This year’s General Assembly has made important changes in how a couple of processes are carried out in Virginia…buying a gun and voting. They’ve helped to keep the staff at PolitiFact Virginia busy this week, as Fred Echols reports.

Oil industry experts are predicting a rise in gasoline prices in the coming months, something Republicans are hoping voters will hold against President Obama and other Democrats in the fall. George Allen has brought gas prices into his campaign for the senate in Virginia. and one his claims has sent the fact checkers at Politifact Virginia into action. Fred Echols reports.

Over the past few years the Virginia General Assembly has made some adjustments in the state’s financial support for Standards of Quality in public schools. Those changes have drawn some sharp criticism from some quarters, especially from the Virginia Education Association, and that’s why Politifact Virginia has been checking on them this week. Fred Echols reports.

 Virginia Congressman Jim Moran can often be found at the center of the debate over federal gun legislation. Politifact Virginia-dot-com has checked out one of the Democrat’s recent claims about gun violence. Fred Echols reports.

Governor McDonnell has pledged to reduce unfunded mandates on local governments in Virginia and he’s had legislation introduced in the General Assembly to start the process. But some city and county officials say the governor is handing them a new mandate in the form of required payments into the retirement fund for teachers. McDonnell says that’s not the case. As we hear from Fred Echols, Politifact Virginia decided to investigate.

Governor McDonnell’s plan to shift additional sales tax revenues into transportation is drawing plenty of criticism from Democrats who say it takes money away from public schools. That’s the focus of this week’s PolitiFact Virginia report, as we hear from Fred Echols.

The Virginia Retirement System is a prominent item in Governor McDonnell’s plans for the 2012 General Assembly session. This week, PolitiFact Virginia looked into one of the Governor’s claims related to the pension fund.  Fred Echols reports.

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There’s no doubt that small businesses make up an important part of the US economy.  But how important?  We learn something about that this week from PolitiFact Virginia. Fred Echols reports.

The federal deficit takes center stage again this week at PolitifactVirginia-dot-com. Fred Echols gets the facts on an exchange between Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine.

Again this week the debate between Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine provides material for the fact checkers at Politifact Virginia. Fred Echols reports.

A recurring claim about the Obama administration found its way into this month’s debate between Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine. Today we’ll hear what Politifact Virginia has found out about it. Fred Echols reports.

Former governors George Allen and Tim Kaine got together this week for the first debate of their expected  US Senate contest. Among the points of contention were the federal budget and energy policy. Politifact Virginia was listening as Fred Echols reports.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner didn’t get the seat he was hoping for on the super committee but that hasn’t taken him out of the debate about revenues, taxes and the deficit. This week Politifact Virginia looks at one of Warner’s claims about the federal budget and also checks out another of Governor McDonnell’s promises on the Bob-O-Meter. Fred Echols reports.

This week Politifact Virginia looks into claims about flat tax plans and whether President Ronald Reagan agreed to 18 hikes in the federal debt ceiling. Fred Echols reports.

One of George Allen’s harshest critics has endorsed the former governor in his run for the US Senate. Politifact Virginia notes that turnaround this week and also grades Governor McDonnell on a campaign promise to funnel more money into Virginia classrooms. Fred Echols reports.

This week Politifact Virginia dot com tests Governor McDonnell on his promise of new legislation to reduce gang violence and also checks out a congressman’s claim on the possible effect of cuts in defense spending. Fred Echols reports.

Virginia House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong is running for re-election this year against another incumbent, Republican Charles Poindexter. That’s because the GOP targeted Armstrong when it redrew the legislative map, moving his southwest Virginia district to the DC suburbs. Armstrong has caught the eye of Politifact Virginia this week, as Fred Echols reports

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This week Politifact Virginia tests Governor McDonnell on another transportation funding promise and finds out whether a GOP State Senate candidate is really responsible for sending Virginia jobs to China. Fred Echols reports.

In this week’s PolitiFact Virginia segment, taxes on soup kitchens and gimmicks that balance the budget come under scrutiny. Fred Echols reports.

This month, PolitiFactVirginia.com launched the Bob-O-Meter, which will track 50 promises made by Governor Bob McDonnell during his campaign for office. This week, Fred Echols checks the meter’s readings on redistricting and a couple of interstate highway issues.

Did George Allen reign in spending as governor? What would Thomas Jefferson do about a balanced budget amendment?
In this week’s Politifact Virginia installment Fred Echols talks with Warren Fiske about state spending under Governor George Allen and Thomas Jefferson’s position on government debt.

Federal disaster funding has joined the size-of-government issue at the forefront of political debate this month. Today Fred Echols talks with Warren Fiske of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Politifact Virginia dot com about both.

Governor McDonnell is pondering whether he would leave Richmond to run for Vice President, while Congressman Bobby Scott has found something else he doesn’t like about the Bush tax cuts. Fred Echols called on PolitiFact Virginia.com to get a reading on what both men have been saying.

Our PolitiFact report this week is all about money, specifically Virginia education spending and federal taxes. Fred Echols has the details from Sean Gormon with the Richmond Times-Dispatch and PolitiFactVirginia.com

Democrats and Republicans are sharpening the focus on their favorite issues as negotiators prepare to go back to work on deficit reduction.Warren Fiske with the Richmond Times Dispatch and PolitiFactVirginia.com is keeping busy checking out some of the claims coming from the two camps,  as we hear from Fred Echols.

There’s been quite a bit said about the national debt and the federal budget in the past few weeks. PolitiFactVirginia.com has been paying attention, as Fred Echols reports.

Political money and pension money are among the things Virginia politicans have talked about in recent days. As we hear from Fred Echols, both drew some attention at PolitiFact Virginia.

The fact-checkers at PolitiFactVirginia.com have been busy this week looking at claims about the U.S. national debt and Virginia’s crime rate. Fred Echols talked with Warren Fiske at the Richmond Times Dispatch to find out if anyone’s been fibbing.

Corporate taxes and the weight– literally– of federal regulations have been on the minds of Virginia lawmakers lately. Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols checks in with PolitiFactVirginia.com to find out whether we should believe what we’ve been hearing.

Governor McDonnell has taken some recent criticism from NARAL/Pro-Choice America for his handling of federal grant opportunities…and from the Virginia Democratic Party for something that never qutie happened.  Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols talked with Warren Fiske of the Richmond Times Dispatch and PolitiFactVirginia.com to see if what they’re saying about the Governor is true.

Virginia Senate Candidate George Allen has taken a stand on ethanol subsidies while at TV talk show host claims Congressman Eric Cantor applies a double standard to sex scandals.  Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols gets some facts about both from PolitiFact Virginia.com, and reporter Warren Fiske.PolitiFact 6-24

Virginia Congressman Scott Rigell recently surprised some people when he said the U.S national debt is actually seven times larger than we’ve been led to believe. That, and bus safety are the issues Fred Echols and Warren Fiske talk about on this week’s PolitiFact Virginia report.

Job creation and Medicare are current hot topics in the back and forth of national politics.  Both issues make an appearance this week, as Fred Echols talks with Warren Fiske of the Richmond Times Dispatch and PolitiFactVirginia.com

Virginia Democratic Congressman Jim Moran has drawn some attention with a statement about styrofoam cups, while Republicans from the Commonwealth are taking President Obama to task over Israel. They’ve all drawn the attention  of PolitiFactVirginia.com, as we hear from Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols.

One of the democrats who wants to succeed Bob McDonnell as Virginia Governor has been on the offensive this spring criticizing McDonnell for the way he’s handled the state’s economy. Some fact checking of one of his claims reveals not only what’s true, but also what else is true.  That’s the topic of this week’s PolitiFact report, as we hear from Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols, and Warren Fiske, from the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Terry McAuliffe is a former Chairman of the National Democratic Party and a likely candidate for Governor of Virginia in two years. He’s also one of the subjects of this week’s PolitiFact Virginia Report with Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols and Warren Fiske of the Richmond Times Dispatch.

As Congressional Democrats and Republicans work toward what they hope will be reductions in the federal deficit, there is no shortage of claims and counter-claims about the budget. A favorite target for criticism is the Tax Code. Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor recently said the income tax is so flawed that nearly 50% of all federal filers pay “no” tax. Researchers at the website PolitiFact-Virginia.com  decided to check out that claim by Congressman Cantor.  Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols talked with Warren Fiske with PolitiFact, in his office at the Richmond Times Dispatch.