Weekly Column: Special Session Update #2 - Building Trust in our Police Officers

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of October 25, 2020.

Building Trust in our Police Officers

                This column focuses on reforms to Virginia’s policing practices, legislation I helped craft with Senator Mamie Locke.  Last week, I reported on the criminal justice reforms that the Virginia General Assembly approved in our recent special session.   Next week, I will discuss changes in Virginia’s budget.

                The video capturing the chokehold and murder of George Floyd shocked America and was a painful example of abusive policing experienced by the African American community for too long.  These images galvanized a grassroots movement that demanded changes.  The General Assembly tried to respond with needed changes in our laws. 

Diverse Input Sought

                During the drafting process, I sought diverse views in at least a dozen meetings with state and local law enforcement leaders.  We held meetings with local officers on the street, community advocates, and heard testimony from national experts and state law enforcement leaders in a public hearing.  

Weekly Column: Special Session Session Summary #1: Criminal Justice Reform Delivered

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of October 17, 2020.

Special Session Session Summary #1: Criminal Justice Reform Delivered

Last week, the General Assembly special session effectively ended.  Governor Ralph Northam called the session to adjust the budget after the economic harm caused by the COVID-19 crisis.  After George Floyd’s May 26, 2020 murder and citizens’ demands for change, we chose to broaden our work and focus on three areas: criminal justice, policing reform, and the budget.  I will address criminal justice reform this week, policing reform next week and the budget changes last.   

In early June, the Senate Democratic Caucus determined a limited focus on only policing would not address the bulk of harm inflicted by our criminal justice system.  We invited suggestions and created a committee of Senators to vet 150 ideas which we narrowed to 28 objectives and 11 bills.

First, we passed a racial profiling bill that prohibits police from stopping vehicles for violations arising out of subjective unverifiable judgments such as window tint or loud exhaust violations, and prohibited searches based on an allegation of marijuana odor in light of the decriminalization of marijuana last session.  This will reduce opportunities for racially-biased enforcement.   

Weekly Column: We Need a Better Redistricting Amendment

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of October 4, 2020.

We Need a Better Redistricting Amendment

 Along with eliminating the Electoral College and reversing corporate contributions green-lighted by the Citizen’s United case, I consider the drawing of elected officials’ district lines to be one of the most significant, fundamental problems in American Democracy today. 

Question #1 on Virginia’s November 3 ballot is a proposed amendment to Virginia’s Constitution to create a decennial commission to establish districts for elected officials of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates in 2021 and into the future.  Our current system is flawed, but the proposed amendment is not the correct solution. 

The Redistricting Proposal

                Here is how the commission would work.  The U. S. Constitution and Constitution of Virginia requires the state legislature to redraw congressional districts and state legislative districts after each census.  The amendment would create the Virginia Redistricting Commission (VRC).  The VRC would have 16 members - eight state legislators and eight citizens.  The legislators would be equally split between the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates and further equally split between the majority and minority parties so that no party would have a majority.  The citizen members would be chosen by a panel of five retired Circuit Court judges from lists submitted by the majority and minority caucuses in each chamber of the legislature.