Description

Episode 59: Closing the Department of Education; Governors & Cannabis Reform in Virginia. “What fresh hell is coming over here?” This week, Brian, Chris and Andy covered several key topics, including the potential closure of the Department of Education, education reform, and marijuana legalization in Virginia. They explored some of the implications of President Trump's Executive Order to close the Department of Education, with Brian noting the potential funding gap this creates for Virginia schools, Chris arguing for the benefits of decentralization in education, and Andy expressing some concerns about potential resource disparities. They then moved to the ongoing debate surrounding cannabis reform in the Virginia, Governor Youngkin’s continued resistance, and how the leading candidates for Governor stand on marijuana in Virginia, including NORML’s report card scores. 

Relevant links to today’s episode:

• Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities
• Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Empowers Parents, States, and Communities to Improve Education Outcomes
• Governor Glenn Youngkin: Virginia is Ready to Take Full Responsibility for K-12 Education
• Youngkin: ‘Virginia is ready to take full responsibility for K-12 education’

• CLPVA pod on education: School Choice & Educational Reform
• CLPVA pod on education: Educational Reform, Part 2: Empowering Educators and Families
• Virginia’s top schools leader, Lisa Coons, abruptly resigns
• Virginia's legal weed market could generate $300M, but faces likely veto
• National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
• NORML: Smoke the Vote: Abigail Spanberger (D - VA) (A)

• NORML: Smoke the Vote: Winsome Earle Sears (R - VA) (F)
• Issue Position: Marijuana and Hemp Policy
• CLPVA podcast: End The Drug War, with Special Guest, Elizabeth Nolan Brown

Other items in the news:

• Notes on the State of Politics: New Hampshire Senate and Change in Virginia
• Trump used to be kryptonite for GOP in Virginia, but not this year
• Sen. Warner seeks answers about ICE detaining US citizen
• Administration Officials Believe Order Lets Immigration Agents Enter Homes Without Warrants
• DOGE is struggling to find fraud in Social Security
• U.S. Lodges New Accusations Against Detained Columbia Protest Leader

We’re all over Bluesky!

• CLPVA on Bluesky: @clpvirginia.org
• Liberal Party USA on Bluesky: @liberalpartyusa.bsky.social
• Brian on Bluesky: @biodoss.bsky.social
• Chris on Bluesky: @frashure.bsky.social
• Andy on Bluesky: @andyjabbour.bsky.social

More:

• Classical Liberal Party of Virginia Open markets. Open minds. Free people. https://clpvirginia.org
• Liberal Party USA: ⁠https://www.liberalpartyusa.org⁠
• Facebook: Classical Liberal Party of Virginia
• Instagram: classicalliberalpartyva
• X, formerly Twitter: @clpvirginia
• Chris Frashure: The Open Mode
• Andy’s Substack: America’s Awesome