Focus on Education

Education is a state and local issue and should not be regulated by the federal government.  Each community has specific educational nuances and needs which can not be satisfied with a cookie-cutter educational structure.  As an educator, I have seen the strong negative effects that federal legislation such as No Child Left Behind, and, more recently, the Every Student Succeeds Act, has on our schools.  These federal acts are block grants, and Virginia should look into not taking the money from the federal government so that we can be free from the culture of standardized testing.  Our classrooms should be preparing our students to be thinkers and citizens, not test takers!

Restore Felon Voting Rights

Virginia is one of the only states that strips felons of the right to vote for the rest of their lives.  Nearly every other state allows felons to regain their voting rights after they've served their time, and some even allow felons to vote while they're serving time.  If we truly believe in progress and grace, then our laws should reflect it.  We need a constitutional amendment that allows any felons in the commonwealth who have completed their jail time to AUTOMATICALLY regain their right to vote. 

Legalize Marijuana

The American Civil Liberties Union declares that over half of all arrests in the United States are Marijuana related, and 88% of these arrests are simply for possession.  Additionally, black Americans are 3 times more likely to be arrested on Marijuana charges than white Americans.  Rather than filling our prisons with marijuana users, we should legalize marijuana use in Virginia.

Protect the Environment

Renewable energy and green building practices are critical for preserving our environment.  The government's role in promoting a green Virginia should be enforcing basic environmental codes, and ensuring the presence of a free market where consumers can select the best energy provider.  Rather than imposing a government sponsored monopoly for our utilities, the government should allow start-ups to compete for utility contracts, allowing Virginians to select green energy providers.

Encourage Job Growth

   In order for our communities to grow and prosper, we need entrepreneurs to invest in our communities.  It is important for the Virginia Legislature to pass laws that ensure that small businesses can function without being overburdened by excessive regulations.  Additionally, our current legal structure makes it very difficult for individuals to establish their own businesses.  Individuals should be able to operate their own food trucks, street vendor businesses, and other similar businesses without having to complete excessive paperwork and apply for needless licenses. 
   As a state, we should seek to deregulate industries that currently require excessive licensing in order to practice.  Someone who seeks to learn a job such as a hair dresser or barber should be able to open shop without a government regulated license.  

Protect Privacy

  A very important privacy issue that will face Virginia in the near future is the use of DMV photos of innocent people by police for bulk facial recognition searches.  Nearly half of the current states in America allow the police to access all of the DMV photo records and use facial recognition technology to link a photo or video of an individual with all of their data.  At the same time it is becoming increasingly harder to opt out of the DMV database (ex: many people rely on being able to drive,  ID requirements for voting, etc).  It is CRITICAL that we don't allow Virginia Law enforcement to begin to invade our privacy in this way, and say NO to bulk data collection of innocent citizens in any form.

Maintain Public Safety

    The most important way to maintain public safety is to give individuals the ability to protect themselves.  Legal gun owners should not be penalized in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Conversely, loop-holes are not libertarian.  Our gun laws should apply equally to the public without special waivers or exceptions.
   Another important way to maintain public safety is to encourage Virginia municipalities to require police body cameras.

End the Death Penalty

The death penalty is a heinous and archaic remnant from a different era of criminal justice.  It is shameful that the DC sniper suspects were tried in Virginia rather than DC or Maryland because Virginia was the only state that allows the death penalty for minors.  Rather than being known by our willingness to execute citizens under the age of 18, we should be known as a state with a progressive criminal justice system without any capital punishment.

Limit Non-Democratic Police Powers

    An important issue in Virginia that is getting very little attention is Civil Forfeiture.  Under this system, police can (and do) seize assets from accused criminals PRIOR to their conviction under the rationale that it prevents them from profiting from their crime.  This is in clear contradiction with the American ideal of "innocent until proven guilty," and for this reason Civil Forfeiture should not be legal in Virginia.