May 11, 2016
 
 
Delegate Ken Plum's 
Virginia E-News

I was very excited to meet with more than a hundred fourth graders from Sunrise Valley Elementary School in the House of Delegates yesterday during their visit to the Capitol.

Commentary

Racial Diversity in the Virginia Justice System 
                      
Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum

A group of attorneys, the Virginia Coalition for Racial Diversity in the Justice System, earlier this year brought to the attention of the community and the General Assembly that "there is a glaring, longstanding, and inexcusable lack of racial diversity amongst sitting judges, prosecutors, and public defenders in Virginia's criminal justice system." Their statistics are very revealing: Currently, in Northern Virginia where more than 33 percent of all residents are racial minorities, only 7 out of 74 judges (10 percent) are African American, Hispanic, or Asian American. They project that if the General Assembly continues to fail to appoint racially diverse judicial candidates that it is likely within two years only 4 out of 74 of those judges (5 percent) will be minority. The Coalition also found that racial diversity among virtually all of Northern Virginia's Commonwealth Attorney and Public Defender Offices is similarly bleak. The bottom line for their study is that "the public's confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the Virginia justice system is undermined when the system bears so little resemblance to the community it serves."

A look at the concern in each of the communities in Northern Virginia indicates that the disparity is pervasive. Fairfax County is currently 52 percent white (non-Hispanic) according to the Census Bureau, down from the 64.4 percent in the 2000 Census.The County is most likely to be a majority-minority community by the time of the 2020 Census. Prince William County has already reached that status with the white non-Hispanic population having dipped to 45.7 percent. The racial composition of the judiciary has not changed as the population has shifted. In Fairfax County, there are 32 judges only one of whom is African American and two of whom are Asian American. In Prince William County there is only one minority judge who is African American among the 15 judges. Other Northern Virginia jurisdictions have the same under-representation of minorities: Alexandria 2 for 7, Arlington 1 for 8, and Loudoun 0 for 12.

Although the Coalition report did not provide specific numbers, the same situation of under-representation of minorities apparently exists in the offices of the Commonwealth Attorneys and the Public Defenders. The issue at the level of the Commonwealth Attorneys' and Public Defenders' offices could be addressed through personnel policies that emphasize a balance of the racial composition of the community in the selection of staff members. Judges are elected by the General Assembly, and the members of the Northern Virginia delegation need to be mindful of greater representation of minorities on the bench. Bar association recommendations are important to the selection process and need to include recommendations from associations of minority bar members including the Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia, and the Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association. In addition there is the Virginia Women Attorneys Association, and the issue of gender imbalance on the courts also needs to be addressed. I look forward to working with other members of the delegation in addressing this issue.

 
Virginia Report on Comcast Channel 28
  
Tune in to Ken's weekly television program, Virginia Report, on Reston Comcast Channel 28 for public service programming (Verizon Channel 1981). Ken interviews state and local leaders who are making news by making a difference. 

TONIGHT- Wednesday, May 11 at 10:30 p.m., Delegate Plum talks with Justin Fairfax of the Virginia Coalition for Racial Diversity in the Justice System
    
Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, May 18 at 10:30 p.m., Delegate Plum talks with Bert Green of SolarMill

Virginia Report is also available for viewing online at
www.youtube.com/watch. Previous shows can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/album/1650266. 



Bulletin Board


A family-friendly fundraiser for Frying Pan Farm Park,
sponsored by the Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park
  • Milk a Cow or Goat
  • Meet & Greet the Baby Animals
  • See Antique Farm Equipment Demos
  • Take a Carousel or Wagon Ride (additional fees apply)
  • Watch a Sheep Shearing
  • Enjoy Crafts, Games, & Fair Food
Download a flyer here: 2016 Spring Farm Day
 
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Watch the Premiere FREE on EPIX and EPIX.com 
 Sunday, May 15th at 8:00 p.m.  

Find out more at Under the Gun.

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Phone Scam Targets Disability Benefits


Scammers are trying to get personal information from people by pretending to help with applications for disability benefits and claims. A recent alert from the Social Security Inspector General warns of this phishing scam, and - whether or not you've started an application for benefits - these scammers could contact you. They're taking a shot in the dark, hoping that you have started an application, and hoping you'll give them a little more info over the phone. To "complete the process," they might ask you to give, or confirm, your Social Security number or bank account numbers.

If you have questions about disability benefits, or get calls offering help with them, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. And read up on more ways to combat phishing and identity theft.

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Deadline for Herndon Town Calendar 
Photo Competition June 7

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Pedestrian Improvement Project
Wiehle Avenue at W & OD Trail

Project material and environmental documentation are available at the FCDOT office, located at 4050 Legato Road, 4th Floor, Fairfax. Comments must be received by May 20, 2016 and submitted in writing to Mr. Scott Ruffner, Project Manager, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033. You may also email your comments to scott.ruffner@fairfaxcounty.gov. Please reference "Wiehle Avenue at W & OD Trail" in the subject line.



Calendar of Events   

Today: Wednesday, May 11, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Creative Aging Fair, at Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Free, but registration is required. Register and learn more at Creative Aging Fair. 

May 13-15, Camp Wellstone Virginia 2016. Camp Wellstone is open to anyone interested in gaining practical skills in progressive political action. Details are at Camp Wellstone.

Saturday, May 14, 8:30 a.m. to noon, 95 Family Community Yard Sale, One Reston Crescent, 12000 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. Rain date is May 15. More is at Community Yard Sale.

Saturday, May 14, 10:00 a.m., Gun Violence Awareness Vigil at National Rifle Association headquarters,11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax. The vigil commemorates the anniversary of the day 26 children and educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Please DO NOT park in the NRA's parking lot. There is plenty of free parking in the office building lot on Fairfax Ridge Drive across Waples Mill Road. Signs and flags will be provided.  

Sunday, May 15, noon to 5:00 p.m., Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase, at Ash Lawn-Highland: the Home of James Monroe, 2050 James Monroe Parkway, Charlottesville. The Showcase celebrates Virginia's Master Artists and their Apprentices with blacksmiths, costume makers and many more of Virginia's finest craftspeople. Visit Virginiafolklife.org or call 434-924-3296 for more information. 

Wednesday, May 18, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., Movie Night at GreenFare: 'PLANEAT' over dinner, GreenFare, 408 Elden Street,
Herndon. Meet others in the community who share your interest in healthy eating to transform lives and regenerate the environment while enjoying a delicious whole plant meal prepared with local, seasonal, organic ingredients. Purchase tickets here.

Friday, May 20, Bike to Work Day. Register and learn more at Bike to Work Day 2016.
 
Saturday, May 21, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., TedxHerndon, at Herndon Middle School, 901 Locust Street, Herndon. Learn more at TedxHerndon. 

May 21 to 22, 2016 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, at Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) and Reston Town Center. This eleven-block art walk will be filled with more than 200 artists from across the nation who will exhibit and sell original paintings, photography, mixed-media, sculpture, jewelry, and fine craft. Plus, see inspired dance performances in the parks, enjoy free art-making activities for families in the Pavilion, periodic live music, and more throughout the weekend. As a highlight of the year in the DC region, this event attracts more than 30,000 attendees over two days. Details are at Fine Arts Festival.

May 21 to 22, 1:00 to 7:00 p.m., Relay For Life of Reston, at South Lakes High School. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement symbolizes hope and our shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love. More information is at Relay for Life. 

Monday, May 23, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project Public Hearing, Oakton High School Cafeteria,
2900 Sutton Road, Vienna. More details are at Public Hearings.

Tuesday, May 24, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project Public Hearing, VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax. More details are at Public Hearings. 
 
Saturday, June 4, 9:00 a.m. to noon, Clean the Bay Day. Clean the Bay Day is a true Virginian tradition and an annual opportunity for the whole family, office, civic or church group--anyone--to give back to local waterways. Learn more about the event at Clean the Bay Day. Register for the Reston event here. 
 

36th District 

Reston, Virginia
 
Reston's Farmer's Market is now open every Saturday through November 12
from 8:00 a.m. to noon.
Details are at restonfarmersmarket.com
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Virginia attorney general issues opinion on gay, transgender rights

RICHMOND - Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring said Tuesday that courts would probably rule that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity violates state law.

Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News


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