Free Republic

RICHMOND | In a state considered the American birthplace of hunting with hounds, George Washington's favorite sport has become a target for some landowners who say baying dogs and their owners are trampling property rights. Even other hunters object to a Virginia right-to-retrieve law viewed as the most absolute in the nation: Hunters have free reign to chase after dogs that stray onto posted private property. Proponents are rising to protect their right to hunt, mindful that other Southern states have already limited or eliminated certain forms of the sport because of complaints from property owners. Courtly fox hunters and...

State leaders are continuing to battle over what, if any, information should be public record when it comes to Virginia's concealed carry permits. In the past, press organizations have revealed all of the holders, but many gun rights activists say that shouldn't be allowed. If you think this sounds like an argument the General Assembly had last year, you're right. A deal was struck by the Freedom of Information Council heading into last year's legislative session, but that deal seems to have fallen apart. "Its hard to get a consensus between the access and the privacy pieces. It's always the...

"They've done real well the past few years," Wilkins said of House Republicans. "I was disappointed when they let Mark Warner talk them into a tax increase" -- a reference to the $1.4 billion rise for cops, schools and welfare that led to the Warner presidential boomlet. That increase in 2004 might not have occurred had Howell not looked the other way. He allowed several Republican anti-taxers to duck a do-or-die vote in the Finance Committee on the Warner package, clearing the way for passage. During Wilkins' brief reign, one usually got the impression the trains were running on time....

Good news today from Virginia on offshore drilling. HB6006, a bill that would allow vital oil and natural gas exploration off the Virginia coastline, passed the House of Delegates by 56 to 39. A similar bill was killed last month in the Democrat controlled Senate on a party line vote. My friends, especially my fellow Virginians, those Senate Democrats are in the Kill Box. We have a tough U.S. Senate battle in November and Barry thinks he can color the state blue.

Good news today from Virginia on offshore drilling. HB6006, a bill that would allow vital oil and natural gas exploration off the Virginia coastline, passed the House of Delegates by 56 to 39. The bill would also use the revenue from the offshore drilling to help pay for Virginia's transportation needs. With Congress refusing to take action to drill here and drill now, it's nice to see the states take some initiative. Delegate Chris Saxman, the bill's author, said this in a press release: “Though federal officials will ultimately decide whether to lift the ban on offshore drilling, it is...

Information Alert: Tax Hikes Averted this Time The General Assembly’s special tax session adjourned around 1:35 this morning with no new tax or fee increases passing. After a day of political gamesmanship, harsh partisan rhetoric and exercises in parliamentary gymnastics, all of the major tax proposals eventually met their demise. The fireworks started early when the House Rules committee met suddenly and voted to send Governor Kaine’s tax hike proposal to the floor. This came a week and a half after the same committee killed the same bill, and after the Governor and House Democrats complained that the process wasn’t...

The Virginia General Assembly yesterday began its latest special session to deal with the state's transportation problems. Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine wants to raise $1 billion per year for transportation through an increase in the motor vehicle sales tax, higher registration fees and a 1-cent sales tax increase for purchases in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads on everything except food and medicine. Mr. Kaine's plan also includes creation of what looks like a huge boondoggle to benefit the politically well-connected. It is called a "Transportation Change Fund," and it would pay for mass transit and rail projects, telecommuting and ride-sharing,...

Va, Senate Democrats Reject New Energy Bill June 24, 2008 Richmond, VA: Virginia State Senator Frank Wagner (R - Virginia Beach) saw Senate Democrats scuttle his effort to dedicate potential royalties to transportation and environmental protection programs from any off-shore exploration and drilling of natural gas 50 miles or more off the Virginia coastline. On a straight, party line vote, Democrats voted to "pass by for the day" effectively killing Wagner's measure for this Special Session. Sixteen other Republican senators had already signed on as co-patrons of Wagner's bill. Senator Ken T. Cuccinelli, II (R - Fairfax) had introduced a...

Democrats have placed a big bulls-eye on VA. Retiring Republican Senator John Warner's seat is in danger of being flipped by Democrat Mark Warner. Obama wants to make a play for the state. But the Dems can't keep their hands out of the cookie jar, giving Republicans a big stick.

RICHMOND| - Two Republicans who last year lead state government's budget-writing committees on Monday endorsed Mark Warner, a Democrat, for Senate. Former Delegate Vincent F. Callahan and former state Sen. John H. Chichester, both Northern Virginia, said they're backing Mr. Warner because of how he handled a state budget crisis six years ago. They said the Republican nominee, former Gov. James S. Gilmore III, led the state into a fiscal crisis by presenting rosy economic forecasts as Virginia slid into a recession in 2001. Mr. Callahan and Mr. Chichester praised Mr. Warner, who was Mr. Gilmore's successor as governor, for...

Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake, is on his way to New York to attend U.S. Sen. Hillary’s Clinton’s speech tonight. Spruill, a Virginia superdelegate who has remained steadfastly loyal to Clinton, said he was invited by the campaign - with all expenses paid. “You can’t turn that down,” Spruill said. The party's last presidential primaries are being held today in South Dakota and Montana. Spruill said he is not expecting Clinton to drop out of the campaign tonight and said he has been told she will remain a candidate until she is convinced that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has enough...

RICHMOND (AP) — Virginians already have been excused from paying sales taxes on back-to-school supplies and energy-saving appliances. Now it's hurricane-preparedness supplies. The state's first Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins Sunday and continues through May 31. During that week, sales tax will not be collected on generators costing $1,000 or less, or on nearly two dozen other items ranging from flashlights to duct tape. State officials hope the 5 percent savings will encourage shoppers to stock up on items they would need if the state gets slammed by another storm akin to Hurricane Isabel, which in 2003 left about...

FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL ADVOCACY ARM ENDORSES MARSALL FOR SENATE May 6, 2008 Organization Cites ‘Clear, Significant Difference’ Between Marshall and Gilmore on Human Life FRC Action, the legislative advocacy arm of the Family Research Council founded by Dr. James Dobson in 1983 to promote marriage and family and the sanctity of human life in national policy, on Tuesday endorsed Del. Bob Marshall for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. “Delegate Marshall is the conservative candidate in this race,” Connie Mackey, FRC Action’s senior vice president said in a statement released from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. “There is a...

RICHMOND (AP) — Gov. Tim Kaine is expected today to announce a tax package to pay for highway construction and the upkeep and repair of state roads and bridges. Mr. Kaine scheduled a news conference at the state capitol to outline details of the bill that he will ask legislators to consider next month. He has called the General Assembly to Richmond beginning June 23 for the second special session on transportation funding in two years. Mr. Kaine, a Democrat, wants regional funding plans to pay for new projects in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia, the state's most populous, fastest-growing...

The patrons at Champps in Reston, an upscale restaurant and bar chain, were eating ribs and drinking beer on a recent Saturday when customer Bruce Jackson stood up and made an announcement: He was armed, and so were dozens of other patrons. The armed customers stood up in unison, showing off holstered pistols. Mr. Jackson said a word or two about the rights of gun owners to carry firearms in Virginia, then thanked everyone for his or her attention and sat down. And the diners returned to their burgers and Budweisers. The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) organized the dinner...

RICHMOND — The same court that two months ago struck down Virginia's regional transportation-financing plans is now considering a similar case challenging the state's planned transfer of the Dulles Toll Road to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The Virginia Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in a lawsuit filed by two Northern Virginia residents against state transportation officials and agencies. The lawsuit says the transfer would violate the state constitution because it wasn't approved by the General Assembly. Richmond Circuit Judge Margaret P. Spencer dismissed the lawsuit in March 2007, ruling that the state has sovereign immunity against such claims....

RICHMOND, Va. - Doug and Cheryl Camden were raised around guns but agreed not to keep them in their house after they got married and began raising five children of their own. Then violent crime began to dominate daily news reports. Several businesses near their Chester restaurant were robbed, home invasions seemed to increase and the world just seemed to be getting much more dangerous. "It's to the point where you can't walk through the park without getting attacked," Doug Camden said Friday. So the Camdens are following the path taken by a sharply increasing number of Virginians: They're applying...

Social Conservatives Rally to Marshall in VA Senate Race By Evan Moore CNSNews.com Correspondent April 11, 2008 (CNSNews.com) - In the race for the seat of retiring Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a delegate in the Virginia Legislature is mounting a campaign against a former governor and presidential candidate, amassing support from social conservatives, and has an opportunity to win the Republican Party nomination, according to some experts in Old Dominion politics. Bob Marshall, a Republican delegate in the state's General Assembly from Prince William County, is challenging Jim Gilmore, a former Virginia governor and a candidate for the 2008 GOP...

State Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax), one of Northern Virginia's few conservative elected officials with grass-roots support across the state, announced plans yesterday to run for attorney general next year. He touted his conservative credentials on such issues as illegal immigration, gun rights, the death penalty and abortion as evidence that he can court Republican votes and complete a conservative GOP ticket... He also said he would initiate a government-wide evaluation of state programs for the purpose of eliminating unnecessary or wasteful spending.

CUCCINELLI ANNOUNCES ATTORNEY GENERAL BIDNorthern Virginia Senator Touts Conservative Principles; Effective LeadershipFairfax, Virginia, March 31, 2008 – State Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-37th) today announced his bid for Attorney General of Virginia. Cuccinelli framed this year as a time of exploration for his statewide campaign, to include a listening tour across the Commonwealth. Cuccinelli noted that it has been nearly twenty years since Republicans had a Northern Virginian on their statewide ticket. He observed that with Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling as likely standard-bearers for the GOP next year, he is in an ideal position to complete his party’s team: “This...

RICHMOND (AP) — Refunds of taxes and fees collected unconstitutionally for Northern Virginia road projects are on their way back to those who paid them. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today signed a bill passed this year that sets up procedures for returning money collected by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. Among the refunds: — The Department of Motor Vehicles will return the 1 percent initial registration fee on new vehicles and the $10 regional registration fee. — Circuit Court clerks will work to return the grantor's tax paid on real estate sales. — The Treasury Department will return the 2...

Here's a grand development that should drive bonkers liberals everywhere trying to concoct sneaky ways to impose taxation without representation: The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the state General Assembly did not have the power to give the 13-member unelected Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) the right to raise taxes for regional road and rail projects. Now the NVTA has to figure out a way to refund the $8.3 million it has collected from the public in taxes and fees since January, reports The Washington Times. The transportation authority imposed a $10 tax on state vehicle inspections, a 5...

Va. targets adults who French kiss kids By DENA POTTER, Associated Press Writer Sun Mar 9, 1:48 AM ET RICHMOND, Va. - State legislators passed a law Saturday that would require adults who French kiss a child younger than 13 to register as a sex offender. Those convicted of tongue-kissing a child would be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The House of Delegates passed the legislation 96-1 and the Senate 39-0. The bill now heads to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who said he supports the legislation. Delagate Riley Ingram,...

RICHMOND — State and local officials today will start trying to figure out how to refund $8.3 million in tax money collected by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA). "It's something I am not very clear on," said Sen. William C. Wampler Jr., Bristol Republican. "I think it is very complicated and sets up a whole other dynamic. Obviously, if the courts tell us it needs to be done, we need to find out a way to do it." The Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday that the General Assembly did not have the power to give the NVTA, a 13-member...

Bill would have made clinics safer Suffolk News Herald Published Wednesday, March 5, 2008 8:44 PM CST Last week Senate Democrats killed a bill that would have required that abortion clinics meet the same standards as ambulatory or outpatient surgery facilities. It would have required abortion clinics to be licensed by the Board of Health and inspected every two years, as well as keep emergency life-saving equipment, such as defibrillators, on their premises. Frankly, we're surprised such requirements are not already in place. Abortion-rights activists opposed HB 894, saying any government regulation of abortion clinics is an assault on a...

Virginia Del. Bob Marshall, the Republican from Prince William County who is one of the last great crusaders in the General Assembly, follows his conscience, no matter how unpopular or inconvenient the results. Whether he's seeking to restrict abortion in any possible way or trying to restrict development that might damage the environment, he's fine with ticking off left or right. In fact, he relishes the idea. So it came as no surprise that it was Marshall who tossed a pipe bomb into the delicate structure that housed Virginia's multibillion-dollar transportation compromise. And when he won a total victory in...

Senate upholds Kaine's vetoes By Mason Adams RICHMOND – The Virginia Senate voted this afternoon to uphold Gov. Tim Kaine’s vetoes of two bills to expand the right to carry concealed guns in cars and restaurants. One bill would have allowed concealed handguns in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. The Senate voted 22-18 in favor of the bill but fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override Kaine’s veto. The second bill would have allowed gun owners without concealed-carry permits to store firearms in locked vehicle compartments. The Senate had passed it 31-9 earlier this session, but six...

The Virginia General Assembly voted Tuesday for the first major overhaul of the state's mental health system in three decades, largely in response to the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. The House and Senate passed a package of bills designed to give families and courts greater flexibility in having people who are mentally ill involuntarily committed, among other changes.

Wednesday, Mar 05, 2008 - 12:09 AM By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is spiking legislation that would make it easier to carry a concealed gun, but he could face a veto challenge. Kaine announced yesterday that he has vetoed Senate Bill 476, which would allow Virginians to carry a concealed weapon in a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol. He also blocked Senate Bill 436, a measure permitting gun owners without a concealed weapons permit to carry a firearmweapon in a motor vehicle as long as it is locked in a glove box or...

Great news, friends: Once again, Virginia has earned top honors from the Pew Center's Government Performance Project. Today, the GPP released their "Grading the States 2008" report, the nation's only comprehensive, independent analysis of how well each state performs in serving the public. We have achieved this together because we continue to focus on results: Virginia "avoids formulas and focuses on the harder work of asking why goals and targets aren't being met, then seeks to address the underlying problems." My administration has worked hard to continue to improve the efficiency of government, and the Government Performance Project has recognized...

WASHINGTON -- Utah, Virginia and Washington state have the most effective state governments in the country, according to a scorecard released Monday by The Pew Center on the States. The center ranked the states based on how well they manage their budgets, staffs, infrastructure and information. The states with the highest scores have made management improvement and innovation a priority, the report said. Washington, for example, holds public meetings led by the governor to monitor how its programs are working, while Utah has a sophisticated financial tracking system that provides up-to-the-minute data. Virginia offers its employees incentives for meeting goals...

RICHMOND, VA, February 29, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Virginia Senate decided to end taxpayer funding to abortion provider Planned Parenthood on Wednesday.  Lt. Governor Bill Bolling cast the tie-breaking vote and approved the amendment to the state budget following the 20-20 tie vote among senators.  Attorney general hopeful Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II introduced the amendment.  He explicitly attacked Planned Parenthood's abortion programs.  "What we are doing is financing an abortion-mill operator," Cuccinelli said. "This will deny them that money." The decision was a surprise, given the Senate's Democratic majority.  Democrat Sen. Charles J. Colgan's vote in favor of the amendment...

RICHMOND, Feb. 27 -- The Virginia Senate voted Wednesday to cut off state funding to Planned Parenthood of Virginia because it offers abortions, an action that could endanger hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid for women's health-care programs. The decision, a major setback for the Senate's new Democratic majority, marks the first time in more than a decade that the Senate has decided against giving state aid to the organization because of its abortion-related activities.... Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax) said that Planned Parenthood provides "contraceptive planning which prevents abortions." "The irony is, Planned Parenthood probably prevents more...

For Immediate Release Feb 29, 2008 For Further Information, Contact: Peter J. Sepp, Natasha Altamirano, (703) 683-5700 Plaintiff Hails Court's Ruling against N. Va. Tax Authority; Predicts "Major Benefit" for Other States' Taxpayers (Alexandria, VA) -- Virginia taxpayers scored a huge victory today when the Commonwealth's highest court sent an unmistakable message that the General Assembly may not delegate its taxing power to non-elected bodies such as the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. Kristina Rasmussen, a plaintiff in Robert G. Marshall, et al. v. Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, et al. and Director of Government Affairs for the 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union...

RICHMOND (AP) — A Senate committee known for killing anti-abortion legislation lived up to its reputation yesterday, rejecting several such proposals passed earlier in the session by the House of Delegates. Most of the Education and Health Committee votes were split 10-5 along party lines, with Democrats prevailing. One of the bills would have required licensure and inspection of abortion clinics. It was a scaled-down version of legislation requiring clinics to meet the same standards as outpatient surgery centers — an idea the committee has rejected several years in a row. Others pertained to mandatory ultrasounds, information about fetal anesthesia,...

Every day we hear in Virginia of the death or injury of a citizen by gunshot. We have got to wake up to the fact that we are a very violent nation. In Washington, D.C., citizens want to reverse the ban on carrying arms because they feel threatened. What on Earth are these people afraid of, their own shadows? Or can't they trust their neighbors? We don't need guns of any sort, not even for sporting events. Guns are designed and manufactured for one purpose only –– to kill.

February 27, 2008 By Seth McLaughlin - RICHMOND — Delegate Robert G. Marshall's maverick style has Republicans split over whether he is their best candidate to defeat former Gov. Mark Warner in Virginia's U.S. Senate race. "I support him because he is not a team player," said Shaun Kenney, who recently resigned as spokesman for the state Republican Party. "There are a lot of conservatives who are so disappointed in some Republicans that they are really looking for people who will go to Washington, speak their mind and not go along with the establishment." The delegate from Prince William County,...

bgibson@dailyprogress.com | 978-7243 RICHMOND - The House of Delegates on Thursday passed a bill to allow people with a concealed weapons permit to bring a hidden handgun into a restaurant if they do not drink. The measure sponsored by Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, R-Mount Solon, won House approval on a 62-36 vote and now goes to the desk of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. Delegates in both parties said they expect Kaine to veto it. A spokesman for the governor said he would have to review the bill’s details before deciding whether to sign it. Gun-rights advocates have sought the bill...

Man Bites Dog by: Malcolm A. Kline, February 22, 2008 Believe it or not, in the Dominion state, a Democratic governor is trying to cut education spending while Republicans in the state assembly fight those cuts. “In response to Governor Kaine’s proposal to address the $2 billion budget shortfall between fiscal years 2008 and 2010 by eliminating over $220 million in dedicated General Fund support for local school divisions, House Republican members of the conference committee on the state budget expressed deep concern over the negative impact on the Governor’s proposed cuts,” read a Valentine’s Day press release from Virginia...

Monday, February 18, 2008 Dear Fellow Virginian, I am running hard to serve you as your next US Senator from Virginia. There are both principled and practical reasons I can beat Democrat Mark Warner this Fall and Republican Jim Gilmore on May 31, but I cannot do this without your help—both monetary and/or by attending the Republican nominating convention held in Richmond on May 31 and a local meeting. (http://bobmarshall2008.com/convention.html for filing forms and information.) First, there are many who are less than enchanted with some Republican leaders in Virginia and our faltering electoral performance. I want to offer those...

Protect Women's Health Virginia legislators have started their work on the 2008-2010 Biennial Budget, which includes funding for transportation, education, health care, and many other necessities the Commonwealth depends on. However, Del. Bob Marshall (R-13, Manassas) has introduced a budget amendment to limit access to health care for the Commonwealth's most vulnerable women - those relying on Medicaid for treatment. This budget amendment would affect women who depend on the state for their health care and would put severe limitations on a woman’s ability to preserve her health when faced with a potentially dangerous pregnancy. Send a letter to the...

RICHMOND (AP) — Bills championed by gun rights advocates that would result in more concealed firearms in restaurants, bars and vehicle glove boxes were endorsed yesterday by a House of Delegates committee. One bill would allow concealed-weapons permit holders to carry hidden guns into restaurants or clubs but would prohibit them from drinking alcohol while doing so. Current law allows guns in such establishments only if they are visible. The other measure would allow people who don't have a concealed-weapons permit to transport handguns in a locked glove box or other interior compartment of a vehicle rather than carry it...

A man's home may be his castle, but a Senate committee yesterday decided that the actions taken against an invader are not immune from the law. The Courts of Justice Committee yesterday killed a Henrico delegate's bill that would have protected from prosecution and civil liability homeowners who use "any degree of physical force," including deadly physical force, against an intruder they consider a threat. In a bipartisan vote, the committee voted 11-4 to shelve House Bill 710, sponsored by Del. William R. Janis, R-Henrico. A similar, so-called "castle" bill proposed by Janis last year met a similar fate. Three...

RICHMOND (AP) — People would be allowed to store guns in a locked glove box or other interior compartment of a vehicle or boat even if they lack a concealed-weapons permit under legislation that passed the Senate yesterday. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine vetoed similar legislation in 2006 for fear that it could endanger law-enforcement officers. The Senate voted 31-9 to pass the bill, within the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. Under current law, motorists without concealed-weapons permits may put guns on the seat beside them in plain view. Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel, Winchester Republican, said her bill was...

RICHMOND, Va. -- The House has unanimously passed legislation to make it more difficult for those who have sexually abused children to get jobs in Virginia's schools.Child Protective Services would be required to notify a school division about employees who have sexually abused children. Existing teachers who take advantage of their students and have exhausted all appeals would be fired and their licenses could be revoked.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine recently announced that he'll renew his fight to ban smoking in all Virginia bars and restaurants. He defended this push by citing the dangers of secondhand smoke, saying, "The scientific evidence about the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke is clear and convincing. Recognizing the negative health effects and high public costs of secondhand smoke, Virginia must act to protect the workers and consumers in its restaurants." We're pleased the governor has such command of the epidemiologic literature. Usually, when politicians make such statements, they have little if any familiarity with the scientific research....

Police, lawyers and insurance companies use gifts and campaign donations to ensure Virginia legislators maintain harsh motorist penalties. Over the past decade, Virginia legislators have been the recipients millions in donations and gifts from groups that stand to benefit financially from laws that target motorists. These lawmakers have, in turn, imposed some of the most draconian punishments such as the so-called "abusive driver fees" that sparked a voter revolt last year. According to newly compiled data from the Virginia Public Access Project, insurance companies, police organizations and trial lawyers have handed more than $11 million to state legislators since 1993....

Weekly Legislative Update As January came to a close, we are quickly nearing the halfway point, or "crossover", of the Virginia General Assembly. This next week will see action on all remaining legislation as each house works to clear their dockets by crossover, February 12. Read Friday's Washington Blade article "Pro-Gay Bills Advance in Virginia Legislature." Don't forget to make sure your voice is heard! Speak out and contact your Senator and Delegate about issues that are important to you! You can use the links below to send a free email if you have not already done so, or call...

It is the convergence of junk science and public policy gone horribly awry. A Washington, D.C., man with coronary disease wants a federal judge to impose a smoking ban in Virginia so he may patronize restaurants there without having to inhale secondhand smoke. He claims his condition limits what the Americans With Disabilities Act defines as "major life activities," so restaurants that let people smoke discriminate against his "disability." Some observations: It is an annual tradition for the Virginia legislature, respectful of individual rights, to reject smoking bans for bars, restaurants and bowling alleys. And until Virginians change their minds,...

Shame on Virginia Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw. A man who has spent the better part of three decades in the legislature in Richmond ought to have more sense than to insult any state resident – let alone an entire group of them. Saslaw, a Northern Virginia businessman and the leader of the newly minted Democratic majority, is in hot water for an ill-considered remark on an elevator at the capitol last week. His comments were either an insult to gun-rights supporters or rural voters or both. NO MATTER who was the target, the remarks were certainly not statesmanlike. Saslaw...