Forget David and Goliath. In the money race in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, it’s Wayne and Eric. Democrat Wayne Powell is challenging incumbent Rep. Eric Cantor, the Republican majority leader in the U.S. House. From a campaign-finance standpoint, it’s not much of a contest: Cantor has 58 times more money on hand than Powell does.

Virginia officials recently celebrated the 225th anniversary of the arrival of the plaster-of-Paris model that was the basis for building the state Capitol. Thomas Jefferson, who designed the Capitol in the Roman temple style, commissioned Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fouquet to make the model and ship it to the newly independent United States of America. It arrived on Feb. 28, 1787, and is still on display for the public.

For Wayne Powell, Virginia’s 7th Congressional District “isn’t personal, it’s Cantor.” Powell, 62, is challenging Republican incumbent Eric Cantor of Henrico County for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Powell is one of the three candidates running for the spot on the Democratic ballot this fall.

Two weeks ago, a vehicle VCU sophomore Carolina Perez was in was struck at the intersection of Second and Canal streets. Perez, who sat at the point of impact in the accident, died later that morning. Varinder “Vick” Chahal, the driver of the other car, had no injuries; neither did his four passengers. Chahal is facing charges of felony manslaughter, driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a blood or breath test.

The House and Senate seem headed in different directions on whether to give businesses relief from the machinery and tools tax levied by local governments. The Senate has passed a bill to give businesses grants to offset the tax on newly purchased equipment for the first two years. Under the latest version of Senate Bill 549, businesses would pay the tax to their city, county or town but then get reimbursed by a state grant. The bill passed last week, 28-12.

Front Royal Mayor Timothy Darr could have been forced out of office if the General Assembly had passed legislation requiring local election ballots to list each candidate’s political party. That’s because Darr works for the U.S. Department of Defense – and federal law prohibits federal employees from running in elections under party affiliation.

Virginia’s machinery and tools tax, which some businesses see as a burden but local governments view as a critical revenue source, would be slashed under legislation before the General Assembly.

As the General Assembly enters the third week of its 2012 session, delegates representing the Hopewell-area – Kirk Cox of Colonial Heights, Rosalyn Dance of Petersburg and Riley Ingram of Hopewell – took time to discuss their legislative goals.

The General Assembly is well on its way into the 2012 session. Hopewell-area Delegates Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, and Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg, discussed some of their legislative goals. Cox, the majority leader in the House of Delegates, said his major focus is simple: passing a state budget for the next two years. But he has other goals, such as ensuring adequate funding for programs such as the Virginia Retirement System.

Jobs and economic development. That’s what Delegate Kirk Cox’s constituents said is the most pressing issue facing Virginia. Residents of the 66th House District, which includes Colonial Heights and part of Chesterfield County, registered their priorities during a telephone town hall meeting Cox held last week.