Author Archives: matt ohern

Offshore Exploration Gives Virginia Another Chance

Virginia’s opportunity to greatly benefit from offshore natural gas and oil development had life breathed back into it by President Trump’s decision to pursue these valuable resources off our Atlantic coast. First, we need to find out what amounts of … Continue reading

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When Politicians Hurt Low Income Workers

As part of what The Washington Post called a “leftward lurch” during the Virginia gubernatorial primary, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam signed onto a number of liberal policy initiatives aimed at shoring up his left flank – among them, increasing the … Continue reading

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Autonomy and Accountability in Higher Education – Part 1

Under the 2005 Restructuring Act, Virginia universities got more autonomy in exchange for more accountability. Today, they still have autonomy but there’s less accountability. This is the first of four articles exploring higher-education accountability in Virginia since enactment of the … Continue reading

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This will make you cringe: Wheat farmer faces millions in fines

In June, 2016, I described a Clean Water Act (CWA) case involving a California wheat farmer. A U.S. District Court found John Duarte chisel plowed pasture lands which were considered to be vernal pools even though the pools seldom have water in … Continue reading

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Interstate Tolling: New Support—and Old Misconceptions

After hinting at it for several months, the White House made it clear last month: the Administration wants states to have the option of using toll financing to modernize their aging Interstate highways. Having a toll revenue stream would also … Continue reading

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