| Dear friends Our first monthly meeting last week was a fascinating illumination of the good, the bad, and the ugly at the state capitol this year. Some of the important issues in this year's general assembly are being underreported as our daily capital press corps shrinks. This was a great chance to hear from some of the key thinkers and influencers as they looked at family, culture, money, development and energy policies. There’s a whole lot to examine and we are pleased to be one of the venues and groups that still take public policy analysis seriously. Please sign up for our next event which will be announced soon! And I want you to be present when FOX News Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel deliver the next address at The Virginia Forum on Thursday night March 20th. Buy your tickets here. I am thankful for your support and eager to continue to grow our dialog about the direction of the Commonwealth with your family and friends attending our events in the coming months. Virginia is the birthplace of our experiment in self-governance, and we owe it to our ancestors and future generations to stay engaged and make this experiment a success in our lifetimes! Sincerely   John Reid Founder of The Virginia Council Get your tickets today for our next event! Mike Emanuel March 20, 2025 at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center VIP Reception begins at 5:45pm Program Begins at 7pm with doors opening at 6:15pm for General Admission ticket holders.  PURCHASE TICKETS HERE Want to know more about Mike Emanuel?? Mike Emanuel currently serves as chief Washington correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined FNC in 1997 as a Los Angeles-based correspondent. Emanuel also anchors FOX NEWS LIVE on Sunday afternoons at 1pm and was in the chair during an historic moment in the 2024 campaign. It was Sunday, July 21st when President Biden suddenly dropped out of the campaign and Emanuel had it first on Fox. Previously, Emanuel provided the latest breaking election news from Washington, DC during FNC’s Democracy 2020 election coverage. Additionally, Emanuel has covered both the House and Senate proceedings surrounding both impeachments of President Donald Trump, lawmakers passing tax reform, the confirmation hearings for the Trump and Biden Cabinets, and the confirmation hearings for President Trump’s three Supreme Court nominees. He also covered Secretary Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. In his role, Emanuel has reported on key congressional races, the IRS scandal, the hearings surrounding the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya attacks and President Barack Obama’s 2012-2016 State of the Union addresses from Capitol Hill, among other events. Come hear him speak about how the Washington D.C. press will cover the exciting and historic second term of President Trump in 2025! Virginia Election Updates: Virginia turning red: Dead heat in governor’s race, and Youngkin popularity soars - Washington Examiner By Paul Bedard In Virginia, women gubernatorial candidates want to make history | AP News By Olivia Diaz Attorney General Miyares Secures $7.4 Billion from Purdue Pharma, Sackler Family for Fueling the Opioid Crisis - The Virginian Review By Staff Virginia Attorney General sends memo to VCU, UVA following executive order on gender-affirming care | WRIC ABC 8News By Marysa Tuttle Miyares directs VCU, UVA to halt care for transgender youth By Anna Bryson & Eric Kolenich (5) C'villeBubble on X: "🚨@UVA Hospital has ~100 people protesting @JasonMiyaresVA order to comply with EO abolishing medical & surgical mutilation of kids. Flyer: "We demand our Public Institutions Hold the Line Against Facism!" via reporter @dmrtrsv https://t.co/kbdUpJ1Oqf https://t.co/wTX0UhlyZn" / X January 31, 2025 - Virginia Attorney General Miyares Reaches Settlement with NCAA to Protect Student-Athletes’ NIL Rights Democrats use legislative tactics to force Sears to vote on contraception bill By Brandon Jarvis Keeping Seats Open for Next Governor to Fill | Bacon's Rebellion - By Chris Braunlich Richmond officials turned down bids to upgrade switchgear By Samuel B. Parker DOJ drops Biden admin suit over Virginia clearing non-citizens from voter rolls | Just The News By Natalia Middlestadt Virginia officials move to throw out immigrant rights case | Courthouse News Service By Joan Hennessy  The Virginia Council monthly meeting was held on Wednesday January 29 at Park Lane Tavern. Legislative updates were provided by Craig Di Sesa on the status of education, Nancy Smith on election integrity, & Stephen Haner discussed energy concerns. Virginia Assembly, Senate & Governor updates: Vance pledges to fight red tape to help Virginia recover from Helene - Washington Examiner By Mabinty Quarshie Henry Marsh, Richmond’s first Black mayor, dies at 91 By Graham Moomaw Regulators approve Old Dominion Power rate increase - Cardinal News By Matt Busse Virginia legislators look to extend the standard deduction | WVTF By Brad Kutner (5) Glenn Youngkin on X: "Virginians hate the car tax! Three out of four Virginians support our Car Tax cuts for working families. Together, we can provide real relief from the most hated tax in America — Virginia’s car tax. https://t.co/du1VU9nORd" / X Virginia car tax credit hits dead end before Senate panel • Virginia Mercury By Markus Schmidt Virginia Senate approves bill to require schools to tell parents about student overdoses By Nick Minock Virginia moves to strip tax breaks for Confederate groups • Virginia Mercury By Markus Schmidt Virginia House passed ban on foods with dyes in schools | wusa9.com By Matthew Torres Mama Bear Day 2025 — The Family Foundation Tuesday, Feb 4th Should Virginia pass laws to protect kids from addictive social media? By Cameron Thompson As George Mason Grapples With Pro-Terror Student Radicals, Virginia Dems Block Anti-Semitism Expert From University Board By Jessica Costescu There is a bipartisan effort to reform probation in Virginia By Brandon Jarvis The Virginia Senate has passed several gun-related bills | WVTF By Michael Pope Virginia moves forward with legislation to overhaul Medicaid pharmacy benefit managers - Cardinal News By Emily Shabacker Bills advance to give Virginia more power to hold nursing homes accountable By Tyler Layne Senate approves measures for local data center regulations | urcapitalnews By Jenna Lapp Only Glenn Youngkin's Veto Pen Stands Between Virginians & Democrat Extremists — Kerry: By Victoria Manning Pilots have long worried about DC's complex, crowded airspace | AP News By Ryan J. Foley, Jim Mustian & Michaek Biesecker stand with RFK JR - STAND FOR HEALTH FREEDOM As stakeholders in public health (which “We the people are”), we think RFK Jr.’s appointment represents an opportunity to challenge entrenched medical paradigms, encourage critical examination of public health strategies, and restore transparency to health care decision-making. Bills per Legislator, 2025 Who Introduced the Most Bills in 2025?  War Veterans Memorial Protection Act of 2025 Legislation of interest to members of The Virginia Council - HB 1884 and companion SB 1429: Virginia needs new legislation to legitimate the protection of monuments and memorials to our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who have served as proud Americans without regard to politics or political issues. Honoring the patriotism of veterans without regard to political or social issues is of utmost importance to those serving our country. Loss of community civility is a notable mark of recent efforts to remove or relocate war memorials and markers. The Code permits local governments to decide on these contentious issues through a fiat declaration by the local governing board or public referendum. Governing fiat or simple majorities both seem authoritarian and divisive to the community regardless of the outcome. A process of decency that engages a higher standard of reasonableness for voter participation could promote social harmony. The destruction of the monuments on Monument Avenue is notable for how the monuments were removed. It did not implement a referendum. The process outlined in the Code did not deter the violence and ensuing social strife of the moment. To any neutral observer, the display had the character of mob rule. Militancy rather than civil decency was displayed. The manner in which the monuments were treated overshadowed the purposes for which they were erected. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Commonwealth, some localities opted to implement referenda, for example, Halifax or Charles City. Reasonableness moderated passionate perceptions of social justice. This is especially true because voter participation rose nearer to supermajority thereby legitimating the contentious dispositions. The Virginia Council has worked with Senator Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. (R-S12) and Delegate Wren Willams (R-H47) to introduce legislation that would address the legitimacy of removing or relocating the memorials of war veterans. Delegate Williams’ HB 1884 and Senator Sturtevant’s companion bills, The War Veterans Memorials Protection Act of 2025, address the flaws in the existing Code. The focus is on legitimacy or how these memorials of veterans ought to be retreated. The bill will require both a local referendum, as well as a supermajority election. It permits local governing bodies to certify the will of the people. It will penalize the decimation of monuments and historic markers. And for newly erected monuments they can stand up to 40 years. Patriotic Americans and Virginians are offended when statues and memorials to our military and war veterans are damaged, desecrated or removed. Every statue, memorial or marker honoring an American Veteran or their ally should be legitimately protected and respected in Virginia. The Virginia Council, Government Affairs Committee Scott Daniels, Chair Renita Sommers Eric Bannon Wayne E. Boese John Kwapisz Cynthia Baker Steve Kemp Bill Byrd F. Neal Thompson Robert Crouch Articles, News, & Quotes: Virginia: VP JD Vance returns to Damascus, pledges flood aid By David McGee Vice President Vance, Governor Youngkin promise to help Southwest VA in Helene recovery efforts By Logan Sherill Share your thoughts about the VMHC Survey for feedback to Virginia Museum of History & Culture: Why does Virginia history matter to you? Trump's Executive Order on Sex and Gender - by Kara Dansky (1) C'villeBubble on X: "Looking forward to Charlottesville's @CBS19news covering Sabato's reaction to @UVA Professor Liz Cheney receiving preemptive pardon. https://t.co/v8iy0Tc9Ef" / X Little tracking, wide variability permeate the teams tasked with stopping school shootings • Virginia Mercury By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock Rural localities are trading populations: Lots of people are dying but lots of people are moving in, too. - Cardinal News By Dwayne Yancey Avula promises to release severance package records By Samuel B. Parker Richmond says it would charge CBS 6 to give water treatment plant information By Tyler Layne Richmond DPU audits note $2M+ in extra parts, unsafe storage By Dean Mirshahi Richmond rises as pharma hub: Haleon invests $54 million and launches paid internship program • Virginia Mercury By Charlotte Rene Woods GRTC hopes armed security will help make riding the bus safer in Richmond By Joi Fultz Richmond to conduct review of urban park ranger shooting on Belle Isle By Sarah Vogelsong UVA’s Administration Has Willfully Ignored Its Longstanding Antisemitism Problem — The Jefferson Council Sentencing delayed for UVa murderer By Hawes Spencer Pork giant Smithfield's CEO touts growth outlook, minimizes threats from deportations, bird flu | AP News By Josh Funk Water outage relief fund will start with about $650,000 in city money By Graham Moomaw Groups hold energetic conversation on data centers in Fredericksburg - Fredericksburg Free Press By Martina Pugh For 4th year in a row, Winchester metro area is Virginia's fastest-growing | Winchester Star | winchesterstar.com By Tabitha Reeves Loudoun County Superintendent is called out for lowering student overdose number By Nick Minock ICE agents bang on doors at Virginia apartments – NBC4 Washington By Julie Carey People are using TikTok to track ICE raids - Axios Richmond By Sabrina Moreno School districts across Virginia try to reassure families over immigration worries By Brandon Jarvis Against Guilty History - The Atlantic By David Frum Here’s what came of all those Virginia drone sightings By WDBJ7 Staff The Navy continues to hire civilians in Hampton Roads, even during federal hiring freeze By Steve Walsh Patawomeck Tribe to take ownership of 870 acres along Rappahannock River - Fredericksburg Free Press By FFP Staff (5) Julio Rosas on X: "White House announces President Trump’s executive order he signed to protect national monuments from vandalism during the 2020 BLM/Antifa riots has been reinstated. The executive order says to “prosecute to the fullest extent permitted under Federal law, and as appropriate, any https://t.co/Ar3c1GZJdb" / X (5) JD Vance on X: "Imagine having lived through the last 10 years--the desecration of Washington, Jefferson, Lee, Roosevelt, and even Lincoln--and then drawing the line at...Mark Milley." / X SPECIAL EVENT FEBRUARY 10 America's Lee Legacy: for Arlington National Cemetery Reconciliation Memorial Federal judge allows NAACP lawsuit over Confederate school names to proceed • Virginia Mercury By Nathaniel Cline Virginia’s learning recovery falls short as NAEP scores show mixed results • Virginia Mercury By Nathaniel Cline (5) Tiffany Polifko on X: "This is the result of teacher programs spending more time on critical theory than explicit reading instruction. SEL, by way of ESSA (2015) put the nail in the coffin. VA school boards, you are fools if you don’t fire your DEI departments. https://t.co/Y2M8UmfrYD" / X The Nation's Report Card The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), first administered in 1969, is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment of what our nation’s students know and can do in subjects such as mathematics, reading, science, and writing. Standard administration practices are implemented to provide a common measure of student achievement.  Interviews of Interest Vice President Vance Speaks to Reporters in Damascus, Virginia | C-SPAN.org How Trump Rattled the NY Times Into Saying 'Unborn Child'+VA Home School Battle! By The Family Foundation New FERC chairman talks electric bills, energy demand and the Mountain Valley Pipeline - Cardinal News By Matt Busse WATCH: Senator Warner questions Trump Administration buyout offer to federal workers - Fredericksburg Free Press By Ted Schubel Sabin Howard: The Intricate Relationship Between Art, Architecture, and the Human Experience - Hillsdale College Podcast Network The Larry Arn Show The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Liberty Virginia could be the victim of Ranked Choice Voting, thanks to Republicans - Red Virginia News By Contributing Writer Life, Liberty & Happiness with Jeffrey Rosen In celebration of Religious Freedom Day, the Valentine invited Jeffrey Rosen, President & CEO of the National Constitution Center as our first lecturer in this season of Life, Liberty & Happiness. Senate panel kills controversial campus terrorism bill amid free speech concerns • Virginia Mercury By Nathaniel Cline Eagles rescued in Stafford - Fredericksburg Free Press By Ted Schubel  The Virginia Council has been blessed with unwavering support from the community since its founding a few years ago. And we decided to add some new ways to thank you for your ongoing assistance in our efforts to educate and inform Virginians. "Announcing The Virginia Council membership reward program. Sign up today on our website for the various levels of support!" Member level: Simple membership is free when you sign up for our email newsletter or attend a monthly meeting. Liberty level: For an annual contribution of $100 you get the newsletter, access to our monthly meetings and a commemorative Virginia Council lapel pin. Patriot level: When you step up to make an annual contribution of $250 you receive first access to tickets to our annual Christmas and Patriot Parties, the commemorative Virginia Council pin, and the newsletter and monthly meeting access. President's Council level: For a commitment of $1000 you receive the newsletter, access to our monthly meetings, 2 lapel pins, 2 invitations to both of our annual parties, and 2 VIP tickets to one Virginia Forum lecture of your choice. We hope you'll find these rewards an added incentive to help fund our efforts to restore a full view of Virginia's history, monuments & role that government plays in our lives. We appreciate all your support and encouragement and look forward to bringing you more compelling voices of liberty, freedom, and conscience over the next year. To become a Liberty, Patriot, or President's Council member, please make a contribution here. To volunteer, click here. The Executive Board of the Virginia Council If you are interested in donating appreciated securities, we now have an account to make it easy for you (see the information below). Contact us HERE for more details.  The Virginia Council Preserving Virginia’s history and creating a more prosperous future for all Virginians. Stay Hopeful. Stay Connected. P. O. Box 5 Manakin-Sabot, VA 23103, United States |
