Author
Neither man convicted in scheme to sell ABC bourbon info will face active jail time
The two Virginia men accused of using inside information from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to give bourbon collectors a heads up on where to get rare bottles won’t face any active jail time after both pleaded guilty to one felony charge related to computer trespassing. Robert Adams, a Hampton Roads man whom authorities […]
As Virginia budget negotiations drag on, here’s what hangs in the balance
In normal years, Virginia’s budget plan is supposed to be pretty much done by April except for any late changes recommended by the governor. But for the second year in row, the politically split General Assembly is heading into spring under a cloud of uncertainty over when the budget will get done and what will […]
Youngkin proposes carveout shielding ‘therapeutic’ CBD from new cannabis rules
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is recommending changes to a pending state law that would exempt some non-intoxicating CBD products from strict new regulations on the sale of delta-8 and other hemp-based concoctions that get users high. After significant pushback to a proposed rule limiting THC to 2 milligrams per package — which many hemp proponents have […]
GMU leader defends plan to host Youngkin as commencement speaker
The president of George Mason University appears unswayed by a student-led petition asking the school to reverse its choice of Gov. Glenn Youngkin as its spring commencement speaker.
Youngkin signs bill creating $300 tax credit for gun safes
Firearm safety is about to get a little more affordable in Virginia after Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bipartisan bill creating a $300 tax credit meant to reimburse people who buy gun safes or other lockable gun containers. The legislation approved by the governor last week was the only gun safety measure that passed the […]
Youngkin administration now requires felons to apply to get their voting rights back
In a shift from Virginia’s last three governors, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration is requiring people with felony convictions to proactively apply to regain their voting rights upon release from prison and is not automatically restoring rights for any group of offenders. In a letter sent to a Democratic state senator this week in response to […]
Virginia policymakers consider changing hemp bill to reduce impact on CBD products
Before many people even knew what CBD was, a particular group of families was asking Virginia lawmakers to legalize it. At the urging of parents with children diagnosed with severe epilepsy, Virginia passed a law in 2015 creating a legal shield allowing families to possess cannabis-derived CBD oils for medical use without fear of being […]
General Assembly tracker: Everyone who says they aren’t coming back next year
For updated info, see: Updated: Who might — and who won’t — be returning to the General Assembly next year As the 2023 legislative session draws to a close, a mounting number of delegates and senators are announcing this one will be their last. Twenty-eight lawmakers have said they don’t intend to run again this […]
How a 2019 vote on Virginia’s red flag law is shaking up a GOP primary in 2023
COLONIAL HEIGHTS — When Glen Sturtevant stood to speak to diehard gun rights supporters gathered at an American Legion post last week, he knew he had some explaining to do. A former state senator with a moderate profile who is trying to make a political comeback in a more conservative district, Sturtevant opened his remarks […]
Virginia delegate says he’ll resign current seat to run for new one
A rule in the Virginia Constitution requiring General Assembly members to resign their seats if they move out of their district will force Del. Nadarius Clark, D-Portsmouth, to step down before legislators return to Richmond April 12, Clark’s campaign acknowledged this week. On Wednesday, Democratic candidate Michele Joyce, who’s running in the same redrawn House […]
Virginia lawmakers consider restoring part of tax deduction for sports betting apps
When Virginia stopped letting sports betting companies deduct free-bet promotions from their taxable revenue last year, the state saw a significant bump in tax dollars. The industry wasn’t happy with the change, arguing policymakers were inhibiting the long-term potential of legal betting platforms by making it harder to attract new bettors and keep existing ones. […]
Virginia health groups back effort to crack down on THC products
The leaders of four Virginia health care groups are urging Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign legislation that would impose strict new limits on hemp-derived products that contain intoxicating amounts of THC, the compound in marijuana that gets users high, as well as potential fines on retailers that sell them. In the letter dated Thursday, the […]