GOVERNMENT + POLITICS
Without outreach funding, it will be harder to count Virginia’s children, immigrants and senior citizens in 2020
For Virginia to get all the federal money possible for a host of programs covering health, housing, transportation and schools, among other areas, every possible resident will need to be counted in the 2020 census. It’s a hard task, given that the Census Bureau has been underfunded on the federal level for several years and […]
During ‘space force’ debate, Kaine calls for rules on orbital debris
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tim Kaine is worried about space debris. As the Senate Armed Services Committee convened Thursday to debate President Trump’s plan to establish a space force as a new branch of the military, the Virginia Democratic senator asked top military officials what can be done to regulate orbiting debris that can threaten astronauts […]
Progressive group reports 21 percentage point increase in youth voter turnout in last year’s midterms
Forty-one percent of Virginia voters ages 18-35 voted in last year’s midterm elections, a 21 percentage point jump from the 2014 midterms. NextGen, a national progressive organization that works on voter outreach and registration, said in an analysis of the recently released voter file it registered more than 20,000 young voters last year on 25 […]
McEachin recovering from blood clot
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Don McEachin is recovering after being hospitalized for a blood clot, according to his office. The 4th District Democrat has been away from Capitol Hill since the first week of April, when he developed a blot clot and a swollen leg, making it difficult for him to walk, said his spokeswoman […]
Biggest piece of Spotsylvania solar farm approved
After months of deliberation, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night approved a special use permit for the largest piece of a planned solar farm that, if built as proposed, would be the biggest on the East Coast. The supervisors, who split 5-2 on the vote, with Chairman Paul Trampe and Courtland District […]
Virginia is pursuing universal broadband coverage, but Comcast and Verizon won’t say where the gaps are
Gov. Ralph Northam has set a goal of bringing universal broadband coverage to the state within 10 years. A not-so-minor hiccup: State officials say they don’t know for sure where people currently have access to coverage and where they don’t because the big internet service providers won’t tell them, calling it proprietary information. “If you’re […]
Who’s right in fight over carbon compliance costs?
The House of Delegates, on a party line vote last week, rejected amendments by Gov. Ralph Northam aimed at undoing budget language that would bar Virginia from linking to a network of carbon-trading states, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, without approval from the General Assembly. The outcome leaves the Democratic governor with the option of vetoing […]
Like similar boards, new African-American Advisory Board will be limited in what it can do
A new African-American Advisory Board means Gov. Ralph Northam will have plenty of guidance from African Americans in the state, but the board itself won’t be able to do much else. The board will have 26 members: Five ex-officio members that are also part of the governor’s cabinet and 21 non-legislative members. Fifteen of the […]
‘You’ve got to make your own:’ Rural parents struggle to access mental health services for kids
FLOYD — Becky Silvey has seen it all. The Franklin County mother has raised three children who have faced challenges ranging from addiction to autism to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. She’s struggled with a troubled marriage while navigating the school and criminal justice systems to advocate for her children. At one point, Silvey found out her oldest […]
Advocate: Medicare for All is gaining steam
By Matthew Conover Just this month, I helped care for a man who passed away peacefully in the night. It should have been a time of solemn mourning and perhaps relief for the family, who had seen their loved one suffer for weeks. But shortly after stepping out the room where he lay on his […]
Virginia health officials ‘sleeping with one eye open’ amid measles outbreaks elsewhere
So far, Virginia has been spared from the blossoming measles outbreaks that have spread to 15 states, the second-largest number seen in the U.S. since the disease was eliminated in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials say they’re always on high alert for measles, a highly contagious infection […]
Draft bay plan calls for ‘accelerated’ action on cutting pollution
Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration has released a draft of a new Chesapeake Bay restoration plan along with a commitment for Virginia to achieve its pollution reduction goals by 2025. “The commonwealth has made significant progress in reducing pollution, and the bay’s living resources are responding. Cleaner waters are supporting more fish and oysters and underwater […]