Red Equality Symbol Floods Social Media with Defense of Marriage Act Arguments Under Way

State Sen. Adam Ebbin, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner among those who have changed their profile pictures.

You probably have seen a red square with a pink equals sign on it in your Facebook, Twitter and other social media feeds lately — a symbol that stands for marriage equality. It stems from an effort by the Human Rights Campaign that coincides with oral arguments being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this week regarding the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA, as it is known, allows the federal government to discriminate against same-sex couples. The equality symbol signifies that marriage really is all about love, according to the Human Rights Campaign. "It's nice for people on Facebook to see their Facebook friends standing up, and seeing so many people doing that," said state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria. Ebbin, who is…

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Divided Virginia Senate Approves Transportation Overhaul

Democratic Sen. Janet Howell calls compromise — expected to raise $880 million a year for roads and mass transit —"truly the best we're going to get."

By Stephen Nielsen Capital News Service A divided Virginia Senate this weekend passed Gov. Bob McDonnell’s signature issue of the 2013 legislative session — a bill to overhaul the state’s system for funding transportation. Just hours before the session’s end, the Senate voted 25-15 for a bill that would raise about $880 million a year more for roads and mass transit by increasing sales taxes while lowering fuel tax. The debate over how to increase revenue continued right up to the vote. Among Arlington's representatives in the Senate, state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, voted against the measure. Sens. Janet Howell, D-Reston, and Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, voted for it. “This isn’t any bill. This is the only bill,” said Senate Majority …

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ICYMI: Ebbin's Absentee Voting Privacy Bill Advances

House could vote on matter as early as Tuesday.

Bill That Takes Personal Info Out of Absentee Voting Heads to House Floor

Virginia voters wishing to cast an absentee ballot would still be required to give a reason.

A bill designed to alleviate privacy concerns about the absentee voting process could be heard by the full House of Delegates as early as Tuesday. The legislation, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Adam Ebbin, would still require a person to give a valid reason to vote absentee, though certain personal information would no longer be required on the application. "It's important that we not set up artificial roadblocks to voting absentee," Ebbin told Patch in a phone interview. "While some of my colleagues seem to not want to make it easier to vote, I was happy that we are removing an unnecessary roadblock — or, an unnecessary invasion of privacy." Ebbin's bill is a far cry from no-excuse absentee voting, sometimes called early voting, which …

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Virginia House Subcommittee Kills Ebbin's Nondiscrimination Bill

Ebbin: Proposed law was aimed at protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender state employees.

A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee this week tabled a bill that would have prevented the state government from discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation, essentially killing the matter for this legislative session. "What it means is that it's still perfectly legal to fire somebody because of their sexual orientation," state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, told Patch. Ebbin and Sen. Don McEachin, a Richmond Democrat, were the primary sponsors of the bill, which passed the Senate late last month 24-16. Most of Virginia's top 25 employers have nondiscrimination policies in place that include sexual orientation, according to Ebbin's office. In 2005, then-Gov. Mark Warner issued an executive order that protected …

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Krupicka, Ebbin Hosting Town Hall on Saturday in Alexandria

Both lawmakers represent part of Arlington in the Virginia General Assembly.

State Del. Rob Krupicka and Sen. Adam Ebbin will host a town hall from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Charles Houston Recreation Center in Old Town Alexandria to discuss this winter's General Assembly session. The two Democrats are based in Alexandria but their legislative districts include parts of Arlington. They will take comments and questions during the 90-minute session. No RSVP is necessary. Krupicka, a former member of the Alexandria City Council and the Virginia Board of Education, was elected to the House of Delegates in a special election in September 2012. Visit Richmond Sunlight for a detailed look at the bills Krupicka has worked on this session. Ebbin is in his first term as senator, winning election to the office in …

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Proposed Law Would Prevent Children Under 15 From Tanning in Salons

Legislation in Virginia's General Assembly would also require older teens to get parental permission before using a tanning salon.

By Allison Landry Capital News Service Children under 15 would no longer be able to use indoor tanning salons under legislation moving through the Virginia General Assembly. The state Senate recently approved Senate Bill 1274, which would prohibit individuals 14 and younger from using a tanning device at a tanning facility. It would also require most 15- to 17-year-olds to get their parent or guardian's consent before visiting a tanning parlor. The bill could become law, pending the outcome of a House vote. It is waiting to be reviewed in the House Committee on Commerce and Labor.  “The goal is to try to reduce incidents of cancer, which is a significant issue particularly for children and adolescents who use tanning beds,” said Sen. …

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Letter to the Editor: Special Thanks to Lopez, Ebbin

Patch welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity and brevity. Links added by Patch.

Dear Editor, This year Del. Alfonso Lopez and Sen. Adam Ebbin patroned similar bills designed to extend in-state college tuition to Virginia youth that qualify for residency under the new federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Currently, these students must pay out-of-state tuition for Virginia colleges even if they have lived, and their parents have paid taxes, in the commonwealth for decades. Without in-state tuition to help them afford higher education, many — if not most — of these young people will unable to advance their education and will be relegated to a second-class existence.  By letting them pay in-state tuition, Virginia would invest in its future workforce and enhance the ability of these young people to …

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Should Virginia Allow Governors to Serve Two Consecutive Terms? Senate Says Yes

State Sen. Adam Ebbin co-sponsored legislation.

By Shelby Mertens Capital News Service Starting in 2017, Virginia voters could have the opportunity to reelect the governor to a second consecutive term if the House joins the Senate in seeking to amend the state’s Constitution. The Senate has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to allow governors to serve two terms in a row. The vote last week was 25-15.  The resolution now moves to the House of Delegates, where its fate is uncertain. “I’m not real optimistic about its chances, but I think it’s the right thing to do,” said Sen. John Miller, D-Newport News. "We ought to give the voters the opportunity to decide whether a governor should keep his job and be reelected." Virginia is the only state that does not allow governors to …

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