Category Archives: politics

Primary Voting Today

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Democrats – Sen. Lamont Bagby (Richmond) and Katie Gooch — are vying for the party’s nomination in the 14th Virginia Senate District

The district stretches from Richmond’s border with western Henrico into the eastern part of the county. It extends from Lakeside down to South Richmond, including Manchester. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, nearly 79% of the district is made up of voters from Richmond.

Gooch is the director of the Pace Center, described on her campaign website as “an inclusive, multicultural student community at Virginia Commonwealth University supported by the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church.” She is an ordained United Methodist Pastor.

Bagby, chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, served in the House of Delegates before replacing Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) in the Virginia Senate. While he’s technically considered an incumbent, he’s running in a different district than the one he did when winning McClellan’s seat.

Polls will be open for the June 20 primaries from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. People in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Virginians have already been casting ballots for the primaries as the early-voting window opened on May 5.

Virginians need to show an accepted form of ID to vote, but it doesn’t have to include a photo. Those without an ID at their polling place can sign a confirmation statement or vote using a provisional ballot.

Oregon Hill’s voting location has been moved from Clark Springs Elementary to the VCU Commons.

VCU Green Action! Demonstration Friday

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From VCU Green Action! invitation:

Hello All,

My student organization, Green Action!, is hosting a peaceful demonstration on Friday the 21st from 12-1, starting at the Compass and walking to President Rao’s office, where we will demand that the university begin to take climate change seriously, and I’m humbly asking you to attend.

VCU has a responsibility to its students, the greater Richmond area, and as an institution of higher learning wielding power in our society, to look out for our futures. Last semester, when faculty met with Rao’s administration about declaring a climate emergency, they said they didn’t want to get political. Our future isn’t political.

Please consider setting aside just an hour of your time. All you need to do is show up – the more people there are, the harder it will be for the administration to ignore us.

Thank you, first of all, for signing the petition to encourage President Rao to declare a climate emergency. Every signature matters, and we expect to reach our goal of 2,000 before earth Day! If you want to review the petition in detail, you can read it here. It includes nine action items that accompany the emergency declaration for VCU to accomplish.

Secondly, thank you for opening and reading this email. You’re a trooper for that.

I hope to see you on Friday the 21st at 12:00 in the Compass. You can follow @greeanactionrva on Instagram for reminders on when and where the protest will take place in the following week.

Let’s show Rao and his administration that student voices can’t, and won’t, be ignored.

Carolyn Hindle

$1,000 RCV Prize for a Richmond University

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I am not a wealthy man. That said, sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is.

While I don’t think money should equal speech (I support www.MoveToAmend.org), in this case, I am willing to make an exception.

Given the FAILURE of Richmond City Council to fully consider and debate ranked choice voting earlier this Fall season, I am upping the ante for local political reform.

I, Scott Burger, pledge to reward whichever Richmond university student government is the first among Richmond university student governments to conduct a campus wide election of student government officers using ranked choice voting and incorporate ranked choice voting into its constitution/bylaws with a $1,000 prize.

So, a couple of notes on this-

No stipulation on how the prize money, once awarded, is spent. Although one suggestion- maybe a giant pizza party, free for all students, with toppings decided by ranked choice voting (see https://www.rcv123.org)

This contest is eligible for Richmond university student governments, meaning University of Richmond SGA, Virginia Commonwealth University SGA, or Virginia Union University SGA.

Although I am a Green Party member and board member of Fair Vote Virginia, this contest is not in any way affiliated with those groups. I alone am responsible for holding this contest and rewarding the prize money.

And since it is my hard-earned money, I reserve the sole right to judge who qualifies first for the prize. I will also decide on the time and method of payment (despite the post photo, most likely a personal check). If I detect insincerity and/or lack of commitment, I also reserve the right to withhold the prize money.

Talk it over during the Thanksgiving holiday break. Remember, this city, state, and country need young people to lead.

Former Councilperson Chuck Richardson Is Releasing An Autobiography

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Former Councilperson Chuck Richardson, who once represented Oregon Hill on City Council, is releasing an autobiography this Saturday at the Black History Museum. (Registration is required – see details at this link: https://chuckrichardson.EventBrite.com). Its entitled “Cease Fire! Cease Fire!: Councilman Chuck, A Hero (In) Addiction” (click title to go the book website).

Henry W. “Chuck” Richardson tells his life story in his own words with his brother Monte Richardson. With a foreword by Dr. Raymond P. Hylton,
Chair of the Department of History at Virginia Union University, Cease fire! Cease fire! includes dozens of personal pictures and historic events in
Richmond, Virginia.