Free Republic

On the measure's first day in the Senate after it cleared the House on Tuesday, abortion opponents rallied at the state Capitol to support House Bill 1, which would define life as beginning at conception. Nearly 100 people gathered Wednesday at Capitol Square's Bell Tower to advocate for the measure, wearing yellow scarves and carrying yellow balloons, along with "Support HB1" posters that depicted a fetus. The bill would impart the rights of "personhood" to a human embryo at the moment of conception, creating a civil cause of action for the wrongful death of an unborn child killed by the...

ROANOKE, VA -- The Virginia Attorney General's office is investigating the campaign of Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, over claims of ballot signature fraud. At the end of December, Gingrich told CNN that the reason he did not qualify for the Virginia primary, is because one of the people his campaign hired falsified a lot of signatures. The attorney general's office tells WSLS that the State Board of Elections asked it to investigate the claim. A spokesman for the attorney general's office emphasized that the investigation is not looking into Gingrich himself.

Attorney General hailed by conservative crowd Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli was awarded the Defender of the Constitution award Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington D.C. Presenting the award, David Keene, President of the National Rifle Associate said Cuccinelli is a champion of conservative values and his view that he is “healthily suspicious of government in all circumstances” embodies the movement to cheers from the large conservative crowd. “The first duty I am obliged to pursue is the defense of the U.S. and Virginia Constitution,” Cuccinelli said. He said many politicians just said the oath so...

Bob McDonnell, Ken Cuccinelli to speak at CPAC By Anita Kumar Gov. Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli both will be speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference next month— a gathering that often provides a stage for presidential hopefuls. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Bob Brown) Cuccinelli will be getting the “Defender of the Constitution Award” on Feb. 9. McDonnell will be speaking Feb. 10. Former governor James Gilmore (R) will be speaking on a panel about whether the Arab Spring is good or bad for the United States. McDonnell and Cuccinelli have been...

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is no longer pushing for a change in rules that kept two candidates off the state's March 6 Republican presidential primary ballot. The Republican Party of Virginia determined that Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry had failed to submit the required 10,000 signatures of registered voters. The candidates have gone to court to challenge their exclusion from Virginia's ballot, which will include only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. Cuccinelli, a Republican, said in a statement Saturday that ballot access laws need to be changed not for any candidate, but for the voters....

Email from Ken Cuccinelli, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Virginia. January 1, 2012 Dear Friends and Fellow Virginians, As many of you read yesterday in the news (link here for the story) I was considering supporting an effort to change the rules to allow the full range of presidential candidates on Virginia's ballot on March 6th. I obviously feel very strongly that Virginia needs to change its ballot access requirements for our statewide elections. However, after working through different scenarios with Republican and Democratic leaders to attempt to make changes in time for the 2012 Presidential election, my concern grows that...

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is intervening in the Virginia presidential primary dispute and plans to file emergency legislation to address the inability of most Republican presidential candidates to get their name on the ballot, Fox News has learned. Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul qualified for the Virginia primary, a contest with 49 delegates up for grabs. The failure of other candidates to qualify -- notably Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry -- led to complaints that the 10,000-signature requirement is too stringent. Cuccinelli, who is a Republican, shared the concerns. "Recent events have underscored that our system is deficient,"...

Cuccinelli IS the Conservative Mood By Richard A. Viguerie | 12/12/11 Ken Cuccinelli wants to be Virginia’s next governor. People in his position tend to make nice and kowtow to the hierarchy in their political party. If – yes, if – they have strong principles, they tend to suppress them when principle conflicts with party bosses. At Newt Gingrich’s request, I recently convened a meeting between Newt and uncommitted leaders of the conservative movement, much along the lines of meetings convened by others between conservative leaders and other candidates such as Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum.

A flattering account of a meeting earlier this week in which former House Speaker Newt Gingrich met with a group of 63 conservative leaders is prompting angry reactions among at least some of the attendees. The Conservative HQ story described Gingrich's exchange with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in terms suggesting it was anything but tense: "One of the earliest and toughest questions came from Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli who noted many of the ideas Speaker Gingrich had championed seemed like they might end-up growing government.  'How can we be sure, what’s the restraint on you that these ideas won’t...

Congress should ready market-based replacement for Obamacare As one of a number of attorneys general challenging the federal health care law, I am cautiously optimistic that the Supreme Court will strike down the law and its requirement that every citizen buy government-approved health insurance. Congress clearly has the power to regulate commerce, but using that power to force individuals into commerce goes too far. If the federal government crosses that line, it will have unlimited power to order citizens to buy virtually anything in the name of the “public good.” That is why I have said that Virginia’s lawsuit against...

Ending months of speculation, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said Thursday that he will run for governor in 2013. The decision — unveiled in an email to employees of his office and confirmed by top deputies — sets up a potential contested GOP gubernatorial primary battle with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who stepped aside and ran for a second term in 2009 to make way for then-Attorney General Bob McDonnell's successful run for governor. "Although I originally expected to serve as attorney general for another term, my job is that of public servant, and I feel that two years from...

RICHMOND — Republican Ken Cuccinelli II, Virginia’s outspoken attorney general who has drawn national support from the tea party movement, confirmed Thursday that he will run for governor in 2013. Cuccinelli’s candidacy sets up a potentially contentious — and expensive — primary fight against Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R), a presumptive gubernatorial candidate.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) was certain Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli had sold them out. “His opinion on the GMU ban went against us,” said VCDL Vice President Jim Snyder in his introduction of Cuccinelli at Thursday night’s membership meeting in the Mason Governmental Center. Cuccinelli soon allayed the group’s fears: “As Attorney General I cannot undercut my client by going out and saying something like, ‘You’re idiots for doing this.’ But the case is over, and I can now say I think they’re crazy.” In January 2011, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld George Mason University's prohibition against guns...

The Board of Visitors approved a regulation Friday banning firearms on Grounds, at the University Medical Center and at the College at Wise. The regulation is consistent with an already existing University policy prohibiting weapons, fireworks and explosives on University property. The decision comes after Virginia Attorney General and University alumnus Ken Cuccinelli opined in July that the University’s “policy” banning weapons could not apply to those with concealed weapons permits. In the opinion, Cuccinelli acknowledged that a similar regulation at George Mason University carries the force of law with regard to concealed weapons. “Regulations” undergo a more formal process...

Click below for the Ken Cuccinelli speech at this year's Value Voter Summit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-fBVtFv8No

AG Cuccinelli responds to EPA in court, underscoring agency's improper conduct in greenhouse gases ruling ~ Brief filed on behalf of Texas, Virginia, 13 other states ~ RICHMOND, VA (October 18, 2011)--Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II announced today that his office has filed a response to the Environmental Protection Agency in his appeal of the agency's 2009 ruling that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are pollutants dangerous to human health. The reply brief was filed Monday in the District of Columbia Circuit Court on behalf of Virginia, Texas, and 13 other states. The brief argues the EPA...

Dear Fellow Virginians and Americans, As you all probably know, we heard from the Fourth Circuit last week in Virginia's healthcare lawsuit. The court decided unanimously to throw the case out on standing and not address the merits of our constitutional arguments. However, the story is far more complicated than that. You may recall that Liberty University's suit was heard at the very same time as Virginia's. The court threw that case out as well; however, two of the judges stated what they would have done on the merits, and that has interesting implications as we press on to the...

Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Attorney General For media inquiries only, contact: Brian J. Gottstein Email: bgottstein@oag.state.va.us (best contact method) Phone: 804-786-5874 Cuccinelli expresses disappointment in Fourth Circuit’s ruling in health care case RICHMOND, VA (September 8, 2011)— Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli responded today to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Virginia’s lawsuit against the federal government’s health care reform act. “Obviously, we are disappointed in the ruling. Our disappointment not only stems from the fact that the court ruled against us, but also that the court did not even reach the merits on the...

RICHMOND — Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) said he might run for the U.S. Senate in 2014, possibly setting up a race against one of Virginia’s most popular politicians, Democrat Mark R. Warner. Cuccinelli, who garnered national attention for suing the federal government over the new health-care law, had said he would run for reelection or governor in 2013. But in an interview with The Washington Post, he said for the first time that he could instead run for the Senate. In the interview, he accused Warner — a former governor who has expressed frustrations with the workings of...

RICHMOND — A gun scare Thursday at Virginia Tech rekindled the debate about carrying firearms at state-run universities. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli recently waded into the debate. In an official advisory opinion, Cuccinelli found a University of Virginia gun policy too restrictive and lacking in authority. The opinion, released last month, said that a George Mason University regulation, which has the force of law, unlike a policy, offered a legal way to restrict firearms inside classroom buildings or at campus events but still allow weapons outdoors. The Virginia Supreme Court upheld the George Mason regulation but found that universities can’t...

Virginia Tech is receiving generally positive reviews for how it handled an on-campus gun scare Thursday. It's with some irony that a day later, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is again talking about having the University of Virginia bow to state laws and allow those with permits to bring guns onto grounds. In a opinion issued last month at the request of a republican state senator, Cuccinelli says the University of Virginia may not bar people with concealed carry permits from bringing firearms onto grounds. Cuccinelli said, "Honestly all we say in an opinion is what the law is. We...

Politicos and pundits are waiting with baited breath on Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II’s next move. Re-election? Senate? Governor? He has said his current plans are to run for re-election but has not ruled out a bid for governor in 2013. If a poll released Tuesday by the Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling is any indication, he’d have more than a fair shot at the GOP nomination. Among Republican primary voters, Mr. Cuccinelli, who has made a name for himself filing high-profile lawsuits against the federal government over health care and carbon emissions, leads Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling...

Virginia's top lawyer stands firm on the issue of campus defense. In a recent opinion, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli affirmed the rights of concealed-handgun permit holders to possess firearms on campus despite an apparent conflict with University of Virginia policy. Virginia's code of law states that a holder of a concealed-handgun permit may possess a handgun anywhere except "in places where such possession is prohibited by law." As Cuccinelli points out, the policies of the University of Virginia do not hold the force of law and therefore cannot restrict where permit holders may carry. In addition, were the total ban...

As college students across the country prepare to convene in the nation’s capitol to discuss college gun bans on August 8th, two more states have expanded the right to carry concealed weapons on campus. Wisconsin became the 49th state to decriminalize bearing arms for defense when Governor Scott Walker signed SB 93 into law on July 8. The law, which goes into effect in November, removes the state prohibition on concealed carry, limiting possession of firearms on K-12 institutions but excluding college campuses. “Carrying a concealed weapon for protection is no longer a criminal offense in Wisconsin,” said David Burnett,...

On the heels of his recent opinion holding that "self-defense" is "good and sufficient reason" to carry a gun to church, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli now says that state colleges like the University of Virginia cannot ban the carriage of concealed handguns by proper license holders. The opinion was written in response to a question by Senator Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon). . . . According to OpenCarry.org's campus carry map, most states are just like Virginia and do not generally prohibit by law gun carry on college campuses by visitors or students. . . .

Subject: McDonnell and Cuccinelli have the Koch Brothers - We have you Dear friend, Last weekend while you were enjoying the weather or catching up with chores around the house, do you know where your Governor and Attorney General were? If you guessed in Richmond creating jobs and making life better for Virginians I’m sorry to disappoint you. They were in Vail at a conference hosted by Charles and David Koch, the billionaire CEO’s who help bankroll the Tea Party and a score of other right-wing, anti-environment, anti-middle class causes. That’s right. While Virginia families struggle to find work and...

Wading into another fierce ideological battle, Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II has announced plans to sue regarding new federal regulation of the Internet and has urged other states to jump on board his fight against “net neutrality.” Calling the regulations the “most egregious of all violations of federal law,” Mr. Cuccinelli told The Washington Times on Thursday that he will begin in July or August to gather support from other attorneys general and private partners for a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission. “They have no respect for the courts, no respect for the states, no respect for...

Wading into another fierce ideological battle, Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II has announced plans to sue regarding new federal regulation of the Internet and has urged other states to jump on board his fight against “net neutrality.” Calling the regulations the “most egregious of all violations of federal law,” Mr. Cuccinelli told The Washington Times on Thursday that he will begin in July or August to gather support from other attorneys general and private partners for a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission. “They have no respect for the courts, no respect for the states, no respect for...

Pres: Palin VP: Vacant(please fill in) Sec State: Bolten Sec Treas: Cain Sec Defense: Jeb Babbin Sec Int: Vacant(please fill in) Sec Energy: Abolished rolled into DoD Sec Ed: Abolished all employees FIRED/No serverance Sec Army: Alen West Sec Air Force: Gen MacInerney(sp?) Sec Navy: Admiral James Service Chairman JCS: USMC Peter Pace Please fill in you chioce for the rest of them...

I'm co-hosting WMAL tomorrow morning (Thursday morn) from 7 to 9 a.m. This will be a new "first." Looking forward to it! Listen at wmal.com.

A three-judge federal appeals panel comprised of two Obama nominees and a Clinton nominee will hear arguments later this morning in two lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the national health care law. The makeup of the U.S. Fourth Circuit of Appeals panel is crucial, because in lower court rulings so far, Democratic judges have upheld the law while Republican judges have declared it unconstitutional. The judges on the panel will be Obama nominees James A. Wynn, Jr and Andre M. Davis, who will sit on the panel along with Clinton nominee Diana Gribbon Motz.

Hillsdale CollegeAbout Imprimis Imprimis is the free monthly speech digest of Hillsdale College and is dedicated to educating citizens and promoting civil and religious liberty by covering cultural, economic, political and educational issues of enduring significance.  The content of Imprimis is drawn from speeches delivered to Hillsdale College-hosted events, both on-campus and off-campus.  First published in 1972, Imprimis is one of the most widely circulated opinion publications in the nation with over 1.9 million subscribers. April 2011 Ken Cuccinelli Attorney General of Virginia Reasserting Federalism in Defense of Liberty  KEN CUCCINELLI was elected the Attorney General of Virginia in November 2009....

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli dropped the state’s business with King & Spaulding after the Atlanta-based law firm dropped the U.S. House of Representatives’ case defending the Defense of Marriage Act earlier this week. Cuccinelli told the firm in a biting letter Wednesday that he did not object to working with law firms who defend objectionable people or causes, like the firm’s work defending terrorist suspects. But he said the firm’s unprofessional behavior—taking the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) case and then dropping it after coming under pressure from gay rights groups—was the cause for his decision to terminate its...

The Supreme Court is in no rush to either consider challenges to ObamaCare or consolidate them, at least not at the moment. Earlier today, the court passed on an opportunity to expedite the appeal process, turning down Virginia’s Ken Cuccinelli, despite his appeal for a fast-track review on constitutional grounds: The Supreme Court rejected a call Monday from Virginia’s attorney general to depart from its usual practice and put review of the health care law on a fast track. Instead, judicial review of President Barack Obama’s signature legislation will continue in federal appeals courts. The justices turned down a request...

Supreme Court Rejects Virginia Request for Review of Health Care Law

The Supreme Court on Monday took no action on Virginia’s request that it immediately review the nation’s health-care overhaul law.

Good news! Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has formally ruled that self-defense is considered "good and sufficient reason" for the lawful carry of handguns into a church during a service! (Good and sufficient reason isn't needed at other times.) The ruling also stated that churches, as private property, can ban or restrict such carry (which is consistent with Virginia law and would make for a trespass charge if violated). This is excellent news also for the various preachers and pastors who have asked me about this issue. Here is the ruling: http://www.vaag.com/OPINIONS/2011opns/11-043.pdf NOTE: This is an Attorney General's opinion. It carries...

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has won an award from a national conservative group, the Sam Adams Alliance. Here’s a release from Cuccinelli’s office: Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli received the Public Servant of the Year Award this evening. He was not at the Chicago ceremony, but offered these remarks: I am grateful to receive the Public Servant of the Year Award from the Sam Adams Alliance. It was an honor to be considered, and it is an even greater honor to be the recipient of an award named for a patriot known for his ability to organize citizens at the...

Supreme Court will take up Virginia's health-care petition April 15By Jim Nolan Published: March 25, 2011 On April 15, the U.S. Supreme Court will discuss Virginia's petition to have its lawsuit against the federal health-care law bypass appellate court review and be heard directly by the high court. The Supreme Court put the matter on its calendar. There is no timetable for the court to decide on Virginia's petition, however. The case, Commonwealth of Virginia v. Kathleen Sebelius, President Barack Obama's secretary of health and human resources, currently is scheduled to be heard May 10 in the 4th U.S. Circuit...

The Obama administration told the Supreme Court on Monday night it should stay away from a high-profile challenge to the 2010 health care law until after a lower court has had a chance to review the case. Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal wrote, "there is no basis for short-circuiting the normal course of appellate review." Katyal also says Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's case is problematic because he may lack sufficient standing to challenge the health care law.

Dear Friends, Today, a long, hard-fought battle for women's health and dignity has finally been won in the State Senate! Just this afternoon, the Democrat controlled Virginia State Senate passed a bill which will require abortion clinics to meet hospital-style safety standards. This will mean that any abortion clinic which performs more than 5 abortions in a month will need to meet safety standards comparable to any other clinic which performs out-patient procedures. For over 25 years, Virginia abortion clinics have not been held to minimal health and safety standards. As a result, women who walk into these clinics are...

The Virginia House of Delegates blocked an attempt last week by Democratic lawmakers to remove the attorney general’s power to issue subpoenas for academic research at state universities. The proposed bill came as a response to the ongoing investigation launched by the office of Attorney General and University alumnus Ken Cuccinelli, demanding the University surrender papers and e-mails related to the work of Michael Mann, climate scientist and former University professor in the department of environmental sciences. Cuccinelli has filed multiple civil investigative demands to review Mann’s e-mails and documents. The attorney general is accusing Mann of using manipulated or...

Victoria Cobb, President Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Victory Alert: Property Rights Amendment Passes Senate! This afternoon, the Virginia Senate passed by a 35-5 vote a proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution that would protect private property rights and curb the government’s power of eminent domain. After four years of trying to pass this important legislation, with twists and turns, near-deaths, deaths, resurrections, and last minute defeats in previous General Assembly sessions, today's vote was deceptively overwhelming yet historic in importance. Now the resolution, HJ 693, goes back to the House of Delegates since it was changed from the version that...

Cuccinelli argues health-care suit on Capitol HillBy Jim Nolan Published: February 16, 2011 Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli this morning took his case against the new federal health care law straight to the folks who approved it less than a year ago -- Congress. But what a difference a year makes. When the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in March 2010, the House of Representatives was controlled by Democrats, and no Republicans voted for the measure. Last November’s midterm elections changed that, so today Cuccinelli, a rising conservative star whose lawsuit made headlines across the nation, was at...

Tomorrow morning at 9:30AM, VA Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on the constitutionality of the individual mandate. To watch Ken's testimony live just visit the website below tomorrow morning at 9:30! http://judiciary.house.gov/

Cuccinelli heads to Congress to discuss the constitutionality of health care reform next week Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is heading to Congress next Wednesday to discuss the constitutionality of the "individual mandate" the linchpin of his lawsuit challenging federal health care reform. Cuccinelli and Gov. Bob McDonnell are pushing the Department of Justice to fast track Virginia's lawsuit against federal health care reform to the Supreme Court - so that folks on both sides of the debate don't have to wait around for lower court decisions when everyone has said for nearly a year that the case is going...

From NBC's Pete WilliamsWhat's the point, asks Virginia's attorney general, of letting the federal appeals courts chew over the constitutionality of the health care law when only the U.S. Supreme Court can decide whether it's willing to expand the powers of Congress?That's the question at the heart of an unusual request filed Wednesday by Virginia, asking the Supreme Court to bypass the appeals courts and take up a review of the health care law as soon as possible. The Supreme Court grants such requests exceedingly rarely, and one justice signaled just last week that she would resist such a move.The...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia's attorney general has formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider his challenge of a key portion of the Obama administration's health care reform law. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's office said Wednesday it filed a petition late Tuesday to leapfrog an appeals court review scheduled for May. Cuccinelli had announced his intention to seek the review last week.

Cuccinelli Seeking Supreme Court Review of Va. Health Care LawsuitUpdated: 11:56 AM Feb 3, 2011 Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli announced Thursday that the Commonwealth will file a petition to ask the United States Supreme Court to take Virginia's health care lawsuit now, as opposed to waiting for the case to first be decided by the court of appeals. The Petition for Certiorari Before Judgment in the United States Supreme Court in the case of Commonwealth v. Sebelius will be filed pursuant to Rule 11 of the Rules of the United States Supreme Court. **SNIP** Normally, appeals of decisions of...

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) will push to fast-track Virginia's challenge of the federal health care overhaul to the nation's highest court. Cuccinelli said the uncertainty caused by various court rulings about the constitutionality of the health care law makes expedited review a necessity. "Currently, state governments and private businesses are being forced to expend enormous amounts of resources to prepare to implement a law that, in the end, may be declared unconstitutional," he said in a statement. "Regardless of whether you believe the law is constitutional or not, we should all agree that a prompt resolution of this issue...