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Party Agendas

Anne Marie Morgan

House of Delegates Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate held dueling news conferences at the General Assembly Monday to highlight their policy agendas. The Democrats focused on bills that they say will help reign in gun violence, while the Republicans emphasized what they called “kitchen table” issues.  

Democrats propose requiring background checks of ALL buyers at gun shows and restoring the one-gun-a-month law. Senator Barbara Favola’s bill prohibits those convicted of some domestic violence misdemeanors from having guns.  

“In cases of domestic violence where a firearm is present, a woman has a 500 percent greater chance of being killed.”

The GOP wants to reform school SOL testing and also curtail higher education costs.  Delegate Kirk Cox said one bill would authorize less expensive, flat-fee degrees in STEM, I-T, or healthcare.

“You could go to school, you don’t get the amenities necessarily, but you get a much lower-cost education in a high-demand field.”

A committee has approved another GOP bill to CAP college student athletic fees.

Meanwhile, Governor McAuliffe underwent a medical procedure today Monday and was hospitalized at VCU Medical Center.  The Governor had been thrown from a horse on a family trip to Africa during the Christmas holidays and broke seven ribs.  He has continued performing his official duties since then, but doctors detected a fluid build-up in his lungs which required treatment.  He’s expected to be back at work in a few days.

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