Content Warning: in this episode, we discuss eugenics and forced sterilization, and a brief mention of rape in the back half. Eugenics is a term we associate with fascist regimes--a pseudo-scientific approach to control the qualities of humanity by choosing who gets to reproduce and who does not. And Virginia was one of its earliest adopters--the Virginia Eugenics Sterilization Act passed in 1924, and the nation's first state-sanctioned compulsory sterilization was performed on Virginia citizen Carrie Buck in 1927.

In this episode, we talk with author and historian Elizabeth Catte, author of Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia. In this book, she examines Virginia's history of eugenics through the land we use today: considering the experiences of Virginia's disabled, Black, Native, and other marginalized communities in the 20th century--and the reasons why this period of our history has largely gone unspoken.

In a year of pandemic-induced upheaval, much of daily life has shifted to a series of online interactions. From public school to telehealth and even many white-collar professions--broadband internet access has gone from “important” to “mission-critical infrastructure” in the blink of an eye. But nearly a quarter-million homes and businesses in Virginia are unserved by broadband internet access, either because the infrastructure doesn't exist or it's too expensive. The repercussions in an increasingly online world are dangerous. So what can Virginia do about it?

To answer that question, we turn to the experts: Dr. Christopher Ali, an Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. He specializes in Broadband Policy, Planning, and Deployment, and is the author of Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity. We also talk with Evan Feinman, the Chief Broadband Advisor for Governor Ralph Northam, to discuss Virginia's progress and its path to greater broadband access going forward.

There are many ways to influence legislators and policymakers: some write letters and call their lawmakers; others organize campaigns to march or campaign. Organized capital -- in the form of businesses and industry -- has the most influence of all. That’s where lobbying comes in.

Lobbyists hold so much influence in Virginia that there's even a term for it in Richmond: a “shadow government” that dominates Virginia policy-making without a single elected official. How does this shadow government work--and why is Virginia so uniquely susceptible to their influence? How important is that influence overall?

This week, we talk to Jeff Schapiro, a political columnist for the Richmond Times-DIspatch, who has covered Virginia's politics and government for over forty years. We also talk with Robert Zullo, founder and editor of the Virginia Mercury, an independent news organization based in Richmond, to learn exactly how lobbyists operate in Virginia--and what their influence means for our state laws.

Virginia's gubernatorial race is just around the corner, taking place in November 2021. And with 13 candidates in the running--7 Republicans, 5 Democrats, and an independent--it's a crowded field. This week, we finish our two-part series diving into the five Democratic candidates for governor: who are they, and what do they stand for?

Jennifer McClellan is a State Senator who represents Virginia's 9th District; Justin Fairfax is the current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia; Terry McAuliffe is the former governor of Virginia. We asked all three candidates plainly about their campaign strategies and their policies to help working Virginians, including:

• What makes you the right person for the job?
• What are your top priorities to help working-class Virginians -- to get them a living wage and affordable healthcare?
• How do you plan to win the election and then get things done once in office?

The Virginia Democratic primary takes place on Tuesday, June 8th, and early in-person and absentee voting start on April 24th.

Virginia's gubernatorial race is just around the corner, taking place in November 2021. And with 13 candidates in the running--7 Republicans, 5 Democrats, and an independent--it's a crowded field. This week, we begin a two-part series diving into the five Democratic candidates for governor: who are they, and what do they stand for?

Jennifer Carroll Foy is a former state delegate who represented Virginia's 2nd District; Lee Carter is a delegate representing Virginia's 50th District. We asked both candidates plainly about their campaign strategies and their policies to help working Virginians, including:

• What makes you the right person for the job?
• What are your top priorities to help working-class Virginians -- to get them a living wage and affordable healthcare?
• How do you plan to win the election and then get things done once in office?

The Virginia Democratic primary takes place on Tuesday, June 8th, and early in-person and absentee voting start on April 24th.

Another session of the Virginia General Assembly has come to a close. This marks the second year that the House of Delegates, the State Senate, and the Governorship were all in Democratic control. That’s the first time in decades--a change so remarkable that it inspired us to start this very podcast in 2020.

So what did the General Assembly manage to pass this year? And what has the blue legislature managed to achieve more broadly with two sessions in power? To answer those questions, we talk with state Delegate Sally Hudson, as well as journalist Peter Galuszka.

There's an underlying principle to Virginia politics that often goes unmentioned--it's called the Dillon Rule, and it effectively says that local governments only have powers that are explicitly granted by the state. How does this affect our local legislators and our state as a whole?

To answer that question, we talk to Richard Schragger, the Parre Bowen Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law and the author of City Power: Urban Governance in a Global Age. We also talk to Andreas Addison, a member of the Richmond City Council and a lecturer at the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, who has dealt with the Dillon Rule as part of his legislative experience.

Episode Note

With the 2021 legislative session in full swing, hundreds of bills have been introduced into the General Assembly. Some have passed and some haven't -- and some are yet to be debated. A lot of these bills are written and promoted by big-money industries and lobbying groups who have the time and money to spare.

But this week on Bold Dominion, we dig into two examples of citizen activists who are making a difference in the legislature. In the first half of the episode, Brennan Gilmore of Clean Virginia explains how his organization fights corruption in Virginia's government, especially as it deals with energy policy and Dominion. In the second half, we chat with Ashton Willcox, Matthew Savage, and Adrian Klaits, a group of bipartisan teenage political leaders who successfully introduced a bill that would Virginia students one excused absence every year to participate in civic engagement.

Episode Notes

More and more, it seems like all political conversation is happening at the national level--Presidential elections, Congressional ratios, party divides and infighting. So much so that we forget just how much of our lives can be affected by our local politics right at home. Your mayor, your sheriff, your county Board of Supervisors--these are the people who decide where to build your neighborhoods and roads, how to fund public education, and what police officers focus on. That's a lot of important stuff.

In this episode, we sit down with Rich Meagher, Associate Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College and author of Local Politics Matters: A Citizen's Guide to Making a Difference, to discuss how local government works and the ways that we citizens can have a hand in shaping our communities for the better.

Episode Notes

With absurd and dangerous events going on in D.C. and the Capitol this week, it's easy to forget about the state and local legislators are soon to be meeting in Richmond, our own state capital here in Virginia. With the General Assembly meeting for its regular session in 2021, a host of important economic issues are slated for discussion as Virginia struggles to survive the pandemic and beyond.

This week, we bring an interview with Delegate Sally Hudson, who represents Virginia's 57th district in the Virginia House of Delegates, discussing the legislative process this year and the way lawmakers plan to deal with unemployment across the state, among other key issues.