Author Archives: matt ohern

Need “Consensus”? Try Pre-K for At-Risk Students

If Governor Ralph Northam is looking for a place to build legislative consensus, here’s one place to start: Support for pre-k programs aimed at better preparing at-risk four-year-olds for kindergarten and beyond. True, conservatives remain skeptical about building massive universal … Continue reading

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Expanding Access to Natural Gas is Smart Public Policy

The recent debate over the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline has highlighted the growing divide in Virginia over how to approach our Commonwealth’s energy needs. While reasonable people can debate the most prudent energy mix (natural gas vs. … Continue reading

Posted in Energy | Comments Off on Expanding Access to Natural Gas is Smart Public Policy

Transparency and Accountability for EDA's

How transparent and accountable should Economic Development Authorities be to the public? That’s the fundamental issue raised by Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, who submitted a bill that would require local government approval for all EDA grants and budgets. That bill … Continue reading

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The Saga of the Mysterious Frog Continues

(Editor’s note: This is a follow up to the article on this “frog story” in our last issue here.) On Jan. 22, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would hear and decide whether the U. S. Department of Interior (DOI) … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Environment | Comments Off on The Saga of the Mysterious Frog Continues

Express Lane Pricing and Politicians

Controversies over the performance of relatively new express toll lane (ETL) projects are still simmering on both coasts, with Seattle and northern Virginia as cases in point. In the first, the year-old ETLs on congested I-405 face possible legislative termination … Continue reading

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