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“Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) trumpeted a plan Thursday to eliminate the state’s grocery tax at an appearance inside an Alexandria supermarket, promising to counter inflation by slashing what he called a ‘regressive’ policy. ‘Today is about tackling the high costs in Virginia — the high costs I believe are unnecessarily borne by those that can afford it the least,’ he said, speaking to a roundtable of Northern Virginia residents as they snacked on ham sandwiches and fruit,” The Washington Post reported.

We believe that the Republican Party needs to expand its agenda to attract more urban and suburban voters — and we believe that motorist rights should be a key part of the Party’s agenda. Vehicles are a necessity for many Virginians, and our laws should set a high threshold that must be met before a vehicle can be seized or the owner barred from driving it. For too long, an alliance of government and corporate interest coalitions have used Virginia law to shake down unsuspecting motorists.

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has filed a civil rights complaint against Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia, alleging longstanding antisemitism problems there that FCPS officials have failed to address, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.  The complaint, against one of the largest school districts in the U.S., was filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on January 25, 2022.

The ZOA’s complaint documents year of antisemitism in the schools, which FCPS officials knew about but did not respond to effectively.

This month, the Republican Party of Virginia proudly joins our fellow citizens to celebrate the rich history and enduring contributions of Black Americans to our great Commonwealth and nation. Black History Month is a time to celebrate and honor the accomplishments and legacies of so many African-Americans, and it is an opportunity to reflect on the struggles of so many throughout our state’s history.

In our pursuit of a more perfect union, our party will continue to stand for personal freedom as a beacon of light that signals that our beloved Commonwealth is open and welcoming to all.

Shatter the Silence, a grassroots organization devoted to combating sexual harassment and violence in Fairfax County Public Schools, is looking for signatures on its online petition. “Fairfax County Public Schools has a problem with mishandling sexual harassment and assault,” the petition reads. “All students have the right to a safe and equal education free of discrimination, harassment, and violence. That’s all we ultimately ask.”

The petition details a series of incidents that have occurred in Fairfax County’s government-run schools — as well as the failure of school administrators to appropriately respond.

Attorney General Miyares has issued a legal opinion that Virginia’s state institutions of higher education cannot require the COVID-19 vaccine as a general condition of students’ enrollment or in-person attendance.

Attorney General Miyares highlights in the opinion that “as recognized in the prior opinion, ‘[t]here is no question that the General Assembly could enact a statue requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for in-person school attendance.’

As of this writing, it has not done so.

Carrie Lukas, vice president of Independent Women’s Voice and mother of five children, shared her concerns with the Fairfax County School Board last night. Lukas’s remarks focused on the current mask controversy — her own kids were suspended for not wearing facial coverings — and concluded with a plea for school choice.

“This week is known as National School Choice Week, and it’s time for Virginia to give parents like me the ability to leave this school system which very clearly doesn’t want us anyway,” Lukas said.

Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced this week as School Choice Week, and issued a proclamation highlighting the importance of school choice for Virginia’s students and parents. “As your governor, I will continually stand up for students and parents and will sign the largest education budget in Virginia’s history. Our goal is that every student will graduate high school ready to go to college or start a great career. Choice and innovation within public education is vital to achieving that goal. That’s why together we will not only raise standards and raise teacher pay, but we will invest $150 million to kick start 20 new charter schools in the Commonwealth. We must empower parents and students with choice and innovation in K-12 public education,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.

John Howson Rust, Jr. (also known as “Jack” to friends), died in Fairfax, Virginia on December 30, 2021. He was 74. Married to his loving wife Sue for more than a half-century, Jack was a devoted father of three and grandfather of eight.

Jack graduated from Fairfax High School and earned both his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Virginia. Jack served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1980 through 1982 and from 1998 through 2002. He additionally served on the Virginia State Board of Elections and the Virginia Resource Authority. Most recently, Jack was Commissioner of Accounts for the 19th Judicial Circuit of Virginia from 2006 until 2020.

On Friday afternoon, January 21, as new Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin finalized guidance on his executive order allowing parental choice on whether students wear masks in school, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent went rogue and issued a 34-page “Principal Briefing” PowerPoint at a meeting with school administrators, ordering them to suspend students from school for a “Dress Code” violation if they don’t wear masks in school, according to a copy of the briefing received by Parents Defending Education.

Schools across the country are increasingly obsessed with identity and it’s not unusual to see classroom resources and lesson plans that include activities focused on the concept of unearned privilege. White Privilege. Male privilege. Cisheteronormative privilege. The belief that being a member of the “dominant culture” automatically imbues one with privilege undergirds most diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and practices and is a basic tenet of critical race theory and critical gender theory. 

airfax County Public Schools may have just outdone themselves on the lessons-on-privilege-front with a district-approved English lesson that includes a bingo game.

Former diplomat Chris Henzel was recently named to Fairfax County’s Electoral Board, for a term of three years. He replaces Steve Hunt, who served on the board for eight years. Fairfax GOP Chairman Steve Knotts congratulated Henzel and wished him the best, in a statement issued today.

“Since his retirement from the U.S. Foreign Service, Chris volunteered his time right here in Fairfax, as a county election officer as well as a poll watcher for the party committee,” Knotts said.