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General Assembly Required: The (Data) Center of VA Politics

VPM | By Rich Meagher
Published April 1, 2026 at 6:50 PM EDT
RVA's got issues logo with headshot of partrick larson and Lyndon German
RVA's Got Issues
The two biggest words in VA Politics right now? DATA and CENTERS. From a state budget battle to heated local opposition, how did they land at the very center of Virginia politics?
This episode is part of GENERAL ASSEMBLY REQUIRED, a new series from RVA’s Got Issues focusing on state government’s impact on RVA.

Featuring:
Patrick Larsen and Lyndon German, VPM News Reporters

Follow @RichGotIssues on Instagram for bonus content and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

About RVA’s Got Issues

VPM’s award-winning podcast exploring the politics and big issues in the news that are defining life in and around Richmond, Virginia.

Hosted by Rich Meagher, Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College, this weekly show tackles everything from housing and public transportation to education policy and local government transparency.

Each episode features expert guests who provide insights into Richmond’s biggest issues while offering actionable solutions for community engagement. Whether you’re curious about City Council decisions, school board policies, or how to get involved in local politics, RVA’s Got Issues delivers the knowledge you need.

New episodes every Wednesday — available on all major podcast platforms.

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Rich Meagher

Richard J. Meagher [pronounced MARR] is Professor of Political Science, Director of Social Entrepreneurship at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, and the host of RVA's Got Issues.

Meagher is an expert observer of local and state politics in Richmond and has been featured everywhere from print to television to radio. He is a political analyst for WRIC 8 News, and his commentary and opinion have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and his own RVAPolitics site.

He is also a Faculty Fellow for Brandeis University’s Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT), a national program engaging undergraduates in state-level legislative change. Meagher's 2020 book, Local Politics Matters, argues for the importance of participation in city and county politics.

In 2023, he launched the Virginia Amendments Project, a resource for scholars and citizens about amendments to the Constitution of Virginia.

See stories by Rich Meagher
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