If elected, Virginia Del. Lashrecse Aird (D) would be the state’s first female speaker of the House and the first Black person to lead the legislative body. (Photo: Virginia Del. Lashrecse Aird (D))
Democrats banished Republicans from the last major bastions of power in Virginia on Tuesday, taking control of the House of Delegates and the state Senate.
Unified Democratic control is not unprecedented in Virginia; the party last had a trifecta in 1993.
But one of the distinguishing features of the candidates and activists powering the state’s blue wave is that many of them do not resemble the largely white, business-friendly and pro-gun Democrats who were once the norm in the state.
Gov. Ralph Northam and state Senate Democratic Leader Dick Saslaw are firmly ensconced in the older, more moderate strain of the state’s Democratic politics.
On Saturday, Democrats in the Virginia House, whose members include a self-described democratic socialist and a Peruvian immigrant inspired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), will decide how much of a break they are prepared to make with the “Virginia Way” ― the bipartisan tradition of pro-corporate gentility embodied by Northam and Saslaw.
House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, a 55-year-old white woman who manages a lobbying and consulting firm when she is not at the state Capitol, was the odds-on favorite to become speaker when the ballots came in on Tuesday night. As many news accounts noted, Filler-Corn, a Fairfax County Democrat, would be the first woman and the first Jew to serve as speaker.
But the morning after the election, Del. Lashrecse Aird, a 33-year-old Black woman who runs William and Mary’s junior college, announced that she would be seeking the speakership.
Aird, a Petersburg Democrat who is heading into her third term in the chamber, is framing her candidacy for the top post as an opportunity to embrace a more progressive policy agenda.
“This election was a mandate from voters in Virginia to see Democrats in the majority, but in my mind it is much more than just having the numbers in the body. It’s going to be about bold, progressive leadership,” Aird said.
“You have, in my opinion, a Commonwealth that wants to see that. You have members who have been in our caucus and who will be coming into our caucus that want to see that happen,” she added. “I strongly believe that the other individuals in this race, their personal politics has never been about bold progressive leadership, so why are they going to start now because they receive a new title?”
Aird is also open about the fact that she sees being a Black woman as an asset, particularly at a time when Virginia is commemorating 400 years since the arrival of African slaves and seeking to move past the national infamy it earned for the revelation in February that Northam had worn blackface in 1984.
“Folks want to see a Commonwealth that is inclusive, that is reflective, and that is more equitable than it’s ever been before,” she said.
Aird told HuffPost she plans to allow a vote on legislation that would grant the state’s public-sector unions collective bargaining rights and repeal the state’s “right to work” status, which bars private-sector unions from compelling dues payment from workers who benefit from union protections.
She would also permit a frank and open discussion of ways to confront corporate power in the state in general and the two state-regulated electric utility monopolies in particular. In 2015, those monopolies, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power, which are consistently among the state’s largest corporate campaign donors, managed to get a law passed barring the state regulatory commission from reviewing the utilities’ prices.
Now the monopolies’ critics fear that the companies, which extract fossil fuels and generate energy in addition to transmitting it, will seek to water down any efforts to combat climate change. To the extent that Democrats pass legislation mandating more renewable energy use, antitrust crusaders inside and outside the legislature fear that Dominion and Appalachian will try to monopolize production of those new energy sources as well.
“Having gender equality, public safety, LGBTQ equality, gun safety — those are the things we should be able to accomplish regardless of who’s in charge… Only taking care of those things is such a cheap cop-out for what a party should stand for. I want to go beyond those issues,” said Del. Mark Keam, a Fairfax County Democrat, who would not say how he plans to vote in the leadership race. “How do you change infrastructure so we run on clean energy rather than fossil fuels? We need to get there by breaking down monopolies and increasing competition.”
Aird is among the 47 incoming members of the Virginia General Assembly, as the legislature is called, who took an activist-sponsored pledge not to accept campaign contributions from the two monopolies.
What’s more, her two biggest individual donors this past election cycle were hedge fund manager Michael Bills and his wife, Sonjia Smith. The couple are among the state’s most influential critics of the utility monopolies’ power. Bills bankrolls Clean Virginia, the group pushing the no-donation pledge and leading much of the statewide effort against the monopolies’ influence.
Filler-Corn declined to sign on to the pledge, but she did not receive any direct contributions from either Dominion or Appalachian this past election cycle.
However, Filler-Corn did receive $3,750 from Dominion lobbyist William Murray. And she is a major recipient of cash from other corporations with unsavory practices. The Richmond, Virginia-based tobacco company Altria was her single largest corporate donor, giving her $26,388. Amazon, which the legislature lured to northern Virginia with a package of $750 million in subsidies, also cut her a check for $5,500. (Aird received a smaller contribution of $1,250; they both voted for the subsidies.)
Filler-Corn’s spokesperson Holly Armstrong insisted that Filler-Corn makes decisions based on her sincerely held policy views, not campaign donations.
“You can go through finance reports and decide whether people have some kind of quid pro quo,” Armstrong said. “She was very adept this year in making sure Democratic House candidates had the funding that they needed.”
Filler-Corn is technically not a registered lobbyist at Albers & Co., where she works as a managing director. But the firm, whose clients include Google, drugmaker Eli Lilly and the dialysis provider Fresenius, has represented clients before the Virginia governor and state agencies.
Filler-Corn, who took over for David Toscano as caucus leader last December, has recused herself from voting on legislation in which her firm had a vested interest. Armstrong told HuffPost on Friday that Filler-Corn would continue to do so as speaker.
“With a citizen legislature, you have people with full-time jobs,” Armstrong said. “There are all sorts of different backgrounds represented, which is what makes the legislature so diverse. It is not just cultural diversity that counts; professional diversity matters, too.”
Aird implied, however, that it undermined the case for Filler-Corn’s speakership.
“We are in a period of time where Virginians are holding elected officials to a high ethical standard,” Aird said. “Many Virginians would call into question the ability for someone to govern the body and be a lobbyist.”
Virginia Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D) is arguing that she has successfully steered the state House Democratic Caucus through a tumultuous year. (Photo: Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Aird is pitching her Democratic colleagues on not only the vision of a more ambitious legislative agenda but also on granting rank-and-file House Democrats more opportunities to shape caucus priorities. On Friday, she released a 14-page report, “60 Day Plan for a Stronger Commonwealth,” outlining her proposals, which include the creation of new leadership posts and a new committee dedicated to energy and natural resources. That committee, Aird acknowledged, would enable the House to take a proactive role in oversight of the state’s utility monopolies.
For her part, Filler-Corn plans to decide on what legislation to prioritize once she consults with members, according to Armstrong.
“She heard over and over across the Commonwealth that people want to address gun violence prevention, they want health care reforms and combat climate change in a way that follows the scientific research,” Armstrong said.
And Filler-Corn is making the case that she provided effective leadership during a tumultuous year clouded by scandals ensnaring Northam and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, and the Republican-dominated legislature’s refusal to consider tougher gun regulations in the wake of a Virginia Beach massacre in May that killed 12 people.
“She kept the caucus together,” Armstrong said.
Aird faces a number of obstacles to prevailing in Saturday’s vote, when all 55 incoming members of the caucus will cast secret ballots for members of their party’s leadership team. In addition to Filler-Corn and Aird, Dels. Luke Torian, a Black moderate from northern Virginia, and Ken Plum, a white moderate serving in the legislature for more than 40 years, have said they plan to seek the post.
Filler-Corn, who faced only token opposition in her reelection race on Tuesday, has likely earned good will with many members for spreading around her campaign cash and presiding over the retaking of the Democratic majority. Unlike Aird, she also hails from northern Virginia, the region of the state with the largest concentration of Democratic delegates.
“Eileen was at the helm and was running the operation in an election cycle when we pretty much did everything we could ask for,” said Del. Marcus Simon, a Falls Church Democrat, who would not reveal for whom he is planning to vote.
Further, Aird is liable to face skepticism of her relative youth and inexperience. She was first elected in 2015, while Filler-Corn joined the General Assembly in 2010.
Aird points to her work as an aide to then-Del. Rosalynn Dance prior to being elected to the House. At the time, Democrats held a tiny minority of seats. The experience makes her sensitive to the concerns of moderate lawmakers, she said.
“I feel like I have one foot in the old world and one foot in the new world to lead some of the new folks that came in in 2017 and will be coming in this year,” she said. “I will take a balanced approach to governing.”
At the very least, Aird has members willing to publicly praise her skills.
“On the House floor, she has been described by members of the Republican Party as the future of Virginia and I couldn’t agree more,” said Del. Jeff Bourne, a Richmond Democrat who would not say whom he plans to support. “She is extremely bright and thoughtful and caring.”
ALABAMA STATE CAPITOL Montgomery, Alabama Year completed: 1851 Architectural style: Greek Revival FYI: A bronze star marks the spot where Jefferson Davis, newly named president of the Confederate States of America, gave his inaugural address. Visit: Guided tours are offered on Saturdays at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 pm.
ALASKA STATE CAPITOL Juneau, Alaska Year completed: 1931 Architectural style: Art Deco FYI: The limestone and marble used to construct the building’s facade is also native to Alaska—it hails from the Prince of Wales Island. Visit: Guided tours are available from mid-May to mid-September, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE Boston, Massachusetts Year completed: 1798 Architectural style: Federal FYI: The gleaming dome of the Massachusetts State House was not always metal. The original wooden topper leaked, so it was remodeled and covered in copper by a noteworthy company: Paul Revere and Sons. Visit: Guided tours are offered Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are required.
ARIZONA STATE CAPITOL MUSEUM Phoenix, Arizona Year completed: 1900 Architectural style: Classical Revival FYI: The building, once home to the territorial government, is now a museum dedicated to the history of Arizona. The governor’s office and state House and Senate floors are located in other buildings in the same complex off Wesley Bolin Plaza. Visit: The museum exhibits are open from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with staff available to answer questions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Or, reserve a guided tour (from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
ARKANSAS STATE CAPITOL Little Rock, Arkansas Year completed: 1915 Architectural style: Neo-Classical FYI: Don’t forget to look up. The rotunda of the capitol is a 17-foot-tall, 12-foot-wide brass chandelier made by Mitchell Vance and Company. Keep an eye out for decorative elements, such as an eagle perched on top of the Liberty Bell. Visit: Guided tours are offered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations are encouraged.
CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL AND CAPITOL MUSEUM Sacramento, California Year completed: 1874 Architectural style: Neo-Classical FYI: Look for Minerva. You’ll find the Roman goddess pictured in the Great Seal, on tile groupings on the floor, peering down from arches leading to the second-floor rotunda walkway, and the pediment in the building’s exterior. According to myth, Minerva was born fully grown, the way California became a state without first being a territory. Visit: Public tours leave on the hour daily, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
COLORADO STATE CAPITOL Denver, Colorado Year completed: 1893 Architectural style: Neo-Classical FYI: In the capitol’s rotunda, 16 stained glass windows depict the state’s “Hall of Fame,” which includes figures such as frontiersman Kit Carson and Alexander Majors, co-founder of the firm that established the Pony Express. Visit: Historical tours leave hourly Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The House and Senate chambers open for tours mid-January to mid-May (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Gallery guides are on hand to answer any questions.
CONNECTICUT STATE CAPITOL Hartford, Connecticut Year completed: 1879 Architectural style: Eastlake FYI: An 18-foot bronze statue of a winged woman, titled The Genius of Connecticut, resides in the capitol rotunda. It’s a replacement for the statue that once sat at the top of the capitol dome, but was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938. Lasers scanned the original plaster model to make a mold for the new version. Visit: Weekday tours leave hourly from 9:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. In July and August, a 2:15 p.m. slot opens up.
DELAWARE LEGISLATIVE HALL Dover, Delaware Year completed: 1933 Architectural style: Georgian Revival FYI: In addition to the current government building, you can visit The Old State House in Delaware. The Georgian-style building was the seat of government from 1791 until 1933, when operations moved to their current digs. Visit: Make reservations for guided tours (non-session weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in-session weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.). Additional tours are available the first Saturday of each month and on some holidays.
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE Columbia, South Carolina Year completed: 1903 Architectural style: Greek Revival FYI: On the outside of the capitol, six bronze, star-shaped markers denote the spots where the building was hit with artillery during General Sherman’s Civil War march. Visit: Guided tours are offered weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended for groups.
FLORIDA STATE CAPITOL Tallahassee, Florida Year completed: 1977 Architectural style: New Classicism FYI: The current 22-story state capitol towers over its predecessor, a Classical Revival building completed in 1845 that is now the Florida Historic Capitol Museum. Try to spot it from the new capitol’s observation deck, located on the 22nd floor, 307 feet in the air. Visit: Self-guided tours are available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for weekday holidays. Groups of 15 people or more can arrange a guided tour during the week.
GEORGIA STATE CAPITOL Atlanta, Georgia Year completed: 1889 Architectural style: Neo-Classical/Renaissance Revival FYI: The Georgia Capitol Museum, the on-site museum dedicated to the history of the state, has existed within the Capitol walls for just about as long as the building has been around. It moved into its fourth-floor headquarters in 1890. Visit: Reservations are usually required for the weekday guided tours. January through April, they leave at 9:30 a.m, 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. From May to December, there are three tours each weekday: 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. No reservations are required for the day’s last tour, but each time slot has a slightly different focus, so check the website for details.
HAWAI'I STATE CAPITOL Honolulu, Hawaii Year completed: 1969 Architectural style: Hawaiian International FYI: The eight columns in the front and back of the building are supposed to represent the eight islands of Hawaii, and the curved walls of the legislative houses recall the state’s volcanoes. Visit: Scope out the capital on your own on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (except for holidays), or arrange a guided tour through the Governor’s Office of Constituent Services.
IDAHO STATE CAPITOL Boise, Idaho Year completed: 1912 Architectural style: Neo-Classical FYI: The Idaho State Capitol has the nickname “The Capitol of Light” for the way architect John E. Tourtellotte used shafts, skylights, and reflective marble to illuminate the interior of the building. Today, it’s the only capitol building heated by geothermal water. Visit: During legislative sessions, you can visit on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. Visiting hours during the interim are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Guided tours are available from groups of 10 to 100.
ILLINOIS STATE CAPITOL Springfield, Illinois Year completed: 1889 Architectural style: French Renaissance FYI: Before it became the site of the capitol, the location—the highest in Springfield—was proposed as a burial place for Abraham Lincoln. Mary Todd Lincoln wanted him buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery instead. Visit: The capitol is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Coordinate group tours through the Physical Services department.
INDIANA STATEHOUSE Indianapolis, Indiana Year Completed: 1888 Architectural style: Renaissance Revival FYI: Many capitol buildings feature a dome or rotunda, but the Indiana Statehouse has three: a rotunda, topped by a smaller dome, with an even smaller sphere at the very top. The room inside the middle dome is painted white so the colors of the stained glass windows reflect on the walls. Visit: Guided tours leave the rotunda on Saturdays at 10:15 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m.
IOWA STATE CAPITOL Des Moines, Iowa Year completed: 1886 Architectural style: Renaissance FYI: The Iowa State Capitol has something for fashion lovers as well as history buffs: glass cases inside the first floor of the capitol building display 42 dolls—one for each governor’s wife—wearing a replica of the dress she wore to the inaugural ball. Visit: Guided tours leave Monday through Friday at various times. On Saturdays, tours depart every hour from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
KANSAS STATE CAPITOL Topeka, Kansas Year completed: 1903 Architectural style: French Renaissance FYI: In 1901, sculptor J.H. Mahoney won a design contest for his 16-foot statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, to be placed on top of the capitol dome. People balked at both the price and the idea of a pagan goddess topping the capitol, so the dome went unadorned until 2002. After a new competition was held, Richard Bergen's bronze Ad Astra—a sculpture of a Kansa warrior—was installed. Visit: Guided tours depart on weekdays: January through May, 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.; June through August, 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m.; September through December, 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
KENTUCKY STATE CAPITOL Frankfort, Kentucky Year completed: 1910 Architectural style: Beaux-Arts FYI: Inside the building, two oil murals by artist T. Gilbert White depict Kentucky’s most famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone. One shows Boone and his party as they first discover the area; the second shows him at the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals, purchasing the land that eventually became the state. Visit: The capitol is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call the office for information on guided tours.
LOUISIANA STATE CAPITOL Baton Rouge, Louisiana Year completed: 1932 Architectural style: Art Deco FYI: You approach the capitol via a grand, 48-step staircase—one stair for every state in the union (with an amendment for Alaska and Hawaii). But don’t let that be the highest you get on your visit. The Louisiana State Capitol has an observation deck on its 27th floor, 350 feet above ground. (It is the tallest state capitol building, after all.) Visit: The building is open from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. daily, except for major holidays.
MAINE STATE HOUSE Augusta, Maine Year completed: 1832 Architectural style: Greek Revival FYI: The portico and front and rear walls are all that remain of the original, 1832 structure (designed by architect Charles Bullfinch). A major remodel in 1909–1910 enlarged the wings of the building and replaced the building’s original dome with a more elongated one. Visit: Arrange a guided tour through the Maine State Museum, or check it out yourself Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MARYLAND STATE HOUSE Annapolis, Maryland Year Completed: 1797 Architectural Style: Georgian FYI: The Maryland State House has been holding government meetings for more than two centuries. The Continental Congress actually met in the building’s Old Senate Chambers in 1783 and 1784. Visit: The capitol is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Christmas and New Year's Day. The Office of Interpretation will arrange specialized, curatorial tours of the building and its artwork.
MICHIGAN STATE HOUSE Lansing, Michigan Year completed: 1879 Architectural style: Neo-Classical FYI: Don’t let the faux marble pillars and walnut wainscoting trick your eyes—decorative painting techniques cover up the fact that the capitol building was made with more inexpensive materials, such as cast iron and pine. Visit: Guided tours are offered Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tour times vary.
MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL St. Paul, Minnesota Year completed: 1905 Architectural style: Beaux-Arts FYI: Famed architect (and Minnesotan) Cass Gilbert designed the capitol—before he blueprinted the United States Supreme Court building. Visit: Hourly guided tours are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 pm; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE Columbia, South Carolina Year completed: 1903 Architectural style: Greek Revival FYI: On the outside of the capitol, six bronze, star-shaped markers denote the spots where the building was hit with artillery during General Sherman’s Civil War march. Visit: Guided tours are offered weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended for groups.
MISSISSIPPI STATE CAPITOL Jackson, Mississippi Year completed: 1903 Architectural style: Beaux-Arts FYI: There are 750 lights in the capitol's rotunda alone. That makes it easy to see the figure of Blind Justice, as well as scenes of two Indians, a Spanish explorer, and a Confederate general. Visit: Guided tours depart Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MISSOURI STATE CAPITOL Jefferson City, Missouri Year completed: 1917 Architectural style: Classical Revival FYI: The first floor of the capitol houses the Missouri State Museum, with exhibits detailing the state’s cultural and natural history. But that's not the only place to find interesting artifacts. In the buildings and around the grounds, look for James Earle Fraser’s 13-foot statue of Thomas Jefferson, Karl Bitter's bronze relief of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, a frieze by Alexander Stirling Calder (father of th famed mobile-maker of the same name), and Thomas Hart Benton’s murals of everyday Missouri life. Visit: The Missouri State Museum offers free guided tours every 20 minutes, beginning at the top of the hour, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except for noon). June through February, tours leave every half hour, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding a 12 p.m. lunch break).
MONTANA STATE CAPITOL Helena, Montana Year completed: 1902 Architectural style: Neo-Classical FYI: When the Capitol underwent an expansion in 1909, a conscious decision was made to feature art by Montana-based artists, including Charles M. Russell (his Piegans sold at auction for $5.6 million in 2005) and Edgar S. Paxson (known for painting Custer's Last Stand), among others. Visit: The Montana Historical Society offers guided tours. From May through September, tours leave on the hour (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Monday through Saturday, and from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. From October through April, tours are only on Saturdays and leave on the hour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. When the legislature is in session (odd numbered years), hourly tours are also offered from January through April, Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOL Lincoln, Nebraska Year completed: 1932 Architectural style: Streamline Moderne FYI: Don’t forget to look down. Hildreth Meire’s mosaics decorate both the ceiling and the floor of the building. Although Meire worked on the National Academy of Science in Washington D.C. and St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City, she called the Nebraska capitol her crowning achievement. Visit: Guided tours are available every hour on the hour (except noon): Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and holidays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
NEVADA STATE CAPITOL Carson City, Nevada Year completed: 1871 Architectural style: Neo-Classical Italianate FYI: After Nevada became a state, the constitutional convention made a provision that no state capitol would be built until after three legislative sessions, in case future leaders wanted to move the center of government away from Carson City. A ten-acre site set aside for the building remained empty. In his book Roughing It, Mark Twain describes the empty plaza as a useful spot for “public auctions, horse trades, mass meetings, and likewise for teamsters to camp in.” Visit: The capitol is open Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (it is closed on weekends). Call the Education Program at the Nevada State Museum to arrange guided tours.
NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOUSE Concord, New Hampshire Year completed: 1819 Architectural style: Greek Revival FYI: The stately eagle installed on top of the New Hampshire State House’s dome may look gold, but it’s actually painted wood. The original was removed for preservation and is on display at the New Hampshire Historical Society. A new, gold-leafed eagle was put in its place in the 1950s. Visit: Self-guided tours are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arrange guided tours through the Visitors’ Center.
NEW JERSEY STATE HOUSE Trenton, New Jersey Year completed: 1792 (original structure) Architectural style: Various FYI: The New Jersey State House has always been a work in progress. The original building was first completed in 1792, and a few extensions were added shortly after. In 1885, a fire destroyed a portion of the State House, which was rebuilt in the Second Empire style with a new rotunda and dome. In the 1890s, a Victorian-style addition was made to the Assembly wing. Then in 1903, the Senate wing was renovated in the American Renaissance style. A four-story office was added three years later; it finally reached its present size in 1911, and so on... Visit: Guided tours leave hourly Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as the first and third Saturday of each month (12 p.m. to 3 p.m.) The State House is closed Sundays and on state holidays.
NEW MEXICO STATE CAPITOL Santa Fe, New Mexico Year completed: 1966 Architectural style: New Mexico Territorial/Greek Revival FYI: New Mexico’s Capitol is the only one housed in a completely round building, earning it the nickname “The Roundhouse.” When seen from above, the shape is meant to evoke the Zia sun symbol. Visit: Tour the capital on your own Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Guided tours are available by appointment.
NEW YORK STATE CAPITOL Albany, New York Year completed: 1899 Architectural style: Italian Renaissance/French Renaissance/Romanesque FYI: The Western staircase inside New York’s capitol has been dubbed the “Million Dollar Staircase,” because it cost more than a million dollars to build—in the late-1800s, no less. The 444 steps took 14 years to complete, and more than 500 stonecutters and carvers earned $5 a day to work on the project. The staircase’s main feature is 77 carvings of faces, which include prominent Americans such as Abraham Lincoln and Susan B. Anthony, as well as images of the carvers’ friends and relatives. Visit: Guided tours are available Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). Tour times vary; call the Office of General Services—Visitor Assistance for more information.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE CAPITOL Raleigh, North Carolina Year completed: 1840 Architectural style: Greek Revival FYI: The North Carolina State Capitol boasts two impressive statues of George Washington. Outside on the grounds sits a bronze statue cast from a mold of Jean-Antoine Houdon's statue of George Washington in Richmond, Virginia. At the focal point in the rotunda, there's a copy of a statute that stood at North Carolina’s previous state capitol until 1831. The Italian sculptor, Antionio Canova, carved George with a Roman general’s uniform and haircut—and he’s writing in Italian. Visit: Self-guided tours are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 pm; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Guided tours for groups of 10 can be scheduled through Capital Area Visitor Services.
Former NBA guard Darius Morris has died at the age of 33. He played for five teams during his four NBA seasons. Morris played college basketball at Michigan.
Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab join forces to recap the draft in the best way they know how: letter grades! Fitz and Frank discuss all 32 teams division by division as they give a snapshot of how fans should be feeling heading into the 2024 season. The duo have key debates on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and more.
After 56 pro fights and losses in three of his last four, the UFC veteran knows what fans think about the state of his career – but he also knows they've been wrong before.
Budgeting apps can help you keep track of your finances, stick to a spending plan and reach your money goals. These are the best budget-tracking apps available right now.
