Transparency News, 7/2/21
Friday
July 2, 2021
July 2, 2021
state & local news stories
VCOG has published the updated full text of FOIA, with changes and additional that became effective today bolded and italicized for emphasis.
The Albemarle County School Board is tweaking its public comment procedures to limit the number of speakers following several meetings with dozens of speakers. The board will cap the number of speakers at 40 and use a random lottery to pick those speakers if more than 40 people sign up, according to a news release. Jon Zug, clerk for the Albemarle County Circuit Court, will pick the speakers using a random selection system similar to the one used for jury selection. School division spokesman Phil Giaramita said that Zug was chosen because board members believed the lottery could only work if the process was seen by the public as being fair, open, tried and true.
The Daily Progress
Attorneys for state Sen. Louise Lucas are asking a judge to dismiss a recall petition filed against her, saying Virginia’s recall law doesn’t apply to state legislators because the commonwealth’s constitution has a procedure for removing them. Under a section of the state constitution, members of the General Assembly can be expelled from office with a two-thirds vote of the elected membership, Lucas’ lawyers wrote in their request to dismiss the petition. “Virginia state senators therefore are not subject to recall,” attorneys Anthony Troy and Verbena Askew wrote. “They may only be removed from office through procedures within the State Senate.”
The Virginian-Pilot
As community services and businesses begin to open back up from the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia’s courtrooms continue to operate under restrictions — although somewhat relaxed. Supreme Court of Virginia Tuesday morning issued its 24th extension of a Judicial Emergency issued March 16, 2020 at the request of Gov. Ralph Northam. The latest extension is valid July 1-21, making the emergency declaration 16 months long. Under the extension, safety protocols for court operations are now up to the chief and presiding judges of all Virginia district and circuit courts. The judges are charged with determining how to best and safely operate their courts, including how to safely conduct jury trials. In Pulaski County, no jury trials have been held since the judicial emergency was enacted.
The Southwest Times
The Albemarle County School Board is tweaking its public comment procedures to limit the number of speakers following several meetings with dozens of speakers. The board will cap the number of speakers at 40 and use a random lottery to pick those speakers if more than 40 people sign up, according to a news release. Jon Zug, clerk for the Albemarle County Circuit Court, will pick the speakers using a random selection system similar to the one used for jury selection. School division spokesman Phil Giaramita said that Zug was chosen because board members believed the lottery could only work if the process was seen by the public as being fair, open, tried and true.
The Daily Progress
Attorneys for state Sen. Louise Lucas are asking a judge to dismiss a recall petition filed against her, saying Virginia’s recall law doesn’t apply to state legislators because the commonwealth’s constitution has a procedure for removing them. Under a section of the state constitution, members of the General Assembly can be expelled from office with a two-thirds vote of the elected membership, Lucas’ lawyers wrote in their request to dismiss the petition. “Virginia state senators therefore are not subject to recall,” attorneys Anthony Troy and Verbena Askew wrote. “They may only be removed from office through procedures within the State Senate.”
The Virginian-Pilot
As community services and businesses begin to open back up from the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia’s courtrooms continue to operate under restrictions — although somewhat relaxed. Supreme Court of Virginia Tuesday morning issued its 24th extension of a Judicial Emergency issued March 16, 2020 at the request of Gov. Ralph Northam. The latest extension is valid July 1-21, making the emergency declaration 16 months long. Under the extension, safety protocols for court operations are now up to the chief and presiding judges of all Virginia district and circuit courts. The judges are charged with determining how to best and safely operate their courts, including how to safely conduct jury trials. In Pulaski County, no jury trials have been held since the judicial emergency was enacted.
The Southwest Times
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