special Session" we have seen Delegates using a "virtual" session which they managed to of on Thursday yet many school systems are still lacking the infrastructure or tools to implement such programs effective

"Let’s empower parents to get the technology, to get their kids the technology to learn virtually... Let’s empower parents to get the tutoring and in-person teaching their children need to excel, regardless of how much money they make.” stated Delegate Carrie Coyner (R).

"I would hope that we would support school systems as they go virtual...not because it’s what we want, but because where we are right now in this epidemic it’s what we need. It’s what’s doable. It’s where students can best learn.” Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg (D).

Both Coyner and VanValkenburg have experience in education. Coyner is a former School Board member in Chesterfield County and VanValkenburg is a teacher in Henrico County. Both entered the House of Delegates after Governor Terry McAuliffe had left office and never had the opportunity to vote on Virginia's Virtual School Board first introduced in 2016.

These two counties represent significant school age populations in suburban Richmond rivaled only on Northern Virginia counties like Fairfax.

Where other states have transitioned to on-line or "virtual learning" though such platforms as Google classroom or Blackboard, Virginia lags behind. The question becomes how is it that Virginia get caught so off guard during the pandemic with the extended periods of no "in-person" learning and how could the state leave local jurisdictions in such a position of unpreparedness to deal with the situation.

Truth be told this very situation very well could have been avoided entirely. Republicans began working on legislation as early as 2015 regarding increasing the funding in the area of virtual learning though you will not hear much of that around Richmond these days. Members of both parties supported vital legislation in 2016 and 2017 that would have moved virtual learning forward in Virginia with the necessary funding. Virginia did in fact already have some on line learning programs through the Department of Education however, the virtual learning transformation sought via the legislation would have created a virtual school independently.

Here is the measure. Both Senate Bill 1240 and House Bill 1400 were identical.

Republicans Siobhan Dunnavant in the Senate and "Dickie" Bell in the House were the chief patrons of these vital virtual learning bills in 2017.

SB 1240 Virginia Virtual School Board

Virginia Virtual School established. Establishes the Board of the Virginia Virtual School (the Board) as a policy agency in the executive branch of state government for the purpose of governing the full-time virtual school programs offered to students enrolled in the Virginia Virtual School (the School). The Secretary of Education is responsible for such agency. The 14-member Board is given operational control of the School and assigned powers and duties. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the bill requires the School to be open to any school-age person in the Commonwealth and to provide an educational program meeting the Standards of Quality for grades kindergarten through 12, with a maximum enrollment of 5,000 students statewide. The bill requires the average state share of Standards of Quality per pupil funding for each enrolled student to be transferred to the School

Incorporates S.B 1380 ( Sen. Petersen (D) )

Incorporates S.B.  1570 (Se. Peake (R) )

02/03/17 Passes 38--0- 1 abstention Senate

02/20/17 Passes the House of Delegates 59-37

03/13/17- Vetoed by Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) 

04/05/17  Senate sustains Governors Veto  21-19

04/05/17- Veto Overide fails in Senate--- requires  27 YES votes.

So what happened? Why did this particular bill supported by both the House and Senate that not only passed in 2017 but had also passed both in 2016 get vetoed a second time by Governor Terry McAuliffe (D). This may provide insight.

         

This comes from the Virginia Education Association (VEA) Daily Reports dated April 6, 2017. Clearly the VEA stood in the way of this significant legislation becoming law. This provides some insight of how the lobbying efforts of the VEA who represents teachers throughout Virginia who pay membership may have directly resulted in where Virginia is today with virtual learning and why Virginia is playing catch up some three years later.

VEA had Virtual School Board in effect killed even after legislators supported it until the Governor vetoed the measure.

"Every year, on a Wednesday, six weeks after the close of session, the General Assembly reconvenes to take up the Governor's action on the bills passed by the legislature during the regular session. Yesterday was that day. Governor McAuliffe has vetoed 40 bills this session. Delegate Kirk Cox gave a floor speech announcing that the Governor has set a single-session record for vetoes. Because all his vetoes held, Governor McAuliffe has vetoed 111 bills during his term. That is a term record as well. Governor Gilmore has the next highest number- 91 vetoes. Delegate Toscano did remind the House that many of the House bills the Governor vetoed this session are identical to bills he vetoed last session.

The VEA was following a group of bills. These bills are all bad for public education and we are thankful to our members who have called, emailed, and written the Governor asking for his veto. We are also grateful that WE WERE HEARD! Governor McAuliffe vetoed all of the bills we requested. We expect the vetoes to be upheld since you need a 2/3 vote to overturn a veto. The Senate sits at 21-19, so it is very difficult to get a 2/3 vote in that body. The House, on the other hand, sits at 66-34, just one vote away from a 2/3 vote possibility. We followed the House closely, but we felt good that we had locked up our votes. Thank you to the 34 members of the House of Delegates who stood with us on the vetoes!

Today we will watch the following veto votes:

House Bill 1400, Delegate Dickie Bell's Virtual School Bill (the Senate version, Senate Bill 1240, from Senator Dunnavant is identical to the House bill and was also vetoed). In his veto, the Governor questioned the constitutionality of these bills. He also commented that, even with off-session work to improve this legislation, it passed in a nearly identical form as House Bill 8 from the 2016 session that he also vetoed. These bills would establish a separate Virtual School Board independent of the Virginia Board of Education and would receive state funding on a per-pupil basis based, draining those resources from our traditional public schools. All school divisions in VA are already required to offer on-line courses, and the VA Department of Education already offers full-time, virtual high school. The VEA opposed these bills and we are grateful the veto was upheld. In the House, the 34 Democrats were joined by Republican Delegates Bloxom, Farrell, Habeeb, Helsel, Hugo, Miller, Ware and Yost in sustaining the Governor's veto."

These bills in 2017 were first introduced in 2016 as House Bill 8. The Daily Press reported the following on March 31, 2016:

"Under the legislation, a student will be able to enroll in a state-approved virtual program if a parent determines that doing so is in the "best interest of such student," but no more than 2 percent of all students in a division could enroll.

The school would be tuition-free to all students, but comes with a $275,000 initial start up cost in Fiscal Year 2018 under the General Assembly-approved budget.

The state share of the per-pupil funding provided to each division would be transferred to the virtual school"

This was the basis it seems for the VEA determined effort for two years to keep the "Virtual School Board" from happening. The state share of the per student funding to local jurisdictions would be impacted if such a board were established and create an entity that very well may have been beyond its lobbying control.

So when Virginia parents look to Richmond for answers in terms of the circumstance the Commonwealth education system faces now with no in-person schooling to start the school year and the majority of school systems having to implement "virtual learning" understand that Virginia has been here before. Richmond had the opportunity not once but twice in 2016 and 2017 to get a jump start on such virtual learning for students and the VEA and Governor Terry McAuliffe(D) failed them.

Jonathan Scott

Guest Contributor