MANASSAS – (Press Release) Kelly McGinn, a Manassas mom, advocate, and community leader, has announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 13th House District, which encompasses parts of Prince William County and the City of Manassas Park.

“Richmond has been in the national headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2019. I’m running for Delegate to be your voice for common sense leadership. I want to represent the 13th District to make it the best place to live and work in Virginia,” said McGinn.

“We need a leader who will work to find creative solutions to problems that affect everyday life in Prince William County and Manassas Park. Like many of you, I’m tired of sitting in gridlock on Route 28 for hours each day.  I’ll work with state and local leaders to ensure our community gets the transportation funding necessary to address this traffic nightmare.  I’m also eager to work on issues like improving educational opportunities for our young people, promoting public safety by cracking down on gangs, human trafficking, and opioids, and promoting the growth of small business and new job opportunities for our citizens. If elected to represent you, I pledge to listen to your concerns and make sure that government works for you and not the other way around.”

Kelly is a summa cum laude graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where she studied International Politics and spent her Junior Year at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.  After earning her law degree at the University of Virginia Law School, Kelly practiced international trade and communications law in Washington, D.C. for several years and also provided pro bono legal assistance to clients seeking political asylum.

She left private law practice to join the staff of Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas as his Senior Counsel for International Human Rights.  In that position, Kelly was privileged to fight on behalf of political prisoners and those suffering abuse and torture at the hands of regimes like North Korea and Sudan.

Kelly and her husband are the parents of four children.  She chose to become a full-time mother when they adopted their oldest child sixteen years ago.  When she is not driving her minivan around the Manassas area, she is an outspoken advocate for children and the economically disadvantaged in our community.  Kelly looks forward to bringing the same passion with which she has approached raising her family and fighting for International human rights to attacking local problems and improving the quality of life for the people of the 13th House District in the Virginia General Assembly.

CENTREVILLE – (Press Release) Delegate Tim Hugo rallied with supporters as he officially kicked off his re-election bid for the House of Delegates in Virginia’s 40th district.

“I am running for re-election because our communities deserve results not rhetoric,” said Hugo. “As your delegate, my focus has always been and will continue to be improving the everyday lives of Virginians. From passing legislation to protect our children from the opioid crisis and human trafficking to fixing our roads and improving our schools, we have accomplished a lot. I am running to continue the important work we’ve started.”

Hugo is the current Delegate for Virginia’s 40th district and the Majority Caucus Chairman. Born and raised in Virginia, he is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the Senior Managers in Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

A leader on transportation issues, he previously served as the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Today, Hugo lives in Clifton with his wife and their four children.

MANASSAS – (Press Release) Manassas attorney Tim Olmstead formally announced today that he is seeking the Republican nomination for Commonwealth’s Attorney in Prince William County.

Olmstead is a former Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and current criminal law attorney in private practice with his wife Sevda.

Olmstead first began developing his skillset while working in the Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk’s office as an undergraduate student. He worked full time in the criminal division during the day while attending night classes at George Mason.

Tim later returned to Prince William County in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office during his final year of law school for an externship and was hired as a Law Clerk after graduation.

While clerking for Paul Ebert and studying for the bar, Olmstead was assigned to DC Sniper task force. During this time, he traveled to Virginia Beach where he coordinated evidence for the FBI and ATF which helped the prosecution build their case against John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. During the trial, Tim passed the bar and following a successful conviction of the DC Snipers, was hired as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County.

“Prince William County is changing – rapidly,” said Mr. Olmstead. “The challenges facing our community are constantly evolving and I am pleased that I have the experience to help build an effective prosecutors office that can keep up to speed. I’m running for Commonwealth’s Attorney because advocating on behalf of victims is not a political exercise and we can not afford to let our Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office succumb to partisanship. I’m running because only an experienced prosecutor and criminal law attorney like myself can lead our Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office into the future.”

“As both a prosecutor and in private practice, I have seen both sides of the law and ensured that justice is properly administered. As your next Commonwealth’s Attorney, I will use my experience to be a tough prosecutor, ensure that justice is delivered fairly on behalf of victims, and guarantee that the citizens of Prince William County have a qualified voice advocating on their behalf.”

The Republican nomination for Commonwealth’s Attorney will take place on Saturday, May 4th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at multiple locations. You can find more information about where to vote at olmsteadforca.com/polling-places/.

By Alexandra Zernik
Capital News Service

RICHMOND — School boards must ban any tobacco or other forms of nicotine products from all school property and school-sponsored events under legislation signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Ralph Northam.

Northam signed HB 2384 and SB 1295, which expands existing law to include:

• A wider variety of nicotine products, such as vapes and e-cigarettes in addition to tobacco
• A broader range of school property, such as school buses and school-sponsored events off campus.

The new law, which takes effect July 1, will require all local school boards to develop and implement comprehensive tobacco-free policies.

“The recent and dramatic rise in youth smoking and vaping represents a serious public health crisis that requires our attention and action,” Northam said. “We have a responsibility to prevent our children from being exposed to all types of tobacco or nicotine-containing products.”

Northam noted that when he was a state senator, he led efforts to enact a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants. He sees HB 2384, sponsored by Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, and SB 1295, introduced by Sen. Lionel Spruill, D-Chesapeake, in the same way.

“As governor, I am proud to sign this legislation that will make Virginia schools and communities safer and healthier,” Northam said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that use of tobacco products by American youth is on the rise — largely because of the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes.

Nationwide last year, more than 27 percent of all high school students used a tobacco product within the past 30 days, according to a survey by the CDC. About 21 percent of the students had used e-cigarettes, and 8 percent regular cigarettes. (Some survey respondents used both types of products.)

That represented a big increase in vaping: In the 2017 survey, fewer than 12 percent of high school students had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.

Northam noted that as of fall 2017, about 12 percent of Virginia high school students were using e-cigarettes — almost twice the proportion of teenagers smoking traditional cigarettes.

The U.S. surgeon general and the federal Food and Drug Administration have declared the sudden increase in e-cigarette use an epidemic. They fear a new generation of young people may become addicted to nicotine if actions aren’t taken to prevent it.

Virginia’s secretary of health and human resources, Daniel Carey, praised the legislation signed by Northam.

“This law will not only protect Virginia’s children from exposure to second-hand smoke, it will also help to establish a tobacco-free norm, allowing students to make better choices about their health when it comes to saying no to tobacco products outside of school,” Carey said.

According to State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, a statewide survey found that 84 percent of adults in Virginia — including 75 percent of smokers — agree that all nicotine products should be banned from school grounds and activities.

“While 40 school districts in Virginia already have established this type of policy, the new law will expand protection to children in all of our public schools,” Oliver said.

Northam previously signed into law legislation raising from 18 to 21 the age to buy tobacco and nicotine products.

By Jayla Marie McNeill
Capital News Service

RICHMOND — The General Assembly’s 2019 session was a disappointment for LGBTQ advocates as most legislation on health care, marriage and legal protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity failed. But activists are not giving up.

“I would encourage people not to be discouraged because we are going to be back next year,” said Bill Harrison, president of Diversity Richmond, which supports cultural, health and other programs for the LGBTQ community.

At the start of the legislative session, LGBTQ activists had high hopes of tackling a range of issues.

In Virginia, for example, it is legal for a business or public institution to discriminate against people in housing or employment or to deny or limit health insurance on the basis of sexual identity or sexual orientation.

Moreover, while the U.S. Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage in Virginia and across the country, the Virginia Constitution and Code of Virginia contain obsolete language that prohibits such unions.

This year, 15 bills were introduced in the General Assembly to address concerns of interest especially to the LGBTQ community. Nearly all of them were killed in committee or subcommittee.

Del. Debra Rodman, D-Henrico, and Sen. George Barker D-Fairfax, proposed legislation to prohibit health insurance companies from limiting or denying coverage or imposing additional costs based on a person’s gender identity or transgender status. Both bills died.

Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, and Democratic Dels. Kenneth Plum of Fairfax and Cheryl Turpin of Virginia Beach proposed adding gender, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation to the state’s definition of hate crimes. None of those proposals made it out of committee.

Turpin said she is “disappointed” that her hate crimes bill did not advance, but she intends to continue to push for LGBTQ rights.

“I believe that we need to continue to fight for the LGBTQ community, and I will continue to do so,” Turpin said. “I believe that HB 2684 is good for the commonwealth and is the will of my district.”

In 2006, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as “a union between one man and one woman” and prohibited the commonwealth from recognizing same-sex marriages. That language still exists even though it has been invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Democratic Sens. Adam Ebbin of Alexandria and John Edwards of Roanoke proposed a constitutional amendment to repeal the 2006 amendment. Their proposal failed on a tie vote in the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections.

“It is unfortunate that the General Assembly failed to pass marriage equality legislation and a constitutional amendment that I and Sen. Ebbin introduced,” Edwards said. “I plan to keep bringing this legislation back until it passes.”

Ebbin and Edwards also introduced legislation to repeal the statutory prohibitions on same-sex marriages and civil unions in the Code of Virginia. Their measure was defeated in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on a 7-8 vote.

For the fourth consecutive year, Del. Mark Levine, D-Alexandria, sponsored a bill to outlaw discrimination in employment, housing, banking, insurance and certain other areas on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

His bill bounced from one House committee to another and never received a hearing.

“I think it is wrong,” Levine said. “To refuse to hear a bill is undemocratic. I think it is a violation of what our system is about.”

Levine speculates that Republican leaders wanted to avoid voting on bills related to LGBTQ equality.

“This is a subject that Republicans are very uncomfortable about. I think the entirety of my Democratic Caucus would support this measure,” Levine said. “I’m going to offer this bill every year until it becomes law.”

In total, of the 15 bills regarding LGBTQ rights, only one won approval from the General Assembly during the legislative session that ended Sunday. HB 1979, introduced by Del. Richard Sullivan, D-Arlington, passed 63-36 in the House and 28-12 in the Senate. It now goes to Gov. Ralph Northam for his signature.

The measure updates Virginia’s surrogacy, assisted conception and adoption laws by providing gender-neutral terminology and clarifying the surrogacy process. The bill would allow “an unmarried individual to be an intended parent paralleling the ability of an unmarried individual to adopt under the adoption statutes.”

“I am glad that both chambers of the General Assembly passed this important bill on a bipartisan basis, affording same-sex couples and intended single parents the same rights as heterosexual couples wishing to start or grow their family through surrogacy,” Sullivan said.

“Family equality is at the heart of this bill, and I look forward to the governor signing it into law.”

Harrison, who has been an advocate for the gay community since the 1970s, sees a certain degree of bipartisan support for LGBTQ equality but also hesitation among “top Republican leadership” to pass legislation.

“I think the day of only Democrats being on our side has passed. We have had some extremely vocal Republican advocates this year,” Harrison said.

“We will prevail. It is a matter of time, but we will prevail.”

By Ben Burstein
Capital News Service

RICHMOND — Landowners fighting to keep their property from being taken by pipeline building companies will continue footing the legal bills after two bills failed in the House.

Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, said he introduced the bills to give landowners who don’t want pipeline construction on their land a fair chance against Dominion, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Southern Gas and other companies involved in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

SB 1404 would have required pipeline companies to pick the costs incurred by homeowners in eminent domain legal battles.

SB 1403 sought to amend state law and require the entities acquiring the property to pay all costs of court proceedings. It also would have required pipeline companies to provide compensation for homeowners. The compensation would have been at least 25 percent more than the company’s initial offer for the land.

Because the pipeline project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulation Commission, the companies may invoke eminent domain — a right given to the government to take property for public use — if landowners refuse to accept compensation for their property.

“The pipeline companies have all the power, in the General Assembly and in condemning the property of small landowners,” Petersen stated after the bills failed. “My bills would have leveled the playing field in a small way. The House just missed it. We’ll be back.”

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a 600-mile underground pipeline that would deliver natural gas from West Virginia to the southwest region of the state and North Carolina.

Over 85 percent of affected landowners have entered into easement agreements to allow construction, according to the project website. Those landowners received compensation. The remaining easements needed to begin construction are being challenged in court. Such legal battles have halted construction. The pipeline was scheduled to start operating this year, but the new estimated completion date is between 2020 and 2021.

Residents have also lost property in the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline project that runs from West Virginia to southwest Virginia. Last year, U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth Dillon allowed Mountain Valley to seize private property through eminent domain. A group of landowners have requested a hearing from the U.S. Supreme Court, but it is uncertain whether a hearing will be granted.

On Dec. 7, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals suspended a permit allowing the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to cut through two national forests. Dominion plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The House denied Petersen’s request to have changes to his bills restored to their original form. House amendments would have made the bill effective only on proceedings that started before July 1 of this year. Both bills failed as introduced. The senator plans to try again in the General Assembly’s 2020 session.

By Caitlin Morris
Capital News Service

RICHMOND – The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill to expand revenge porn laws to include realistic fake images.

In 2014, Virginia outlawed the dissemination of explicit photos or videos without the consent of the person seen in the images. The images may have been originally shared in agreement between both parties, but in cases of revenge porn, get posted online by people seeking to embarrass the victim.

“They put them on a website with the intent to coerce, harass or maliciously hurt those folks,” said Del. Marcus B. Simon, D-Fairfax.

Simon introduced HB 2678 to protect victims of an emerging trend known as “deepfakes.” These realistically fabricated images and videos are becoming more common as modern software develops and social media creates easier access to images.

“These days you don’t even need to actually have photos like that — of the person, in your possession … all you have to have are pictures of their face,” Simon said. “You can use artificial intelligence to wrap that on the body.”

Roughly 10 million Americans have been threatened with or become victims of revenge porn. Women are twice as likely to be threatened by men, according to a 2016 study by the Data and Society Research Institute.

“The non-consensual dissemination of intimate photos or videos is not just humiliating for victims, but it can also carry significant emotional, psychological and even financial repercussions,” Simon said.

In a 2015 study from the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, 51 percent of victims of revenge porn indicated that they had considered committing suicide, and 39 percent said the crime affected their career and professional lives. Ninety percent of victims, according to the same group, are women.

Revenge porn laws now exist in 41 states and Washington, D.C., but according to Simon’s team, HB 2678 is “one of the first of its kind in the country.”

The bill adds language to existing law that includes protection for victims when their image is used in the creation, adaptation or modification of a video or picture. Violators of the law could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a sentence of up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

“Deepfakes are yet another malicious tool used to harass and terrorize individuals, who are most often women,” Simon said.

If signed by the governor, the “deepfake” cyber harassment bill will go into effect July 1.

By Christian Robinson
Capital News Service

RICHMOND — While most people go to church to worship, security expert Chernoh Wurie goes to worship and protect. He leads security at Hill City Church in the Richmond area.

A bill to allow weapons, including firearms, within places of worship died in the House last week. SB 1024, introduced by Sen. Richard Black, R-Loudoun, passed the Senate along party lines, 21-19, but died in the House Rules Committee. The bill sought to repeal a law on the books since the 1950s.

“It’s chaos waiting to happen if you ask me,” Wurie said. “It gets a lot more problematic when you put guns in churches.”

Hill City Church, a non-denominational Christian church off Staples Mill Road near the Richmond city line, has a strict no-firearms policy, with signs up throughout the building. The only people allowed to carry a weapon are Wurie and his security team, picked he said because of their police training.

Wurie said places of worship without an organized security team might be more likely to allow congregation members to carry because “there is no other form of protection.”

Gun violence has occurred at places of worship in the recent past.

In October, 11 were killed and seven injured in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In November 2017, 26 people were killed and about 20 injured in a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

In January 2017, a mass shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City left six dead and 17 injured.

Some said the number of casualties in Texas would have been higher if a civilian hadn’t fired at the shooter. But other groups feel uncomfortable with firearms in a place of worship.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is a coalition of more than 700 faith groups. The organization opposed SB 1024 and urged members to contact legislators, saying that worship spaces should “be holy, safe and a refuge” and “free of violence.”

Wurie said he thinks some places would allow their congregation to carry firearms, and it is ultimately the institution’s decision.

He said if the bill had passed, he would have anticipated institutions potentially hiring congregation members with security experience.

“It can be a distraction, to a point, for both security and the congregation,” Wurie said. “If everyone is allowed to carry arms during worship, it could be a distraction for the people.”

If the bill had passed the House, Imad Damaj, faculty adviser for the Muslim Student Association at Virginia Commonwealth University, said they planned to lobby the governor to veto it and that the organization did not think the bill would make anyone safer.

“We spoke against it; a lot of people in the Muslim community spoke against it,” Damaj said. “Accidents can happen. You come to a place of worship for peace, prayer and inspiration.”

Damaj worships at the Islamic Center of Virginia. He also said weapons would be a distraction to the congregation.

“People don’t feel comfortable praying next to people who carry arms,” he said.

He questioned if Sen. Black spoke with faith leaders before introducing the bill.

“I can tell you from the Muslim community perspective … we don’t want that [the bill],” Damaj said.

Just before the Senate approved the bill on Jan. 24, Black said that congregation members are “vulnerable” and “the ultimate target” of someone who intends to inflict “mayhem on the congregation.” He pointed to church shootings in recent years, including a 2015 mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina by a white supremacist who killed nine black churchgoers during a Bible study service.

“You cower in place or you fight back,” Black said.

Black did not respond to requests for a comment on the legislation.

By Adrian Teran Tapia and Mario Sequeira Quesada
Capital News Service

RICHMOND -- Every state in America, and at least nine countries -- that is how far the story of Tommie, a dog tied to a pole and set on fire, traveled as people rallied for his survival and donated money for his treatment.

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By Emily Holter
Capital News Service

RICHMOND — Virginians have low approval ratings of Gov. Ralph Northam and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, but most people say no one should resign or be impeached, according to a recent poll by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

The poll found that of the state’s three top officials, Attorney General Mark Herring is the best-positioned to remain in office.

Over the past month, the three leaders, all Democrats, have been under scrutiny after several scandals, and some politicians and groups have called for their resignations:

• Two women have accused Fairfax of sexual assault — allegations he has denied.
• Northam has been in hot water after the discovery of a photograph in his medical school yearbook showing a man in blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan garb. Northam initially apologized for the photograph and then denied he was in the picture. He later admitted to putting “a little bit of” shoe polish on his face to imitate Michael Jackson in a 1984 dance competition.
• After calling for Northam’s resignation, Attorney General Mark Herring apologized for wearing blackface when he was 19 years old to imitate a rapper.

With that backdrop, U.Va.’s Center for Politics asked a representative sample of Virginia adults about their opinions of Northam, Fairfax and Herring.

The poll found that of the three leaders, more people believe Fairfax should quit. Thirty-five percent believe Fairfax should resign, and 28 percent favored impeachment.

Only 17 percent of Virginians approve of the governor’s job performance. However, only 31 percent of respondents say he should resign, and 21 percent believe he should be impeached.

According to the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, there was a strong racial divide over whether Fairfax should resign. Thirty-nine percent of white respondents said they favored his resignation, compared with only 8 percent of black respondents.

Of the three officials, Herring had the fewest number of people suggesting he resign (19 percent) or be impeached (14 percent).

The poll involved interviewing 636 adults from Feb. 15-19. It had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.