Conservatives wasting time on extreme agendas

June 25, 2012

The Washington Post reports, "Virginia legislators shoot down the nomination of a gay prosecutor to the bench; Richmond's Circuit Court promptly appoints him. They pass stricter rules on abortion clinics, specifying that existing facilities are not exempt; the state's Board of Health grandfathers them in anyway... Whatever the reason, the dissing of state lawmakers has been very much on display. In the space of three business days, the court and the health board defied the General Assembly."

Progressive Point: Virginians' priorities are growing our economy, creating new jobs, and keeping our families safe. But conservative politicians in the General Assembly keep focusing on an extreme social agenda. Conservatives' partisan priorities are so out of step with Virginia families that they've been reversed as soon as legislators turn their backs. 

Our families and businesses can't afford a part-time legislature that uses taxpayer time to advance an extreme partisan agenda instead of focusing on solutions for Virginia families. Virginia's families and businesses have real problems that need real solutions. We don't have time for legislators to waste chasing extreme ideological priorities when we have important problems to solve.

Get the Facts:

• Richmond Circuit Court judges appointed Tracy Thorne-Begland, an openly gay prosecutor, to the bench on Thursday, June 14, 2012 roughly a month after the Virginia General Assembly rejected his nomination. "The Circuit Court has authority to fill vacancies on the General District Court bench, but the appointments last only until the next legislative session." (Washington Post, June 14, 2012)


• On Friday, June 15, 2012, Virginia's Board of Health voted to exempt existing women's health centers from new regulations designed to shut them down because one of their services is to perform abortions. (Washington Post, June 15, 2012)


• Del. Bob Brink (D-Arlington) commented "In both of these cases, what you had was something that the General Assembly did, in my mind, unwisely and ideologically that was reversed . . . by other reviewing bodies." (Washington Post, June 23, 2012)

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