News
Scooter startup says Richmond’s proposed $40,000 license fee likely nonstarter
If you’ve been following the entry of the electric scooter rental industry into Virginia, you know there’s Bird Rides, which has taken a brute force approach to doing business in Norfolk and Richmond, paying thousands in impound fees just to put its scooters back on the streets to get impounded again. Then there’s Lime, which […]
Fixing racial gerrymandering without considering race? Remedial voting map heads to House floor
Republicans are sending a remedial voting map to the floor of the House of Delegates they say was drawn without considering racial data in a bid to fix 11 racially gerrymandered House districts in the Richmond area and Hampton Roads. In a statement, Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat who has veto authority over any map […]
Claim of bipartisan support for new GOP legislative map ‘misplaced at best, ‘ Democrats say
In advance of the House of Delegates Privileges and Elections committee reconvening to discuss three proposed remedial voting maps, Democrats are rescinding some of their support for a last-minute plan from Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk. Jones, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, presented a map that maintained the status quo in most House districts. “In discussions with […]
Virginia is creating strict new CBD oil regulations. Why are health food stores and gas stations already selling it?
This week state regulators named five businesses that will be allowed to sell medical marijuana oils, including cannabidiol (CBD) products, a non-intoxicating compound that a growing number of people are taking for ailments like anxiety, sleep problems, epilepsy and general inflammation, among others. The oils will be strictly regulated: Patients must register with the state […]
Kaine, Stewart clash; Abortion law challenges proceed; Liberty sends students to support Kavanaugh; Three little pigs in Chesapeake and more headlines
NEWS TO KNOW Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere. Tim Kaine and Corey Stewart debated in McLean Stewart, desperately low in the polls, was on the attack, among other things insinuating without evidence that Kaine had been subject of sexual harassment complaints. “You just tried to slip in that there were complaints […]
Should abuse allegations against teachers be subject to a higher standard of proof?
A group of lawmakers is weighing whether teachers merit an extra level of protection during child abuse investigations. For most cases, an allegation is considered founded if child protective services investigators determine that the alleged abuse or neglect actually occurred based on the available evidence. But if the alleged act took place within the scope […]
Del. Chris Jones’ surprise redistricting plan maintains status quo, but with some Democratic support
Republican Del. Chris Jones put forward a surprise redistricting proposal Wednesday that, like a Republican plan that came before it, intentionally avoids skewing the current balance in the House of Delegates, where Republicans are hanging on to a 51-49 majority. “This bill does not advantage one side versus the other,” Jones told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. But […]
Spanberger leads Brat in new poll; state doles out licenses for marijuana oil; Bob Woodward visits VCU; James Comey calls Trump’s presidency a “forest fire,” and more.
NEWS TO KNOW Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere. Spanberger leads Brat in poll Former CIA officer and Democratic congressional hopeful Abigail Spanberger is leading U.S. Rep. Dave Brat 47-42 percent according to a Monmouth University poll. “This is a tale of two districts,” Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling […]
‘It’s not right:’ Cumberland residents say planned landfill will disturb historic school, possible burial grounds
CUMBERLAND — Just inside the front door of the 100-year-old Pine Grove School in Cumberland County’s small Cartersville community, the soft wood underfoot groans and gives under Muriel Branch’s steps. “I walked three and a half miles to get here, each way, each day,” says Branch, sweeping her gaze around the one-room schoolhouse where she […]
Former McGuireWoods intern launches crowdfunded site for ‘regular people’ to hire lobbyists
Before Heidi Drauschak discovered the lobbying world, she felt like part of government was happening in the dark. Then the University of Richmond School of Law graduate got an internship at McGuireWoods, one of the country’s biggest consulting and lobbying firms. “I was blown away,” Drauschak said. “It was the lever I was looking for. […]
State suspends new policy banning women wearing tampons from visiting prisons
Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration pulled the plug on a new policy banning women visiting state prisons from wearing tampons. The move comes a day after the policy faced widespread news coverage and scrutiny. “Having been recently informed of a recent Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) visitation policy, I have ordered its immediate suspension until further […]
Virginia encourages teens to register to vote
For the third year, Virginia has launched its High School Voter Registration Challenge in an effort to ramp up the number of student voters in the state. The challenge was launched under former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration. High schools who get 65 percent of their eligible seniors to register to vote will earn the award, according […]