Ida Edwards of Petersburg, Virginia was picked as one of just eight citizen co-chairs for the inaugural events.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee chose eight Americans whose personal stories represent a policy President Obama is championing. Besides being an advocate for the president’s health care law, Edwards is also a bridge to a sad chapter in the nation’s history.

“I lived through the civil rights movement and that was a lot of experiences that I don’t want anyone else to have to go through.”
Edwards says the president’s story is inspiring for generations to come.

“And so you know he gives hope. I have grandchildren and great grandchildren, and I want everybody’s children to have the fair chance to realize their dreams.”

Edwards was here for the 2009 inauguration, but as a citizen co-chair she’s getting a closer seat this time…riding in the parade and even getting some face time with the president last week.

“I’m just so honored to meet him, and because of my parents never realizing or believing a black president – that we could have one – and then I get to be a part of it and be in the Oval Office with him. It’s overpowering.”

–Matt Laslo

It may feel like the campaign’s just wrapped up, but the focus is already shifting to Virginia’s gubernatorial election, scheduled for later this year. Matt Laslo reports on what if anything the race says about the national mood.

When Virginia artist Judith Godwin first arrived in New York more than 50 years ago, it was nearly impossible for a woman to earn her living as a painter, but Godwin was determined, and today her works are part of collections nationwide. She’s got a show at Virginia’s Museum of Fine Arts and an inspiring story to tell, as Sandy Hausman reports.

For the first time, Virginia has cracked the top ten in one of those national lists – Richmond ranked number ten in a national pest control company’s list of cities infested with bed bugs, and Washington, DC was number eight.  It’s expensive and difficult to get rid of bed bugs, but Sandy Hausman reports on a new approach tested by a doctor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Virginia Republicans are redoubling their efforts to bring off shore gas drilling to the commonwealth.

It’s a new session of Congress but the same old battles persist. In the last session House Republicans passed bills to expand offshore oil and gas drilling but they sat untouched in the Senate. With Congress still divided Virginia Republicans are working to convince their Senate colleagues to take up a comprehensive energy bill, including wind. Congressman Rob Wittman says environmentalist’s fears are misguided about coastal drilling.

“I think that we can safely develop that off the Virginia shore, learning from what’s happened elsewhere to make sure we do that in an environmentally responsible way, but also do that in a way that helps the economy of Virginia and the long term energy security of this nation.”

The biggest roadblock for Virginia Republicans may be the president. His moratorium on drilling off Virginia’s coast is still in place.

— Matt Laslo

Virginia Democrats are lauding the president’s new gun control proposal but they know it’s nearly impossible to get it through Congress.

Within minutes of President Obama unveiling his new gun-control proposal, many Republicans rejected the plan in its entirety. Virginia Democratic Congressman Jim Moran says the president needs to borrow a page from his own reelection campaign.

“You go back to the grassroots. You work from the bottom up, the people within individual congressional districts.”

Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott supports the president’s new measure but says the debate needs to be broadened to address tragedies that often don’t make headlines.

“Specifically we also have to make recommendations to address violence generally and that must be done with a comprehensive approach.”

Both sides of the gun debate are deploying lobbyists on Capitol Hill, and most aren’t expecting this Congress to make any drastic changes to the nation’s gun laws.
— Matt Laslo

University of Virginia Rector Helen Dragas is one step closer to keeping her seat on the board of visitors after a legislative committee voted Tuesday to send her nomination on to the full Senate, but the subject sparked some angry words in Richmond, as Sandy Hausman reports.

Much has been said about America’s political divide – about red, blue and purple states.  Now, social scientists at the University of Virginia have identified four different kinds of families.  Sandy Hausman reports they see the world very differently but have some important things in common.

Virginia Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly is pushing legislation to provide federal money to administer elections.

Even in northern Virginia, different counties have different election rules, so while some Prince William County voters saw four hour long lines on Election Day, voters in other precincts were in and out in minutes. Congressman Connolly’s legislation would expand early voting and let states apply for federal grants to purchase voting machines.

“Our bill is designed to try to have more uniformity in terms of the standards across the country, at least in federal elections. Not by mandating it, but by incentivizing it,” said Connolly.

But incentives from the federal government come with price tags and this Congress is looking for programs to trim, not expand. Connolly says the few billion dollars he wants to invest in elections are worth every penny.

“Whatever it costs, and it’s not going to cost that much, it’s well worth the investment. Otherwise we don’t believe in ourselves.”
Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner is pushing a similar bill in the upper chamber, but no Republicans have signed onto either.

–Matt Laslo

Democrats on the House oversight committee held a forum on voting problems in Woodbridge, Virginia.  Matt Laslo has details.

This week the vice president will send his recommendations on gun control to the president.

In the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting there’s been more calls for increasing gun control on Capitol Hill. But Congress remains divided. That’s increasing speculation that Vice President Biden will recommend that the president use an Executive Order to address the issue. Virginia Republican Rob Wittman warns against it.

“Executive Orders need to be used in limited ways. I’m not certain on gun control issues that that’s the way to go about it. It needs to be a transparent and open process, the discussion on that. I am concerned anytime the Executive Branch circumvents the legislative process.”

So what can a divided Congress agree on? Virginia Democrat Jim Moran says there ought to be support for legislation like his “NRA Members’ Gun Safety Act.” It requires background checks for every gun purchase and prohibits anyone on the terrorist watch list from purchasing a gun, among other things.

“All of which are supported by two thirds of the NRA’s membership but adamantly opposed by the NRA’s leadership and its gun manufacturers who fund the leadership. That’s the problem.”

The Vice President unveils his recommendations Tuesday.

–Matt Laslo

The head of Virginia’s Education Association is weighing in on the subject of security – responding to legislative proposals to put guards and guns into schools.

Virginia’s Governor has said it might be wise to put armed guards into public schools to try and prevent future shootings, but the head of the Virginia Education Association – which represents teachers in the Commonwealth – is skeptical about that idea.

“We’re certainly not in favor of arming our teachers.  You know there’s a reason that prison guards don’t carry weapons, and that’s a very stark kind of contrast, but there is that danger if you have adults in a school building that are carrying weapons as to how well are they going to be able to control those weapons and keep them out of students or any other adults’ hands.”

Meg Gruber thinks many legislative proposals are desperate measure in response to New Town, and she believes armed guards would create a climate that’s not ideal for learning.

–Sandy Hausman

Photo: Virginia Tech

It’s a tough job market out there for a lot of people.  But for military veterans. it’s even worse. Many are finding it difficult to translate the work they did in the service, into civilian jobs back home  Robbie Harris prepared has more.

Virginia lawyers report a disturbing trend – a growing number of employers who fail to pay their employees.  One company in Harrisonburg, Transprint USA, had withheld pay for more than three weeks.  To make matters worse, Sandy Hausman reports that  Virginia’s labor department says it is no longer able to help those workers get the money they’re owed.

Photo: Virginia Commonwealth University, Capital News Service

Virginia’s legislature is in session, and lawmakers are again debating restrictions on abortion and contraception.  Demonstrators gathered at the statehouse for song, prayer and speeches as Sandy Hausman reports.

As the state legislature prepares to consider confirmation of Helen Dragas for a second term on the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, a member of the faculty is out with a new theory about why Dragas and other members of the board wanted to get rid of President Teresa Sullivan.  Sandy Hausman reports that climate change may have been a factor.

This week, Virginia is saying goodbye to Democratic Senator Jim Webb. Matt Laslo reports on his short, yet significant career in the U-S Senate.

A new approach to keeping the ‘Flu’ virus from spreading may be linked to indoor humidity levels. Robbie Harris has more.

There’s a new battle brewing over what happened at the University of Virginia last summer, with a Washington-based non-profit attacking an accrediting agency that put UVA’s board of visitors on warning.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Fresh off being sworn in, Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine is hoping he can help Congress overcome the gridlock that marked the 112th Congress. Matt Laslo reports from the Capitol.

Photo: Chesapeake Bay Program

Pollution levels are decreasing in the Chesapeake Bay.  That’s according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s 2012 State of the Bay Report.

The most recent State of the Bay report shows a 10%  improvement in the Bay’s health in less than 5 years.  Chesapeake Bay Foundation spokesman Chuck Epes  says phosphorus pollution levels are down, while the numbers of oysters and crabs are up. He hopes members of the General Assembly, in their upcoming session, approve Governor McDonnell’s $217 million  worth of budget amendments to keep Virginia’s cleanup on track.  He says the General Assembly also needs to implement a plan protecting menhaden.

“The menhaden is a small, little fish that is incredibly important the Bay and Atlantic Coast ecosystem.  An Atlantic Coast Fisheries Commission approved some better management measures that the General Assembly needs to tackle.”

The cleanup efforts are part of a federal/state Clean Water Blueprint for the Chesapeake Bay to reduce pollution by 25%  by the year 2025.  Epes says it could cost as much as 29 billion dollars to restore the Bay to about 70%  of what it was when described by Captain John Smith in the 1600s.  Virginia’s share is about $7 billion, which includes federal, state, and private funding, spread over 15 years.

— Beverly Amsler

The release of a new film this weekend could ignite further debate on fracking – a technology used to get natural gas out of the ground.  Some studies suggest it leads to water pollution, but the industry says that’s not possible, and it would like to start drilling in Virginia’s largest national forest.  Sandy Hausman has more on that story.

While all of the region’s Republicans opposed the deal to avert the fiscal cliff most of the area’s Democrats got in line with the plan. Matt Laslo reports on those who broke ranks.

The families of the 20 children killed in Newtown, Connecticut might be re-victimized.  Scammers could be looking to steal their child’s identity.  That’s according to a Virginia police officer who has written a book on the subject.  Beverly Amsler reports.

On this edition of “Virginia Conversations,” a special encore presentation of some of our favorite interviews since we first went on the air in August.

Join host May-Lily Lee as we hear once more from former Virginia Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, retired Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and former Senator John Warner.

Christmas is a huge secular and religious holiday in this country, but it hasn’t always been that way.  In fact, the Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock actually banned the celebration – imposing a fine on those who dared to celebrate.  Sandy Hausman has details.