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i expect tonight’s debate between democratic candidates for the 57th district delegate seat will be more or less a rerun of the last one, but i am bound by this ancient curse to attend regardless. i’ll try to keep it to the highlights.
oh my god was this actually only three days ago? it feels like weeks.
very different crowd tonight, obviously. the league of women voters event was attended mostly by senior citizens. the university democrat-hosted event held in a UVA lecture hall seems to have attracted mostly students.
galvin opens by saying she came here straight from the ER - she’s visibly bruised & scraped from a bike accident. that black eye looks like it’s going to bloom spectacularly.
the refrain of the dangers of “unbridled development” is her rallying cry again tonight. i guess she hopes to put a bridle on developers and ride them into a beautiful neoliberal future.
hudson: “we need to lead with both our heads and our hearts,” as an economist she’s studied the detailed solutions, “but it’s also important that we put the full force of our values” behind that.
hudson: “racism is about so much more than tiki torch rallies,” it’s institutional and structural.
speaking to concerns of the room - she reminds students of the cost of healthcare once they’re off their parents’ plans
speaking to concerns of the room - she reminds students of the cost of healthcare once they’re off their parents’ plans
signal is not great in here! i had this problem last time i covered an event on grounds. what gives, uva?!
Q: how would you support initiatives brought by senator creigh deeds re: mental health initiatives?
galvin - we don’t have enough hospitals, clinics, or beds. “i would make sure we are working hand in glove” with deeds on this issue.
galvin - we don’t have enough hospitals, clinics, or beds. “i would make sure we are working hand in glove” with deeds on this issue.
galvin says she’s proud of the work she did with holly edwards to get a sliding scale health clinic in cville and would support initiatives to get local clinics.
hudson: we don’t talk enough about staffing clinics. we don’t have enough mental health professionals because we aren’t paying wages that make them attractive. would support funding for programs to make those careers more attractive to young people, invest in community colleges
Q: would you support statewide single payer in VA?
hudson: would love to see single payer nationally. states are reticent to invest in it because they think DC is going to pull the rug out from under them. “i think that interim solution looks like a medicaid buy-in”
hudson: would love to see single payer nationally. states are reticent to invest in it because they think DC is going to pull the rug out from under them. “i think that interim solution looks like a medicaid buy-in”
hudson: proposes interim solution that allows any virginian to buy into a publicly available plan. medicaid already exists statewide, it just gives people an opportunity to buy into the system while we wait for federal solutions.
galvin: it’s important that we shore up the ACA. “we’re not at a point right now where VA is prepared” for a public option, we need to understand the cost of that.
says we need to bring in more competition to drive prices down in the current system.
says we need to bring in more competition to drive prices down in the current system.
re: racially biased policing...
galvin: as a councilor, helped establish a police civilian review board. also says we need to legalize marijuana & commute sentences.
galvin: as a councilor, helped establish a police civilian review board. also says we need to legalize marijuana & commute sentences.
hudson: the first step to solving the problem is documenting the problem & proposes better, broader access to data. also proposes better bias training & recruiting people of color to the police force.
sorry, internally screaming forever as kathy galvin brags about how she fought racism as a school board member.
Q: do you support the death penalty?
galvin: no. not “in any way shape or form,” would not support any policy that supports the death penalty. she calls it “the ultimate crime” against our citizens.
shifts her response back to decriminalizing drug use.
galvin: no. not “in any way shape or form,” would not support any policy that supports the death penalty. she calls it “the ultimate crime” against our citizens.
shifts her response back to decriminalizing drug use.
“the state should not be in the business of executing people,” says hudson. death row is disproportionately black and brown men, it’s a symptom of racially disparate policing policies. no evidence death penalty is an effective deterrent.
hudson: governor northam could revoke the permits for the pipelines. that is within his power. legislators don’t get to vote on that but they can call for it & apply pressure.
galvin starts with a weird dig at hudson, saying she’s going to actually answer the question about climate change (i would argue that revoking the permits for the pipeline is definitely related to fighting climate change!)
because hudson mentioned galvin by name in calling on her to join in the demand to northam to revoke the pipeline permits, galvin gets 30 seconds to speak to that.
galvin says she thinks everyone is getting on board with the idea that we don’t need the pipeline and hopes it will be “old news” by the time she gets to richmond.
(so... she won’t ask northam to pull the permits?)
(so... she won’t ask northam to pull the permits?)
i’m gonna give galvin a pass on having trouble staying on topic tonight... the amount of bruising on her face is pretty gnarly. she’s gotta have a hell of a headache.
but that question was about corporate campaign donations & she talked about electric buses.
but that question was about corporate campaign donations & she talked about electric buses.
because galvin wandered far afield in her response, hudson is doing the same. quickly answering the question (no, won’t take corporate PAC money) and then switching to talking about clean energy.
galvin claimed earlier that VA is leading in wind & solar - hudson says “we have no wind,” and “north carolina is kicking our tail in solar” - lots of room for growth in those areas.
“it’s important to note that this is totally doable,” hudson says about the path from the dillon rule to home rule, which she advocates.
galvin: the dillon rule is not peculiar to VA, but it is very stringent here. she isn’t advocating for home rule, but inclusionary zoning.
galvin: the dillon rule is not peculiar to VA, but it is very stringent here. she isn’t advocating for home rule, but inclusionary zoning.
galvin: “the question is do you go for a full frontal assault on the dillon rule?” or bit by bit, piece by piece.
she says you have to have both strategies, but clearly favors the latter.
she says you have to have both strategies, but clearly favors the latter.
Q: “what is more important, doing what is right or doing what is pragmatic?”
hudson thinks for a second, then says “i’m gonna reject the premise of the question,” and says “you can do both.”
hudson thinks for a second, then says “i’m gonna reject the premise of the question,” and says “you can do both.”
hudson: “in politics, you only get some of what you ask for.” asking for everything IS what is pragmatic. it shifts the conversation, makes room for better compromise.
galvin: “i certainly don’t see pragmatism and doing the right thing as mutually exclusive.” she references her personal roadmap for moving the city toward equity (i would love to see that roadmap, kathy)
verbatim from her closing at the last debate, galvin: “sustainability is how well we treat our planet. equity is how well we treat each other.”
i can’t believe she’s still talking about the “racial equity” work she did on the school board. this is criminal.
i can’t believe she’s still talking about the “racial equity” work she did on the school board. this is criminal.
hudson closes by saying there’s so much we haven’t talked about tonight - the rising cost of college, the future of work... she tells the audience she and her team will be hanging out in the amphitheater afterwards to continue the conversation.
“in a time when DC is in disarray, state government is more important than ever,” hudson tells the audience, encouraging them not to sleep on this off-year primary. she reminds them that early voting starts april 28 (primary is june 11)
at what point is it just cruel to continue to cover such an imbalanced match?
