I begin this column with a quote from the inspirational leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “The time is always right to do the right thing.” This is never more true than it is today. Advocacy is not a single effort, but a consistent effort over time. Let your opinion […]

Mass shootings are all too common in our country, and have become part of our national lexicon. We have become inured to the horror and tragedy of a mass shooting, failing to recognize these murders as the crises that they are. “No more thoughts and prayers — we need immediate […]

The General Assembly session will adjourn on March 10, as determined by the Commonwealth Constitution. In my time in the House of Delegates, we have gone into special session a few times — but that is not the norm. However, this year, the House budget and the Senate budget are […]

We are nearing Cross-Over (Feb. 13), the day upon which all bills passed by the House and/or Senate must be sent over to the other body for its deliberation. In other words, each body must complete its voting on all legislation submitted by its own members by Feb. 13. Approved […]

I am sharing this statement adapted from a letter written to me by Eric Welch, a J.E.B. Stuart High School teacher, describing a serious barrier to higher education that must be eliminated: Over the past year some Virginia public colleges have been issuing demands to student applicants to provide their […]

We all know that we are living in volatile times, and the FBI’s recently released data on the national incidence of crimes motivated by bias (in other words, hate crimes) reinforces that perception. This report showed a very unsettling increase in hate crimes since last year. FBI records show 6,121 […]

These days after Election Day are truly the days that Virginia Democrats can celebrate our surprising and gratifying election results. However, I caution my HOD colleagues to moderate their urges to dance in the end zone. Democrats in Virginia certainly have “caught the wind beneath our wings!” But, we need […]

The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area hosted a House of Delegates Candidate Forum on Monday. Questions were emailed or phoned in by the public. They covered a broad range of topics, all important to consider before voting. election. Here is a sample of the questions and my […]

While President Trump gives us a limp portrayal of Zeus poised upon Mount Olympus threatening to rain down “fire and fury” thunderbolts like “the world has never seen before,” we must resist the temptation to be distracted from more seemingly mundane or less-hyped happenings. For example, on Monday the Department […]