August News Briefs
Doctor Webb Gains Another Key Endorsement
The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, which works to elect pro-environment candidates, announced its endorsement of Dr. Cameron Webb for election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.
“With our country facing the biggest pandemic of our lifetimes and the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change, it is imperative we have elected officials like Dr. Cameron Webb who understands the parallels between these crises and will always prioritize public health,” said LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “We are thrilled to support his campaign because we know he will join a growing cadre of medical and public health professionals in Congress who are making climate and environmental justice a top priority.”
Flip the 5th Congressional District
Get Dr. Webb yard signs by contacting Larry Stopper at larrystopper353@gmail.com or 434-361-2344. Help write postcards by getting in touch here: chair@madisondems.org. Get involved with other volunteer opportunities here: https://www.drcameronwebb.com/get-involved
Or, donate directly to the campaign! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/cameronwebb
Let's get to work for Dr. Cameron Webb! Together we can do this!
Webb Hosts Weekly COVID Update
Join Dr. Cameron Webb each week on Facebook Live for an update on the COVID-19 pandemic and how our healthcare system and our society are reacting to the crisis. This event is open to the public and aims to spread best practices and up-to-date information on this pandemic as it continues to impact our Commonwealth and our nation. Every Monday here: Weekly Covid-19 Update with Dr. Cameron Webb
COVID Update
The first case of Covid-19 in Nelson County was reported on March 24. It took three months for the number of county cases to rise to 18 (June 27). In the one month since then, the number of cases has risen to 32. No hospitalizations or deaths have been reported to date. Because of limited testing, the actual number of cases in Nelson County is likely much higher. (Source: Thomas Jefferson Health District.)
Cases per 100,000: Nelson County – 214.3; Piedmont – 831.0, Virginia – 1,063.8. Deaths per 100,000: Nelson County - 0.0; Piedmont - 12.2; Virginia - 24.0.
In Virginia, now open in most of the state: Restaurant dine-in services, gyms, personal-care businesses such as salons and barbershops, retailers, outdoor recreation facilities, construction sites, and manufacturing and distribution companies.
Still closed: Indoor bar areas, nightclubs, movie theaters, and concert and sporting venues.
Virginia’s COVID case tally stands at 90,801 with 2,215 deaths as of Aug. 1.
The dire situation in the United States is often blamed on premature attempts to reopen the economy, but many experts think it has as much to do with public aversion to masks. “Faulty guidance from health authorities, a cultural aversion to masks and a deeply polarized politics have all contributed. So has a president who resisted role modeling the benefits of face coverings, and who belittled those who did. The result,” experts say, “is a country that squandered one of its best opportunities to beat back the coronavirus pandemic this spring and summer.”
Two potential vaccines are in their final stage of tests, and if things go well, the first doses could be available by the end of the year. But who will get them? “Officials and experts must address a host of issues, including how much consideration should be given to race and ethnicity because of the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on communities of color,” The Washington Post wrote. Policy makers will likely have to make uncomfortable decisions such as which people deserve to be inoculated first and which can afford to risk disease a little longer.
Trump's brief experiment with taking responsibility for the pandemic appears to be over, our political desk wrote in an analysis: The president is back to hyping hydroxychloroquine, falsely claiming much of the country is “corona free,” and endorsing a doctor who believes medicine contains alien DNA.
VA Saw Nation’s Second-Highest Jobless Spike Last Week
Coming on the heels of reports that the U.S. domestic gross product in the second quarter dropped to its lowest point since 1947, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that Virginia saw the second-highest increase in initial jobless claims in the nation last week. The Department of Labor reported last week that 46,524 Virginians filed initial claims last week, which is a nearly 10,000 spike from the week prior. More than 37,000 Virginians filed initial jobless claims the week before last.
VA Unemployment Fund Projected To End In The Red
The state trust fund that pays for jobless benefits is expected to have a $750 million deficit by the end of December amid a huge influx of unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a presentation from the Virginia Employment Commission. That’s a dramatic decline from the $1.45 billion balance that the state’s unemployment compensation trust fund had on Jan. 1, VEC Commissioner Ellen Marie Hess told state lawmakers during a virtual meeting of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation July 20.
Northam Calls For Evictions Ban
A month after a state moratorium on evictions was lifted and as the federal ban ends, Gov. Ralph Northam has renewed his request for the state Supreme Court to put a halt to the court hearings that must happen before tenants can be thrown out. “There remains the distinct threat that the most vulnerable Virginians will be evicted from their homes at a time when our public health crisis is expanding rather than contracting,” Northam wrote in a July 24 letter to Virginia Supreme Court Justice Don Lemons.
Pandemic & Intra-Party Fights Complicate VA Redistricting
Virginia’s once-a-decade redistricting process is up in the air due to Census Bureau delays caused by the pandemic. At the same time, lingering differences among Democratic lawmakers over a proposed constitutional amendment related to redistricting could further muddy the waters ahead of next year’s map-drawing.
Without DMV Voter Registration Lags
Voter registration in Virginia, which historically peaks every four years during a presidential election year, continues to be another victim of the pandemic. The nearly 14,000 new registrations in June lagged behind totals from the same month in each of the last three years. The bulk of new registrations come through the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is gradually reopening by appointment only.
Some Commonwealth Attorneys Back Criminal Justice Reform
Eleven commonwealth’s attorneys who collectively represent more than 40 percent of the state’s population formed an advocacy group this month to back criminal justice reform proposals, dubbing themselves Virginia Progressive Prosecutors for Justice. The group has endorsed a range of proposals lawmakers will take up during a special legislative session scheduled to begin on Aug. 18, including a ban on no-knock warrants, increased police accountability and an end to mandatory minimum sentences.
Members of Virginia Progressive Prosecutors for Justice:
Amy Ashworth; Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park
Anton Bell; Hampton
Buta Biberaj; Loudoun County
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti; Arlington County and Falls Church
Steve Descano; Fairfax County and City of Fairfax
James Hingley; Albemarle County
Stephanie Morales; Portsmouth
Joseph Platania; Charlottesville
Bryan Porter; Alexandria
Shannon Taylor; Henrico County
Gregory Underwood; Norfolk
NOTE: Nelson County’s Commonwealth’s attorney Daniel L. Rutherford is not listed as participating, as of Aug. 1, 2020.
Rev. Rose Seeks County Confederate Statue Removal
Rev. James Rose, pastor of Montreal Baptist Church in Shipman, went before the Nelson County Board of Supervisors to seek the removal and relocation of the Confederate statue which stand on the grounds of the Nelson County Courthouse. Full story here
Bad Move, Good Makes Election Ballot
The Virginia Board of Elections, which has a Democratic majority, gave leniency to eight candidates who did not meet the June 9 deadline to file a form to qualify for the general election ballot. Bob Good, who is the Republican nominee in the 5th District, received an exception.
Riggleman Considers Run For Governor
Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) says he is exploring a run for Virginia governor in 2021, potentially as an independent — bucking the Republican Party that last month rejected his bid for reelection in favor of a Bob Good who is running as a “biblical conservative.” Riggleman, told The Washington Post Wednesday that it will be the subject of a serious discussion with his family in the coming months.
Charlottesville to Prohibit Military Weapons for Police
Charlottesville has taken the first steps toward limiting the type of weaponry that its police department uses, although several residents think the measure isn’t enough. The City Council approved a resolution to prohibit the Charlottesville Police Department from acquiring weapons from the military and taking military or “warrior” training during its virtual meeting on Monday.
Mountain Valley, DEQ negotiate over environmental fines
Mountain Valley Pipeline has agreed to pay $8,000 of the $86,000 demanded by Virginia regulators for the latest environmental violations caused by building the hotly disputed natural gas pipeline. Whether it owes any more — and how much more — is still under negotiation.
Protect Our Elections
Voter suppression undermines democracy. As the 2020 elections near, the American Civil Liberties Union says there are four areas of particular concern: Voting registration list purges; polling place changes; old and defective voting machines that don’t record votes; and challenges for vulnerable communities, including students from out of state, lower-income communities, and communities where English is a second language.
The ACLU has put together a list of organizations that are dedicated to helping ensure the right to vote:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice/Asian Law Caucus -- Provides a voter hotline with assistance in nine Asian languages and ways for people to check their voter registration, understand their ballot, and know their voting rights ahead of time. Get involved by volunteering or donating on their website.
Brennan Center for Justice – A great resource if you need a good place to start educating yourself about voter suppression. Sign up for their monthly newsletter to stay informed about their work.
Common Cause -- Common Cause fights to expand voting rights and eliminate gerrymandering. This organization has a step-by-step guide to help write letters to the editor. Volunteers are encouraged to work at a Common Cause state office, phone bank, and text bank to help organize their community.
Election Protection -- Election Protection provides information about polling locations and absentee ballot information and has a nonpartisan hotline to call if things go awry on voting day. Call (866) OUR-VOTE if you think someone is illegally being denied the vote, if your polling machine breaks, or if there aren’t enough ballots, etc. Attorneys can sign up to volunteer with Election Protection to help on-the-ground efforts to protect voting rights. Non-attorneys can sign up as poll monitors on Election Day.
Indivisible -- Makes it easy to help get out the vote. Online tools make it easy to text or call voters in key swing elections—even if you are not in that state—to remind them to vote. They also have tools to help you organize locally.
League of Women Voters -- Are involved in federal and state voting rights cases around the country and actively oppose discriminatory voter photo ID laws, attacks against the voter registration process, and holds lawmakers accountable when they try to institute last-minute Election Day barriers. Call your local chapter today.
Let America Vote -- Recommends hosting a “Voting Rights House Party,” providing housing for volunteers, and door knocking for 2020 candidates who are fighting voter suppression.
NAACP -- If your state in particular has issues with voting rights, donating to or volunteering with your local NAACP is a great way to get involved. Local chapters know the specific needs of your area and in many locations run get-out-the-vote campaigns in which you can help.
Spread the Vote -- Helps voters get IDs ahead of Election Day. Voter ID laws in particular affect communities of color, the elderly, and new voters. This organization helps people navigate state ID laws, can assist with application fees, and drives voters to the DMV to get an ID.
Voto Latino – Has registered more than 300,000 young voters, many of whom they reached by launching the country’s first text-to-register voter registration campaign. They are also the minds behind National Voter Registration Day.
You can donate to ACLU chapters in states that are particularly vulnerable to voter suppression. You can also sign the petition to pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which restores protections to the Voting Rights Act stripped by a 2013 Supreme Court decision.