GOVERNMENT + POLITICS
Amid mask confusion, Youngkin rolls out new COVID-19 guidance for schools
Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued new state guidelines late Friday afternoon for how COVID-19 should be handled in Virginia schools, asking parents to “listen to their principal” while his new mask order is pending in court. On the day of his inauguration, Youngkin signed an executive order meant to allow families to opt out of school […]
Va. Republicans won big under Democratic voting rules. They still want tougher laws.
Virginia Republicans had a wildly successful election night in what had been a solid blue state in 2021, playing by Democratic voting rules the GOP spent two years arguing against. If Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s undisputed, high-turnout win meant Republicans might rethink their fears about the integrity of the state’s election system, it’s not showing in […]
Outcast Republican senator is earning some GOP support for COVID-19 bills
Chesterfield Sen. Amanda Chase has been kicked out of her local Republican party, left the chamber’s Republican Caucus and faced formal censure for baseless claims of election fraud, a vote that saw Republican colleagues openly criticize her on the Senate floor. That hasn’t stopped many of them from supporting her bills to roll back COVID-19 […]
Legislatures across country back off pandemic protocols
As Dr. Jennifer Bacani McKenney walked the halls of the Kansas Statehouse on opening day of the legislative session this month, she was taken aback by what she saw. In the hallways, where “people are chatting and hugging and all that stuff, there were probably less than half of the people wearing masks … You definitely wouldn’t […]
Bi-partisan bill would make it easier to cancel subscriptions online
It’s a tale as old as the free trial subscription. You sign up for an enticing offer online, but when it comes time to cancel, an unsubscribe button is nowhere to be found. No more, say Dels. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, and Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville. The two lawmakers both introduced legislation that would require companies […]
Youngkin’s new COVID-19 action plan treads familiar ground for Virginia
As Virginia continues to grapple with record-breaking numbers of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, newly elected Gov. Glenn Youngkin is taking action to bolster the state’s health care system, the governor announced Thursday. Today’s announcement for the Covid Action Plan is designed to give Virginians the resources necessary to make the best decisions for their families, […]
The GOP offensive against climate action begins
Even before taking office, Gov. Glenn Youngkin made two rookie mistakes: he declared his intention to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by executive order, not realizing it can only be done by legislation; and he nominated the much-reviled Trump-era EPA chief Andrew Wheeler to be his secretary of natural resources, apparently […]
As Republicans threaten two years of climate legislation, Democrats go on defense
With Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin moving to withdraw Virginia from a regional carbon market and a new Republican majority in the House of Delegates pledging to amend a sweeping decarbonization law passed in 2020, Democrats are going on defense to protect what they see as their party’s signature environmental achievements of the past two years. […]
Youngkin quickly embraces culture wars, telegraphing a worrisome four years
That didn’t take long. At all. Gov. Glenn Youngkin roared out of the starting blocks after being sworn in a few days ago: He issued executive orders and authored proclamations and promulgated his own share of wrongheadedness. His actions will surely inflame the culture wars. The moves won’t necessarily be effective, either. His fellow Republicans […]
Some Virginia delegates already going virtual under COVID-19 rules
A handful of Virginia House of Delegates members have already been given permission to legislate remotely, a privilege granted only to members isolating due to a COVID-19 exposure or diagnosis. Anyone hoping to find out exactly who is dealing with COVID-19 issues has to tune in to the beginning of each day’s floor session, when […]
Governor should reconsider policy decisions that will hurt the environment
By Tracy Kelly and Neelu Tummala As health professionals in Virginia, we look forward to working with Gov. Glenn Youngkin to promote a healthy environment for families in the commonwealth. As a nurse and a surgeon, we see the impact of climate change in the stories and faces of our patients. This is why we […]
Youngkin still won’t say how his school masking opt-out order will be enforced
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin won’t confirm whether his administration plans to withhold state funding from local school divisions that don’t comply with an executive order allowing parents to opt out of universal masking policies. The possibility was first raised by Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears in a Monday afternoon appearance on Fox News. While Youngkin had […]