Anti-Immigration Ban Rallies Held at Dulles
Demonstrators, volunteer attorneys and elected officials welcome travelers, extend help detainees.
Demonstrations sprang up at airports around the United States over the weekend, following an Executive Order by President Donald Trump that blocks travelers from seven largely Muslim countries — Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia — in the interests of more significant vetting and preventing would-be terrorists from entering the country.
Bipartisan Agreement Forged in House Panel on Reducing Suspended Driver’s Licenses
Republicans work with Cabinet officials to craft changes to let more people keep drivers licenses.
After Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe called on lawmakers to find a way to restore driver's licenses to people charged with crimes that had nothing to do with driving, Republicans responded. Now both sides are crafting a compromise that could end up being a hallmark of the 2017 session.
Party-Line Vote Protects Child Labor at Tobacco Farms in Virginia
Republican-led House panel kills effort to craft new protections for kids in unrecorded vote.
In an unrecorded party-line vote, House Republicans killed a bill that would have cracked down on child labor at tobacco farms in Virginia.
Senate Panel Kills Effort to Allow Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants
Supporters say they’ll continue to press the issue, citing concerns over safety.
Undocumented immigrants in Virginia will not be getting a driver’s license anytime soon, although advocates for the idea say they will keep pressing lawmakers on the issue.
Online Virginia Lottery Sales? Don't Bet On It
House panel rejects bill that would allow for sale of lottery tickets over the internet.
A coalition of convenience store owners and religious conservatives worked to till an effort from the Virginia Lottery to allow for online gambling, thwarting an effort aimed at increasing sales among millennial gamblers. The bill, introduced by Del. Roxann Robinson (R-27), was defeated with an overwhelming vote by a House General Laws subcommittee Tuesday afternoon.
Senate Panel Approves Crackdown on Internet Lenders in Virginia
Bill would subject unregulated loans to rules that apply to consumer-finance loans.
The Wild West of online lending is about to become a little tamer. That’s because a state Senate panel narrowly approved a bill that would subject internet loans to the same restrictions that currently exist for consumer finance loans, a move that would cramp the anything-goes culture of online loans in Virginia.
McLean: Preparing to Prosper in 2017
Q&A: Supervisor John Foust looks into year ahead.
Q & A with Supervisor John Foust: What are you looking forward to in 2017? Do you have any personal New Year's resolutions for yourself, or major milestones you anticipate reaching?
McLean: Comstock Sworn-In To The 115th Congress
Politics
“We live in exciting times for our region, where the innovation economy is constantly evolving and growing. I look forward to working in the new Congress with my colleagues to forge pro-growth policies that will boost the innovation economy even further." – Barbara Comstock
Senators to Alexandria: Clean Up Your Act by 2020 or Lose State Funding
Lawmakers poo poo city efforts to flush raw sewage.
Members of the Virginia state Senate say they’re tired of hearing excuses about sewage from city officials in Alexandria, and they’re pushing ahead with a plan that one senator calls “the nuclear option.” This afternoon, the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee approved a bill that sets a firm deadline for Alexandria to clean up its act — 2020. If city officials are unable to stop dumping more than 10 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River every year, Alexandria would lose all state appropriations until the problem is fixed.
Predatory Lenders Work Behind the Scenes to Avoid Regulation and Evade the Law
Campaign contributions and political connections used to sidestep crackdown.
Predatory Loans in the Crossfire: Lawmakers conflicted about how to handle high-interest loans.
Rep. Comstock Co-Sponsors Resolution Condemning Anti-Israel UN Vote
Congresswoman Barbara Comstock
“In an act of moral cowardice in the closing days of his administration, President Obama’s ‘reckless abstention’ [to use the words of former DNC Chair and current Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)] at the UN has demonstrated his legacy as the most anti-Israel President in modern history. President Obama took the longtime, bipartisan support for Israel that has been a hallmark of U.S. foreign policy for decades and scrapped it with this short-sighted action last month.
McLean: Kirby Road Sidewalk in Three Years
Two preliminary designs for new sidewalk on Kirby Road connecting pedestrians to Chesterbrook Elementary School were presented to the community on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at a public meeting in the school’s cafeteria. The final design will be completed in 2017, land required for the projects will be acquired in 2018 and construction will start and finish in 2019.
Clinton and Kaine Carry Virginia, Trump Seizes Key Battlegrounds
Comstock, Connolly, Beyer re-elected; meals tax voted down; bonds voted up.
MEALS TAX referendum would have allowed Fairfax County supervisors to enact up to a four percent tax on prepared foods and beverages.
Leadership vs Rhetoric
Letter to the Editor
Congresswoman Comstock worked across party lines to pass a 5-year transportation bill—the first of its kind in 10 years—which brings $6.2 billion to the Commonwealth. She also supported bipartisan bills to replace No Child Left Behind, provide resources to combat the heroin epidemic, and bolster our national security.
Race Tightens in Heated 10th District
Comstock, Bennett crisscross Northern Virginia in all-out effort to reach key voters.
In the final, frantic days of the one of the most unpredictable and unprecedented elections in modern history, both candidates spent the blustery fall weekend crisscrossing the sprawling, diverse 10th district - meeting residents, rallying volunteers and campaigning hard for voters’ support.