Transparency News 8/14/14
State and Local Stories
The General Assembly is to convene next month to talk about Medicaid expansion, but there's still no firm word on the scope of what they'll tackle – or even what kind of legislation, if any, they'll consider — and that is starting to bug legislators pushing for some kind of additional coverage for low-income Virginians. In his letter to House Speaker William Howell, House Minority Leader David Toscano said, "Establishing the rules far in advance of the session will bring greater transparency to the process and ensure the full, fair and open debate that we all desire." Toscano said it is vital to know what bills and resolutions will be considered, as well as any deadlines for filing them. He said it's also essential to know when and how the public can comment on any proposals.
Daily Press
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to authorize using a public-private partnership to build a $3.6 million police station in the Fairfield District, but one board member raised concerns that the process wasn’t open enough. “I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with the way that we did it, except that I think a certain amount of light needs to be shone on (the process) any time you spend money,” Brookland District board member Richard W. Glover said Wednesday. “I just think that there’s an openness that we need to maintain with our citizens, and the [Public-Private Educational Facilities Infrastructure Act of 2002] I don’t think does just that,” he said.
Times-Dispatch
Supporters of an elected Norfolk School Board have gathered enough valid signatures to put the matter up for a vote in November, Circuit Court Clerk George Schaefer said Wednesday. The voter registrar validated 11,582 signatures - two more than necessary for a referendum, Schaefer said in an email. He expects his office will be formally notified today so a judge can issue an order for the election. The results of that vote will determine whether the seven-member board will continue to be appointed by the City Council or chosen directly by city voters. Norfolk is the only South Hampton Roads city with an appointed board.
Virginian-Pilot
Bedford County supervisors may get raises, but residents first will have a chance to weigh in. Supervisor Annie Pollard proposed Monday that board members consider raising their pay by $2,400 up from $6,600. The board first must hold a public hearing, although an additional $16,800 already is allocated for supervisor salaries and benefits in the fiscal year 2015 budget.
Roanoke Times
Reality check: Any issue on which the two candidates in the 48th District House of Delegates special election find common ground probably has little chance of success in Richmond. Despite that, Republican David Foster and Democrat Richard “Rip” Sullivan Jr. used a recent forum to press for an end to partisan redistricting of legislative electoral boundaries across Virginia. Foster used the Aug. 11 debate sponsored by George Mason University’s Arlington campus to proclaim himself a “longtime supporter of an independent, nonpartisan approach” to drawing boundaries. Sullivan was in agreement. “These districts are ridiculous, the way they are drawn,” he said. “We can do better. It is crucial to fair elections.” Tilting at windmills? Perhaps: The only way to get the General Assembly to give up its redistricting power is to hold a statewide referendum on a constitutional amendment. And the only way to get the measure to the ballot is to go through the legislature.
Inside NOVA
“Git er done,” was the final word to Pulaski Town Council Tuesday night during a community meeting to discuss the possible sale of Calfee Park to Shelor Motor Mile. A little over 100 people attended the meeting and while most didn’t speak or ask questions, it was clear from applause that the majority favored the sale. No action was taken Tuesday, but it is anticipated a required public hearing may be scheduled as soon as early September. At issue is the need for an estimated $500,000 in improvements at the historic ballpark and the fact Pulaski Baseball Inc. is transferring ownership of the baseball franchise to Shelor.
Southwest Times
Pittsylvania County Sheriff Mike Taylor announced Monday that his office is offering a free and secure online service to all county residents wishing to register personal property in case of loss or theft. Taylor said the service is especially important at this time of year when students are going back to school or away to college. “It’s a no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point program,” said Taylor. “It focuses on the link between investigative services and criminal activity.” The sheriff said parents can register their child’s cell phone, iPod, iPad or any items that have a unique identifiable serial number.
Star-Tribune
National Stories
Radio Television Digital News Association’s Executive Director Mike Cavender wrote a letter to Ferguson, Missouri’s chief of police on Wednesday urging “Ferguson police to work with journalists.” Here’s part of that letter: While our members and the journalism community as a whole understand your department’s primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of the residents of Ferguson during this time, we strongly object to the conduct of some of your officers, along with that of other law enforcement officials as it impacts journalists. This includes placing undue limits on media access to the affected portions of the community, along with the continuing reports of harassment and undue treatment of reporters, photographers and others involved on-scene, who are providing vital news coverage of the events as they unfold. These volatile situations require cooperation of all parties engaged in the lawful performance of their respective duties. It is simply unacceptable if any journalists were specifically targeted by anti-riot measures, such as tear gas, rubber bullets or similar tactics. Any such actions would be in direct conflict with reasonable respect for the rights of all involved.Poynter
A lot of speculation has been circling around police procedure during and after the shooting of Michael Brown. Now, Anonymous is hoping to shine a light on what the police knew that day. It appears the hacking group has gotten its hands on dispatch tapes from the St. Louis County Police. On Wednesday, Anonymous released a slew of details from police dispatch calls from the day of the shooting on Twitter and posted hours of tape to YouTube. It's unclear if these tapes are authentic. CNET contacted the St. Louis County Police to verify their authenticity.
CNET News
Yahoo was ordered to face claims it illegally shared the content of emails in the latest ruling to hold Internet companies accountable for how they convert users’ personal data into advertising dollars. Privacy lawsuits against Yahoo, Google and LinkedIn are gaining more attention after a ruling by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in March that Google’s privacy policy was vague and possibly misleading about how it mined emails for information.
SiliconValley.com
Editorials/Columns
Times-Dispatch
