Archive Page 2 of 124
Richmond – Delegate David Englin (D-45) issued the following statement today in response to the memorandum Gov. Bob McDonnell issued yesterday addressing employment nondiscrimination:
We have had much discussion on the House floor this week about whether our great Commonwealth will be a place where workers are judged on the job they do and not the families they go home to. Late yesterday, Governor McDonnell responded to our calls for employment nondiscrimination with a memo stating that he will not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation or other non-merit factors for the state employees under the supervision of his office. I want to thank Governor McDonnell for responding to our outcry against anti-gay bigotry, and to the demands of Northern Virginia’s business community, with this small step forward. Moreover, I think it says something important about the progress we have made as nation when a conservative politician with national political aspirations feels the need to move a bit closer to the right side of history on this issue.
While a product of national ambition and political necessity, this is still a step in the right direction. However, it’s very important that we understand that Governor McDonnell’s directive does not carry the force of law. Therefore, now that Governor McDonnell has shown new openness on this issue, I hope he will work with us to send down a bill or support our other legislative efforts so together we can make employment nondiscrimination the law of the land in Virginia. Continue reading ‘Englin statement on McDonnell’s nondiscrimination memorandum’
Richmond – For the third consecutive day on the floor of the House of Delegates, Virginia Democrats stood against the anti-gay efforts of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who issued a letter to Virginia’s public colleges and universities March 4 advising them to repeal nondiscrimination policies protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender faculty, staff, and students.
Urging Republicans to join their effort, Delegate David Englin (D-45) offered the following remarks:
Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen, as you just heard from the Gentleman from Henrico, Delegate Morrissey, at public colleges across Virginia, students, faculty, and tuition-paying parents share the outrage you have heard expressed on this floor about Attorney General Cuccinelli’s demand that Virginia’s colleges remove sexual orientation from their nondiscrimination rules. They share our outrage, and they want action. We have tried multiple times in this House and on the floor to fix this problem. Sadly, the General Laws committee chose to cancel its Monday meeting rather than work to move forward with the Senate nondiscrimination bill. That’s especially unfortunate, because I believe there are good people on both sides of the aisle in that committee who should be willing to do what’s right on this issue. Yesterday, we tried the extraordinary measure of a discharge motion to bring up that bill, but that, too, was defeated. Continue reading ‘House Democrats keep up fight for nondiscrimination law to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Virginians’
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli pushed his anti-gay agenda front and center in the General Assembly this week with his March 4 letter to Virginia colleges and universities asking them to remove language dealing with sexual orientation from their nondiscrimination policies. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the purpose of government is to secure the equal and unalienable rights of all people to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. For Cuccinelli to use the finite resources of his office to seek out and target policies protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender faculty, staff, and students at Virginia’s public colleges and universities is a shocking abuse that flies in the face of the very reason our government exists.
Even if one is willing to set aside the moral outrage that is an attorney general working to hinder and revoke equal protection under the law, his actions are destructive to Virginia’s economic future. Businesses throughout Virginia understand that employees should be judged solely on their merit and not on other unrelated factors. The ten largest corporate employers in Virginia have active nondiscrimination policies. Northrop Grumman, whose corporate headquarters we are trying to lure here in competition with Maryland and D.C., consistently wins perfect marks from the Human Rights Campaign for equal treatment of its gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender workers. The quality of Virginia’s public colleges and universities is a key factor in our continued ranking by Forbes.com and others as the Best State for Business. By sullying the reputation of our system of higher learning and hindering the ability of our top universities to recruit and retain the very best faculty and staff, Cuccinelli risks our future status as Best State for Business.
Continue reading ‘House Democrats defend Virginia colleges from anti-gay Attorney General’
Richmond - The Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol welcomed Delegate David Englin (D-45) as a member of the Virginia Legislative Squadron at the State Capitol March 9. Membership expresses Englin’s support of the all volunteer organization which provides search and rescue and disaster relief missions for the Commonwealth as well as operating a cadet programs for youths. Englin was also awarded the honorary rank of major and invited to participate in CAP activities, including flying in any of the 12 aircraft based in the Commonwealth.
“As an Air Force veteran, I’m especially honored to have been given the opportunity to work more closely with the Civil Air Patrol, whose great work — especially in terms of search and rescue operations — contributes to the safety and security of our community and the nation,” said Englin.
“We are grateful that Delegate Englin has taken the time to recognize the important role Civil Air Patrol and other volunteer organizations play in making Virginia a safer and more livable state for its citizens,” said Col. Dave Carter, commander of the Virginia Wing.
Continue reading ‘Englin inducted into Civil Air Patrol Legislative Squadron’
House Democrats today attempted an extraordinary “discharge motion” to bring a Senate employment nondiscrimination bill to the House floor. The following is video of the effort:
Virginia House of Delegates Rejects Anti-Discrimination Bill
