Audrey McFarlane, Richard C. Schragger, Daniel Farbman, David Toscano, Larry Roberts, Leslie Hager-Smith, Levar Stoney, Justin Wilson
Hosted byWilliam Antholis
Virginia is currently one of the few states that has not adopted statutory or constitutional home rule for its local governments. Because Virginia follows Dillon's Rule, cities, counties, and towns need authorization from the General Assembly to enact almost any policy. This event examines the history and consequences of the legal framework that currently defines local government authority in the Commonwealth.
Welcome: William J. Antholis, Director and CEO, Miller Center
10:05 – 11:05 a.m.
PANEL 1: The state we’re in: Home rule, structural racism, and Dillon’s Rule in Virginia
This panel will examine the basic structure of local authority and inter-governmental relations in the Commonwealth, how close historically Virginia has come to adopting home rule, and relationship between Dillon’s Rule and the history of localism in the South.
Moderator:Audrey McFarlane, Associate Dean of Faculty Research and Development, Dean Julius Isaacson Professor of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law
Panelists:
Richard Schragger, Perre Bowen Professor of Law, Martha Lubin Karsh & Bruce A. Karsh Bicentennial Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
Daniel Farbman, Assistant Professor of Law, Boston College Law School
David Toscano, Former Minority Leader, Virginia House of Delegates; former Mayor of Charlottesville
11:05 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.
PANEL 2: Limitations for Virginia municipalities: Emergency powers, public health, and economic recovery in COVID-19
Mayors of cities from across the Commonwealth will share their experiences governing under Dillon’s Rule, especially during a public-health crisis.
Moderator: Larry Roberts, Director, The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership
Panelists:
Leslie Hager-Smith, Mayor of Blacksburg
Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond
Justin Wilson, Mayor of Alexandria
12:05 – 12:15 p.m.
Closing remarks: William J. Antholis, Director and CEO, Miller Center
