Latest news with #VirginiaSenate
Washington Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Virginia Democrats sue university heads over Youngkin appointees
A group of Virginia Senate Democrats sued the rectors of three public universities, an unusual step escalating their effort to remove several of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's appointees to their boards amid a fight over how to govern the state's colleges. The lawsuit alleges the Youngkin administration — namely Youngkin (R), Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares (R) and Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera — are trying to usurp legislators' authority by ignoring a recent vote by a Senate committee to reject some appointees to the boards of the University of Virginia, George Mason University and Virginia Military Institute.
Washington Post
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Virginia Senate Democrats reject Youngkin's university board picks
RICHMOND — Virginia Senate Democrats rejected eight of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's appointees to public university boards, a move intended to push back on the Republican governor's drive to give campus culture a conservative makeover. The impact of the vote, at an unusual Monday evening meeting of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, was a matter of dispute. While the senators said they had immediately ousted the eight from boards governing the University of Virginia, Virginia Military Institute and George Mason University, Youngkin's office contended that any removals could not occur until 30 days into the next General Assembly session, which begins in January. Among the most prominent of the eight was Ken Cuccinelli II, who as the state's hard-charging Republican state attorney general years ago sued a U-Va. climate scientist, and Caren Merrick, Youngkin's former commerce secretary. Cuccinelli declined to comment and Merrick did not respond to a request for comment. Even with this action, Youngkin appointees will still make up nearly three-quarters of members on university boards across the state, according to a Washington Post tally. Boards of visitors at Virginia public universities oversee operations at the schools, including appointing presidents and setting tuition. The move raised political tensions and perhaps the profile of the committee chairman, Sen. Aaron R. Rouse (D-Virginia Beach), one week before Democrats choose the party's nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Rouse is one of six Democrats running for lieutenant governor in the June 17 primary. Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi (D-Richmond), who does not serve on that committee but is a rival for the nomination, promptly issued a news release praising the committee's vote. 'Virginia is proud to maintain one of the strongest public higher education systems in America,' Senate Majority Leader Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) said in a letter issued afterward to the rectors of every state university board. 'Our Commonwealth is home to some of the nation's oldest and most prestigious institutions, and they deserve governance that is independent, principled, and focused solely on their academic mission and service to the Commonwealth.' Youngkin spokesman Rob Damschen said the committee's action was meaningless — and expensive for taxpayers, who pay legislators a per diem of a few hundred dollars to attend meetings. 'Just days before a contentious Democrat primary, Virginians see today's antics for what they are — an obvious political sideshow,' he said in a written statement. 'This sloppy attempt to boost one of the candidates is not only completely out of order with general assembly procedures, it also costs Virginians thousands of dollars.' Youngkin appointed Cuccinelli, a U-Va. graduate, to the flagship university's board in March, after firing an earlier pick whose combative style had worn thin. The committee also voted to remove three of Youngkin's appointees to the VMI board: Jonathan Hartsock of Lexington, Stephen Reardon of Richmond and Jose Suarez of St. Augustine, Florida. From the GMU board, the senators rejected Merrick; Charles Cooper of Bonita Springs, Florida; William Hansen of McLean; and Maureen Ohlhausen of Annandale. 'As a graduate of George Mason law school, and a supporter of the school for decades, I had looked forward to helping guide the university as a member of the board of visitors, so it's certainly a disappointment,' Ohlhausen said in an email. Messages to the five other ousted members were not returned. The three schools affected have all had cultural and political tensions in recent months. At U-Va., the board passed a resolution in March requiring the school to dissolve its diversity, equity and inclusion office but allowed the university to transfer programs 'permissible' by law to other homes. Weeks later, Youngkin fired Bert Ellis, an outspoken board member, from the governing body, appointing Cuccinelli as his replacement. Since then, the Justice Department has sent a letter to U-Va. saying it was not properly following the resolution, and conservative alumni from organizations such as the Jefferson Council have called for the ouster of President Jim Ryan. At the Virginia Military Institute, the board dominated by Youngkin appointees voted against the contract extension of Superintendent Cedric T. Wins, the school's first Black leader — who had expanded DEI programs — causing an uproar among some alumni over a lack of transparency and possible racism. The 10-6 vote included two members named to the body in previous days by Youngkin: John Hartsock and Stephen Reardon. Wins blamed 'bias' and 'ideology' for the vote. Two board members resigned in the fallout — including then-president John Adams and former president Tom Watjen — before Youngkin donor and ally Teddy Gottwald was named interim president. In a final note to cadets last week, Wins, whose contract ends this month, cautioned against 'clinging to outdated traditions and attitudes' at VMI. At George Mason University, the governing board is also considering a resolution to roll back DEI policies, causing pushback from student and faculty representatives who defended the programs' importance for student success. The board delayed the vote on the resolution and did not vote on the matter during its latest board meeting in May. Responding to Trump administration executive orders and directives to end 'race-based decision-making,' President Gregory Washington has renamed the DEI office to the Office of Access, Compliance and Community. The school also ended operations of the Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation, according to GMU spokesperson Paul Allvin. At the Senate committee meeting, which lasted just over 10 minutes, senators took up a resolution to confirm the eight appointees. A motion to pass it failed on a party-line 8-4 vote, with three Republicans absent. Youngkin, like all Virginia governors, makes hundreds of appointments each year, many of them when the General Assembly is not in session. Appointments that are subject to General Assembly confirmation typically get voted on at the next regular legislative session. The Virginia Constitution states that any appointee who is not approved 30 days after the start of the session is out of a job, and the governor cannot reappoint that person to the same post. Although Youngkin's office contends that the eight cannot be ousted until the 30-day deadline early next year, Democrats note that they took up the resolution under the auspices of a 2024 special legislative session that has never officially been concluded. Under the joint procedural resolution setting out the rules of the special session, the legislature is allowed to take up gubernatorial appointments. Democrats say that just like any other piece of legislation that fails to advance out of committee, the resolution with the eight names is dead and the nominees cannot be considered for the same post again. Shaun Kenney, spokesman for Attorney General Jason S. Miyares (R), said the full General Assembly must get a chance to weigh in. Democrats narrowly control both the House and Senate, but all 100 House seats are on the ballot in November. 'The Virginia Constitution is pretty clear on the matter: Only the General Assembly is authorized to act,' Kenney said. 'It is not a committee, it is not a subcommittee, it is the entire assembly.' Ahead of the vote Monday, Democrats did not voice specific objections to the individuals. Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria) noted that the General Assembly has approved thousands of Youngkin's appointees for various boards and commissions and rejected 'a handful … that we've seen as overly ideological or extreme.' He suggested the eight were 'not good choices' for the boards and lamented declining civility and an 'atmosphere of hostility' surrounding board meetings, most specifically at GMU. 'Some of the visitors do not seem to be there for academic or even university governance purposes,' Ebbin said. 'They seem to be there rather to disrupt and if they can, even to destroy.' Sen. Bill DeSteph (R-Virginia Beach) said the appointees were all highly accomplished people, including Merrick, whom the board confirmed a few years ago for Youngkin's Cabinet. 'I don't believe any one of these members is there to destroy,' he said. 'They're there to build our future workforce and to build our universities for the future.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia's Democratic lieutenant governor candidates discuss taking on Trump, federal cuts
A field of six candidates is competing to be the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia's June 17 primary election. It's a job that, at first blush, doesn't appear to have as many responsibilities as other elected offices. The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession for the governor, and shall assume the position if the governor is not able to complete his or her job duties, according to the Constitution of Virginia. But the office also presides over the Virginia Senate, and casts tiebreaking votes. It's a distinct possibility in the chamber, which currently has a 21-19 Democratic advantage. Additionally, several former lieutenant governors, such as Doug Wilder, Tim Kaine and Ralph Northam, have used the office as a springboard to successfully run for governor. This year, retired attorney Alex Bastani, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef, state Sen. Aaron Rouse, former prosecutor Victor Salgado and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney are Democratic primary. The winner will face Republican nominee and former talk radio host John Reid in the November general election. At least by campaign fundraising amounts and endorsements, the candidates can be divided into two groups: three longtime Virginia Democrats with years of governing experience and three relative newcomers to politics. Leading the money race this year is Stoney with about $1.4 million raisedas of March 31, Rouse with $1.2 million and Hashmi with $1.1 million , according to the Virginia Public Access Project. During the same time period, Lateef has raised about $970,000, Salgado has raised $204,000 and Bastani $134,000. In cash donations of less than $100 — a metric campaigns often tout as an indication of grassroots support — Hashmi leads with 1,721 donations as of March 31, followed by Rouse with 994 donations, Lateef with 374, Stoney with 210, Salgado with 117 and Bastani with 14. In the endorsement game, Stoney has the backing of former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Rouse has endorsements from U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott and state Sen. Louise Lucas. Hashmi has endorsements from Rep. Ro Khanna of California and the Sierra Club. Lateef has been endorsed by the Move Chamber, a Muslim chamber of commerce, and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 51. The list is compiled through campaign announcements and websites and is not definitive. Several candidates say their government experience helps them stand out, while others touted their outsider status. Rouse, a former professional football player and Virginia Beach City Council member, touted his experience in local government and the Virginia Senate. He noted his track record of moves such as sponsoring a bill to revise a property tax exemption program for seniors and winning a seat previously held by a Republican in a 2023 special election that helped safeguard against a GOP effort to enact a 15-week abortion ban. That bill however, was defeated in committee and Rouse did not vote on the legislation. 757 Votes: The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2025 primary election guide 6 Virginia Democrats run for election in crowded lieutenant governor primary Democrats running for attorney general say Virginia needs to challenge Trump Rouse, who was raised in Norfolk and later Virginia Beach by a single mother, said he would continue to showcase the values the region taught him. 'I look forward to making my hometown proud,' he said. Hashmi is the first Muslim elected to the Virginia Senate and spent 30 years as a college professor. She took office in 2020 and touted her experience in the state legislature. She serves as chair of the of the Senate Education and Health Committee. 'I think it's really important to have someone in this position that's ready on day one to start taking on the critical areas that are impacting Virginia,' she said. Stoney, who was Richmond mayor for eight years and secretary of the commonwealth under McAuliffe, touted his experience as well. 'For eight years, I've had to make bold, consequential decisions in the daily lives of Virginians,' Stoney said. During his time as mayor, Stoney decided to remove over a dozen Confederate monuments after 2020 protests triggered by the police killing of George Floyd. However, he faced criticism over the police tear gassing of peaceful protestors, unrealized development projects and supporting two failed casino referendum votes. Lateef is a is an ophthalmologist and has served as chair of the Prince William County School Board since 2018. He touted student improvement during his time on the school board, and said he would focus on kitchen table issues like the economic prosperity for all Virginians. He also said he would advocate for using the state's recent revenue surpluses to invest in Virginia school capital improvement projects. Salgado, a former federal prosecutor with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, said he had anticipated the federal government's incursion into states' rights and would help advise the governor and attorney general on how to fight back against the Trump administration. He's also made campaign finance reform a central pillar of his campaign, saying he would withhold votes in the Virginia Senate if a campaign finance bill was not passed by lawmakers. Salgado is pushing for limits on personal and corporate campaign contributions, to forbid conduit contributions — where a straw donor is used to hide the identity of the actual donor — and to create a watchdog agency to investigate violations. Bastani, a former U.S. Labor Department lawyer, is presenting himself as the progressive choice for the office by supporting universal health care and repealing the state's right-to-work law, which lets workers choose whether or not to pay union dues. All six candidates say they would like to repeal the measure, but Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger told a Richmond TV station she would not sign a repeal. Bastani said his potential win would signal that voters want to repeal the law and put additional pressure on Spanberger to sign a bill. He also believed universal health care could be implemented at the state level, saying studies have shown the program could save billions if implemented in the entire country. The candidates also offered differing solutions to standing up to President Donald Trump's cuts to federal jobs, grants and services like Medicaid. Hashmi said she would move for Virginia to quickly rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, saying it could provide millions of dollars in climate program funding to plug holes from federal cuts. Gov. Glenn Youngkin directed Virginia to leave the 12-state carbon emissions reduction program in 2022. A federal judge ruled the move was unlawful in November, but the state is appealing the ruling. Rouse said he would attempt to not only push back but work together with federal officials to try and reverse the cuts. Stoney said he would continue to speak out about the cuts, and called out Youngkin and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP candidate for governor, for not doing more to resist the federal actions. Salgado said the state must be ready to combat Trump's bill in court immediately once it is signed into law. Additionally, he called for looking into whether state funding sources could be used as stopgap measures. Lateef also supported taking the Trump administration to court, and advocated for civil disobedience if the administration did not comply with court orders. Bastani also advocated with working together with federal lawmakers to reverse the cuts, and said he supported raising Virginia's corporate tax rate to create more revenue to support affected communities. Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345,
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Earle-Sears' uncontested run ends as rivals enter Virginia GOP primary for governor
Former state delegate Dave LaRock, former state senator Amanda Chase and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears are vying for the Republican nomination for governor. (Photos courtesy of Dave LaRock, Virginia Senate, and Mechelle Hankerson for the Virginia Mercury) Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears began the week as the clear Republican gubernatorial frontrunner, but in just days, her once-uncontested path to the nomination has turned into a primary fight. With 10 months until Virginia's gubernatorial election, two GOP challengers have jumped into the race, shaking up the contest and setting the stage for the showdown with former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the presumptive Democratic nominee. Former state delegate Dave LaRock and former state senator Amanda Chase declared their candidacies within days of each other, throwing the Republican primary into uncertainty. Their entries come just as Spanberger opened a double-digit lead over Earle-Sears for the first time in a Roanoke College poll released earlier this week. LaRock, a former state delegate from Loudoun County, is positioning himself as a staunch conservative alternative to Earle-Sears. His campaign website touts him as a 'proven conservative leader who delivers' and promises to 'protect taxpayers' money from fraud and waste, uphold constitutional rights, defend life, and ensure safe communities and schools.' LaRock has also voiced support for the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk. He has not responded to requests for comment for this story, but his website takes aim at Earle-Sears, claiming she 'offers platitudes and backtracks on conservative values.' Chase, who represented Chesterfield County in the state Senate for eight years before losing a primary challenge to Sen. Glen Sturtevant, is no stranger to statewide campaigns — or controversy. Chase has been widely characterized as a far-right figure and a promoter of election conspiracy theories. She has been called one of Virginia's most vocal spreaders of false claims about the 2020 election and drew attention for attending Trump's rally before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In response, the Virginia Senate voted 24-9 in a bipartisan censure, citing 'conduct unbecoming a senator' and accusing her of 'fomenting insurrection against the United States.' Chase previously launched an unsuccessful bid for governor in late 2020, branding herself as 'Trump in Heels.' After her Senate defeat, she moved to Appomattox to seek the Republican nomination in Senate District 10, but lost in a party-run mass meeting to Republican Luther Cifers. In a phone interview Thursday, Chase said she believes Earle-Sears may struggle to qualify for the primary ballot, citing campaign 'turnover and upheaval.' Dave Abrams, a spokesman for Earle-Sears, called these allegations 'patently false.' Chase emphasized her ability to mount a viable challenge, pointing to her past electoral experience and campaign infrastructure. 'I believe I could beat Abigail Spanberger,' she said. 'Winsome Earle-Sears has alienated a lot of Trump supporters when she said she didn't support Trump's second run for president. People want a candidate that has not denounced President Trump.' Chase also stated she would welcome an alliance with Elon Musk to combat wasteful spending in Virginia. 'We need a DOGE in Virginia. We need Elon Musk,' she added. While LaRock has officially filed his paperwork and Chase is in the process of doing so, both candidates still face a significant hurdle — securing 10,000 signatures, including 400 from qualified voters in each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts by April 3 to qualify for the primary ballot. Chase acknowledged the challenge, calling it a 'heavy lift for anybody,' but she expressed confidence in her campaign's ability to meet the requirement. Earle-Sears, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2022, faces some pushback from within her party, particularly because she publicly urged Republicans to 'move on from Trump' later that year. Both LaRock and Chase are likely to seek Trump's endorsement, a potential key factor in the primary battle. The situation mirrors the 2024 Republican primary in Virginia's 5th Congressional District, where Trump-backed challenger McGuire ousted then-Rep. Bob Good, R-Farmville, after the former president withdrew his endorsement of the incumbent. Despite the primary challenge, Earle-Sears retains strong institutional support. On Wednesday evening, Gov. Glenn Youngkin took to X to reaffirm his backing of Earle-Sears, calling her 'Virginia's next governor.' He praised her record on parental rights, law enforcement, business growth, and tax relief, pledging to 'stand with her every step of the way as our party unites and she wins in November.' And Adams, the Earle-Sears campaign spokesman, dismissed concerns about her primary opponents. 'Winsome is a winner, plain and simple,' he said in a text message Thursday. 'She has an extraordinary personal story and a long record of fighting for and delivering common-sense conservative policies that make life in Virginia better. That's why the groundswell of support for her campaign has grown too big to beat in any prospective primary.' David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg, said Earle-Sears is not in serious trouble yet but warned that Trump's endorsement could be a game-changer. 'Youngkin's endorsement helps her enormously. A candidate like LaRock poses some risk for her because he could gain momentum. Chase is less of a threat; she strikes me as an opportunistic candidate, jumping in because she expects to get some political mileage out of it, not because she would be a serious pick for the GOP.' Richards noted that if Trump endorses LaRock or another candidate, Earle-Sears could face a serious challenge. 'Trump may not determine who wins the governor's election next November, but he will probably determine who the GOP nominee is.' Maggie Amjad, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Virginia, framed the Republican primary turmoil as a sign of weakness for Earle-Sears. 'The Republican field erupting in chaos and infighting confirms that Winsome Earle-Sears is a highly flawed candidate with a flailing campaign and an inability to unite the Republican party,' Amjad said. 'While Virginians deserve a governor who fights for the commonwealth, these Republican candidates are only focused on causing chaos, attacking Virginia jobs and workers, defunding public schools, and ripping away reproductive rights.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Power struggle at VMI: Governor, lawmakers clash over Black superintendent's future
Virginia Military Institute Superintendent Ret. Major Gen. Cedric Wins welcomes Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Dec. 12, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Cedric Wins/Instagram) A political firestorm has erupted over the future of the Virginia Military Institute's first Black superintendent, Ret. Maj. General Cedric Wins, with accusations flying that lawmakers attempted to strong-arm the school's governing board. But an effort to investigate one legislator has run into resistance from Virginia Senate leaders, who argue that if lawmakers are scrutinized for meddling in higher education, then Gov. Glenn Youngkin should be, too. Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, signaled before the end of this year's regular legislative session that it is unlikely his colleagues will launch an ethics investigation against Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, over allegations that she pressured the VMI Board of Visitors regarding Wins' contract. The request for the investigation came from U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, who accused Carroll Foy of attempting to sway the board's decision on whether to extend Wins' tenure. Surovell dismissed the push for an inquiry, saying it would be hypocritical to investigate Carroll Foy while ignoring Youngkin's influence over university and college boards he has appointed. The VMI board has 11 Youngkin appointees out of 15 total members. 'If that's a problem, then I think we also ought to investigate the governor because he does this kind of stuff every day,' Surovell told The Mercury. 'The governor has been trying to influence our universities through his board picks and through the budget process for the last three years. If the insinuation is that the General Assembly does not have the right to express its views on the current or future leadership or anniversaries, that's preposterous.' Cline's call for an ethics probe stems from a Feb. 18 letter he sent to the clerks of the House and Senate, alleging that Carroll Foy and other legislators attempted to 'pressure' the VMI's board into approving a long-term contract for Wins. The congressman claimed that some members hinted at legislative retaliation if the board did not comply. Carroll Foy, a VMI graduate, forcefully denied the accusations, arguing that she never spoke with other members or issued any threats. Instead, she claims that John Adams, the board president, contacted her to discuss VMI's affairs, including concerns about resistance to having a Black superintendent. Board members should be solely focused on fulfilling VMI's mission to 'educate and train citizen soldiers who will be the future leaders of battalions and boardrooms,' Carroll Foy said. Cline's letter also cited an alleged conversation in which Carroll Foy reportedly told an unnamed board member that the General Assembly's leadership, which is majority Black, could jeopardize funding for VMI if Wins did not receive a four-year contract extension. 'I am just trying to help VMI. Cedric is African American. The leadership of the General Assembly is African American. Your board appointments and budget amendments are in peril. You can fix this by giving Cedric a four-year contract extension,' Cline, in his letter, quoted the board member as saying. Carroll Foy pushed back against the allegations, arguing that her conversations with Adams had been 'mischaracterized.' She claimed that Adams, a partner with McGuireWoods Consulting, repeatedly told her the board 'no longer' wanted a Black superintendent after Wins first took the helm. With Wins' employment publicly questioned, Youngkin's office has signaled its trust in the board's decision-making. Christian Martinez, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement, 'The governor appointed experienced and strong members to the Board of Visitors, all deeply committed to VMI and its mission. He has full confidence the board will act in the best interests of the institute and the commonwealth.' When Wins was tapped as VMI's first Black superintendent in the institution's history dating back to 1839, he stepped into a role shaded by controversy. His appointment followed the resignation of Ret. Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, who stepped down amid claims of racism within the institution, as first reported by the Washington Post. Just months later, a state-commissioned report confirmed that deep-seated racial and gender disparities persisted at VMI. The investigation, conducted by the consulting firm Barnes & Thornburg at the request of then-Gov. Ralph Northam and state lawmakers and tasked to 'investigate the culture, policies, practices, and traditions' at VMI, found that the institute's culture created 'barriers to addressing and solving' race and gender problems. 'Following the developments of 2020 and the arrival of MG Cedric Wins, VMI has taken incremental steps towards a more diverse, inclusive VMI, and it has outlined plans to address the existing culture,' the report stated. 'However, many in the VMI community, including senior leaders, perceive no issues or reasons to change.' Now, as Wins' contract hangs in the balance, some alumni are voicing concerns about both the institution's future and the political forces at play. Shah Rahman, a VMI graduate, said he worries about how the governor's influence over the board — where a majority of members are Youngkin appointees that could shape Wins' fate, particularly given the broader political climate surrounding race and diversity. Among those appointees is Thomas Gottwald, chairman and CEO of the chemical manufacturing company NewMarket Corporation. A major political donor, Gottwald has contributed over $500,000 to Youngkin's campaign and affiliated groups, including Spirit of VMI PAC, a political action committee composed of alumni, parents and students. The PAC, where Gottwald is the top donor, has been vocal in its opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, urging supporters to 'reject the woke assault on VMI.' In 2022, some critics also challenged the superintendent for his efforts to implement diversity, equity and inclusion reforms and requesting $6.1 million from the state to expand Title IX and diversity offices. Rahman said he believes lingering resentment over Peay's departure is also fueling efforts to oust Wins. 'To [potentially] remove this gentleman before he has had a chance to fully see the institution's strategic plan that he was instrumental in putting together … just because they want their vengeance, it couldn't be worse for the future of the institute,' Rahman said to The Mercury. As Cline circulated his letter calling for an ethics investigation into Carrol Foy, state lawmakers were in the midst of weighing Youngkin's nominees for boards across Virginia — including appointments to VMI's Board of Visitors — and reviewing funding requests for the military college. In a move that escalated tensions, Senate Democrats blocked nine of Youngkin's appointees, including two VMI Board of Visitors nominees, Quintin Elliott and John Clifford Foster. They also excluded funding to VMI's proposed Center for Leadership and Ethics facility — a decision Youngkin viewed as an attempt to pressure the board into extending Wins' contract, according to the Richmond-Times Dispatch. Democrats rejected that claim, arguing that the project was cut simply because the state could not afford it in this year's capital budget. Despite the funding exclusion, lawmakers approved more than $1.2 million for VMI requests. The budget allocates one-time funds for the Unique Military Activities (UMA) to improve and enhance campus facilities, including purchasing new laundry equipment, expanding the female ward in the infirmary, and outfitting the VMI Regimental Band with new instruments. On the removal of Youngkin's nominees, Carroll Foy pointed to remarks from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, who said that Senate Democrats found the candidates 'inconsistent with the expectations, goals and values we had for the work of those boards.' The concerns over Wins's job security at VMI have intensified in the wake of another high-profile shakeup involving a Black military leader. On Friday, President Donald Trump fired Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a move that sent shockwaves through military and political circles. Since taking office last month, Trump and his administration have aggressively dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, labeling them as 'discrimination' and vowing to restore 'merit-based' hiring. In Virginia, Youngkin's administration has taken a similar stance. His office rebranded the state's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion. In 2023, the governor's chief diversity officer, Martin Brown, made headlines after remarking that 'DEI is dead' while speaking at a VMI event. Democrats have pushed back against Youngkin's approach, arguing that his administration is failing to uphold state law on diversity policies. Surovell and House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, have sought legal clarification from the attorney general and attempted to address the issue through budget proposals — so far, with little success. 'The superintendent has done everything that the previous Board of Visitors requested of him, and that the General Assembly expects, which is to put the institute first, and for his vision and values to align with the needs, to ensure that VMI is one of the top military colleges in the country,' Carroll Foy said, 'And for his effort, now you have a few, well-funded VMI alum who now seek to destroy him. VMI officials have remained silent on the uncertainty surrounding Wins' future. A spokeswoman for the institute said both Wins and Adams were unavailable for comment regarding his employment status. Board members are not expected to announce any decision until action is taken. The board's next scheduled meeting is May 1-3, but a special session could be convened sooner. The board president, the superintendent, a majority of the executive committee, or most board members can call a special meeting if necessary. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
