Bold Dominion

Episode Notes Our episode about everything passenger rail in Virginia. From the history of rail in the state, to why our trains aren't as fast as Europe's, to some of the improvements to the rail system on the horizon, we discuss the ins and outs of rail travel in the Commonwealth. Special thanks to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority and the C & O Historical Society! Sources https://www.amtrak.com/amtrak-history-1970s https://www.aar.org/chronology-of-americas-freight-railroads/ https://enotrans.org/article/amtrak-at-50-the-rail-passenger-service-act-of-1970/ https://vapassengerrailauthority.org/amtrak-virginia-sets-all-time-record-with-2024-ridership/ https://www.vre.org/assets/1/6/2024_CEO_Report_May.pdf https://www.vre.org/about/ https://www.vre.org/assets/1/6/VRE_FY_2025_Budget.pdf https://www.wmata.com/about/history/ https://wmata.com/initiatives/budget/upload/Remediated-FY2025-Approved-Budget-FINAL.pdf https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/va-transportation-board-approves-railway-sale-to-support-southwest-va-passenger-rail-expansion/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Forge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleghany_County,_Virginia

The General Assembly session is just about wrapped up for the year. The Democrat- controlled house sent Republican Governor Youngkin 916 bills to consider. On Sunday, Youngkin signed 599 bills into law, vetoed 157 bills, and sent 159 bills back to the General Assembly with amendments. On this episode, we talk about a few of these new laws taking effect soon in Virginia.   https://virginiamercury.com/2025/03/25/youngkin-unleashes-veto-storm-to-drown-progressive-legislation/   https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-search

We just couldn't get enough of tax season so we're back again this week to talk in more detail about our Virginia state income tax returns. What do all those questions on the forms actually mean and why do we have them?     https://www.tax.virginia.gov/news/whats-new-filing-season   https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/vatax-pdf/2024-760-instructions.pdf#page=28   https://www.tax.virginia.gov/who-must-file   https://www.irs.gov/credits-and-deductions   https://www.tax.virginia.gov/deductions   https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodeupdates/title58.1/section58.1-322.02/   https://legacylis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+oth+HB2373F161+PDF   https://thecommonwealthinstitute.org/tci_blog/proven-and-effective-tax-credits-to-lift-up-virginia-families/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20lawmakers%20improved%20the,exceed%20their%20income%20tax%20liability https://trackbill.com/bill/virginia-house-bill-2859-income-tax-deduction-for-bone-marrow-donor-screening-fee/507213/ https://www.tax.virginia.gov/reciprocity   https://www.tax.virginia.gov/penalties-and-interest

When doing your state taxes, it's easy to just click through the boxes and not think much about what they mean. So on this episode, we are doing a deep dive into Virginia state taxes. What are the types of taxes we pay, where does the money go and how did we wind up with the system we have?   Resources: https://sfac.virginia.gov/pdf/Tax%20Policy/2024/08142024_No3_JLARC%20tax%20progressivity.pdf https://virginiamercury.com/2022/11/04/virginias-highest-tax-bracket-starts-at-17k-some-say-its-time-for-an-update/ https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/2024-legislative-summary.pdf https://www.tax.virginia.gov/retail-sales-and-use-tax https://virginiamercury.com/2023/02/24/virginia-explained-why-can-just-nine-localities-impose-a-sales-tax-for-school-capital-projects/ https://vadogwood.com/2024/01/19/virginia-senate-votes-to-make-sales-tax-holiday-permanent/ https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/2022-local-tax-rates.pdf   https://virginiamercury.com/2025/02/02/democrats-ditch-youngkins-tax-plan-propose-1-billion-rebate-instead/https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/sessionreport/2024/2/2434

This time of year, there is a ton of news about the Virginia general assembly. Bills being proposed, bills being passed through committee, and soon, crossover! If this has you spelunking into the depths of your high school civics class, we are here to give you a refresh! We'll talk about the history of the General Assembly, how a bill becomes a law, and give you some tips for processing legislative news. Sources: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/the-constitution-of-virginia-1776/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virginia_state_legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/full-and-part-time-legislatures https://virginiamercury.com/2024/02/23/senate-bill-on-personal-use-of-campaign-cash-heads-to-house-panel-that-killed-it-before/ https://virginiamercury.com/2024/04/17/virginia-legislature-will-consider-reworked-state-budget-in-may-13-special-session/ https://www.wvtf.org/news/2024-05-13/virginia-house-and-senate-pass-youngkin-signs-budget-in-special-session https://www.wvtf.org/news/2024-05-20/the-general-assembly-is-technically-still-in-session https://dpb.virginia.gov/about/history.cfm

Every state in the US regulates alcohol and liquor in a different way. Their right to do so is even enshrined in the US Constitution! So how did Virginia's Alcohol and Beverage Control Authority come about? Why is liquor only sold in ABC stores? And is it true that Virginia doesn't have any bars?     Resources:   90 Years of VABC magazine article: https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/2024-Q1-Spirited-VA/index.php#/p/16   Titos is Virginia's Favorite Spirit: https://www.abc.virginia.gov/about/media-room/2024/20241122-titos-continues-reign-as-virginians-favorite-spirit   Americans buy more liquor in December: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/03/10-facts-about-americans-and-alcohol-as-dry-january-begins/  DC Grocery Story liquor sales: https://abca.dc.gov/page/full-service-grocery-store#gsc.tab=0   Why is liquor sold in different stores? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/31/nyregion/liquor-law-wine-supermarkets.html   A history of Prohibition in VA https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/culture-features/2023/11/14/drinking-in-history-a-look-back-at-virginias-past-90-years-post-prohibition/  VABC Underage Buyer Program: https://www.abc.virginia.gov/enforcement/uab-program    Virginia Restaurant law: https://virginiamercury.com/2018/10/02/where-did-virginias-food-to-liquor-ratio-come-from-and-does-it-still-serve-a-purpose/   VABC Hearing outcomes: https://www.abc.virginia.gov/enforcement/hearings-and-appeals/final-decisions

44% of all renters in Virginia pay more than 30% of their income in rent and the average rent in the US has gone up 19% since 2019. So what is Virginia doing about it? What's the role of state government in affordable housing policy? The Democrat-controlled General Assembly and the Republican Youngkin administration have managed to pass some affordable housing legislation over the past 3 years. Has affordable housing become a bipartisan issue in Virginia? To answer these questions, I have a couple experts on the podcast, Christie Marra is the Director of Housing Advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Overton McGehee, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Virginia.     Read more: December 2021 “Affordable Housing in Virginia” Report by the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission https://jlarc.virginia.gov/landing-2021-affordable-housing-in-virginia.asp

More than 4 million people voted in Virginia and on this episode we break down those results from the top of the ticket down to the upcoming General Assembly special elections. We also discuss the controversial purge of voters days before the election, other voting access issues and the end of gerrymandering in Virginia. Our guests are Nathan Moore, former host of Bold Dominion and local and state government nerd. He's joined by Michael Pope, a journalist who's been covering Virginia and Virginia politics for over 15 years and the host of Virginia politics podcast, Pod Virginia. Never heard of Pod Virginia? Check it out! https://podvirginia.com/   This episode was recorded on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

Check out Virginia Outdoor Adventures!  https://virginiaoutdooradventures.com/  US Senator Tim Kaine has covered 1,222 miles of Virginia's trails, rivers and scenic roadways as part of what he calls “The Virginia Triathlon.” The Virginia Triathlon is a challenge to hike the Appalachian trail from the northern border of Virginia to the southern border, to cycle the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive and to paddle the James River from it's origin at Clifton Forge all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. Hear about his journey and how his outdoor endeavors have informed his career in politics and public service on this episode of Virginia Outdoor Adventures. Episode Notes Notes go here

This week we're talking about roads. How they're built, how new projects are proposed and funded, and how they're maintained. Michael Barnes, Director of Planning for Albemarle County breaks down these questions and helps us better understand the considerations of transportation planning.

Solar has been getting a lot of attention in the past couple years and counties across Virginia have been passing stringent regulations on new solar developments. This week we spoke with Dr. Lee Daniels, Professor Emeritus of Land Rehabilitation and Dr. Ryan D. Stewart, Professor of Soil Physics & Hydrology, both at Virginia Tech about the effects of solar farms on the land and soil. And in the second half of the episode, Nathan Moore is back to talk about some other solar farm considerations.     Read the white paper: Soil-Site Management Protocols & Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Utility Scale Solar Site (USS) Development and Management in Virginia  https://www.deq.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24050/638531957239470000

In 2020, Virginia started on a path to incrementally increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. But this year the governor vetoed the annual increase. In this episode, we talk with Levi Goren, Director of Research & Education Policy at the Commonwealth Institute, about what the minimum wage is, how it is related to inflation, and who is impacted by its stagnation.     Read Levi's article: https://thecommonwealthinstitute.org/research/12-is-not-enough-virginia-policymakers-must-act-on-the-minimum-wage/

A lot of Virginians take the time every day to sort and clean their recyclable materials. Maybe you even think about whether a material is recyclable before you buy it. But what happens after you put your bottles, cans, and boxes out by the curb? This episode, Phil McKalips, Director of Solid Waste for the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, and Lauren Cutlip, board member for the Virginia Recycling Association, take us on a journey through the afterlife of our trash.     Learn more about VA recycling: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/land-waste/recycling/recycling-data/recycling-rate-report#:~:text=The%20calendar%20year%202022%20Virginia,required%20to%20report%20for%202022

This week we're talking about school boards. While many folks will associate their school board with local decisions about infrastructure or teacher salaries, many Virginia school boards have been forums for highly politicized debates and decisions about issues like book bans or transgender rights. Today we are joined by Breanna Diaz from the ACLU of Virginia to talk about what issues they're hearing at School Board meetings across the state and what they mean for students, parents, and teachers.

Food is just more expensive than it was a few years ago. The rate of inflation for food has leveled off in 2024, but we're still adjusting to the price increases we saw in 2022 and 2023. So in this episode, we look into food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC and food banks: how they work, how they're funded, and how they're coping with rising food prices. Our guests are Monica Kelly, Public Benefits Outreach Manager and Les Sinclair, Communications and PR Manager from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.     Access Food Assistance:   https://www.brafb.org/find-help/   https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/food.cgi     Learn More and Sign up for Virginia Sun Bucks:   https://virginiasunbucks.com/     Check out the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank's Blog: https://www.brafb.org/blog-chew-on-this/

Episode Notes In the face of ever-worsening climate change, it takes more than paper straws and recycling to make a dent in our carbon emissions--it takes policy on a national, state, and local scale. So what does local climate action look like? How do cities and counties set policy in the realm of housing, transportation, and energy to reduce carbon emissions and prepare their communities for a changing climate? To answer that question, we talked to Bill Eger, Chief Climate Policy Officer for Arlington County, Virginia. He leads Arlington's Office of Climate Coordination and Policy, whose mission is to "amplify, coordinate, and add capacity to the County's ongoing responses to the climate crisis."

Episode Notes We've all heard of machine politics. Tammany Hall. Boss Tweed. Right in the heart of New York City, the Gilded Age, an era synonymous with corruption in America's history. But Virginia has its own slice of machine-politics history: under the control of Harry Byrd, Sr., the Byrd Machine controlled the state government for the better part of fifty years. Who was Harry Byrd? How did he gain total control of the government? And what are the lasting impacts we feel today? To answer these questions, we're joined by friend of the show Michael Pope, author of The Byrd Machine in Virginia: The Rise and Fall of a Conservative Political Organization.

Episode Notes The 2023 primary results are in...and they're pretty interesting. Many incumbents held onto their seats, but some challengers won key victories--Democratic Senators Joe Morrissey and Chap Petersen were defeated by Lashrecse Aird and newcomer Saddam Salim, while Republican Senator Amanda Chase lost to Glen Sturtevant. If you're looking for a narrative to explain what happened, you'll probably find it somewhere in the results. And all of this comes against the backdrop of a huge shift in the General Assembly. New district lines, tons of retirements, and all one hundred and forty seats up for re-election in a few months. So what should we take away from this week's results, and what should we look forward to in the November general election? To break it all down, we're joined by journalist Michael Pope and Democratic strategist Thomas Bowman. They're friends of the show and the hosts of Pod Virginia, a fellow podcast breaking down Virginia politics.

Episode Notes The United States saw over 44,300 deaths from guns in 2022. And as the last year has made painfully clear, Virginia is not immune. Our state has been rocked by the horrific shootings in Charlottesville, Chesapeake, and Newport News. But even so, almost no meaningful gun safety legislation passed the General Assembly in the 2023 session. House Bill 2387 established tax credits for people who purchase gun safety devices, but that was about it.  That's a departure from 2020 and 2021, when Democrats in the House and Senate passed a bevy of legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. Yet while those were important changes, there's still a long way to go.  So, what do Virginia's gun laws look like now? And what can be done to end gun violence in the state? To help answer those questions, we talk to Andrew Goddard, Legislative Director at the Virginia Center for Public Safety, and Brian Moran, who served as Virginia Secretary of Public Safety from 2014 to 2022. To learn more, check out the Virginia Center for Public Safety's Research Resources.

Episode Notes Whether coming for school, work, or to escape bad situations at home, immigrants are a vital part of Virginia's culture and economy. So today we're digging into the opportunities and the obstacles facing immigrants and refugees in the state. First, we talk with Freddy Mejia, Deputy Director of Policy at the Commonwealth Institute. His work covers state-level policies that affect marginalized groups in Virginia. He walks us through who's immigrating to Virginia, and how they fit into the larger tapestry of the state. Then, we talk with Harriet Kuhr, Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee in Virginia, about what refugee resettlement looks like on the ground. Learn more about how immigration status can affect access to health coverage in Virginia Find out how you can volunteer with the International Rescue Committee, or learn more about their Charlottesville or Richmond offices. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes As the Bold Dominion team works on an upcoming episode, here's one from the vaults -- a Bold Dominion classic covering the perennially important, yet frequently misunderstood, Dillon Rule. This episode originally aired in February 2021. Virginia politicians like to talk about freedom and local control. So why are local governments sometimes prohibited from addressing local challenges? The reason is called the Dillon Rule. If you're a political news junkie, you've probably come across this, but most Virginians stare at me blankly when I mention it. Basically, the Dillon Rule says that local governments only have powers that are explicitly granted by the General Assembly. (As opposed to “home rule,” where local governments are free to make any policy that isn't prohibited by state law.) How does this affect our local governments and our state as a whole? To answer that question, we talk to Richard Schragger, the Parre Bowen Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law and the author of City Power: Urban Governance in a Global Age. We also talk to Andreas Addison, a member of the Richmond City Council and a lecturer at the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, who has dealt with the Dillon Rule as part of his legislative experience. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes This week, we tackle criminal justice and incarceration in Virginia from two angles: for one, what injustices are criminal justice reform advocates trying to fix? For two, how can we help incarcerated people stay out of prisons and live better lives? To answer the first question, we spoke with Rob Poggenklass, interim executive director of Justice Forward Virginia about the causes of mass incarceration and the ways that legal and societal hurdles create injustice in the law. For the second, we spoke with John Donnelly, Vice President for Instruction and Student Services at Piedmont Virginia Community College. He runs the Higher Education in Prison program, which provides a college-level education to students behind bars, allowing them to earn a college degree while incarcerated. To learn more: Justice Forward Virginia PVCC HIgher Education in Prison Program College Behind Bars | PBS This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes Here on the podcast, we like to keep tabs on Dominion Energy. As the largest of only 2 publicly regulated utilities in the state, Dominion is a monopoly. The caveat is that it's a state regulated monopoly, meaning its rates and profits are monitored by a regulatory agency called the State Corporation Commission. But the SCC's power has eroded the past few decades, thanks to a variety of bills that have been pretty soft on Dominion. This year's General Assembly changed that trend. In the final days of the session, the General Assembly passed sweeping legislation on Dominion. Among other things, it changes how profit margins are set and strengthens SCC oversight. That can mean pretty big things for both Dominion, and for ratepayers like us. To step us through the new legislation and its impact, we talk to Charlie Paullin, energy and environment reporter for the Virginia Mercury. But, that's just the latest news — and energy policy is measured more in decades than in years. One big inflection point happened back in 2020, with the Virginia Clean Economy Act. The law set a variety of energy standards, including that our energy providers be 100% renewable by 2050. But setting the standards and meeting them are two different things. So we talked to Kim Jemaine, policy director at Advanced Energy United, about the opportunities and challenges of the Clean Economy Act. This episode is special in other ways as well. This marks the last episode of Nathan Moore as the host of Bold Dominion. Today, Nathan hands off the baton to a new host, Aaryan Balu. You've heard his voice before… he was Bold Dominion's first Assistant Producer, going back more than three years. Welcome back, Aaryan! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes Maine does it. Alaska does it. And since 2021, Virginia can do it too, in certain city and county elections. It's ranked choice voting, which works exactly how it sounds: voters rank their favorite candidates in order. If no candidate wins over 50% of the vote, it triggers an instant run off election. The last place candidate's votes are transferred to the voters' second preference. And so on, until someone wins the majority. Proponents see it as a way to diversify candidate fields, even reduce polarization. It means that the ultimate winner will have a broader base of support, or at least more than 50% of the vote. And it also gives 3rd party candidates more of a fighting chance. For the past few years, ranked choice voting has been used in Republican party caucuses in Virginia. And this June, Arlington County will be the first Virginia locality to use it, in their county board primaries. If all goes well, Arlington may stand as an example for other cities and counties across the state. Sitting down with us today is Elizabeth Melson, president of FairVote Virginia, and Sally Hudson, who represents Charlottesville and Albemarle County in the House of Delegates.

Episode Notes The 2023 General Assembly session drew to a close last Saturday. And with divided majorities in the General Assembly, it was a little underwhelming. Despite a year of big, hot topic issues, little was accomplished on abortion rights, gun control, or even setting up a market for cannabis. So after six weeks, we find ourselves more or less back where we started. To understand the perspective from inside the GA, we talk with Senator Barbara Favola, who represents parts of northern Virginia.  Things aren't entirely over yet… lawmakers are still considering amendments to the state's two-year budget. The House and Senate have very different ideas of what to do with Virginia's significant budget surplus. House Republicans want to give that surplus back to taxpayers through a billion dollars in tax cuts. On the other hand, Senate Democrats want to use the money to boost social programs that have been under-funded for many years. Particularly public schools. Here to walk us through this is Laura Goren, Director of Research and Education Policy at The Commonwealth Institute. Check out more information on Virginia's budget process and how the two proposals compare on The Commonwealth Institute's website

Episode Notes In Virginia, incarceration is expensive. In prison and jails across the state, inmates have to pay to communicate with family members. They also have to pay for extra food, clothing, and sanitary products in the prison commissary. And with the highest prison wages only 45¢ per hour, the burden of paying these fees often falls on inmates' families. Last year, Virginia's General Assembly organized a work group to study fees inside state prisons. They delivered a 50 page report, called “Reduction or Elimination of Costs and Fees Charged to Inmates in State Correctional Facilities.” Among other things, the report called for the elimination of fees for emails, video chats, and phone calls. It also called for the elimination of up-charges at prison commissaries and an increase in how much the state spends on prisoner meals. In this year's Assembly session, lawmakers introduced some bills to implement these changes, in both state prisons and local jails. However, both bills failed in the Republican-majority House of Delegates. To help us dig deeper, we talk with Irene Shin, who represents the 86th District in the House of Delegates, and Fran Bolin, the Executive Director of Assisting Families of Inmates.

Episode Notes After two years of Democratic control, Virginia's elected government is now divided once again. The result? A lot fewer laws likely to pass this year. This podcast started partly as a response to the media cycle that covered the General Assembly--every year around this time, there was a parade of stories about bills being introduced… and then they'd quietly die in committee. Or a bill that would pass in one chamber … and then quietly die in the other. Hardly anything ever translated into meaningful laws. Why were things like that? This week, we talk to two state reporters about the structural and historical reasons for the General Assembly's inaction and the media coverage that follows: Peter Galuszka, a Richmond-based journalist who has covered the state for decades, and Michael Pope, a reporter covering the General Assembly and the head of the Virginia Capital Correspondents Association. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes In 2021, Glenn Youngkin rode the idea of “parents' rights” to victory in his gubernatorial race. And now, Virginia conservatives have latched on to the idea as a tactic for banning books, attacking public education and starving publicly funded institutions. The fight for public education is playing out right now in the General Assembly, as a whole host of parental rights bills work their way through the legislature. We spoke with Lisa Varga, Executive Director of the Virginia Library Association, about the chilling effect those books could have on educators--and how librarians have been dealing with the recent slew of criticism. Then we talk to Bob Peterson, a lifelong educator, President of the Milwaukee School Board, and founder of the magazine Rethinking Schools, a grassroots magazine for social and racial justice in education. He gives us the bigger picture on the right-wing project: tracing attacks on education all the way back to 1954's Brown v. Board, the influence of dark money, and ultimate endgame of destroying the public sector. Related Links: VLA Advocate Mailing List Unite Against Book Bans This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes The General Assembly starts its 2023 session next Wednesday--with Republicans in control of the House of Delegates for the first time since this show started in 2020. In this episode, journalist Michael Pope explains what we should be looking out for as lawmakers meet next week--especially what we can glean from the governor's state budget proposal. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes As we approached the new year, we found ourselves feeling a little reflective. So we made a special episode for you. In “Best of 2022”, Nathan and Alana sit down to discuss some of our favorite episodes from this year on the podcast. Join us as we look back on the big issues of the year, from the overturning of Roe v. Wade, to Dominion Energy's outsized influence, to how citizens can craft legislation.  This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes For decades, Virginia was one of only three states in the country that banned public sector collective bargaining. That meant teachers, healthcare workers, and first-responders couldn't have a say in how their contracts were written, leading to lower pay and poorer working conditions compared to unionized workers. But things have changed. In 2020, the General Assembly repealed that prohibition, a historic moment for workers' rights in Virginia.  But it's not without its quirks. Collective bargaining isn't required across the state — it's up to localities to pass collective bargaining ordinances. Plus the law itself is pretty vague, leaving it up to localities to hammer out the rules and framework. Which means depending on where you live, what you can and can't bargain over can look pretty different. So today on the show, we're looking at the state of public sector unions in Virginia. Helping us out is Mel Borja, Worker Power Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Institute. We're also joined by David Broder, president of SEIU Virginia 512, and Vernon Liechti, president of the Albemarle Education Association.  Explore The Commonwealth Institute's interactive map of labor history in Virginia. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes This year, the average price of a single family home in Virginia crossed the $400 thousand dollar mark. Virginia's urban populations are expanding without the housing supply to keep up. Staring down skyrocketing prices, many people are forced to accept that homeownership won't be in their future. Confronting this goes beyond building more housing... that's only one arrow in a quiver full of policies that could make housing more affordable. And we need to consider all of those policy arrows in the quiver.  One such arrow is Community Land Trusts, or CLTs. CLTs trace their origins back to the Civil Rights era and are grounded in a philosophy of racial justice. We talk with Erica Sims, CEO of the Maggie Walker CLT in Richmond, about CLTs' radical vision of "permanently affordable housing." But first, we talk with Wyatt Gordon, a reporter covering housing, transportation, and land use at Virginia Mercury. He breaks down the "missing middle” housing debate going on in Arlington, and how "missing middle" housing reframes visions of homeownership.   Click here to learn more about Charles Sherrod, co-founder of the first Community Land Trust "New Communities."

Episode Notes From the school board meetings in Loudoun County to pushes to ban "racially divisive" books in schools, conservatives have been relying on one concept in particular: “parents' rights.” Glenn Youngkin latched onto parents' rights during his campaign and rode it to victory over Terry McAuliffe. Other Republican candidates across the country have taken note. During the midterms, many GOP candidates have declared themselves strong supporters of moms and dads. But this catch-all phrase "parents rights" is being used much more broadly than its legal precedent. Youngkin typically cites a 2013 Virginia law that stemmed from a court ruling regarding sperm donors and custody issues. So how did we get from a case about in vitro fertilization to parents rights being the basis for all sorts of stuff? And what does Youngkin's rhetoric portend for the political future?   To help us figure this out, we speak with Bekah Saxon, a UniServe director at the Virginia Education Association, and Graham Moomaw, a state-house reporter for Virginia Mercury.  Find Graham Moomaw's article covering the history of parents' rights here.

Episode Notes Here at Bold Dominion, we typically focus on the machinations of power, money, and lawmaking in Richmond. But Virginia also sends 11 lawmakers to the U.S. House of Representatives. And all of them are on the ballot on Tuesday, November 8th. That means Election Day is less than two weeks away. If you're a Bold Dominion fan, you probably already know that. Maybe you even voted early. But if not, make sure you vote. You can even do same-day registration at the polls, thanks to recent changes to Virginia voting rules. Today, we're joined by fellow politics podcasters Michael Pope from Pod Virginia and Chaz Nuttycombe from CNalysis. They help explain how the midterm races are going and what they mean for our country. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes Here at Bold Dominion, we pubish a new episode every two weeks. We have seventy something episodes under our belt, and still so much more to talk about. Keeping up with politics is a year-round job. But for Virginia legislators, it's not actually year-round. In odd numbered years, lawmakers are in Richmond for 60 days, and in even years, just a month. That's often extended by a few more weeks. But in most years, Virginia legislators start in mid-January and are packed up and ready to head home by March. Why so short? And what does that mean for Virginia politics? To unpack this, we'll be talking with Randolph-Macon politics professor Richard Meagher, as well as Richmond Times Dispatch reporter Charlotte Rene Wood (we'll discuss reporting she did with Charlottesville Tomorrow). We'll also get to hear from Virginia Delegate Kelly Fowler, representing the Virginia Beach area in District 21. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Episode Notes You're listening to this show thanks to high speed internet. And as awesome as this podcast may be, there's a whole lot more that makes high speed internet indispensable for modern life. During the pandemic, school, work, health, and social life all moved online. Access to the internet was, and still is, a must. That made life awfully challenging for families where high-speed internet was not available. Some good news on this podcast, for once! The 2021 Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act allotted $65 billion dollars to expand internet access across the country. That's through a program called Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD. In this nationwide push, Virginia has emerged as a leader. Our commonwealth was prioritizing broadband access way before BEAD. As governor, Ralph Northam set a goal to get all Virginia communities online by 2024, and that has been continued by Glenn Youngkin. As other states receive BEAD funding, experts are advising to follow Virginia's footsteps. To help us understand what Virginia's doing right, we talk with Christopher Ali, Professor of Telecommunications at Penn State University, and Dr. Tamarah Holmes, Director of Broadband at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Find out more on our prior episode on broadband expansion.

Episode Notes This time of year, climate change is particularly hard to ignore. We've just made it through another scorching summer. Virginia's coastal regions are grappling with sea water rise. And on some days, that haze covering the Blue Ridge is smoke from California wildfires. Despite this, the U.S. government's response to climate change has long been… tepid. Years of kicking the can down the road, or in some circles, denying the problem altogether. But this year, that changed. Last month, U.S. Congress passed the biggest climate law in US history … under the unassuming name, Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA is the smaller version of last year's Build Back Better bill, with a number of compromises made to West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. So now, the IRA will provide strong incentives for people to choose clean energy through their consumer choices. To help us understand the ins and outs of the IRA and what it means for Virginia, we're talking with writer and lawyer Ivy Main and environmental economist Bill Shobe. For further reading, check out Ivy Main's article on the IRA here. Also check out the 2021 report on carbon neutrality in Virginia, co-written by Bill Shobe: Decarbonizing Virginia's Economy: Pathways to 2050

Episode Notes Virginia is home to four of the ten richest counties in America -- all in Northern Virginia. Virginia is also home to some of the most economically distressed counties in America -- all in Southwest Virginia.  And of all fifty states, Virginia has the largest gap between the minimum wage and the bare minimum needed to support a family of four. That's according to the Commission Examining Racial Inequity in Virginia Law, set up during Ralph Northam's administration back in 2019. The commission released three reports covering the consequences of structural racism in Virginia. Later in the show, we sit down with the Vice-Chair of the commission, Andrew Block. He'll share what they found and what progress has been made since. But first we talk with sociologist Lawrence Eppard. He co-authored the 2021 study, “Social and Economic Costs of Inequality in the State of Virginia.” Turns out there are big disparities in social mobility across Virginia. Which is to say... in some counties, it's a lot harder for people born in low-income families to escape poverty. Eppard breaks down what inequality of place looks like... and its consequences. Eppard also hosts the podcast Utterly Moderate, the official podcast of the Connors Forum for a Healthy Democracy. Listen here! The Commission Examining Racial Inequity in Virginia Law released three reports from 2019-2022. Check them out below: From Virginia's Law Books Identifying and Addressing the Vestiges of Inequity and Inequality in Virginia's Laws Identifying Virginia's Racially Discriminatory Laws and Inequitable Economic Policies

Episode Notes What does a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" actually look like in practice? If you listen to Bold Dominion, you probably vote every November, call your lawmaker about issues you care about, maybe have attended a protest or two. But sometimes it's hard to see how those actions affect the legislation coming out of Richmond. If the GA feels a bit like a black box or a magic show, we don't blame you. Why do some bills make it all the way into law, and others die in committee? Who brings bill ideas to the table in the first place, and how can citizens have a hand in that process? Today we crack open that black box and figure out how citizens can help craft legislation. We talk with Sally Hudson, who represents the 56th District in the Virginia General Assembly, and Dan Holmes, Legislative Policy Director at the environmental nonprofit Clean Virginia.

Episode Notes This week, we revisit the terrible anniversary of August 11th and 12th, 2017. Five years after the Unite the Right Rally,  "Charlottesville" is still a shorthand for Nazis and fascists invading a community. As we look at Virginia politics and American politics today, where are we now? To answer that question, we talk to Larycia Hawkins, a professor in both the department of Politics and department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. Later in the show, we hear from data scientist Emily Gorcenski, UVA professor Jalane Schmidt, and Virginia Delegate Sally Hudson.

Episode Notes Longtime Richmond Times-Dispatch journalist Jeff Schapiro has a sort of shorthand on Twitter that I appreciate. When he tweets about the consulting firm McGuireWoods, he refers to it as The Shadow Government. Such is the influence that McGuire Woods holds over policymaking in Virginia. Virginia may have a new governor this year, but the Shadow Government remains the same. (Interviews for this episode were originally recorded in April 2021.)

Episode Notes The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade. You've probably seen maps about what this means on a state-by-state basis. We know that abortion will be legal in places like New England and the West Coast. We know that women in the Deep South will need to travel long distances to receive adequate reproductive health care. And we also know that forced birth advocates in places like Texas are trying to criminalize that kind of travel. But what about Virginia? Today on Bold Dominion, we're updating an episode we recorded this spring with Charlotte Woods, reporter at Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Tannis Fuller, Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund.

Episode Notes Business news media company CNBC does annual rankings of the best state for business. And Virginia has come out on top as the Best State for Business two years in a row. ``` On this episode of Bold Dominion, we explore what this title means, and how ask how it affects working Virginians. ```

Today on Bold Dominion, we're talking with two experts who have been on the ground working to find ways to expand access to healthcare services. Almost half a million Virginians are covered by Medicaid. But the number of uninsured Virginians is expected to increase. We have many more steps to go to ensure that all Virginians have access to the resources they need to lead flourishing, meaningful lives.

Episode Notes Today on Bold Dominion, we're talking with several women about how things could unfold in Virginia after Roe v Wade is overturned. Earlier this month, an anonymous source leaked a draft opinion written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. It showed that a majority of Justices intend to strike down the landmark 1973 decision that protects the legality of abortion. Here in Virginia, state law protects the legality of abortion… for now. But laws can change. And Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Republican-majority House of Delegates are showing interest in exactly that. This shift in legal precedent presents new challenges for Virginians. Notes go here

Episode Notes Virginia is a bona fide trash capital. For decades, Virginia has been the second biggest importer of trash from other states. We even accept trash from other countries. About a quarter of all the trash dumped in Virginia originates from outside the state -- nearly 6 million tons of trash per year. One state's trash must be our state's treasure... at least for the owners. Waste management is a surprisingly profitable enterprise, and Virginia charges no fees for out-of-state trash imports. You can thank the state's pro-business ideology and some well-placed corporate campaign donations. So where does that trash land in Virginia? And who does it get dumped on?

Episode Notes Products made from prison labor are all around us, and you might not even realize it. In fact, state law requires state agencies and public colleges to purchase products made by Virginia Correctional Enterprises. Inmates do get paid, but only 27 - 80 cents per hour. Defenders of prison labor argue that it provides inmates with vocational skills. Critics of the prison labor system in Virginia and around the country say it's more akin to modern day slavery. In this week's episode, a pair of journalists explain how we got today's prison labor system, and some ideas for what should be done about it.

Episode Notes Back in 2020, Democrats swept into majorities in Virginia's House and Senate. And they passed laws to make voting easier in Virginia. To increase democracy, if you will. But around the country, voting rights are under attack again. Mostly by right-wing groups falsely claiming election fraud and using that as a pretext to limit who can vote. With Republicans now controlling the Virginia governorship and House of Delegates, what's the state of voting rights in the Commonwealth these days?

Episode Notes So the General Assembly ended its regular session without agreeing on a state budget. The state has a big surplus, and both Democrats and Republicans want to pass some tax cuts. You'd think this would be a good thing, an easy thing to resolve. But you would be wrong. There's a gap -- a $2.8 billion gap -- between the Democratic Senate proposal and the Republican House proposal. The General Assembly reconvenes next week to try to hash all this out. So this week, Bold Dominion is stepping back and doing one of our explainer episodes. How does the sausage get made in Virginia? Who actually crafts state budgets and how do they do it? And what can we expect Virginia's state budget to look like for the next couple years?

Episode Notes This week marked the end of the 2022 Virginia General Assembly session. Unlike the last two, this session had split party control of state government. So did Virginia lawmakers set partisan politics aside? Did they craft wise legislation to move the Commonwealth forward? Not really. But there was some action, and in this week's episode, the Bold Dominion crew sat down with the guys from Pod Virginia in a special crossover episode. We present this year's General Assembly recap in the form of a game show.

Episode Notes Virginia's campaign finance laws (or lack thereof) are akin to the Wild West. Lawmakers talk about the so-called Virginia Way, but plenty of them feed from the trough of big donors. Despite decades of reform efforts, campaign finance bills keep dying on the Assembly floor. This year, a proposal would have prohibited lawmakers from using campaign funds for personal expenses. Even that measure failed. Why do we continue to see such little progress in campaign contribution reform?