Newsletter - July 27,2016 | Mark Levine for Delegate

Above and in the Left-Hand Column, I've posted Video of my clips on FOX News defending Hillary. Perhaps the funniest one is the first one when I exposed a Trump supporter who claimed to also be a Sanders supporter. I told him that if what he claimed were true (which I highly doubted), it was rarer than a "unicorn eating green cheese on the moon."

Speaking at Alexandria Democratic Committee Convention Watch Party

Like most of you, I've been watching our party's Convention in Philadelphia this week. What a contrast from that hate-filled cesspool the Republicans put on last week. We heard Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine tell us their detailed plans to raise wages, make education more affordable, increase access to healthcare, enact commonsense gun safety measures, protect a woman's right to make her own decisions about her body, and take action to mitigate the effects of climate change. We heard eloquent speeches from Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama about Hillary's and Tim's dedication and willingness to fight for the less fortunate. But I can't think of a better speech than the one Michelle Obama gave Monday night when she explained how important a role model the President is to children around the country.

Alexandria Democratic Committee Convention Watch Party

We can't have our children taking after a racist bully like Trump. I'll be working my hardest to make sure that we win in 2016, and then win again in 2017 here in Virginia. Will you help me do the same?

The Opening of the Hillary for America office in Alexandria.

TODAY (Saturday) AT 1:30 PM
My Monthly Meetup

Please join me this afternoon, Saturday July 30th at Del Ray Cafe, 205 E. Howell Ave in Alexandria at 1:30 pm, for my monthly meetup that occurs the last Saturday of every month. No donation required. Just a place to sit and talk and (for most of us) eat. I love to know what's on my mind of constituents and supporters.

Making Voter Registration Easier

As I'm sure most of you know, on a 4-3 vote, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the Governor's executive order restoring voting rights to felons on the unusual grounds that he could only restore them individually and not all at once. Fortunately, we have a Governor so dedicated to putting an end to this practice born out of Jim Crow that he's pledged to take his pen and individually restore everyone's rights.

Removing barriers to voting has always been a major focus of mine, which is why I introduced HB 1002 last session. This bill would have directed the DMV to automatically register its eligible customers to vote, unless they opted out. Realizing that this commonsense, voter-friendly idea would stand no chance with the House Republican majority, I focused my efforts on the Governor and his administration instead and received a much friendlier audience. Now, I'm pleased to report that the DMV will allow its customers to register to vote electronically at terminals located within the office, rather than having to fill out a paper voter registration form to be submitted by the DMV. Although this innovation will not go quite as far as automatic registration, it will make the process a lot easier and more efficient for customers, DMV employees, and registrars, while also improving the accuracy of the system.

Atlantic Gateway

An exciting new transportation project has been announced for that traffic-clogged corridor south of Alexandria to Fredericksburg. The combined road and rail projects will total $1.4 billion in improvements, including $165 million in federal grants. In addition to (1) laying the groundwork for improved rail connections from DC and Northern Virginia to Richmond and further points South and (2) extending the I-395 HOT lanes north to the Pentagon and eventually South to Fredericksburg, this project will (3) eventually expand the 14th Street Bridge to add an extra rail track through Northern Virginia, greatly expanding the capacity of passenger and commuter rail. Adding this capacity to the VRE will be absolutely critical to helping it meet the demand of commuters throughout the region by increasing the length and frequency of trains, while also improving their reliability.

In addition, studies are underway to improve Alexandria's Union Station. The pedestrian tunnel will be made accessible to those with disabilities, and a direct pedestrian connection will be built to the King Street Metro. I'm looking forward to monitoring these projects closely and making sure that as they develop, they serve the needs of the people of the 45th district.

Fireworks on the Potomac

Over a hundred people turned out to my 2nd Annual Fireworks on the Potomac! Ten pounds of meatballs were consumed, along with lots of other food, wine, and beer. I'm looking forward to having everyone over again next year and raising more money for Virginia Democrats.