Moderate policies
If Virginia Democrats regain the three statewide offices and retain their majority in the House of Delegates, they will implement moderate policies that have broad public support.
Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger could mitigate Republican Medicaid cuts and reverse Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s unlawful nullification of Virginia law establishing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which reduced pollution and generated millions of dollars for energy efficiency and flood protection.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi as lieutenant governor would cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate.
Attorney General Jay Jones could fight fentanyl and defend Virginia from President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional infringements of state sovereignty.
For the required second time, the General Assembly would pass three Virginia constitutional amendments: guaranteeing reproductive freedom and ensuring personal choice regarding contraception, abortion and infertility; replacing the current unconstitutional marriage amendment with a right to marry regardless of race, sex or gender; and replacing the current Jim Crow-era disenfranchisement amendment with automatic restoration of voting rights for felons who rejoin society. The three constitutional amendments would then advance for final approval by public referendum in November 2026.
Legislation that passed the General Assembly this year but was vetoed by Youngkin may be enacted next year, including: raising the minimum wage to $15; establishing a prescription drug affordability board; establishing a right to access contraception; eliminating state tax exemptions for organizations which glorify the Confederacy; banning the sale of military-grade assault weapons and keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers; and Del. Michael Feggans’ bill to establish Virginia’s first wind power technical training program.
David L. Campbell, Virginia Beach
Scapegoats
Re “Deserving dignity” (Our Views, Sept. 7): Many thanks for your calm and rational statement about transgender people. There seems to be an effort to make this small sliver of our population the scapegoat for any ills of our society.
The transgender people I know, as well as the vast majority of LGBTQ+ people, simply want to live a productive life, in a safe environment, with their families and those they love. I hope Charlie Kirk’s death will not create a crusade of hatred and violence against those whose lives he didn’t accept or respect. We do not hold all young white men suspect just because their demographic fits most school shooters. Demonizing any subgroup of our society is a first step toward the end of justice and democracy.
Virginia Carey, Williamsburg
Insanity
While the two most populous nations in the world, India and China, were meeting with the two most anti-American nations in the world, Russia and North Korea, our country was conducting strikes against alleged drug cartels. Our president issued a statement resembling a spurned lover.
So as President Xi Jinping of China pulled together 26 nations to form an alliance to counter the west, we have embarrassed, harassed, humiliated, intimidated, extorted and bullied our allies around the world. Our president said about Ukraine, “You don’t take on a nation that’s 10 times your size.” Spoiler alert, we don’t get to pick our bullies. Otherwise, we would still be speaking the king’s English.
However, that one statement reveals the president’s approach to both foreign and domestic policies. Iceland, Canada, Mexico, Panama, universities, law firms, immigrants, Ukraine, the European Union and many others did not get to pick their bully. China, Russia and North Korea get a pass. These policies are “Making America Go Alone.”
Next year the United States will celebrate 250 years filled with exceptional accomplishments. A country built by people from every nook and cranny of the Earth. It has not always been pretty but the country always moved forward. It was done by Americans and leaders of character, integrity and vision.
We are voluntarily giving away our strength by allowing ourselves to embrace conspiracies and rhetoric that divides us. The insanity must end.
Donald Lawson, Hampton