Ebbin, who has won the endorsement of the pro-pot group NORML, proposed a similar bill last year, but it failed in the conservative Virginia General Assembly.
The bill, SB 104, would reduce marijuana possession to a civil offense punishable only by fines, like a traffic ticket, rather than jail time. It would also reduce the criminal penalties for marijuana distribution and possession with the intent to distribute.
It is easy to find amusing news. Last year, the Virginia General Assembly debated a bill on whether schools should be allowed to have bake sales to raise money. This year the question is, should Arlington Public Schools pass a ban on birthday parties?
Maybe like me you are thinking, come on, this birthday party ban can’t be a serious proposal. But we live in a world where personal responsibility is waning and calls for government to “do something” is growing. So let’s take a look at the arguments made at the most recent Arlington School Board meeting to see whether we should all be concerned.
Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.
The Virginia General Assembly kicked off what is sure to be a challenging and fast-paced 2016 legislative session this week. In just two short months, we will make judicial appointments and consider approximately 2,000 bills.
In Arlington, we have high expectations — a generally top-notch APS professional staff and a supportive community of taxpayers who value education.
The School Board has set a goal to achieve reading SOL pass rates in the 90-95 percent range for every subgroup of students measured by the Virginia Department of Education. Only White and Asian students have reached the target. Pass rates in 2015 — see slide number 15 — were:
There’s some additional potential snow in the forecast for Sunday, but nothing of the Snowmageddon variety.
Are you hoping for more snow this winter, or rooting for the current snow-less trend to continue?
Happy New Year, Arlington!
The first full week of 2016 proved to be a busy one, from robberies — of both banks and pizzas — to the story of a good Samaritan helping an Arlingtonian in need get home, and everything in between.
Fizzling Fights in Richmond? Despite posturing on Medicaid expansion, Gov. McAuliffe’s chances of changing the debate on this issue were damaged when Republicans maintained control of the General Assembly in Nov. 2015.
Attorney General Herring’s recent decision on concealed carry reciprocity could also rear its head. But, General Assembly leaders may not be willing to enter a standoff on that issue in the face of presidential politics.
At its traditional New Year’s Day organizational meeting, Arlington County Board members found common ground on critical issues, including making major improvements in Arlington government transparency and bringing new voices to the table to solve Arlington’s many pressing challenges.
Libby Garvey, who was unanimously elected by her Board colleagues as Chair of the Board for 2016, offered these observations:
Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.
If you are an Arlington County Board member, you get up early on New Year’s Day for the annual County Board organizational meeting. It’s what you do.
2015 was an eventful year in Arlington and with a changing economy and a new slate of County Board members, 2016 promises to be an interesting 12 months as well.
What are your New Year’s resolutions for Arlington? Feel free to discuss in the comments.
The past year was filled with revealing stories about Arlington and Virginia politics and government. Here are my top five:
5. Republicans retain control of VA State Senate
Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.
The following is an adaptation of remarks delivered by Karen Darner at the swearing-in ceremony for incoming County Board members Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey.
