A flicker of hope
Credit: iStock & Denis Tangney, Jr.
Editor’s Note: The original publication of this article began on January 24, 2024, and will be updated where noted in reverse chronological order as events occur.
January 24, 2024
Collaborating parties …
When Washington politics makes American-style democracy seem lost these days, an unexpected flicker of hope came out of the Old Dominion when it was perhaps most needed. It flickered on a presidential primary day in the Granite State, where troubling acrimony ruled the evening courtesy of an angry and vengeful twice-impeached and four-times-indicted soon-to-be Republican nominee.
A Republican governor with considerable presidential ambitions parked those thoughts and reached out to a newly installed Democrat-controlled Senate and Assembly on the first day of their 2024 session and offered to work together for the good of their citizens.
GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin, in essence, said to his counterparts to send him bills that make Virginia look good, and he will work with them. Expanded workforce training and business-friendly tax cuts exemplify how the state can look good.
American democracy should celebrate the gesture from Governor Youngkin and his corresponding leaders in the Virginia legislature. It was a monumental message encouraging even the most cynical that perhaps the two major parties might be able to work together for the benefit of their state when working together has been incredibly rare in recent years in many halls of government - federal, state, and local.
Thomas Current Rank for Governor Glenn Youngkin: A
Thomas Current Rank for the Virginia Senate: A
Thomas Current Rank for the Virginia Assembly: A
Congress, to cite an obvious example, cannot agree on any major spending bills, together left border control and immigration reform undone, have forsaken Ukraine in its war against the Russian invasion of eastern Europe, and failed to address many of Iran’s deadly attacks on American forces.
To name a few examples.
The Virginia legislature just began its 60-day session and has a long way to go. But the initial signals out of Richmond are very encouraging for those who do not seem the same out of Washington, Tallahassee, Austin ….