Arlington Politics

Arlington Politics

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New Laws, Assault on Freedom?

Voting restrictions, abortion restrictions, DUI restrictions, fewer gun restrictions, more go into effect July 1.

A plethora of new laws will go into effect in the Commonwealth on July 1, including restrictive new procedures for voting, and the loosening of multiple gun regulations.

Documentary Tackles Corporate Tax Evasion

"We're Not Broke" screening in Arlington makes taxation a question of justice.

In Karin Hayes and Victoria Bruce's documentary film, "We're Not Broke," which played to an audience in the Arlington County Library June 25, makes the case that taxes are not America's problem. It is who is and who is not being taxed that is.

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Despite Failing Grade on Transparency, Law Enforcement Officials Resist Opening Access

Advocates for public access remain frustrated by persistent lack of transparency.

Back in March, Virginia received a failing grade from the State Integrity Investigation as the result of a systematic lack of transparency.

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Arlington and Alexandria Agree to Move in Different Directions on Corridor

Street car to move forward in Arlington; its future is uncertain in Alexandria.

Some say time heals all wounds. For leaders in Arlington and Alexandria, it may also be the solution to a disagreement about how to move forward with a regional transit system.

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Ballston Residents Concerned New Theater Could Become Financial Drain

Will Virginia Square black box become a black hole similar to Artisphere?

When the Arlington County Board approved a new nine-story mixed-use commercial building in Virginia Square earlier this year, it was a deal that seemed too good to be true.

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Voters to Determine Republican and Democratic Candidates for House and Senate

Low turnout expected in June 12 primary.

Election officials are expecting an extremely low turnout for the June 12 primary, ranging from 3 percent in Arlington to 15 percent in Alexandria.

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Arlington County to Create New Group Homes in Wake of Federal Settlement

Local jurisdictions scrambling to adjust to closing of training centers.

Ever since a federal judge issued a ruling earlier this year to close Virginia’s training centers, members of the Arlington Community Services Board have been struggling to figure out what’s next. Right now, there are more questions than answers. And time is running out.

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Trailer Placement Irks Residents

Lack of communication cited.

Members of the Jamestown Elementary community voiced their concerns at a School Board meeting May 25 about the installation of trailer classrooms in a field in front of the school.

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A Street Runs Through It

Effort to reduce stormwater runoff moves to the median.

Drivers along Patrick Henry Drive can see the Arlington County’s latest attempt at combating pollution from stormwater runoff. From the road, it may look like a few rocks and plants in the median. But county officials say the bioretention system is a “green streets” project aimed at absorbing and retaining pollutants rather than sending them into to Chesapeake Bay.

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Governor Signs Voter ID Bills

McDonnell directs state to send every voter a new voter card before Election Day.

Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) signed watered-down versions of Virginia’s Republican-backed voter identification bills on Friday, adding the Commonwealth to the growing list of states adopting stricter voting standards.

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Arlington Launches New Pilot to Clean Stormwater Runoff in Medians

Patrick Henry Drive is the first project; many will follow in coming months.

Drivers along Patrick Henry Drive can see the Arlington County’s latest attempt at combating pollution from stormwater runoff.

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First-time Candidate Versus Longtime Congressman

Former Navy pilot hopes to defeat Moran with charges of conflict of interest.

Former Navy pilot Bruce Shuttleworth’s campaign to oust U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) in the Democratic primary is fashioned as an indictment, a campaign in which the issues are framed as an attack on the incumbent.

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Northern Virginia Bill Signing Puts Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence in Spotlight

A rare moment of bipartisanship between Republican governor and Democratic legislators.

Strangulation will be punished more aggressively to combat violence against women. Campus police will work with other police agencies to crack down on domestic violence of unmarried couples. And the telephone number for a human trafficking hotline will be placed in the restrooms at strip clubs across Virginia.

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Potential Compromise Emerges in Corridor Dispute Between Arlington and Alexandria

Is a treaty of Four Mile Run in the works to iron out differences between neighboring jurisdictions?

Back in October 2010, Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition chairman Tim Lovain feared what he called a “disaster” on the horizon — transit corridor commuters may be facing a day when they would have to get off an Arlington streetcar and board an Alexandria bus.

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Arlington and Alexandria Fighting for Limited Pool of Federal Funds

One wants federal money for Columbia Pike, the other wants funds for Potomac Yard.

Arlington County and the City of Alexandria are each vying for an increasingly limited amount of federal transportation funding, leading to a conflict between the neighboring jurisdictions.