The wreckage of mangled bodies that Walter Z. Speller has left behind is undeniable. Three young children, defenseless, tiny and innocent, endured repeated beatings at the hands of a vicious man. In Speller's case, history repeated itself in grisly fashion.

A Senate committee is expected to hear a bill today that would allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry their guns into Virginia's bars. If lawmakers pass the legislation, Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has supported the measure, is likely to sign it.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers has come up with a fitting way to commemorate the occasion - investing $75 million to help protect its breathtaking views and expand its recreational offerings.

The public-health dangers posed by Old Dominion Electric Cooperative's plans for a power plant in Surry County are well-documented. The utility predicts the plant will spew more than 3,000 tons each of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide every year. That's six times the sulfur pollutants that will be released at Dominion Virginia Power's newest plant in Wise County.

Drilling for oil in the Atlantic off Virginia Beach is one thing. Making a bad bargain is another. You'd think Virginia's leaders would realize the difference. Instead, the state's most prominent politicians are pushing anew for the federal government to hurry a process that could result in platforms off our coast and oil and gas facilities on our shore.

A snowstorm may keep school children homebound for a few days, but a financial storm can't and shouldn't put their education on hold for a year. Lawmakers are considering proposals to delay several new requirements for public schools. The overall premise is a fair one: Schools shouldn't be forced to obey new demands from Richmond when Richmond is cutting education budgets.

Teachers with colorful tote bags, doctors in white coats and deputies in starched uniforms have all visited the state Capitol over the past three weeks, beseeching legislators to ease up on the cuts in former Gov. Tim Kaine's budget proposal.

A Spotsylvania County delegate is sponsoring legislation this year that would put an end to a disturbing threat to public safety. Virginians are in danger of having top-secret microchips implanted against their will.

It must be true because the General Assembly is considering a law against it, and the Internet is full of warnings about the danger.

Virginia's high-speed rail strategy thus far has been to hope that the state’s geography would make up for its lack of preparation and  leadership. Last week, the state learned that geography isn’t enough.

Virginia has no standard for deciding where to house teens accused of crimes and waiting to be tried in adult court. Some are sent to juvenile detention; others are jailed with much older inmates.