Virginia Lawmakers Pass Bill Giving Driving Privilege Cards to Illegal Aliens

While the Virginia General Assembly stopped short of passing legislation that gave full-fledged driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, lawmakers did advance a bill that would grant them driving privilege cards.

The Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly went into overtime over the weekend, passing a flurry of progressive bills before the 2020 session came to an official end Sunday. Among the legislation voted on by lawmakers was a proposal to allow illegal aliens in the state to obtain driving privilege cards.

Lawmakers in the House of Delegates and the state Senate considered two different proposals earlier in 2020. The lower chamber produced and passed a more liberal bill that would provide the state’s undocumented population with driver’s licenses, while the Senate introduced and passed the more moderate bill granting them driving privilege cards.

Ultimately, the state Senate version proved more palatable for both chambers.

Virginia lawmakers on Saturday passed SB 34, which was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Scott Surovell.

Unlike driver’s licenses that are valid for years at a time, driving privilege cards must be renewed on an annual basis, and the cards would explicitly state that they can’t be used for voting or obtaining federal benefits. Additionally, individuals who wish to obtain these privilege cards are required to file a tax return or be listed as a dependent.

Passage of the bill is a reflection of the state’s newly-minted Democratic majority. For the first time in a generation, the Democratic Party has full control of the Virginia General Assembly, and legislation passed this session certainly reflects that new majority.

Before session ended over the weekend, Virginia Democrats also passed major gun control proposals regarding background checks on gun sales, greater collective bargaining rights for unions, a bill allowing localities to remove Confederate statues, and other liberal legislation.

“Instead of working on behalf of their constituents, Democrats chose to work on behalf of illegal immigrants,” John March, a spokesman for the Virginia GOP, said in a statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Virginia GOP, which is in the minority, reacted to the passage of driving privilege cards for illegal aliens.

“I’m not sure that the farmer without access to broadband or the single mother struggling to make ends meet will be too happy about this, but who knows. Democrats have shown where their priorities are, and they aren’t with Virginians,” March continued.

It’s not immediately clear if Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, is anticipated to sign the bill. A spokesperson for his office did not immediately return a request for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation.

If signed into law, Virginia would become the latest in a growing number of states that are allowing illegal aliens to have driving privileges.

SOURCE 






Anatomy of a crooked Leftist prosecution

It's obvious to see now after witnessing the specious and politically manufactured attacks on Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh, but at the same time that was going on–2018–then-Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens—a retired Navy SEAL badass whose first political office was governor—had admitted to an affair. It was easy to think that maybe he was out 'over his skis' and had gotten caught up in some tawdry affair.

But Greitens had already confessed his affair with his hairdresser to his wife and family. He'd already come clean, but the new chief prosecutor, one of leftist billionaire George Soros's hand-picked candidates in his District Attorney Project, alleged that Greitens had committed a felony with his affair. How? Kim Gardner alleged in her tissue-thin, one-paragraph indictment, void of any evidence, that Greiten committed a felony invasion of privacy for taking a boudoir photo of his mistress and threatening to release it if she talked about her affair.

Cue the #MeToo outrage.

Greitens, who was in office two years, was hounded out. The voters who thought they were getting a door-kicker who got things done, were instead getting an alleged felon. They were outraged and he resigned.

But fast-forward now, as John Solomon reports at his new website Just the News (see him talk about his experience below), there was never any evidence of that compromising photo. Never any evidence of threats made by the governor. Moreover, the private investigator hired to do the investigation–completely contrary to how the office worked–was indicted for lying and tampering with evidence. Gardner allegedly was in on what looks to be a phony investigation done for political effect, though she hasn't been indicted by the special prosecutor now looking into the case.

Earlier this month, the Missouri Ethics Commission cleared Greitens of charges lodged against him during the height of the scandal that he had violated campaign finance laws. The commission “found no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Eric Greitens” but fined his campaign for two reporting violations.

It also turns out that the hairdresser, Katrina Sneed, never independently came forward to lodge a complaint against Greitens. Indeed, she was asked by prosecutors to come forward to claim the allegation.

And it appears that investigators put words into Sneed's mouth. While they were alleging the evidence of a nasty photo, it turns out that Sneed wasn't sure there was ever a photo taken. She told them she could have dreamed it. Later she testified under oath that there was never a photo.

The prosecutor's office also said there was no video recording of the conversation between Sneed and the indicted investigator. But there was. Gardner denies any wrongdoing.

The voters of Missouri had their votes for Greitens voided, nullified and erased by allegedly unscrupulous prosecutors bringing phony charges to undo the results of an election. That's sure the way Greitens sees it. And he sees something more, a pattern:

"It's good to have been exonerated. I'm glad that the truth is coming out,” Greitens told Just the News, comparing his plight to that of Trump during the Russia collusion case. “All Americans need to know that the left and deep state insiders engaged in a criminal effort to overturn the 2016 election."
As our colleague, Glenn Reynolds, put it at Instapundit, vestiges of fair treatment at the prosecutor's office have been erased, the torpedos are circling and "We need to make examples of these political prosecutions. Jail time all around."

By all means, go to Just the News and see all the documents showing lying by the investigator.

The Greitens case isn’t the only controversy impacting Gardner: More than 70 prosecutors in her office have been fired or forced to quit and dozens of St. Louis police officers have been banned from testifying in court. She also was fined more than $60,000 for campaign finance violations. After signing a plea deal, Gardner issued a statement blaming clerical errors for the campaign violations and accusing a "Republican political operative" for filing the complaint against her.

No matter which side prevails in the coming months, the investigators who went after Greitens are clearly now the investigated, much like the FBI and DOJ officials who opened the Trump-Russia collusion probe during the 2016 election find themselves in hot water in Washington under Attorney General William Barr.

Earlier this month, the Missouri Ethics Commission cleared Greitens of charges lodged against him during the height of the scandal that he had violated campaign finance laws. The commission “found no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Eric Greitens” but fined his campaign for two reporting violations.

"It's good to have been exonerated. I'm glad that the truth is coming out,” Greitens told Just the News, comparing his plight to that of Trump during the Russia collusion case. “All Americans need to know that the left and deep state insiders engaged in a criminal effort to overturn the 2016 election."

Soros, one of the largest liberal benefactors in history, donated $630,000 that year to a political action committee called Safety and Justice Committee. That super PAC in turn donated more than $204,000 as an in-kind donation to Gardner’s election. Soros’ support accounted for about two-thirds of her total campaign donations of nearly $300,000, according to a post-election filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Gardner’s platform of criminal justice reform to help minorities proved a nice fit for Team Soros.

SOURCE 






The dark side of political correctness

“The PC movement is mad and dangerous,” says popular author and Australian Catholic University Fellow Kevin Donnelly.

“Instead of being able to discuss issues in a rational and impartial way, debate is shut down and reduced to ad hominem attacks based on emotion and politically correct groupthink.”

It’s a message he makes clear in his new book ‘A Politically Correct Dictionary and Guide.’

Though the book has a satirical nature and is accompanied with tongue-in-cheek cartoons by Johannes Leak, Donnelly highlights the underlying danger is kowtowing to political correctness.

“This is becoming a problem because it’s enforcing what I call ‘cultural left groupthink’, and cultural left language,” says Donnelly. “If you argue, for example, that multiculturalism isn’t the right thing, you’re attacked as xenophobic or racist.

“If you say a boy should be a boy, a girl should be a girl, if you’re against the whole LGBTQI transitioning movement, you’re attacked as homophobic or transphobic.

“There is a real problem I’d argue now in Australia in terms of the cultural left taking over institutions like schools and universities and enforcing this very strong ideological view of language and groupthink.”

A frequent writer for the Catholic Weekly’s comment pages, Kevin Donnelly has established a reputation as one of Australia’s leading conservative commentators and authors fighting against the cultural-left ideology and group think which many believe is poisoning society and stifling free and open debate.

Sky News commentator, journalist and former Chief of Staff to Tony Abbot, Peta Credlin describes Donnelly as “a rare and forthright warrior for common sense in a world where it’s more desperately needed than ever.”

“With his third book-length polemic against political correctness in just over a year, Dr Kevin Donnelly is on a veritable crusade against what he thinks is poisoning our teaching institutions, weakening our economy, and even sapping our ability to think clearly,” says Credlin.

“[His] latest work is full of telling examples of the cultural self-doubt that we need to recognise and resist.”

Donnelly remains optimistic, but is very aware of the potential dangers that can stem from political correctness. As he likes to quote from George Orwell’s 1984; “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

“It used to be I think, therefore I am,” says Donnelly. “Now it’s I feel, therefore I’m right. They’re not coming from a rational, critical aware point of view, it’s just emotion.

“And that’s the danger, once arguments are reduced to emotion, you’re on the short road to totalitarianism.”

SOURCE 






Australia: Football league defends divisive new TV ad after fans slammed its 'politically correct' focus on Indigenous issues and gay marriage

The NRL has defended its controversial new TV campaign featuring Tina Turner after fans slammed the ad for its 'political correctness' and embarrassing blunders.

NRL chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo said the commercial is not intended to be political and showcases highlight moments for the game over the past 30 years.

The two minute ad divided rugby league fans and sent social media into meltdown when it aired for the first time on Monday night, 11 days out from the start of the season.

Fans criticised the ad for being too being politicised after scenes of Latrell Mitchell draped in an Aboriginal flag and the famous footage of women's State of Origin couple Karina Brown and Vanessa Foliaki kissing after a match last year.

US rapper Macklemore's pre-match tribute to same-sex marriage at the 2017 Grand Final is also featured - as fans criticised his inclusion given his tenuous association with rugby league.

Mr Abdo stood firm, telling the Sydney Morning Herald the campaign was a showcase of the code's proud history.

'We’re not forcing anyone to believe in one thing or another,' he said. 'Those events have happened. Latrell is a superstar for us, Macklemore performed at the grand final in a moment we were really proud of. That brought our fans together and his performance was great.

'This campaign is not intended to be political. It’s a showcase of our history; our people, our events that shaped where we are today. The intent of the campaign is to embrace what’s happened in the last 30 years, but also to give a nostalgic feeling for people who are new to the game to understand the moments that have mattered so they can feel part of it.'

SOURCE 

******************************

Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the  incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of  other countries.  The only real difference, however, is how much power they have.  In America, their power is limited by democracy.  To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already  very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges.  They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did:  None.  So look to the colleges to see  what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way.  It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH,   EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and  DISSECTING LEFTISM.   My Home Pages are here or   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here.  Email me (John Ray) here. 

************************************