2019 READERS’ CHOICE RESULTS: Congratulations to this year’s winners! Page 10
July 31, 2019 | Vol. 18, No. 31 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | 50¢ Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
‘Clean Virginia’ backs candidates ditching Dominion Environmental group endorses 9 local Dems By Daniel Berti
Times Staff Writer
Dominion Energy is a major source of campaign cash for Virginia’s state lawmakers. But nine Democratic legislators and candidates from Prince William County who are refusing the utility’s donations are getting a boost from an environmental advocacy group for just that reason. Clean Virginia, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group based in
Charlottesville, recently released a list of endorsements and announced plans to invest $1 million in Virginia’s elections for state offices in November. The group is backing seven local Democratic incumbents -- Sen. Jeremy McPike (29th), Del. Haya Ayala (51st), Del. John Bell (87th), Del. Lee Carter (50th), Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy (2nd), Del. Elizabeth Guzman (31st) and Del. Danica Roem (13th) -- as well as Democratic challengers Dan Helmer, who is running against Del. Tim Hugo, R-40th, and Qasim Rashid, who is opposing state Sen. Richard Stuart, R-28th. Many of the endorsed legislators
have already received hefty campaign donations from Clean Virginia’s PAC, the Clean Virginia Fund, and from the group’s chairman and founder Michael Bills. The PAC and Bills have contributed $130,000 to Prince William lawmakers this year, according to Virginia Public Access Project. Bills is the former chief investment officer of the University of Virginia’s endowment and founder and chief investment officer of Bluestem Asset Management, LLC. Bills was vice president of Goldman Sachs from 1981 to 1986. See CLEAN VA, page 4
More than 35,000 driver’s licenses restored By Daniel Berti
Times Staff Writer
More than 35,000 Virginians have had their driver’s licenses reinstated since July 1 as a result of a new law that prohibits state courts from suspending driving privileges solely for unpaid court fines and costs, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. On Monday, July 22, Gov. Ralph Northam stopped in Dumfries to help spread the word about the new law, which state officials say affects more than 600,000 people across the state, including about 13,000 residents of Prince William and Fauquier counties and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park whose licenses were previously suspended because of unpaid court fines and fees. Speaking at First Mount Zion Baptist Church, Northam (D) said the change is an important step to address inequities in the state’s criminal justice system because driver’s license suspensions for court fees disproportionately “affect people with lower socio-economic status.” Ending the practice is a “winwin” in Virginia because many people impacted by the law were unable to find employment without a driver’s license or reliable mode of transportation. The new law would help those individuals get back to work, Northam said. See LICENSES, page 2
PHOTO BY DELIA ENGSTROM
Summer sunflowers are in bloom at Burnside Farms, 1108 Kettle Run Road in Nokesville. Burnside grows more than 30 varieties of sunflowers, including a white sunflower, which is new this year. About half of the varieties are already in bloom, and successive crops are coming through Labor Day. The farm recently added “sunflower sunsets” from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays. For a full list of local events, see page 19. INSIDE Classified............................................22 Library................................................19 Obituaries...........................................21 Opinion.................................................7
Summer Senior Living Page 16
Puzzle...................................................8 Readers’ Choice 2019.........................10 Real Estate..........................................20 Senior Living.......................................16 Sports...................................................9
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