GA Update: Jamestown Commemoration, Democracy and Trump

July 30, 2019 by David Toscano

The plans for Virginia’s commemoration of 400 years of democratic governance on July 30 were proceeding without too much drama — until President Trump decided he would attend and speak at the event. He’s arriving after one of the most bizarre months of his presidency. This has led to some creative arranging for those of us who want to commemorate this important milestone for democracy, but would prefer not to participate in an event where Trump is on the program.

DIVERSITY OF PURPOSE

The events of this month include a commemoration of the origins of Democratic institutions in this hemisphere, which, though imperfect, have provided inspiration for future generations, and impetus to create a better nation and world. Specifically, on Tuesday we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first meeting of what became Virginia’s House of Delegates, the oldest representative legislature in the Western hemisphere. Importantly, events are also planned that acknowledge our nation’s history of racial oppression, a fact that has been with us since the first slaves set foot in the Jamestown settlement. The emphasis on both themes is important, and Trump’s presence will make that not only impossible, but potentially derails the power of the event. I understand why some may attend the Jamestown events with the President out of respect for the office, but I have chosen, out of respect for democratic institutions, to reject the normalization of Trump’s behavior. I will be attending many of the Jamestown events, but will forego those where the President is present. [Read more…]

Are Renewables Our Next Moon Shot?

July 19, 2019 by David Toscano

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

— President John F. Kennedy, Sept. 26, 1962
Rice University, Houston, Texas.

There is a great scene in the recent movie, First Man, where NASA technicians admit the mathematical formulas necessary to get us to the moon had not yet been developed. But they (including the Virginia women at Langley described in the film, Hidden Figures) nonetheless pressed ahead, and this weekend, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the dramatic landing and Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind.” In the 1960s, our scientists were propelled by a goal, and in a race against time. Some say we are now in a similar place in the energy field.

Independent of Trumpian tweets and conspiracy theories to the contrary, there is broad scientific agreement that climate change is happening rapidly, and most of its origins can be traced to human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels. Wildfires, alterations in traditional weather patterns, the strength of hurricanes, ice pack melting, and coastal flooding are transforming public awareness. The imperative is clear; we must now confront the problem or it will overwhelm future generations. While the federal government, largely paralyzed by Trump climate deniers, sits idly by, good news is coming from various sources. [Read more…]

Surprised? House Republicans Refuse To Discuss Gun Safety Measures And Adjourn Until After Election

July 10, 2019 by David Toscano

The much-anticipated Special Session called by Governor Northam to address the challenges of gun violence in the Commonwealth ended abruptly on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, when the House Republicans adjourned until November 18, several weeks after the fall election. Democrats introduced eight common-sense measures designed to address gun safety. These included universal background checks for all gun sales, and a bill to create an Emergency Risk Protective Order (ERPO) designed to remove guns from people who, due to a mental health situation, pose a risk of injury to themselves or others.

I was the designated patron for HB 4009, a bill that would have conformed Virginia’s statute on protective orders to provisions in federal law that prevent individuals subject to such orders from possessing a firearm; we already prohibit people from “owning and transporting” a firearm while subject to a protective order. This bill is similar to one I introduced in 2008, which had the support of a broad cross section of Commonwealth’s Attorneys, sheriffs, and state police. It was defeated in a Republican-led committee when the dominant gun rights group in the Commonwealth, the Virginia Citizens Defense League, testified against it. Similar bills have been introduced in the decade since, but they all have been defeated.

Yesterday, not a single one of the 63 bills filed for special session got a hearing; Republican leadership in both chambers instructed their committees to table most of the measures — including the eight Democratic bills — and simply adjourn until November 18.

Broad Public Support

Republicans claimed that they needed more time to study these bills. That argument made little sense since most of these bills had been introduced in previous sessions. [Read more…]

Toscano Statement on House and Senate Republicans’ Votes to Adjourn the Special Session

July 9, 2019 by David Toscano

Toscano Statement on House and Senate Republicans’ Votes to Adjourn the Special Session on Gun Violence Prevention until November 18

RICHMOND –Following this afternoon’s surprise party-line votes which adjourned the Virginia General Assembly’s special session until November 18, 2019, Delegate David J. Toscano (D-57th District) released the following statement:

“House and Senate Republicans today showed Virginia that the only vote they are willing to take regarding gun violence protection is a vote to delay, delay, delay. In the face of clear support for action now, captured by multiple polls and embodied by the energetic activists who rallied at the Capitol today, they abdicated their responsibility to serve their constituents and the Commonwealth of Virginia in an appallingly cynical political move to push any votes off until after the November general election.

“I am disappointed but not surprised. Time and time again, whether it is about passing universal background checks for all gun purchases, or enacting measures that would permit a judge, after a hearing, to remove a gun from a person in a mental health crisis to prevent injury to self or others, the Republican leadership continues to stonewall and not even debate, much less pass, reasonable measures designed to reduce gun violence in the Commonwealth.”

Delegate Toscano is available today to the media for further comment.

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Thoughts on The Fourth of July and the Declaration of Independence

July 4, 2019 by David Toscano

Almost every year since I arrived in Charlottesville in 1981, my wife Nancy and I have attended the annual July 4th naturalization ceremony at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Each year, people born in countries from across the planet take the oath of U.S. citizenship, not only pledging to protect and defend our Constitution, but also renouncing “all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty…”

Over the years, we have heard numerous speeches discussing Thomas Jefferson and his role in the founding of the country, and celebrated countless people from foreign shores who decided to take the oath of citizenship and become American citizens. It is among the most inspiring events that an American can attend, largely because it links the power of Jefferson’s words with the promise of so many seeking a better life.

The naturalization ceremony at Monticello has been occurring since 1963, and for the last 30 consecutive years, former Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice John Charles Thomas has delivered a stirring reading of the Declaration of Independence to the assembled crowd. There is a certain poignant irony to Thomas’s reading; after all, Jefferson’s words at the time did not apply to African Americans like Thomas, most of whom were enslaved. The Declaration also did not apply to women, people who did not own property, and Native Americans. Hearing Jefferson’s words, penned 243 years ago at the young age of 33, reminds us how idealistic a country we have been since our beginning. But locating them in historical context also underscores that while we have traveled a substantial distance, we still have a long way to go in order to become a “more perfect union.”

The character of the naturalization ceremony has changed dramatically over the years, as Monticello has become increasingly sensitized to the role of slavery in the creation of our nation, and to the relationship between Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings. Nonetheless, the ideals expressed in the Declaration transcend an American history that was cruel and oppressive at critical times, and they never cease to inspire people without power to seek redress of grievances to create a better system where ever-larger numbers of people can enjoy their “inalienable rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Pursuit of Happiness

Americans look to the Declaration as a way to measure our success as a nation, as a standard to which we can all aspire. And it is for this reason that the phrase “the pursuit of happiness” should have special meaning for both citizens and their elected representatives. [Read more…]

DIVERSITY OF PURPOSE

Broad Public Support

Toscano Statement on House and Senate Republicans’ Votes to Adjourn the Special Session on Gun Violence Prevention until November 18

Pursuit of Happiness

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