BLACK VIRGINIA NEWS Black Virginia News

EP30 - Senator Lashrecse Aird on License Plate Readers and Mass Surveillance. On the floor of the Virginia Senate on Feb. 13, 2024, Virginia State Senator Lashrecse Aird argues against Senate Bill 503, License plate reader systems; use by law-enforcement agencies, civil penalty.
The bill failed by a vote of 19-21.
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🏛 See Virginia House legislative schedules here. 🚩 Virginia Senate stream 🏛
➡️ EPISODE 29 of the BLACK VIRGINIA NEWS PODCAST | Micro Cannabis Business in Virginia? 🎙 This episode features a discussion with attorney Phillip Thompson, President of Cannabis Equity Consultants, on cannabis equity in Virginia. After the war on drugs destroyed the lives of many in Black communities across the U.S., the tide has turned as legalization has become more popular. But the question is: Will the same communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs benefit from legalization or will large companies continue to control the market?
There will be a lobby day in Richmond on the issue of cannabis equity in Virginia on January 24, 2024 at the State Capitol.
🚩 To contacted Phil Thompson for more information on cannabis equity: e-mail: ThompsonPE@DiverseEngagement.com or call 804.380.2678 or 301.535.0488.
Will Black communities damaged by the war on drugs benefit from legalization? They haven’t so far. In Virginia two legislators are attempting to bring equity to a historically inequitable situation for the first time ever.
The current legislation in Virginia is patrolled by Virginia State Senator Adam Ebbin, who introduced Senate Bill 423 which has been referred to the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee. The committee meets in the new General Assembly Building on Fridays at 8 a.m. in Senate Room A #305.
IN the Virginia House of Delegates, Delegate Paul Krizek's is the patron of Ebbin’s companion bill in the House, HB 698, which has been referred to the General Laws Committee. The committee meets on Tuesday, January 30th.
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EP28 - SPEAKER DON SCOTT’S FIRST SPEECH. The Virginia General Assembly’s first day of session on January 10, 2024 featured a lot of history. Speaker Don Scott was sworn in as Virginia’s first Black Speaker in the Commonwealth’s 405 year history. A record number of Black lawmakers were also officially sworn in to Virginia’s House and Senate.
Podcast 28 of the Black Virginia News podcast features the full remarks of Speaker Don Scott as he addressed the Virginia House of Delegates.
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EP27 - TOP 10 TAKES ON THE 2023 ELECTIONS IN VIRGINIA! -Dr. Fergie Reid, Jr., the son of the first African American elected to the Virginia General Assembly after Reconstruction, and Lauren Victoria Burke discuss their takes from the 2023 Virginia General Assembly elections.
What are the never before seen historical implications of the 2023 legislative elections in Virginia? Was rural ignored again? Who gained power and who lost it? Where did the millions spent and did it matter? Who was ignored and who should be paid attention to in the future? There’s a lot to discuss here and Episode 27 of the Black Virginia News podcast covers it all.
Though all 140 seats were on the ballot in Virginia in 2023, only a small group of races was competitive. Virginia Democrats were able to win back control of the Virginia House of Delegates. Team Blue also kept control of the Virginia Senate. Republicans, led by Governor Glenn Youngkin were disappointed but they kept the margins close as the Commonwealth of Virginia remains one of the most competitive places on the political map.
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EP26 - Senate Democratic Caucus Chair State Senator Mamie Locke - On this episode of the Black Virginia News podcast we speak with State Senator Mamie Locke.
State Senator Mamie Locke is the Caucus Chair of the Virginia Democratic Caucus. Locke served as Mayor of Hampton, Virginia from  2000–2004 after serving on the Hampton City Council from 1996–2004.
During this podcast Senator Locke discusses what she’s hearing from voters in Hampton and Newport News, what the voter turnout look like in an election year with no Governor and no members of Congress on the ballot and what’s at stake in Virginia for the 2023 elections. Like so many others, Locke is looking into the face of history depending on the results of the November 7, 2023 elections as she could serve as the next Majority Leader of the Virginia State Senate.
Senator Locke also served as a Professor of Political Science and Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Hampton University.
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EP24 - Interview with attorney Paul Goldman. On this episode of the Black Virginia News podcast Richmond attorney and activist Paul Goldman shares his views on why he is against the casino and resort project that is on the ballot as a referendum in Richmond.
Goldman and other activists in Richmond defeated the casino the first time the question appeared on the ballot in 2021. This time he has formed the anti-casino entity NO MEANS NO.
Goldman is an American politician, attorney, activist, and political strategist. He was the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia from 1990 to 1993 and L. Douglas Wilder’s campaign manager in 1989 in a race that made history as Wilder was elected the first Black governor in America.
➡️ SUBSCRIBE TO BLACK VIRGINIA NEWS. “One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap.” —Ida Wells. 👨🏽‍💻 Send your press releases, submissions, tips, pitches, comments and corrections to BlackVirginiaNews@gmail.com. 


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