Alexandria Politics

An Ambassador and an Enforcer

Working in traffic enforcement.

Cheryl Fuller has been a traffic enforcement officer for the City of Alexandria for 20 years.

Party-Line Vote Protects Child Labor at Tobacco Farms in Virginia

Republican-led House panel kills effort to craft new protections for kids in unrecorded vote.

In an unrecorded party-line vote, House Republicans killed a bill that would have cracked down on child labor at tobacco farms in Virginia.

Former California Highway Patrol commander named new chief of police.

Michael Brown has been selected as Alexandria’s new chief of police.

Hosting a President for Lunch

Fireflies’ owner looks back on the day President Obama paid her restaurant a visit.

On one summer day in 2014, President Obama found his way to Fireflies in Del Ray for lunch.

Senate Panel Kills Effort to Allow Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants

Supporters say they’ll continue to press the issue, citing concerns over safety.

Undocumented immigrants in Virginia will not be getting a driver’s license anytime soon, although advocates for the idea say they will keep pressing lawmakers on the issue.

As Republicans in Congress begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more than 100 citizens from throughout the region rallied on Jan. 15 at the Charles Houston Recreation Center in support of affordable healthcare.

Online Virginia Lottery Sales? Don't Bet On It

House panel rejects bill that would allow for sale of lottery tickets over the internet.

A coalition of convenience store owners and religious conservatives worked to till an effort from the Virginia Lottery to allow for online gambling, thwarting an effort aimed at increasing sales among millennial gamblers. The bill, introduced by Del. Roxann Robinson (R-27), was defeated with an overwhelming vote by a House General Laws subcommittee Tuesday afternoon.

Senate Panel Approves Crackdown on Internet Lenders in Virginia

Bill would subject unregulated loans to rules that apply to consumer-finance loans.

The Wild West of online lending is about to become a little tamer. That’s because a state Senate panel narrowly approved a bill that would subject internet loans to the same restrictions that currently exist for consumer finance loans, a move that would cramp the anything-goes culture of online loans in Virginia.

Senators to Alexandria: Clean Up Your Act by 2020 or Lose State Funding

Lawmakers poo poo city efforts to flush raw sewage.

Members of the Virginia state Senate say they’re tired of hearing excuses about sewage from city officials in Alexandria, and they’re pushing ahead with a plan that one senator calls “the nuclear option.” This afternoon, the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee approved a bill that sets a firm deadline for Alexandria to clean up its act — 2020. If city officials are unable to stop dumping more than 10 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River every year, Alexandria would lose all state appropriations until the problem is fixed.

Predatory Lenders Work Behind the Scenes to Avoid Regulation and Evade the Law

Campaign contributions and political connections used to sidestep crackdown.

Predatory Loans in the Crossfire: Lawmakers conflicted about how to handle high-interest loans.

Clinton and Kaine Carry Virginia, Trump Seizes Key Battlegrounds

Comstock, Connolly, Beyer re-elected; meals tax voted down; bonds voted up.

MEALS TAX referendum would have allowed Fairfax County supervisors to enact up to a four percent tax on prepared foods and beverages.

Alexandria: The Unlikely Republican

Hernick

Republican candidate Charles Hernick meets at Commonwealth Joe’s, a coffee shop in Pentagon City so new it hasn’t even had its official opening. It’s populated almost exclusively by millennials, and Hernick fits right in. When asked about the political issues that matter to them, the students and baristas at Commonwealth Joe’s all answer that climate change and combating student debt are their key voting issues. It’s a liberal atmosphere, but that doesn’t stop Hernick from trying to win them over.

Alexandria: Money Talks

Citizens unite over city budget priorities.

Above all else, Alexandrians want a healthier and more transit accessible city, and they’re willing to pay for it. At a meeting on Oct. 13 at Patrick Henry Elementary School, the city’s FY2018 budget process kicked off with an opportunity for the 50 citizens present to voice their thoughts on what parts of the budget merited further investment.

Alexandria Snapshot: It’s Official

Led by Mayor Allison Silberberg, dignitaries gathered Sept. 7 for the official ribbon-cutting at Vola’s Dockside Grill and Hi-Tide Lounge, located at the Alexandria waterfront. From left are Scott Shaw of Alexandria Restaurant Partners, Councilman Tim Lovain, McArthur Myers, Mayor Silberberg, Peter Lawson, Janet Barnett, Michele Evans, Councilwoman Del Pepper, Jim Moran and Sheriff Dana Lawhorne.

Debating Pro & Con on Meals Tax

League of Women Voters hosts forum on Meals Tax issue.

The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area sponsored a debate-style panel discussion on the Meals Tax issue which will go before county voters in the Nov. 8 General Election.

Alexandria Gazette Packet