News
Dominion keeps raking in excess profit
Former journalist and veteran lobbyist Steve Haner, writing at Bacon’s Rebellion, has a good look at the yearly report the State Corporation Commission has done documenting the hundreds of millions of dollars in utility “overearning” since the Virginia General Assembly prevented it from lowering utility base rates in 2015 (the so-called rate freeze). The unsurprising […]
Encyclopedia Va. won’t remove white supremacy references from United Daughters of the Confederacy entry
The editor of Encyclopedia Virginia says the reference website is standing by its entry on the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which includes references to the group’s role promoting white supremacy. The statements came in response to a letter-writing campaign initiated by the Confederate heritage group’s leader, who complained in a letter to members that […]
Inquiry into release of Spanberger’s security form; Newport News dreams big; Albemarle disavows Trump ‘chicken’ and other headlines
NEWS TO KNOW Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere. Post Office ‘looking into’ whether it released Spanberger’s personnel file Former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat running for Congress against Rep. Dave Brat, a Richmond-area Republican, accused a Republican PAC of obtaining her unredacted security clearance illegally. But it looks like the […]
Explained: What went wrong with the 11 disputed House Districts, including a Republican delegate’s ‘murky recollection’ in court
Everyone knows the short version at this point: A panel of federal judges ruled that the General Assembly illegally packed black voters into 11 House of Delegates’ districts and has ordered lawmakers to redraw them, a process that’s beginning today. But the long version is a bit more nuanced and involves two important protections for […]
The state will need a waiver from its own new opioid prescription rules
Since the opioid epidemic began, policy makers have been trying to stop the torrent of highly addictive painkillers that providers began pouring into the general population in the 1990s. But clamping down on prescriptions is not as simple as it might seem. As Virginia nails down regulations that could prevent fraudulent prescriptions, it must also […]
Signature fiasco gets worse for Taylor
You might have heard that U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor, a Virginia Beach Republican, has been ensnared in something of a controversy over some signatures. His staff helped circulate petitions to get Hampton Democrat Shaun Brown on the ballot as an independent to siphon votes from the party’s nominee, Elaine Luria. However, it turns out a […]
House Democrats’ proposed redistricting plan targets five vulnerable Republicans
A redistricting plan floated by Democrats in the House of Delegates this afternoon would move 55,000 black voters out of majority-minority districts that a court has ruled are unconstitutional. Most of them would instead be placed in the districts of five vulnerable Republicans. The plan cuts another two Republicans out of the districts they currently […]
FERC allows work to resume on Mountain Valley Pipeline, two commissioners voice concerns about decision
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has allowed work to resume on nearly the entire length of the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline, a decision that prompted two sitting FERC commissioners to voice “significant concerns” about allowing construction “while required right-of-way and temporary use permits remain outstanding.” The natural gas pipeline was being built between Wetzel County, W.Va., […]
Mountain Valley Pipeline work allowed to resume
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has allowed work to resume on nearly the entire length of the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline. The natural gas pipeline was being built between West Virginia and Pittsylvania County before a federal court invalidated key approvals for the project and FERC ordered a halt to construction. The project still does […]
Bird moves into Norfolk, gets its scooters impounded in a whole new Va. city
Fresh from getting run out of Richmond by the city’s aggressive towing contractor, an electric scooter rental company popped up in Norfolk on Thursday, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Authorities in Norfolk appear to be acting even quicker than Richmond to get the scooters, which people can rent for $1 with a smartphone app, off city […]
Candidate says PAC illegally got her security clearance; Restraints in public schools; Vikings batted climate change and other headlines
NEWS TO KNOW Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere. Spangberger says PAC illegally obtained her federal security clearance application The former CIA officer running for Congress against Dave Brat, Abigail Spanberger, says there’s no way the Republican group could have gotten the document legally, The New York Times reports. The PAC, meanwhile, insists […]
During special redistricting session, will Republicans stall, play ball or both?
The General Assembly will reconvene at noon on Thursday, called back to Richmond by Gov. Ralph Northam to address a federal court order requiring lawmakers to redraw 11 House of Delegates districts. The court ruled in June that the districts were racially gerrymandered to contain a set threshold of black voters, diluting their political influence […]