Gov. Youngkin’s incompetence on full display after a week of major blows to his far-right agenda 

Richmond, VA – Virginians saw yet another disastrous week for Governor Youngkin–eliciting opposition from all across the commonwealth. 

Yesterday, all 133 sitting school superintendents voiced their opposition to the governor, demanding that he “terminate” his Critical Race Theory tipline–stating that his policies could set public education in Virginia back “many years,” suggesting that his basis for determining what divisive concepts are is ”discriminatory.” 

The governor also failed to deliver one of his biggest campaign promises of confirming new members to the Virginia Parole Board. And, to top it all off, the governor refuses to help Virginians by aggressively fighting back against bad actors' price gouging at the gas pump.

See below what Virginians are reading this week: 

Washington Post: All 133 Virginia school superintendents urge Youngkin to scrap tip line, effort to root out policies deemed ‘divisive’

By, Gregory S. Schneider

Richmond, VA — All 133 of Virginia’s public school division superintendents have urged Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to scrap the “tip line” set up to let parents complain about teachers and principals and have asked him to stop his crusade against the teaching of “divisive” content in schools.

The superintendents expressed their concerns in a letter Thursday to Jillian Balow, the state superintendent of schools, saying a recent administration report that rooted out policies aimed at racial equity was misguided and prepared without input from school districts around the state.

ABC 7: 133 Virginia superintendents push back against Gov. Youngkin's 'divisive' interim report

RICHMOND, Va. (7News) — All of Virginia's 133 public school superintendents are pushing back against Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia Department of Education after an interim report on topics was deemed "inherently divisive".

A letter was penned on behalf of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents Thursday, demanding that Youngkin "terminate" his Critical Race Theory tipline and stating that his policies could set public education in Virginia back "many years".

Richmond Times-Dispatch: School superintendents chide Youngkin administration's audit of 'divisiveness' in schools

School superintendents across Virginia on Thursday criticized recent efforts by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration to target “divisive concepts” and equity initiatives in the state’s schools, saying the administration’s work could “set public education in Virginia back many years.”

In a blunt letter representing the views of all 133 state superintendents, the school leaders challenged a recent report by Youngkin education officials that criticized ongoing efforts to address racial and socioeconomic disparities in education as “discriminatory,” and that sought to downplay the role of systemic racism in fostering those disparities.

They also protested not being consulted before the administration moved to remove nearly every diversity and equity-focused resource on the education department’s website.

Associated Press: Virginia Senate blocks most of Governor Youngkin parole board appointees

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Senate on Thursday rejected a majority of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's nominees to the state parole board, a move the chamber's Democratic majority said was partly in retaliation for House Republicans' earlier defeat of appointments to other boards.

“I think that the House needs to be taught a lesson,” Democratic Sen. Adam Ebbin said during an unusually heated debate.

Virginia Mercury: Virginia Senate blocks Youngkin’s picks for Parole Board

By, Graham Moomaw

Richmond, VA – A month ago, the Republican majority in the House of Delegates took similar action to block 11 appointees of former Gov. Ralph Northam. The House’s move was retaliation for Senate Democrats’ refusal to confirm Andrew Wheeler, Youngkin’s controversial pick to serve as Virginia’s top environmental official.

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, said Senate Democrats “weren’t going to be walked all over.”

“I think that the House needs to be taught a lesson,” Ebbin said.

Washington Post: Virginia Senate nixes Youngkin parole board picks as payback for GOP’s ouster of Democratic appointees

By, Laura Vozzella

RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate rejected Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s picks for the state’s parole board on Thursday, extending a partisan tit-for-tat that started with the chamber’s rejection of a Trump administration official for the Republican’s Cabinet.

In a party-line 21-to-19 vote, the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected four Youngkin appointees to the parole board and a single nominee to the state Safety and Health Codes Board.

Democrats acknowledged that the move was payback for the increasingly hardball tactics Youngkin and the Republican-led House have employed since the Senate rejected one of the governor’s Cabinet picks — Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist who led a rollback of Obama-era environmental regulations as President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency chief.

ABC 8: Youngkin won’t declare emergency to trigger gas price gouging protections

By, Jackie DeFusco

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Governor Glenn Youngkin is dismissing calls from Democrats to declare a state of emergency to protect Virginians from unreasonable hikes in gas prices. 

House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn said this would activate the Virginia Post-Disaster Anti-Price Gouging Act.

This would give Attorney General Jason Miyares more tools to protect consumers from “unconscionable” prices at the pump.  Miyares’ office confirmed to 8News earlier this week that he couldn’t exercise these powers without an executive order from Youngkin. 

Associated Press: Democrats call on Virginia governor to act on gas prices

RICHMOND, Va. — Democratic leaders in Virginia are calling on Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to declare a state of emergency to activate the state's anti-price gouging law as gas prices reach record highs following Russian's invasion of Ukraine.

"Governor Youngkin has the power to act and help protect Virginians at the pump, but so far, has failed to do so. Instead, he continues to point fingers and waste precious time,” House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn said in a statement Thursday.

The emergency declaration would activate the Virginia Post-Disaster Anti-Price Gouging Act, which is designed to stop suppliers from charging an “unconscionable price” for necessary goods and services, including gas and home heating fuel. The law gives the state attorney general the authority to investigate and prosecute businesses that overcharge.

The Washington Post: Rising gas prices pump up discord in Richmond as Democrats call for declaration of emergency

By, Gregory Schneider

RICHMOND — Gas price wars hit the Virginia General Assembly this week, with Democrats calling on Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to declare an emergency to fight gouging at the pump and Republicans saying “I told you so” over a failed tax-cut proposal.

House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) demanded Thursday that Youngkin issue an executive order declaring a state of emergency over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which would activate a state law prohibiting price-gouging in times of disaster.

[...]

Filler-Corn pointed out that Youngkin’s predecessor, Gov. Ralph Northam (D), had declared such an emergency last year when Russian hackers disabled the Colonial Pipeline, causing a disruption in gasoline supplies. That enabled the state’s then-attorney general, Mark R. Herring (D), to prosecute unscrupulous retailers for price-gouging, leading to small fines against a few stations.

“Governor Youngkin has the power to act and help protect Virginians at the pump, but so far, has failed to do so,” Filler-Corn said in a news release.

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