Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Special Conference on Medicaid Expansion -- February 8th!!

 

Mike Thompson, Chairman/President
9035 Golden Sunset Lane • Springfield, Virginia 22153
703-440-9447 • mikethompson31@verizon.net
 

        

 

 

 

Join Us on February 8th

 

For a Very Special Conference 

 

"Medicaid Expansion:  To Reform or Not?"

 

 

 

 Thursday,  February 8, 2018 

 

   9:15 to 11:00 a.m.

 

SunTrust Building

919 E. Main Street, 4th Floor -- Piedmont Room

Richmond, Virginia

 

Across fromTemporary General Assembly Building -- Pocohantas Building

 

 

Register Here Today!

 

Speakers:

Sean Connaughton: President & CEO, VA Hospital and Healthcare Association

Michael Cassidy: President & CEO, Commonwealth Insitute for Fiscal Analysis

Thomas Miller: Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Nina Schaefer: Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation

Robert Graboyes: Senior Research Fellow, The Mercatus Center

Brooklyn Roberts: Dir, Health & Human Services, American Legislative Exchange Council

 

Moderator:

Michael Thompson: President, Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

 

 

This will be a Worthwhile and Vibrant Discussion!

Thursday, February 8, 2018

 

9:15 to 11:00 a.m.

 

Register Here

 

 

Please register.  The Room has limited attendance.

 

Mike Thompson

 

mikethompson31@verizon.net

 

 

 

This message was sent to organizer@yorkteaparty.org from Mikethompson@erols.com

Michael Thompson

9035 Golden Sunset Lane
Springfield, VA 22153

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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Save your vote

Dear Fellow Patriot,    

This is the message I sent you asking you to contact your legislator to save our votes for president. Now I am sending you the list of delegates in the P&E subcommittee asking them to oppose  HB 99, where it will be heard Thursday at 7:30 AM.

delslandes@house.virginia.gov, delghabeeb@house.virginia.gov, delcturpin@house.virginia.gov, delmcole@house.virginia.gov, delioquinn@house.virginia.gov, deljleftwich@house.virginia.gov, deljlindsey@house.virginia.gov,

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There has been considerable talk about doing away with the Electoral College and having the president elected by a majority vote. But, after one gives it serious consideration, the conclusion is that it is not a good idea.

The National Popular Vote Compact Bill (NPV), HB99, has been introduced in the House of the Virginia General Assembly, and would enter Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote.

 This is possible because Article II of the United States Constitution gives the states the complete authority to decide the manner in which their electoral votes are awarded. If Virginia were to enter this compact, we would agree to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

 When states that cumulatively possess a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact, it goes into effect. That number is 270 and when reached the remaining states would become irrelevant in future presidential elections.

 As of September 2017, the NPVIC legislation has been adopted by ten states and the District of Columbia with a total of 165 electoral votes which amounts to 61% of the 270 votes needed to  activate the NPV interstate compact.  At that point we have lost our vote.   There are enough votes in New York state, California, and one other state or two to reach the majority and after their votes are counted, our votes are irrelevant.   They have no input whatsoever. Our vote will go to someone else, not who we voted for.  

Thank you,

Sue Long

Freedom without authority is anarchy
Authority without freedom is tyranny
This is why we should have a republic

 

 



 

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Convention Filing Time - NorthernVirginiaGOP.com AGENDA Newsletter-February 2018

NORTHERNVIRGINIAGOP.COM AGENDA Newsletter
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James Parmelee, Chairman - NorthernVirginiaGOP.com * * * February 2018
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THIS ISSUE'S HEADLINES

* CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - Convention Filing Time
* Please Save The Date - May 5 - 18th Annual Kentucky Derby Day Fundraiser
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Convention Filing Time

* CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - CONVENTION FILING TIME -
For information on how to be a Delegate to local 2018 Congressional District GOP Conventions, County GOP Conventions and more, please contact the Republican Committee in your locality. For links, please go to www.NorthernVirginiaGOP.com. If the link to your city or county GOP committee is not listed there, please click on the Republican Party of Virginia link or call them at (804) 780-0111.

Yours for Republican (and ANTI-TAX!) Victory,
James Parmelee - President - Republicans United for Tax Relief
Chairman - NorthernVirginiaGOP.com-The NOVA GOP PAC

* NOVA GOP PAC "DERBY DAY" FUNDRAISER - MAY 5 - Please join us Saturday, May 5th for our 18th Annual Kentucky Derby Day Fundraiser. (More details TBA). No matter which horse wins the race, your financial support will help us with our anti-tax efforts and winning the race this November! You can be on the Host Committee as a "Sponsor" of the event for as little as $100 which includes 2 tickets to the event! Please also consider joining the Host Committee at the higher levels, such as Patron ($250-5 tickets), Benefactor ($500-10 tickets) or Co-Host ($1,000-20 tickets). You can donate online at https://www.campaigncontribution.com/contribution.asp?id=1556&jid= or by mailing a check to NorthernVirginiaGOP.com, 13680 Bent Tree Circle, #403, Centreville, VA 20121. For more information, call (703) 502-0161.

GOP CALENDAR (for more events go to www.NorthernVirginiaGOP.com)

Do you know of an event our 30,000+ subscribers should know about? Let us know at (703) 502-0161 or JTParmelee@aol.com. NOTE: Some event details may change after publication, so we recommend you check www.NorthernVirginiaGOP.com before attending.

1/24 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

1/25 - Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum Breakfast - 7:15 AM Coffee and Networking, 7:45 AM Breakfast, The Tower Club, 8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Tysons Corner. $45. Call: (703) 922-6768.

1/25 - Commonwealth Republican Women's Club Meeting - 7:30 PM, 3600 Wheeler Avenue,  Alexandria. Call: (703) 684-8989.

1/29 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

2/1 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

2/3 - NOVA GOP TV Taping - for more information, call (703) 502-0161.

2/6 - Fairfax County GOP Committee Fundraiser w/Hans von Spakovsky, former Member of President Trump's Advisory Commission on Election Integrity - 7 PM, 9213 Hidden Creek Drive, Great Falls. $75/$125 couple. Call: (703) 766-GOP.

2/10 - Mason Magisterial District (Fairfax County) GOP Committee Breakfast - 8:30-9:30 AM, Magill's Famous Pizza & Buffet, 7201 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. $10. Call: (703) 766-4467.

2/10 - Republican Women's Clubs of Northern Virginia Candidate Forum w/Candidates for FCRC Chairman Mike Ginsberg & Tim Hannigan - 1-3 PM, St. Albans Church, 6800 Columbia Pike, Annandale. $5.

2/15 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

2/19 - Alexandria George Washington Birthday Parade - 1-3 PM, to march with the Alexandria GOP, please meet at Noon at the staging area, for details please call (703) 823-1801.

2/21-2/24 - 45th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) - Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD. Call: (202) 347-9388.

2/23 - Commonwealth Republican Women's Club Night at the Theatre Fundraiser - 7 PM, The Little Theatre of Alexandria. Tickets for LTA's production of The Audience (a glimpse into Queen Elizabeth II's meetings with her Prime Ministers over the past 65 years) are $35. Call: (703) 220-1067.

2/26 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

2/26 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

2/28 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

3/1 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

3/3 - NOVA GOP TV Taping - for more information, call (703) 502-0161.

3/3 - Alexandria St. Patrick's Day Parade - Noon-2 PM, to march with the Alexandria GOP, please meet at Noon at the staging area, for details please call (703) 823-1801.

3/10 - Mason Magisterial District (Fairfax County) GOP Committee Breakfast - 8:30-9:30 AM, Magill's Famous Pizza & Buffet, 7201 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. $10. Call: (703) 766-4467.

3/15 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

3/17 - Fairfax County GOP Convention - South Lakes High School, 11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston. For preregistration information and rules, call (703) 766-4GOP.

3/TBA - Loudoun County GOP Convention - Details TBA. For preregistration information and rules, call (703) 627-5272.

3/TBA - Prince William County GOP Convention - Details TBA. For preregistration information and rules, call (703) 680-7388.

3/26 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

3/26 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

3/28 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

4/5 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

4/7 - NOVA GOP TV Taping - for more information, call (703) 502-0161.

4/7 - 1st Congressional District GOP Convention - James Monroe High School, 2300 Washington Avenue, Fredericksburg,. For preregistration information and rules, call (804) 780-0111.

4/TBA - 8th Congressional District GOP Convention - Details TBA. For preregistration information and rules, call (804) 780-0111.

4/TBA - 11th Congressional District GOP Convention - Details TBA. For preregistration information and rules, call (804) 780-0111.

4/19 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

4/23 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

4/25 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

4/26 - Commonwealth Republican Women's Club Membership Reception - 7 PM, The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington Street, Alexandria. Call (703) 684-8989.

4/28 - 5th Congressional District GOP Convention - Tree of Life Ministries Sanctuary, 2812 Greenview Drive, Lynchburg. For preregistration information and rules, call (804) 780-0111.

4/30 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

5/1 - Election Day for City and Town Offices - To help the GOP, call (804) 780-0111.

5/3 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

5/5 - 18th Annual NOVA GOP PAC Kentucky Derby Day Fundraiser - Call: (703) 502-0161.

5/5-5/6 - Virginia Federation of Republican Women Annual Convention - Richmond. Call: (804) 320-2719.

5/17 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

5/19 - McLean Day - 11 AM-5 PM, Lewinsville Park, 1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean. Volunteers needed for the GOP booth.

5/23 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

5/28 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

5/28 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

6/2 - NOVA GOP TV Taping - for more information, call (703) 502-0161.

6/7 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

6/12 - Primary Day - 6 AM-7 PM, at regular polling places for any contested GOP nominations to be decided by primary. Call: (804) 780-0111.

6/16 - 10th Congressional District GOP Convention - Clarke County High School, 627 Mosby Boulevard, Berryville. For preregistration information and rules, call (804) 780-0111.

6/21 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

6/25 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

6/25 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

6/27 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

7/4 - Independence Day - Daytime Parades & Evening Fireworks - Many campaigns will be looking for volunteers to hand out literature, participate in floats, etc. For details, call your local campaigns and/or check out our updated list at www.NorthernVirginiaGOP.com.

7/4 - Leesburg Independence Day Parade - Marching w/local candidates & more - 9 AM (parade at 10 AM), Ida Lee Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-LCRC.

7/4 - Dale City Independence Day Parade - Marching w/local candidates & more - 9 AM (parade at 10 AM), Dale City Boys & Girls Club, 5070 Dale Boulevard, Dale City. Call: (703) 680-7388.

7/4 - Fairfax City Independence Day Parade - Marching w/local candidates & more - 9:30 AM (parade at 10 AM), Massey Building. Call: (703) 352-1337.

7/4 - The Leadership Institute's Conservative Soiree - Bull Run Regional Park Pavillion, 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville. Call: (703) 247-2000.

7/18 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

7/23 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

7/25 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

7/30 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

8/16 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

8/22 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

8/27 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

8/27 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

9/6 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

9/20 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

9/24 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

9/24 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

9/26 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

10/4 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

10/18 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

10/22 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

10/24 - Arlington County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 685-2488.

10/29 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

11/1 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

11/6 - Election Day - 6 AM-7 PM, Please don't forget to vote!

11/15 - Fairfax City GOP Committee Meeting - The Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax. Call: (703) 731-9029.

11/26 - Prince William County GOP Committee Meeting - Call: (703) 680-7388.

11/26 - Loudoun County GOP Committee Meeting - Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg. Call: (703) 627-5272.

12/6 - Alexandria GOP Committee Meeting - Minnie Howard School, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Call: (571) 281-7042.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Northern Virginia GOP AGENDA. Published by Parmelee Associates. Paid for in part and authorized by NorthernVirginiaGOP.com-The Northern Virginia Republican Political Action Committee, a nonprofit not affiliated with national, state or local GOP committees. Not authorized by a candidate. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or for questions, please contact JTParmelee@aol.com or call (703) 502-0161. Feel free to forward this and/or send us e-mail addresses or fax numbers for those you think would want a FREE subscription.

We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Northern Virginia GOP AGENDA. Newsletter disclaimer: Published by Parmelee Associates. Paid for in part and authorized by NorthernVirginiaGOP.com-The Northern Virginia Republican Political Action Committee, a nonprofit not affiliated with national, state or local GOP committees. Not authorized by a candidate. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or for questions, please contact JTParmelee@aol.com or call (703) 502-0161. Feel free to forward this and/or send us e-mail addresses or fax numbers for those you think would want a FREE subscription. Fundraising disclaimer: Paid for & authorized by NorthernVirginiaGOP.com-The Northern Virginia Republican Political Action Committee, a nonprofit not affiliated with national, state or local GOP committees. Not authorized by a candidate. Contributions not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Corporate contributions will be deposited in our state account. Federal law requires PACs to report name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year (VA reporting level is contributions aggregate in excess of $100 in a calendar year).
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Thursday, January 25, 2018

Week 2 General Assembly Update

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Dear Robert —

      We are two weeks into Session and things are moving along here in Richmond. Committees have been meeting regularly and there has already been some lively and productive debates on the floor of the Senate.

       Last week, Governor Northam gave his address to a joint session of the House and Senate. Like many of my fellow legislators, I had hoped that the departure of Governor McAuliffe would signal at least some relief from the polarizing partisanship of the last four years.  With an eye toward higher office and the early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire for his party’s 2020 presidential nomination, the last year of the McAuliffe Administration had developed the feel of an exploratory campaign committee.

      Governor Northam, however, has come out of the gates pushing hard his agenda to fully enact Obamacare in Virginia by expanding Medicaid here in the Commonwealth. I stand in staunch opposition to this policy. According to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Medicaid spending increases have outpaced total state budget growth over the past 10 years and has comprised of over a fifth of the general fund budget in 2016, up dramatically since 2007. And that increase is mostly due to rising enrollment. In a nutshell, Medicaid spending is out of control.

        I support a fiscally responsible, market driven approach to expanding access to healthcare in Virginia. We cannot simply solve our problems by expanding Medicaid. A particularly pressing aspect of the healthcare crisis is the increase in premiums and deductibles that are crushing family budgets across Virginia. Other states that have accepted expansion have had sticker shock and have found that it drastically increased prices for insurance. Even without expansion, many families across Virginia are experiencing skyrocketing health insurance premiums.  I hope our Governor and my colleagues in the House and Senate will be willing to work together to find a compromise when it comes to providing healthcare in our Commonwealth.  Expanding Medicaid does absolutely nothing to help these working families being priced out of the health insurance marketplace.  

After a week of ceremonies, we’ve been considering bills in the Senate at a very quick pace. There have been nearly 3,000 bills introduced in the House and Senate. Crossover, the day on which the House and Senate must have completed all work on legislation filed by its respective members falls on February 13 this session. That doesn’t allow for a lot of time to consider all the bills that have been filed. Committees met in lengthy sessions this week, considering legislation filed thus far. Here’s where you can find a list of the bills introduced this year: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+mbr+S68C. I hope you will notify my office with any concerns or questions you have about these bills.

Over the past week we had the pleasure to welcome constituents from the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Leadership program, and citizens from the Virginia Hemophilia Foundation.  We also had visits from leadership at Valley Health, Augusta Health and one of our local dentists on behalf of the Virginia Dental Association.  It’s always great to see constituents advocating for issues important to them personally or to their profession.  If you are here in Richmond during Session, please stop by our office in the Pocahontas building on the fifth floor, room 502 - East. And if there are any issues you would like to discuss, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 804-698-7526 or email me at mark@markobenshain.com. Jenni Aulgur, my legislative aide, or myself would love to assist you in any way we can. 

 Best regards,

             
           Mark Obenshain


            

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Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Help save our Republic

Dear Fellow Patriot,
 

A commonly held misconception is that the United States is a democracy. Have you ever pledged "allegiance to the flag and to the democracy for which it stands"? In fact, the United States is a republic and not a democracy. This is not just a matter of semantics.  The two are entirely different forms of government.

In a democracy the majority rules. An example is when you and two wolves are voting on what to have for dinner.

History reveals the outcomes of democracies – that a democracy strips us of our rights.  Minorities are deprived of having a voice or any input.  Their God-given rights are lost with little-to-no hope of future reestablishment.  The inevitable result is tyranny.

 

The Founding Fathers advised against a democracy. John Adams warned: "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself! There never was a democracy that did not commit suicide."

 

And Alexander Hamilton made a speech in 1788, where he stated: "It has been observed that a pure democracy if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position is more false than this."

 

These fundamental principles are just as relevant today. What the wolves are in the analogy are today's masses who are products of the public (government) schools, who have a warped understanding of history, who chant mantras  to kill law enforcement officers, and demand their "rights" which are actually "privileges," while obstructing traffic, destroying property

and endangering lives.

 

Today's news has shown the masses being emotionally violent and caring less about our nation's foundations and freedoms. Tyranny has been moving in. The Left Establishment knows this full well – and this is why they promote it at every opportunity.

 

One goal is to end local control over law enforcement and establish a federal police force, or at least federal control over the local departments.  Another obvious example is the desire to grant amnesty to all the illegal immigrants, who would more accurately be called invaders. Their increased numbers would add greatly to the 51% needed to silence those who value freedom. In a republic, the minorities still have a voice. In a democracy, they do not.

 

Another present day example is the election of our president. We have the Electoral College. Even people in states with a small population have influence.  But, if the votes could be totalled and the winner decided on which one has the majority, as some are promoting, the votes of minorities are lost.    Claiming that Hillary had the majority of votes in the last election and thus we should do away with the Electoral College is one result of this rationale. Having state legislators pass laws that would award their state's Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular votes instead of to the winner of that state's popular vote, is another example. This would greatly diminish the role of the states in presidential elections, enable large population states to overshadow the influence of small population states, and encourage voter fraud in large population states.  Consider that the number of people living in New York City equals the number of people living in several states. In this method, the states of New York and California plus a couple other states would pretty much dictate the result.   People in all the other states would have no voice and no need to bother to vote.

 

The National Popular Vote Compact Bill (NPV), HB99, has been introduced in the House of the Virginia General Assembly, and would enter Virginia into an interstate compact known as the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. Article II of the United States Constitution gives the states exclusive and entire authority to decide the manner of awarding their electoral votes. Under the compact, Virginia would agree to award its electoral votes to the presidential ticket that receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The compact goes into effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have joined the compact.

If this movement were to succeed and convince states with at least 270 electoral votes to approve the NPV legislation, the remaining states would become irrelevant in future presidential elections.

 

As of September 2017, the NPVIC legislation has been adopted by ten states and the District of Columbia with a total of 165 electoral votes. This amounts to 61% of the 270 votes needed to legally activate the NPV interstate compact.

Now is the time to take action to save our Republic! To prevent the Electoral College from being eliminated,

we need to defeat HB99.

 

Would you please contact your state legislators in opposition to the replacement of the Electoral College with the National Popular Vote?  Also send a message to the committee members below asking them to vote NO to HB99.  It could be voted on as early as this Friday.

 

By so doing you would help save our Republic.

 

 
 

 

Thank you,

Sue Long



 

Week 1 General Assembly Session Update

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Week 1 General Assembly Session Update


Dear Robert —

   We are almost one week into the 2018 General Assembly Session and it has been a productive one thus far.

 

The Senate of Virginia began with the same 40 senators on Wednesday of this past week.  All 40 senators are in the same seats and are members of the same committees on which they served last year.  That is about the only thing that hasn’t changed in Capitol Square since we concluded the 2017 session.

 

The House of Delegates is very different than it was last year.  They have a new Speaker, Kirk Cox of Colonial Heights, who was elected on the opening day of session.  And, they have 19 new delegates.  Of those new delegates, 16 are Democrats and 3 are Republicans, and the House’s partisan balance is now 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats.  That’s a lot closer to the 21 Republicans and 19 Democrats in the Senate.

 

The opening day of session concluded with Governor McAuliffe delivering his final State of the Commonwealth Address.  We heard two speeches from newly-elected Governor Northam.  He delivered his Inaugural Address after taking the oath of office on Saturday and on Monday, he addressed a joint session of the House and Senate, outlining his plans and priorities for the 2018 session. I was disappointed in the tone of his speech before our body - I was hoping for a more bipartisan approach as we seek to enact substantive reforms this Session.

 

Despite the closer margins in the House and the start of a new Governor and new Democrat administration, I will continue here in the Senate to work with my conservative colleagues to prioritize legislative issues that will make life better for Virginians. I continue to serve as Chair of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and on Monday, we began to hear bills in committee. I was dismayed to see that the outside influences of Michael Bloomberg’s gun control group, among others, continues to make significant attempts here in Virginia to push through overburdensome gun control laws. On Monday we got off to a fast start. We heard dozens of new bills that would impose new restrictions on law abiding Virginians to keep and bear arms. Together with a majority of my colleagues, I was proud to have stood up for our Second Amendment rights.


Education reform is one of the most pressing issues in which I believe. We have children in our district and around the Commonwealth who are trapped in failing school divisions. We must do more to ensure that every child has an opportunity to receive a quality education. That is why I have proposed a bill to create regional charter school divisions. The charter school model, allowing for more autonomy and innovation in the administration and the classroom, has been successful in states around our nation, both Red and Blue. I have listened to opponents and have carefully drafted the bill so that it will focus on regions with truly failing schools. However, we have met opposition, even to this model. We have just nine charter schools that serve 2,000 students. If we are serious about providing a lifeline for children and parents in failing school divisions then that has to change. I hope that our new governor, along with my colleagues in the Senate and the House, will join me in passing and signing this important piece of legislation.

 

Voter fraud is another issue of great importance to me. I have proposed Senate Bill 523, which establishes electronic pollbooks that contain photographs of voters. This commonsense piece of legislation will encourage cross-agency collaboration by requiring pollbooks to contain photographs of registered voters that are a part of voter photo identification cards or a voter’s Department of Motor Vehicles record. This will make the system more efficient but more importantly will improve the integrity of our voter system. If there is a photo from a state approved database, then a voter is not required to show another form of ID. Additionally, I have proposed Senate Bill 521, wherein local electoral boards are required to investigate the list of registered voters if the number of registered voters exceeds the population of voting age citizens in that locality. It makes no sense to me that in some localities, the number of registered voters actually exceeds the number of eligible voting age citizens. I hope this bill will improve our system by requiring an investigation when there are more registered voters than individuals of voting age.

 

In addition, I am working on a number of initiatives to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion on Interstate 81. This interstate has been overlooked for too long by state legislators and administrations alike. We must make substantive reforms to ensure that drivers can travel on this critically important interstate safely and efficiently. One bill I have proposed directs the Department of Transportation to conduct a pilot program establishing zones where trucks are required to travel only in the right lane. Ideally, these zones will allow the left lane to remain clear for passing vehicles, directly reducing congestion and keeping traffic flowing. This bill, by establishing the pilot program, is a part of a bigger effort and emphasis on improving Interstate 81. More on I-81 later.

 

To see the full list of over 20 bills I have patroned, please click here.

 

As bills begin to make it out of committee and onto the floor of the respective houses of the General Assembly, I promise to continue to fight with my fellow conservatives in the House and Senate to protect those beliefs for which I have always fought.

 

Each week, I will be sharing with you updates on the session and my legislative initiatives which I hope will continue to make life better for my constituents in the Shenandoah Valley. We have a new building here in Richmond while they tear down and build a new GAB. We are housed in the Pocahontas Building for the next four years and we’re settling in nicely here. If you are in Richmond during General Assembly, please stop by our new office, Room 502 on the 5th Floor – East Side. If you have issues you would like to discuss or if you would like to arrange a tour, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 804-698-7526 or email me at mark@markobenshain.com. My legislative aide, Jenni Aulgur, and I stand ready to assist you in any way we can.

 

Best regards,

             
           Mark Obenshain


            

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