Thursday, January 29, 2015
State and Local Stories
This morning, bright and early, a House transportation subcommittee advanced a bill to reform the public-private partnership process by, in part, adding an additional public comment period on final bids.
A House education subcommittee unanimously advanced two bills, one that would require the education department to develop policies on following the federal student information law (FERPA), and one that would require school board members to certify annually that they completed various training, including training on the Freedom of Information Act.
=================
You won't find the wallabies at the Virginia Zoo's Australia exhibit anytime soon. Most have died and the rest have been quarantined because of a rash of deaths over the past 11 months, zoo officials confirmed Monday. Since February, seven wallabies have died from toxoplasmosis, or "toxo," which is a disease caused by a parasite that is often carried through cat feces. A number of baby wallabies have died, too, and it's possible that some of them also died from toxo, the zoo's veterinarian said. Greg Bockheim, the zoo's executive director, would not say Monday how many wallaby offspring have died. The zoo plans to provide that information later in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, he said.
Virginian-Pilot
A bipartisan coalition of Virginia lawmakers is trying to increase public access to the records of public colleges and universities throughout the commonwealth. The legislators want to spike a provision in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act that exempts working papers and correspondence of Virginia university presidents and other chief executives of public institutions of higher education. Republican Del. David Ramadan says that when he was a member of George Mason University's Board of Visitors, nothing that he witnessed should have been shielded from taxpayers who funded the operation. "There is not a single thing that George Mason conducted during those two years, including board communication with the presidents — and there were presidents, one that retired and one that came in — that I wouldn't be comfortable with it being out there," says Ramadan, who represents parts of Loudoun and Prince William counties.
WAMU
Among the many exemptions to public records laws in Virginia are correspondence and "working papers" of public college presidents. Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, who annually targets a Freedom of Information Act exemption, thinks that should end. He defended his bill (SB893) during a Senate subcommittee hearing, saying the exemption is overly broad. "A college president is a president of a taxpayer-funded institution," he said. A Senate General Laws and Technology subcommittee recommended that his bill be studied in a three-year review of the law under way by the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council, an agency that offers opinions for citizens, news media and government officials.
Virginian-Pilot
The attack that killed staffers of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris has raised difficult questions about the balance of freedom of speech in terms of if and when it is appropriate to criticize religion. A group of professors at Christopher Newport University tried to address those concerns in a panel discussion Tuesday. At the discussion at McMurran Hall open to students, faculty and staff, a panel of professors in the university's philosophy and religious studies department weighed in on the question "Are we Charlie?"
Daily Press
Charlottesville’s former top election official pleaded guilty Wednesday to four misdemeanors in Charlottesville General District Court in place of the six felonies she faced originally. Former Registrar Sheri Iachetta pleaded guilty to four counts of misdemeanor damage to and removal of city property. She had been charged with six counts of embezzlement related to the use public funds for personal use. Former Electoral Board member and local defense attorney Stephanie Commander also pleaded guilty to four counts of misdemeanor damage to and removal of city property, in place of four felony embezzlement charges.
Daily Progress
In the wake of a public finance scandal that rocked the Charlottesville Office of Voter Registration, city officials and the city Electoral Board are developing a memorandum of understanding concerning oversight of the registrar’s office. “There was terrible confusion after the scandal was exposed,” Electoral Board Chairwoman Joan Schatzman said Wednesday. “No one knew what to do about anything. It was the first time something like this happened ever.”
Daily Progress
Pastures District Supervisor Tracy Pyles offered a statement to open Wednesday’s Augusta County Supervisors meeting, explaining a racially offensive comment he made to a reporter on Monday, and providing a defense of both his character and of Augusta County. On Monday, Pyles offered a lengthy criticism of a report of a previous supervisors’ closed session meeting by Staunton News Leader reporter Calvin Trice. And during his diatribe, the veteran supervisor referred to Trice, an African American man, as “boy’’ and then corrected his characterization by saying son. The subsequent report of what Pyles said attracted national publicity, and ample criticism of his comments. And while Pyles apologized to Trice on Tuesday, he was still feeling the sting of the criticism on Wednesday night. “I am obnoxious. I am a guy who speaks up, and it gets under people’s skin,’’ Pyles said. “A lot of people are glad I’m getting smacked down. But I’m not happy about what is happening to Augusta County and my fellow supervisors.” Pyles said his comment was “stupid,’’ and said his guard had not gone up soon enough. But the supervisor defended his inherent fairness, and said if there was one person who knew of any racist behavior ever exhibited by him they should come forward.
News Virginian
|