Youngkin Announces Partnership with HBCU Students to Tutor Students in Hampton Roads and Petersburg

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced a tutoring partnership between four Richmond and Hampton Roads-area historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to employ their students as tutors and mentors for high school and middle school students. “Sadly last Monday, Virginians woke up to the next of many alarm bells that were ringing…

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Youngkin and Virginia Department of Education Release Report on Virginia’s Achievement Gaps

RICHMOND, Virginia – Governor Glenn Youngkin’s education administration released a report on the heading of Virginia’s education. The release of the report is a major moment for Youngkin, who came to power riding a wave of parental frustration with education.

“Today is a moment in time for all of us to recognize we must change direction,” Youngkin said in the press conference. “We are not serving all of Virginia’s children and we must. We want to be the best in education. We should be the best in education. And the data that was compiled ans shared with you today suggests that we have a lot of work to do to be the best.”

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Preparing to Take Power, Newly Elected Virginia Gov. Youngkin Announces His Transition Team

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin announced his transition steering committee and advisors on Wednesday. The group includes Republican legislators, Republican Party of Virginia officials, and the three previous Republican governors of Virginia. Former Democratic Governor Doug Wilder is also on the list; he aimed several attacks at opponent former Governor Terry McAuliffe during the campaign without ever endorsing Youngkin. The list also includes Sentara Chief of Staff Aubrey Layne, who was a cabinet official to both Governor Ralph Northam and McAuliffe.

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Commission Looking for Long-Term Loans of Art to More Accurately Represent Virginia History in State Capitol

The Speaker’s Advisory Group on State Capitol Artifacts heard a presentation from Librarian of Virginia Sandy Treadway about art currently in the Capitol — art that commission members noted largely represented white men. In the Tuesday meeting, the commission members suggested seeking long-term loans of appropriate art from museums and other institutions.

“It is primarily, with one or two exceptions, men who served either Virginia’s government over the years from the 18th century to the present, or served Virginia in the United States Congress, or who served in positions such as secretary of state, secretary of war, so forth,” Treadway said.

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Virginia Lawsuit Reduces Threshold — Only 2,000 Signatures Needed to Get on 2021 Ballot

Statewide candidates for the Democratic primary and independents for the 2021 Virginia general election now only have to get 2,000 signatures, which can be collected electronically, and they only need to get 50 from each congressional district. The change is the result of a settlement after gubernatorial candidate Delegate Lee Carter (D-Manassas) and Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Paul Goldman sued Virginia elections officials arguing that during COVID-19, asking candidates to send teams out across the state collecting in-person signatures was a recipe for problems.

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Another Mayor Forum, Another Day of Riots in Richmond

Five candidates for mayor faced off in Coburn Hall at Virginia Union University on Thursday evening. The two-hour event was live-streamed and Facebook reported over 28 thousand views late Thursday. Former Governor and Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder co-moderated the event, lending an air of political weightiness to the debate. The evening’s questions focused largely on government efficiency and the current crises facing the city, showcasing a variety of experience and ideology in the candidates.

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