RICHMOND (WINA) – Virginia has its first African-American House Speaker. After a nomination by Prince William Democrat Luke Torian who noted 400 years ago, people who looked like Delegate Don Scott “gave of their sweat, blood, and tears to help build this Capitol”… “and it’s only fitting some looking like Don Scott 400 years later leads the House”. He hopes everyone can appreciate the history being made.

And after a second by Botetourt Republican Terry Austin, the House voted 99-0 for Portsmouth’s Don Scott as the new speaker. Scott paid tribute to his mom and his wife, who he met after serving an 8-year federal prison sentence for passing drug money. Scott tells his story to Scott MacFarlane on CBS Morning, and talked about during his speech after being chosen Speaker of his time in prison, which happened while he was in law school. He served as a naval officer eventually, and is now a practicing attorney,

Scott becomes the first black Virginia House Speaker four years after Eileen Filler-Corn had been chosen as the first Jewish woman Speaker.