As is always the case the race for Lieutenant Governor in Virginia is overshadowed by the race for Governor and Attorney General. I have looked at the race for Governor several times to date - particularly the importance of making sure that GOP's presumptive candidate, Bob McDonnell, not be elected. *
Meanwhile, at the Lieutenant Governor level, the race is shaping up to be between GOP incumbent, Bill Bolling - who is a in my view a thinly disguised reactionary Republican with close ties to Christianist elements in the GOP - and the winner of a three way Democrat primary contest between Jon Bowerbank, a businessman from Russell County (in the extreme southwest corner of the state), Michael Signer, an attorney who worked for former governor Mark R. Warner and former State Treasurer and Finance Secretary Jody Wagner. I will confess upfront that I know Jody personally, particularly from when we served together on the Virginia College Building Authority from 2002-2004.
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I plan on talking with each of the Democrat candidates and presenting the substance of their views on issues relating to the LGBT community. Today, I spoke with Jody Wagner (her campaign website can be found here) while she was traveling across the Commonwealth and the following are her responses on unsuccessful gay rights related legislative issues from the last session of the General Assembly:
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1. NON-DISCRIMINATION IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. Despite broad support, the bill to add sexual orientation to the employment non-discrimination policies applicable to state employees, was tabled in committee.
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When asked about adding sexual orientation to the state non-discrimination protections for state employees, Jody Wagner said she supported such legislation without hesitation.
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2. GROUP LIFE INSURANCE. A bill that would have allowed employers to extend group life insurance policies to any class of persons as agreed to by the employer and its insurer as is now the case with group health insurance (Virginia was the last state to allow this) was likewise killed in a House subcommittee.
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As with the non-discrimination bill, Jody Wagner supports passage of such legislation and believes employers and insurers should be allowed to offer expanded benefits coverage.
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3. HOUSING NON-DISCRIMINATION. Two bills sought to add "sexual orientation" to the would have added "sexual orientation" to the Virginia Fair Housing Law covering all rental and sales transactions. covering non-discrimination in all rental and sales transactions. Once again, the bills were killed in a House of Delegates subcommittee.
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Jody Wagner supports adding "sexual orientation" to the Virginia Fair Housing Law covering all rental and sales transactions. Moreover, she reminded me that she served on the Virginia Housing Development Authority when the VHDA Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to remove the so-called “family rule” that required those borrowing money from the agency to purchase a home to be related by blood, marriage or adoption. The Family Foundation and extreme Christianist groups went beserk over the vote, but the policy change was upheld.
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4. ANTI-BULLYING POLICY. A bill was introduced that would have required the model policy to specifically address bullying directed at a student because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. After numerous amendments, all references to sexual orientation or gender expression were removed.
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As with her other responses, Jody Wagner supports anti-gay bullying policies protective of LGBT students. She is a strong opponent of bullying on any basis.
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As soon as I get responses from Mike Signer and Jon Bowerbank, I will do follow up posts. Suffice it to say, any of the primary candidates wiould be an improvement over Bill Bolling. I also intend to speak further with Brian Moran, a Democrat candidate for governor, who I met with at the Commonwealth Dinner earlier in the month.
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