Regarding the city's budget and certain other matters of note: Perhaps the General Assembly needs to create a new court -- one with exclusive authority to rule on disputes within Richmond's government. An excellent pick to be the first judge on the new bench would be Solomon.
One of the welcome laws that went into effect this week targets underage drinking. Under the old statutes, drivers under 21 who had taken drinks before sliding behind the wheel but who were not legally drunk faced only fines, community service, and license suspensions of six months. The new law elevates the offense to a misdemeanor carrying an automatic license suspension of one year and other penalties.
Credit for the change goes to Kurt Erickson, whose Washington Regional Alcohol Program labors tirelessly to deter abuse and to ameliorate the pain irresponsible drinking inflicts.
Is Virginia blue, red, or what? In Tomorrow's Commentary section, Quentin Kidd -- chairman of Christopher Newport University's Department of Government -- says, "Purple," and explains why. The state's Republicans should not miss the column. They also shouldn't miss Grand New Party, a new book in which Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam explain "how Republicans can win back the working class and save the American Dream." A Commentary "Reading Room" will assess Grand New Party from a variety of perspectives.
State transportation officials are studying Amtrak routes. Should the passenger trains running through Central Virginia continue to serve Ashland and the Staples Mill station before continuing south and southeast (regional trains to Williamsburg and Newport News stop at Main Street Station as well)? Or should they switch to the so-called Buckingham line to the east, thereby skirting Ashland, Staples Mill, and the infamous backups at Acca Yard? The routing of trains raises technical questions that lie beyond our ken, but . . .
. . . We would hate to see Ashland and Staples Mill lose choo-choos. Suburbs and outlying areas deserve stations. Consider greater Washington. The District of Columbia's Union Station remains the hub but trains stop at Quantico, Springfield, Alexandria, and at similar points in Maryland. We also support high-speed rail, a consideration that likely will affect the routing recommendation. And regarding traffic at Acca Yard: We suspect the dilemma could be resolved with relocating the switching ground, or demanding greater efficiencies from CSX. We recommend a provocative June 14 Op/Ed column in which Richard Beadles -- a man who loves trains -- addresses the Acca issue. The column is available on inRich.com.
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