New Virginia Law Protects Farmers From Meddling Local Officials

Well-funded Greens, bureaucrats sought to kill this landmark legislation

 In a hard-fought and stunning victory for family farmers and property rights throughout the Commonwealth, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) ON March 5 signed into law legislation solidifying Virginia’s status as a right-to-farm state by limiting local officials’ ability to interfere with normal agricultural operations.

The governor’s signature marks the latest chapter in a swirling controversy that attracted nationwide attention in 2012 when the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors forced family farmer Martha Boneta to cease selling produce from her own 64-acre farm. No longer allowed to sell the vegetables she had harvested, Boneta donated the food to local charities lest it go to waste.

Fauquier County officials threatened Boneta with $5,000 per-day fines for hosting a birthday party for eight 10-year-old girls without a permit, and advertising pumpkin carvings. Seeing in the county’s action against Boneta as a brazen effort to drive her off her land, Virginians from all walks of life rallied to her defense.  Supporters gathered in Warrenton, the county seat, for a peaceful “pitchfork protest” to vent their anger over what an out-of-control local government had done to a law-abiding citizen.

More at:

Chumley Says He Will Fight Ethics Allegations

S.C. Rep. Bill Chumley will finally get his day in court before the House Ethics Committee – two days before Christmas.

While the 10-member committee was meeting behind closed doors for several hours Tuesday afternoon on an unrelated ethics case, Chumley's attorney said he was notified by his law firm staff that the committee had scheduled a hearing for the Spartanburg County Republican on Monday at 9:30 a.m.

“We wanted to handle it today, but that did not work for Rep. Chumley,” Rep.  Kenny Bingham, R-Lexington and the committee chairman, told The Nerve in a written response after Tuesday’s meeting. “Next Monday works for Rep. Chumley and I can get a quorum to conduct the hearing because the attorneys don’t have court.”

“We’re anxious to get the matter concluded, and we’ve been anxious since June,” Chumley’s attorney, Reese Boyd, told The Nerve Tuesday afternoon.

As of last week, Chumley’s case was on the agenda for Tuesday’s committee meeting at the Blatt Building on the State House grounds, but it was removed from the agenda Monday after Bingham said Chumley had requested a hearing, which typically involves witness testimony.

Bingham told The Nerve in a written response Monday night that the Ethics Committee can “take action without conducting a hearing,” noting, “Generally speaking, hearings are only conducted when there are facts that are in dispute.”

“Based on my discussion … with counsel for the committee, we requested a hearing on a timely basis,” Boyd said Tuesday, though he declined further comment.


More at: