February 29, 2008
Discuss Friday's editorials
An unfortunate way to fill a council seat
Roanoke voters can't pick a replacement for a resigned councilman's post. But they should be invited to participate.
Alfred Dowe resigned his Roanoke City Council post with more than two years remaining on his four-year term. Roanoke plans to hold an election on May 6 to select a mayor and three council members. Logically, it would follow that voters could pick Dowe's replacement then. But logic doesn't rule. State law -- flawed as it is -- controls the timing.
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Budget politics and scams
A newly Democratic, but more sharply partisan, state Senate faces dangerous budget waters.
Virginians looking for signs of whether the retirements last year of veteran Republican moderates from the state Senate would push the GOP, now the chamber's minority, to the right ideologically need look no further. Republicans sealed the shift Wednesday when, joined by one Democrat, they voted as a bloc for a budget amendment to eliminate money for women's health care that the state funnels through Planned Parenthood -- and prevailed.
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Comments
[February 29, 2008 9:26 AM]
JoshI would like to understand. The Senate is now controlled by Democrats, they won most points in the budget fight, but the senate is more partisan because a Democrat joined pro-life republicans who oppose abortion.
Don't you think saying funding is "not used for abortions" is a straw dog because such funding frees up other PP money for abortions?
Yeah, we got a flim flam, but it isn't from conservative republicans.