Transparency News, 12/10/20

A GOP state senator in Virginia is suing over plans by Democratic leaders to limit public access to lawmakers’ offices during next year’s legislative session. Virginia Beach Sen. Bill DeSteph announced his lawsuit Tuesday, saying plans to keep a state office building open only to credentialed staff and lawmakers during the legislative session is a violation of the First Amendment. DeSteph said the Pocahontas Building, which sits just next to the state Capitol, should be open for in-person meetings.
Daily Press

Chesterfield County’s general registrar has provided data that directly rebuts an allegation of voting irregularities made by Republican state Sen. Amanda Chase during a radio interview Tuesday morning. Chase, who is running for governor, appeared on John Reid’s WRVA talk show to discuss the 2020 election and her insistence that a statewide audit should be conducted to verify that there was not widespread voter fraud in Virginia. Chase claimed to have personally witnessed illegal activity at a Chesterfield polling location during a previous election. Chesterfield's general registrar, Constance Hargrove, provided voting data in that precinct from the 2008, 2012 and 2016 presidential elections that does not support Chase’s allegation.
Chesterfield Observer

Lynchburg City Schools announced Wednesday that beginning in January 2021 all public comments at Lynchburg City School Board meetings will need to be made by email or voice message only, and in-person comments will not be allowed.  The division did not specify the reason behind this change in Wednesday's announcement. 
The News & Advance

The list of possible replacements for Mayor-elect Michelle Davis-Younger’s seat on the Manassas City Council is down to four, and the fill-in will probably be chosen at a work session tonight. Sixteen people initially applied to fill the seat before the Nov. 30 deadline. During a closed meeting Monday night, council heard a three-minute pitch from each of the 16 applicants as to why they should serve on the council. Council planned to have more in-depth question-and-answer periods with the four remaining candidates Wednesday. 
InsideNoVa
 

Florida's law enforcement chief and state officials with the Department of Health said their internal emergency communication system was "hacked" on Nov. 10, conjuring images of a nefarious digital break-in. But court records show officials suspect Rebekah Jones, a former DOH employee, simply used old login credentials to gain "unauthorized access" to an employee messaging platform and send a group text. The message encouraged DOH employees to "speak up" about COVID-19 deaths — and criticized how Gov. Ron DeSantis has handled the pandemic. "It is a hacking statute that they're invoking here, but this is about as much hacking as using an expired ID to get back into the place where you used to work is breaking in," said Stewart Baker, former general counsel for the National Security Agency. And cybersecurity experts say the state's messaging platform was so insecure — with employees all using the same username and password to gain access — that a breach was almost certain to happen. Still, unauthorized access — even with a password — could potentially be charged as a felony, Baker said.
Governing
 

Redistricting stands as one of the most important — and arguably least publicly known and appreciated — aspects of ensuring fair and accurate representation in state and federal government. Now, following an election in which Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment creating a redistricting commission, the commonwealth needs people willing to serve and ensure the process runs smoothly. The Virginia Division of Legislative Services is now accepting applications and those with the motivation, determination and civic devotion to participate should submit their paperwork soon.
The Virginian-Pilot