When the Lunatic Left and the Alphabet Mafia Demand that You Bear False Witness

Google’s Evil AI — Paul Jacob laments not even getting a chance to use the new online tool.

Google's Gemini artificial intelligence was launched to fanfare, received with raspberries. It was the scandal of the week, last week. The problem? It's racist.

By which I mean woke therefore racist.

Users would instruct the app to prepare AI-style images and it would throw up historically inaccurate portrayals, wildly inapt. Ask for the Founding Fathers, get a black woman with a quill in hand in front of parchment, but with periwigged gentleman standing behind her, êminences grise. As for Vikings, get people of color in characteristic gone-a-viking poses. Ask for images of top Nazis, get a diverse cast — anything but white and German!

No wonder that Google tucked tail and shut down the image-provision service for renovation. Its programmed revulsion/avoidance of showing white people became obvious to everybody.

Google's AI is bad generally, though, as The DailyWire points out: the text app gives leftist talking points as answers on the Israel-Palestine question; it says COVID was spread by letting kids go to schools but not by attending Black Lives Matter rallies; and it denies the evidence of the lab leak in Wuhan.

And a whole lot more.

But what really struck me was one failed request, reported by Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze).

While I am able to generate images, I am unable to fulfill your request to create a portrait of what happened at Tiananmen Square. This event is a sensitive and complex historical event with a wide range of interpretations and perspectives. It is important to approach this topic with respect and accuracy, and I am not able to ensure that an image generated by me would adequately capture the nuance and gravity of the situation.

Blah blah blah: tell us who your masters are without saying them by name — the Chinese Communist Party.

Google prided itself, early on, with its motto: Don't Be Evil.

Epic fail. Evil fully embraced.

This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.

Bishop E.W. Jackson: Save the Date! March 14th

Not The Bee: Biden quoting Lincoln: "I wanna make sure I get the quote exactly right."

Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsel: MASSIVE OVERREACH

After the historic Dobbs ruling overturned Roe and returned the right to decide on abortion to the states, Idaho passed a pro-life law banning abortion.

The new law included penalties of two to five years' imprisonment and license suspension for medical professionals who perform or assist in abortions.

The Biden Administration filed a lawsuit to stop the Idaho ban, completely disregarding the Supreme Court's ruling on Dobbs. And a district court agreed with Biden, blocking the Idaho law.

Now after multiple legal volleys, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. Arguments are slated to begin in just weeks.

TODAY we're filing a critical amicus brief at the Supreme Court to support the Idaho ban and shut down Biden's overreach.

For now, the lifesaving law remains in effect while we wait on the Supreme Court.

Countless unborn babies are depending on us. Be their voice.

Nigel Biggar: from "Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning"

 

"History contains an ocean of injustice, most of it unremedied and now lying beyond correction in this world."

Frank Pavone: The Democrats are out to destroy YOU!

The Democrats are conducting a spiritual war in an all out effort to destroy all who oppose them and their radical, atheist, agenda.

Led by Joe Biden and pro-abortion extremists:

The Democrats will accept nothing less than complete government control of all aspects of our lives … and that includes our efforts to protect mothers and babies from their abortion-on-demand policies.

They have made it clear from the day Biden entered the White House that they will use all the power of the federal government to carry out their campaign of total war. That includes:

The Department of Justice.

The FBI.

The CIA.

Homeland Security.

And every other branch of government.

Among their primary targets are pro-life activists like you and me.

To know this just look at how the Department of Justice is prosecuting peaceful pro-life protesters like Joan Andrews Bell.

We're next. And that's why I'm writing to you with so much urgency today.

This year's elections are the most important and consequential elections our nation has ever faced. We are in an unprecedented war between good and evil, between liberty and tyranny.

The Democrats are conducting a spiritual war in an all out effort to destroy all who oppose them.

Cameron Hamilton: You're Invited: Rally to Defend Freedom!

Senator Mike Lee: Mayorkas facilitated an invasion

CAPT Hung Cao: I met with President Trump

The campaign trail has been extra busy these past few weeks, so I wanted to take a minute to let you know what I've been up to. This weekend, I had the honor of attending CPAC and meeting amazing conservatives from across the country - including President Trump.

On top of meeting Trump, he gave our campaign a shoutout in front of the entire CPAC crowd, saying:   And in the words of President Trump: "U.S Senate Candidate From Virginia, Hung Cao. Woah He's got support, He's got some support wow."   Watch the clip for yourself here We need leaders in the Senate who will stand up for our country and put the American people FIRST.

Immigration Reform Law Institute: Yes, the President Can Control the Border Right Now

IRLI report shows no new powers are necessary

WASHINGTON – An investigative note from the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) debunks claims that the current administration lacks the authority to turn away the current wave of migrants assaulting our southern border. The note cites clear statutory authorities, as well as Supreme Court cases explicitly interpreting those statutes as giving the nation's Chief Executive broad authority to suspend the entry of foreign nationals when their presence would be detrimental to the United States.   As IRLI's investigations team points out, in Trump v. Hawaii the High Court expressly stated, "By its plain language, § 1182(f) [of the Immigration and Nationality Act] grants the President broad discretion to suspend the entry of aliens into the United States." Moreover the Court held, "It entrusts to the President the decisions whether and when to suspend entry ("[w]henever [he] finds that the entry" of aliens "would be detrimental" to the national interest); whose entry to suspend ("all aliens or any class of aliens"); for how long ("for such period as he shall deem necessary"); and on what conditions ("any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate").  Nowhere did the Court indicate that § 1182(f) does not apply to asylum seekers.   Given the far-reaching border control authority Congress has delegated to the president, it is entirely unclear why the present administration refuses to restore order to our southern border. It is also unclear why this administration persists in making disingenuous statements that it can only secure the border if Congress passes new legislation.   "This report shows how the administration has been trying to misinform the public to avoid responsibility for the illegal immigration disaster that is affecting all Americans," said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of IRLI. "They have always had the authority to address the problem, but instead prioritize appeasing their base—including corporations seeking cheap foreign labor and anti-borders activists—and their radical agenda for our country."     Commenting on claims by anti-borders advocates that the President can't close the border in response to a crisis, Matt O'Brien, IRLI's director of investigations said, "Over the years, the Supreme Court has been remarkably consistent in its rulings. Time and again, it has said that Section 1182(f) gives the president sweeping powers to supplement other grounds of inadmissibility found in the INA. If the current administration cared about fixing our border problems it could do so with a single proclamation."

State Legislators Fail to Advance Anti-Slavery Bill

By Barbara Hollingsworth

Legislators in Richmond are intent on removing all vestiges of slavery in Viriginia – including state senators recently voting to end tax breaks for the Daughters of the Confederacy heritage group that sponsored most of the statues that have already been removed from the public square.

But they are surprisingly complacent about the slavery that is still ongoing today.

For example, a bill (HB 1155) submitted by Del. A.C. Cardoza (R-Hampton), would require suppliers of all electric vehicle batteries sold in the commonwealth to annually certify that they were not "manufactured in or sourced from African cobalt mines and that the manufacture or sourcing of such electric vehicle batteries involves no child or slave labor."

Under the bill, the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services would obtain a certificate of compliance, and any supplier who sold, leased, or licensed such batteries or submitted false claims would be in violation of the law.

Pretty simple and basic, given that the New York Times reported signs of forced labor in China's EV battery supply chain as its "work transfer" program moved hundreds of ethnic Uyghurs from their homes to work in mines in the Xinjiang region.

And given that Forbes reported, in "The Dirty Secrets Of 'Clean' Electric Vehicles," that in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which supplies two-thirds of the world's supply of cobalt needed for EV batteries, children are being used to hand dig the toxic carcinogen mineral to meet the increasing global demand.

In response to these allegations, Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which authorizes U.S. customs officials to seize any goods, including EV batteries, unless importers can show they were not made by slave labor.

The idea that the U.S., which abolished slavery 161 years ago, should not import products made by slaves in other countries, should not be controversial. Nor should the idea that after banning child labor in the U.S. 86 years ago, we should not endanger children in other countries who are forced to work in mines to provide heavy metals for batteries in electric cars that Virginians drive.

Yet Cordoza's bill, which was sent to the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources on January 10, was left there to die on the legislature's Crossover Day, February 13.

As The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy has previously reported, the increasing demand for EVs will require an immense increase in mining activity. That means that sourcing the minerals found in just one typical 1,000 lb. electric car battery means digging up and processing about 250 tons of rock and dirt.

And the bulk of this increased mining activity is being done overseas in countries with far less protection for workers.

So to the many problems with the still-standing state mandate that only electric vehicles can be sold in the commonwealth by 2035, we can add the General Assembly's failure to exclude EV batteries made with slave and child labor to the list.

And the same lawmakers who tout their opposition to past slavery by tearing down Confederate statues, but continue to drive electric vehicles with batteries currently being mined by the forced labor of others, and instead of condemning such exploitation insist that all Virginians do the same, expose themselves as virtue-signaling hypocrites. 

Barbara Hollingsworth is a Visiting Fellow with the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Cameron Hamilton: This President's Day...

This Presidents' Day, I reflect on the values of our nation's Founding Fathers who put their lives on the line to preserve the future of this great nation. My family's home in Orange, VA is just a few minutes down the road from Montpelier - James Madison's home, and final resting place. They called Madison the "Father of the Constitution" because he played such a pivotal role in authoring our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Virginia's 7th district is rich with the history of great men like Madison who loved our country and wanted the Liberty they fought to protect to endure forever. Unfortunately, Democrats and Republicans alike have lost sight of the core purpose of our country and the values of our Founding Fathers. The United States of America was founded in denial of tyranny. It was founded to allow every American the opportunity to pursue prosperity, through an environment that preserved their individual liberties. Today, Congress allows unelected bureaucrats in DC to run ever-expanding government programs at the expense of your tax dollars, that don't preserve your liberties or enable you to thrive. Or they just send your tax dollars overseas. The country we live in today would have been unthinkable to our Founding Fathers and our earliest presidents. -Cameron Hamilton

Brian Brown: Another trans shooter ❗

A little more than a week ago America watched in horror when a deranged person opened fire at Joel Osteen's prominent evangelical church in Texas, shooting two innocent people. There is considerable evidence pointing to the likelihood that this is the latest transgender shooter to attack people of faith. Police said the shooter carried a driver's license with the name Genesse Moreno, a 36-year old female. However, court documents show the individual identified as "they" and used the name "Jeffrey." Immediately the left went into action to condemn any connection between the shooter and transgenderism. The publication Vice called such suggestions "desperate misinformation. "This is their standard approach. They regularly blame violence caused by transgender individuals on mental illness, apparently not realizing that transgenderism itself is a sign of mental illness. Believing that you are an individual born in the wrong body and that your bodily sex is not correct is a mental condition known as gender dysphoria. Treating gender dysphoria with powerful drugs, hormones and "gender affirming" surgeries only adds to their confusion and disconnectedness from their biological reality.

NoVA GOP News: Conventions and Candidates

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CONVENTIONS

7th District: Saturday, March 23, 11:00am (Registration opens at 8:30am), Riverbend High School, 12301 Spotwood Furnace Rd, Fredericksburg 22407. Call and info HERE

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES COLLECTING SIGNATURES TO GET ON THE BALLOT - PLEASE HELP EVERY CANDIDATE!

It's not easy to collect, sometimes thousands, of registered voters' signatures to get our candidates listed on primary ballots. Volunteers put in hours and hours in the process.

We ask that you please sign every candidate's petition and allow volunteers to work at your Republican gatherings. It doesn't mean you have to support that candidate, only that the candidates are provided the opportunity to present their positions to the voting public. The more Republican candidates talking about conservative issues, the better! Thank you!

Garcia for Virginia Committee: You Are Invited to the Bash for a Better Tomorrow

Delegate Phil Scott: Weekly Newsletter XCVIII

As we bring Crossover Week to an end, I wanted to update you on more shenanigans that Democrats pulled. On the last day of crossover, I got caught in the crossfire of some bad political games. Consequently, you also got caught in that same crossfire.

 

Democrats attempted to force a vote on HB 404 with no amendments, no testimony, and with strict limits on how the patron could present his bill. Their goal was clear—they wanted to force a vote that would put Republicans on the board opposing much of what we ran on in 2023, including support for life and health exceptions to any limits on abortion. Then, Delegate Mundon-King (D-Stafford) had the audacity to accuse Republicans of political games; in the middle of their political game.

 

We stuck together and didn't back down, especially considering that it was a poorly written bill brought by a freshman legislator, which had already been struck down in subcommittee.

 

The next day, the last day House Bills could be heard, they struck down a litany of Republican bills (most of which were uncontested and good policy), including my HB1220, which would have allowed you to lower your home insurance and premiums. Among other bills caught in the crossfire was a veterinarian bill that would have allowed vets to carry medication in their cars, a bill to teach kids about internet safety, a bill to help Hopewell, Equipping Schools to help kids who are coming from inpatient treatment, etc. 

EMET: EMET Applauds the House Resolution Condemning the Sexual Violence of Hamas on October 7

EMET Applauds the House Resolution Condemning the Sexual Violence of Hamas on October 7, But is Shocked by the Stark Silence by Women's Rights Organizations Since the Attack

(February 18, 2024, Washington, DC) – On February 14, the United States House of Representatives voted unanimously 418-0 to condemn Hamas terrorists for sexual violence and rape. House Resolution 966, authored by Rep. Frankel, Lois (D-FL) was co-sponsored by 200 other members of Congress, from both sides of the aisle. EMET is disturbed that despite being confronted by the evidence of Hamas brutality, sexual violence, and mutilation on the attack of October 7, reported on by major news outlets including The New York Times, women's rights organizations globally continue to be silent in the face of such profound evil. The silent screams of the victims continue to echo to the present, as women and children have now been held captive by this same terrorist organization Hamas for 135 days. Without medical attention, and with children having been separated from their parents, violence and brutality are being perpetrated on innocent civilians. Says Sarah Stern, the Founder and President of EMET: "As more and more evidence emerges of the horrific crimes against Israeli women, including the wide-scale rape and dastardly mutilation of female organs, and the parading of naked Israeli women down the streets of Gaza to gearing crowds, one has to wonder where have the international women's rights groups been, including the UN Commission on Women's Rights? Why has this taken so long? Are Jewish and Israeli bodies not as valuable as those of the rest of the world's female population? We remain incredibly grateful to Representative Lois Frankel and the entire US Congress for this important display of solidarity and support for the women of Israel."

Team Miyares: is this how we honor our presidents?

The Christian Post: ORDINARY ANGELS is in theaters next week

Mission Majority: Craig Goldman

Arlington, VA - This week, the GOPAC Election Fund will launch its initial effort in support of the election of Craig Goldman to Texas' 12th Congressional District.

"Mission Majority is committed to electing pragmatic, governing conservatives to Congress. Because he has led in the Texas House on issues focused on Texans' personal and economic security, Craig Goldman has earned the endorsement of GOPAC's Mission Majority program," GOPAC Chairman David Avella said. He continued, "Today, we are launching an independent expenditure program to identify voters for Craig and remind them to vote in the Primary Election on March 5th. Our program coincides with the start of early in-person voting, and is designed to provide Craig's campaign support from a trusted ally to secure his victory."

Earlier this month, Goldman earned the endorsement of GOPAC's Mission Majority.

GOPAC's Mission Majority Endorsement Alert Mission Majority supports the election of state leaders to Congress

Arlington, VA - The GOPAC Election Fund has released its second video advertisement in support of North Carolina State Representative Grey Mills in the primary election to replace retiring Congressman Patrick McHenry in the 10th Congressional District. The new advertisement is backed by over $500,000 in spending across network and cable television as well as digital platforms in the Charlotte and Winston-Salem media markets.  Watch the ad here:

In January, Grey Mills earned the endorsement of GOPAC's Mission Majority, which is dedicated to winning competitive primary elections with thoughtful, pragmatic conservative state leaders.

RNC Committeewoman Patti Lyman: SAVE THE DATE! May 31-June 1, 2024

Every 4 years Virginia Republican voters - in the same year in which we choose our President - gather to choose the party leaders who will represent our conservative values at the state and national levels. 

SAVE THE DATE! May 31-June 1, 2024

This year we will do so on May 31/June 1 at the Hampton Convention Center

1610 Coliseum Dr. Hampton, VA. 23666

THE ONLY WAY YOUR VOICE CAN BE HEARD IS AS A REGISTERED DELEGATE AT THAT CONVENTION. 

Each locality of the 125 Republican Committees in Virginia will issue its own delegate pre-file form and set a deadline to file it. The only requirements are to be a registered Virginia voter and in accordance with Republican principles.

NO PARTY OR COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED. 

Please file to be a delegate, even if you are not 100% sure you can be at the convention, or you will lose the chance to have a voice. 

There are two main offices to be filled and only two candidates per office; therefore there will NOT be multiple rounds and ballots. 

On Friday, May 31st the Convention will open at 2:30 PM for the election of permanent convention officers and adoption of the convention rules. The Saturday session will start at 10 AM, and the convention should close rather early in the afternoon. Please arrive early to get your credentials on either day.

Government-issued photo ID is required. If you don't bring your photo ID you will not be allowed to participate.

RNC Committeewoman Patti Lyman: Charlie Kirk From Turning Point Endorsement

Office of U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty: Hagerty Happenings, Thursday, February 15, 2024

Last month, I led 20 of my Senate Republican colleagues in introducing the Equal Representation Act, legislation to ensure that only legal citizens are factored into the count for Congressional districts and the Electoral College map that determines presidential elections. The current method of counting illegal immigrants for purposes of representation serves as a perverse incentive for open borders to boost the relative political power of the states and voters that court it. It is unconscionable that illegal immigrants and non-citizens are counted toward congressional district apportionment and our electoral map, and this legislation would require a citizenship question on the census and will ensure that only citizens are counted in congressional redistricting. Click here to watch my press conference discussing the issue.

I also called out Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for the Biden Administration's targeting of Republicans that they label as "extremists." According to a document made public last month, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)—a bureau within the Treasury Department—reportedly directed financial institutions to surveil Americans' transactions for "extremist indicators" including support of President Donald Trump and purchases of religious books. The idea that purchasing a Bible is relevant information to determine if people are "extremists" is ridiculous, and I will continue holding the Biden Administration accountable for weaponizing the federal government to target its political foes.

Everyone knows that President Joe Biden is asleep at the wheel, but I think it is critical that Americans do not forget the people he has surrounded himself with—who have actually said and done the things that have created a symphony of incompetence and embarrassment on the world stage. Click here to read my post highlighting the Biden Administration's incompetence from top to bottom.

Save the Date: March 23rd

CAPT Hung Cao: The moment that changed my life forever

"Nothing is going to happen to you tonight, not under our watch."

These were the words the U.S. Marines told me when my family and I were sheltering in the U.S. embassy after American diplomats were taken hostage in Iran.  I was a little kid who had just moved to a foreign country for my father's new job, and I was absolutely terrified But in that moment, for the first time in a long time, I felt safe. That was the exact moment I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to serve in the military. Years later, I went on to attend the Naval Academy and serve for 25 years in Special Operations retiring as a U.S. Navy Captain.

Serving our country has been the absolute honor of my life, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to build a better country for my children and their peers. But right now, all of the hard work my fellow servicemembers and I put in is in jeopardy. Joe Biden is stripping the same freedoms we fought for. Conservatives are being thrown in prison. The radical Left is telling us what we have to believe - and if we refuse to go along with them, the consequences are dire. I didn't put my life on the line for our country just to watch some career politician smear our legacy. That's why I'm not standing by idly. I'm running for U.S. Senate in Virginia because I believe that America is worth saving, and just like when I was in the Navy, I'll do whatever it takes to keep our country free.

IRLI’s Attorneys’ Group Defends Texas Border Law

Shows unenforced federal laws do not preempt state's action

WASHINGTON—Attorneys United for a Secure America (AUSA), a project of the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), has filed a brief in a Texas federal district court defending a new Texas border law from twin lawsuits brought by ACLU-represented activists and the Biden Administration. AUSA filed the brief on behalf of the organization Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime (AVIAC).   In these consolidated cases, the administration and its activist allies are asking the court to strike down Texas's new law before it takes effect in March, claiming that its apprehension and removal provisions are preempted by federal immigration law.   AUSA shows in its brief, however, that it would be premature to block the law before it takes effect and its actual degree of conflict with federal law, if any, can be assessed. This is especially so because the law does not appear to conflict with the purposes of federal immigration law, but rather to advance those purposes. Also, the very federal regulatory scheme that supposedly preempts the Texas law has been so unenforced by the Biden Administration that it has become a dead letter.   "The administration is in the terrible legal posture of claiming that the laws it refuses to enforce somehow preempt a state's vigorous efforts to achieve Congress's goals itself," said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of IRLI. "Our system was not designed to reward executive abdication and lawbreaking in that way. We hope the court applies the actual Constitution in these cases, and leaves Texas's law standing."   The cases are United States v. Texas, No. 1:24-cv-00008, and Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center v. McGraw, No. 1:23-cv-01537 (W.D. Tex.).

Gary Bauer: The Binder

Here's a brief follow-up on yesterday's item about the Deep State's spying on Donald Trump. The latest revelations come from journalist Michael Schellenberger.

I must stress that Schellenberger is not a right-wing conservative. He's not even a Republican. He did not vote for and does not support Trump. There are no ulterior motives in his reporting.

That's why I trust Schellenberger, and believe he has uncovered efforts by the intelligence community and the CIA to "subcontract" their illegal spying of the Trump campaign to allied foreign intelligence agencies.

But there's more. 

Schellenberger also says that "very credible sources" inside the intelligence community tell him that Trump's Mar-a-Lago home may have been raided in order to recover a lost binder. 

What's the big deal about this binder? Schellenberger's sources say it contains evidence of the CIA plot against Trump and proves that the entire Russia collusion scandal was a "U.S. government-initiated hoax." 

Shellenberger adds, "The implications are profound, and the raid to recover it suggests a dramatic and troubling effort to conceal the truth."

Steve Haner, Thomas Jefferson Institute: Minimum Wages, Paid Leave, Vendor Preferences Lead Surviving 2024 Progressive Agenda Items

By Steve Haner

2/15/2024 -- The aggressive progressive agenda working its way through the 2024 General Assembly has lost some steam at the halfway point, but at least four of the major Democratic goals discussed earlier are still advancing.  The two bills that will have the greatest impact on the Virginia economy are the proposed minimum wage increase and a new state-managed employee benefit for workers taking time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The two other bills the Democratic majorities in both the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have now approved are a major expansion of procurement preferences for minority vendors and allowing class actions in civil litigation. The good news is that several bills stalled when the first legislative deadline for action passed Tuesday, including a bill to create a system of local rent controls, a bill to allow more local and state employees to unionize, and a bill to remove exemptions to the statutory cap on cash awards for medical malpractice.  The failure of those bills, however, does not mean the Assembly could not find some way to revive the issues before the planned adjournment in March, and the bills that are still alive still have time to stall -- especially if the two chambers passed slightly different versions. There is no conflict in the two versions raising the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour beginning next year and to $15 per hour as of 2026. The House has also passed a bill removing the exemptions from the minimum wage that once covered farm workers and certain temporary foreign workers. Beginning in 2027, the minimum wage will begin an annual adjustment up for inflation. This is like the inflation kicker Democrats imposed on Virginia's gas taxes when they last had full control of state government. The fiscal impact statement on the minimum wage bills provides some insight into how much this will cost state and local governments, both for their own employees who do not meet the new wage levels and for the cost of contracted work. It does not delve into the costs in the private sector in the form of higher payrolls and lost jobs and ignores how much additional income tax revenue the state will reap. No effort was made to counteract that revenue grab by indexing Virginia's tax brackets, as we proposed.  One state agency with a big bill for higher wages would be the Department of Medical Assistance Services, which pays for personal assistance for many Medicaid patients, in or out of nursing homes. By 2027 it would exceed $300 million in higher wages and by 2030 it would approach $700 million. Half of that would come from federal funds paid from federal taxes, of course. The fiscal impact statement on the proposed Family and Medical Leave Act wage replacement program is also a key document. The bill which passed the Senate Tuesday is a substitute but does not seem to be much different from the introduced bill. The House did not act on a similar bill on its side, but that could mean it was merely waiting for the Senate bill.  The federal FMLA dictates employers must allow employees who have a covered event (illness, birth, sick family member) to take 12 weeks off. But there is no pay unless they have accrued leave of their own or the company provides a short-term disability plan, which many do. This new state program would exempt employers who have such a plan, if (and only if) it provides benefits equal to or greater than mandated by the state. As the bill is now drafted all employers without a qualified plan of their own, not just those above a certain size, will have to pay into the trust fund for these benefits, which can be claimed once per year, every year, providing workers 80 percent of their pre-leave wage, or 80 percent of the average weekly wage (the average is currently $1,410) in Virginia, whatever is lower. The tax rate used to do the fiscal impact projection was just under 1% of payroll, half paid by the employer and half deducted from the employee's pay, just like the Social Security and Medicare taxes. Will the availability of wage replacement encourage more employees to take FMLA leave or stay out longer than they do now? That is not a question the FIS delved into but is a critically important question. Nor did it probe the idea that employers with a private plan might opt to drop and go with the state system instead to socialize the cost. The bill gives the state a year or more to design all this, and that task itself will be a major undertaking, overseen by a board with union representation.   Also ripe with potential unintended consequences is the expansion of the state's vendor preferences for small, woman-owned, and minority-owned businesses, or SWaM. Again, the substitute which has passed the House is much changed from the original bill, but anybody who does business with the state, its universities, or local governments should read the bill and the fiscal impact statement. Businesses owned by disabled veterans would be added to the list of preferred vendors. A new Division of Procurement Enhancement would be created, and a new Small SWaM Business Enhancement Program created, with a target of 23% of contracts going to SWaM vendors, 42% to small businesses, and in some cases 50% of construction subcontracts to preferred vendors. State executive branch agencies and the universities will have additional reporting requirements and will be subject to regular "disparity studies" of their contracting efforts. According to the impact statement, during fiscal year 2023, the state spent $10 billion through its electronic procurement process on 650,000 purchase orders. This bill is not yet getting the notice it deserves despite the major impact it will have on Virginia contractors.  The final issue from the earlier tracking list still alive in both the House and Senate is allowing state courts to entertain civil suits for an entire class of plaintiffs. Virginia is only one of a handful of states not allowing that yet, and our absence from the list also complicates efforts by Virginians to join actions in other states. A worthless fiscal impact statement ducks every single issue of cost, but this is bound to add work for the courts and added liability risks to businesses. Most of these bills, except for the procurement bill, passed on party line or near party line votes. That may make it easier for Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) to contemplate vetoes or amendments to water them down, but so far, the minimum wage is the only one he has spoken about publicly.   Steve Haner is a Senior Fellow for Environment and Energy Policy. He can be reached at Steve@thomasjeffersoninst.org.