By Susan Laume: December is now Puppy Mill Awareness Month in Virginia thanks to state legislators who approved the resolution in 2020 to encourage Virginians to observe every December by supporting efforts to raise awareness of puppy mills, support rescue organizations, and promote responsible dog breeding and responsible pet adoptions. There is no common definition recognized under the law, however,…
Editor’s Note: A statements of support for the Equal Rights Amendment from the Herndon-Reston Indivisible Women’s Issue Group. On January 27, the new Democratic majority in the Virginia General Assembly passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), officially making Virginia the 38th state required for ratification into the United States Constitution. As is typical with many women’s rights issues, there will likely…
By Susan Laume: A day that began with hope quickly ended in anger and frustration as Republican state legislators in Richmond abruptly shut down a special session on gun violence less than 90 minutes after it began on Tuesday, July 9. Democratic legislators were shocked when Republicans used their small majorities in both the state House and Senate to adjourn…
Ed Note: Normally The Blue View prints original content only but we are making an exception in the case of a constituent letter dealing with the current turmoil in Richmond posted on Facebook by Del. Mark Keam (D- 35) on Friday, Feb. 15. We think Keam has done a public service by drawing a closely-reasoned road map through a complex…
By Susan Laume: After two bills which would have removed some of the medically unnecessary impediments to women’s abortion care were defeated by the Virginia Senate Health and Education Committee on Thursday, Jan. 17, Virginia’s leaders reaffirmed their support for women to make their own reproductive decisions. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, and Attorney General Mark Herring…
Editor’s Note: Public reports state that two non-profit organizations based in Falls Church are being investigated by the attorneys general in Virginia and New York for apparently overspending on fund-raising and salaries, leaving little for their ostensible mission of aiding distressed veterans. The organizations’ founder and manager, Brian Hampton, a retired Army major, denies wrongdoing. But a look at the…