Lots of people think that getting an abortion is as simple as making an appointment at the doctor’s office and showing up for the appointment. But unfortunately, that is not the case at all. Instead of going to your regular doctor, people seeking an abortion have to make an appointment at a special clinic and […]
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Laws That Make Voting Easier Benefit All of Virginia
In the November elections, we broke voting records in part because of temporary measures passed in response to the pandemic. Through the establishment of secure drop boxes and satellite locations, the provision of pre-paid postage to return absentee ballots, and the elimination of the witness signature requirement, we were free to choose the voting method […]
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Take It from This Guy: Voting Can Make You Feel “Happy, Joyous and Free”
Although Bobby Lee was 60 years old when he cast his first votein 2016, his age didn’t keep him from feeling like a kid again. “The first time voting, I felt like I was 18,” he said about his visit to the polls. “Happy, joyous, and free.” “I think it’s very, very important to take […]
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Hero & Zero January 15, 2020
Hero: Our hero of the week is Al Gore’s internet. Thanks to the internet (with a little push from the global pandemic), Virginia is now streaming 100% of its legislative meetings and hearings this session. Even though this killed the need for our Eyes on Richmond project, we love to see the state step into […]
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Progress Virginia Statement on State of the Commonwealth Address
Richmond, Virginia—Governor Ralph Northam delivered his State of the Commonwealth address this evening, laying out his legislative priorities at the start of the General Assembly session. Progress Virginia was thrilled to see his support for free community college and equitable marijuana legalization, as well as abolishing the death penalty in Virginia, and hopes that members […]
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Progress Virginia Praises Committee Passage of Pro-Voting Legislation Richmond, Virginia—Progress Virginia today praised members of the House Privileges and Elections Committee for advancing Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg’s HB1888 and HB1810 to expand voting rights and opportunities. HB1888 makes the temporary absentee voting access changes passed last year in response to the pandemic permanent and ensures that […]
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Ending Qualified Immunity in Virginia is Not Just a Matter of Right and Wrong: It’s a Matter of Life and Death
In response to the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor this past summer, there were almost nightly non-violent protests in Richmond. Richmond Police repeatedly retaliated against protestors and journalists. Thanks to the qualified immunity doctrine, those police officers could escape consequences for their violence and brutality towards Richmond residents. We must end […]
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We Don’t Just Need to Legalize Marijuana in Virginia. We Need To Do It Equitably.
It seems like everyone is talking about legalizing marijuana this year. I’m all for it! But I’m a little nervous about how the details will work themselves out. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this, and we need to make sure we do it the right way. That means making sure […]