All results / Stories / Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum, State Delegate (D-36)
Commentary: A Debatable Deal
Opponents of legislation to prevent gun violence have said for years that current laws on the books should be enforced before new laws were passed, but they quickly changed their minds when Attorney General Mark Herring moved to enforce Virginia’s law on recognizing concealed weapon permits from other states.
Column: Cheaper and Cleaner
Under a bill passed by the General Assembly in the 2015 session and signed by the Governor, the cost of electricity in Virginia will go down next month, and the base rate of electricity will be frozen for the next five years. Critics of the “Dominion bill” seem to have not read the provisions of the legislation as it passed or do not understand it.
Reston Column: Cyber Security
Commentary
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month as designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Marriage Equality Moves Forward
As one who has worked on human rights issues for many decades, I am excited about the positive changes that are occurring at such a rapid pace in laws and in peoples’ attitudes about sexual orientation, especially same-sex marriage. Most of the people I talk to under age 30 don’t understand why this is even an issue. Unfortunately because of some of my colleagues in the legislature, action by federal courts will be necessary to bring about changes in the law. As time passes there will continue to be residual harsh and discriminatory feelings on the part of a minority who cling to the past as there has been with every advance in civil rights, but most will look back in bewilderment over what people were thinking in refusing to grant the same rights to all people.
Opinion: Commentary: Mark and John and Amendment One
When the then underdog Mark Warner, whose only experience in political life had been to chair the Democratic Party of Virginia and manage the successful campaign of Doug Wilder for governor, had the courage in 1996 to take on senior senator John Warner in his re-election bid, Mark Warner’s bumper sticker read, “Mark, not John.”
Column: Closing the Income Gap
Between 2007 and 2012, the median wages of Virginia’s highest income earners rose by eight percent while the lowest income families’ wages shrank by 10 percent, according to an analysis by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. The gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen in Virginia as it has throughout the nation. A growing underclass of unemployed, under-employed and under-paid creates a challenge for the state and the nation. Too many people are faced with the monthly decision of paying for the rent, utilities, food, prescriptions and school supplies without enough money to cover them all. Public and private relief organizations are strained to keep their food pantries and clothing closets stocked to meet the increased demand.
Column: Two Ladies Named Alice
I am blessed to have known both of them!
Column: At the Half
Last week the General Assembly reached the midpoint of its annual session, or "crossover" as it is called in the legislature. At this time in the calendar, the House of Delegates and the Senate have completed work on the bills that were introduced into the respective houses. Any bills that were passed are now sent to the other body for consideration. In order for a bill to become a law it must pass through both houses in identical form and be signed by the governor. When a bill is passed in different form in the two houses, a conference committee with representatives from both legislative bodies is appointed to work out differences in a compromise that must then be approved by both houses.
Commentary: Also on the Ballot
With all the buzz about the presidential election, some voters may be surprised to learn that there are other electoral contests and issues on the ballot. At the request of many people, each year I write about the ballot facing voters and share my intentions on how I will be voting. It will come as no surprise to anyone that I will be voting for President Obama for re-election. This campaign as much as any has been about the clear role of government, and President Obama reflects views that I hold that our society must be open to opportunity for all and not to a privileged few. There is no reason to stay home from this vote. It does not get any more fundamental than this one.
Column: Thank You, DCRA
The opening of the Silver Line brought an overflow crowd of dignitaries and well-wishers to cut the ribbon and ride the first train.
Opinion: Commentary: The Work Goes On…
Sonny Bono wrote a catchy tune reminding us that “the beat goes on…History has turned the page, uh huh.”
Commentary: Two Civil Rights Heroes
About a week ago there was a memorial service for Reston’s founder and namesake, Robert E. Simon, Jr., who passed away on Sept. 21, 2015.
Column: Invest in the Young
There is no program or service for which public dollars can be invested that will have a greater return than those invested in the care and education of young children. People who work in early childhood and day care programs have known intuitively and anecdotally for a long time that children in their programs were much more likely to be successful by a number of different measures than were children who did not have access to their programs.
Commentary: Citizens’ Ability to Know
A concern in Virginia over who was financing campaigns in the Commonwealth led the state’s largest newspapers in 1997 to create the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).
Column: A Different Perspective
Listening to two or more eyewitness accounts of an incident helps us understand how perspective influences the way we see things. Accounts can differ based on the physical location of a witness in relation to an event, but the testimony of someone who saw what happened can also be influenced by that person’s beliefs and attitudes towards the persons and circumstances involved.
Opinion: Commentary: Vote Yes on Amendment #1
In a campaign that promises “fair maps” by voting yes for Amendment #1 on the ballot this election cycle and the opposition that promises “fair districts” by voting no, there is little wonder that there would be confusion in the minds of voters.