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  • Gov. Spanberger ends ICE agreement involving Virginia State Police and corrections officers – WTOP News

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    The agreement — which stems from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration —  had effectively placed state law enforcement under federal control and supervision to conduct civil immigration enforcement. 

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Gov. Abigail Spanberger has formally ended an agreement with the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement that had allowed Virginia State Police troopers and Virginia Department of Corrections officers to assist ICE.

    The agreement — which stems from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration —  had effectively placed state law enforcement under federal control and supervision to conduct civil immigration enforcement.

    Ending the agreements was a campaign promise of Spanberger’s last year when she said tasking state and local law enforcement to help with federal law enforcement was a “misuse of those resources.”

    She said she’d rather law enforcement focus on its core duties than serve as deputies to ICE.

    Executive Order 12 builds on her earlier day-one executive order that gave her the option to end the agreement that Order 12 now rescinds.

    The order directs all state law enforcement agencies to review policies, training and practices to ensure they align with standards of protecting human life and to “not engage in fear-based policing, enforcement theater, or actions that create barriers to people seeking assistance in their time of need.”

    Spanberger pointed to national conversations around ICE’s tactics in a meeting with the news media on Wednesday. As President Donald Trump’s administration has had the agency hyper-focused on Minneapolis in recent weeks, American citizens like Renee Good and Alex Pretti have been killed by agents.

    “I think it has brought the conversation to the forefront,” Spanberger said of how their deaths helped inspire her new order.

    Drawing on her own background in law enforcement, she emphasized that the order is intended to reinforce accountability, public service, and safety.

    “I think it’s extraordinarily important to make sure that we are celebrating, and honoring and recognizing the strong vetting, the strong training, and the incredibly high standards that here in the commonwealth of Virginia, we hold our law enforcement agencies to,” Spanberger said. “We want to make sure that we’re making a clear line in the sand about what is expected of our law enforcement officials.”

    Republicans, however, offered a sharply different view.

    Sen. Glenn Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield said in reaction Wednesday that he believes the order reflects Spanberger “putting politics over public safety.”

    As of late last year, the majority of the thousands of people detained by ICE in Virginia had no criminal histories.

    With Virignia’s legislature and governorship now under Democratic control — at a time when  President Donald Trump has targeted Democratic-led states — immigration advocates and civil rights groups have argued the commonwealth could become the next focal point for ICE enforcement.

    Some Republican lawmakers have suggested Trump could retaliate against Virginia over Spanberger’s actions. Del. Karen Hamilton, R-Culpeper, speculated in a recent social media post that the president could withhold federal funding following Spanberger’s previous ICE-related order — a move Youngkin once threatened against localities that declined to cooperate with ICE.

    When asked Wednesday whether he believes Trump might retaliate, Sturtevant said, “we’ll see.”

    “At the end of the day,” he added, “we know we have criminal illegal aliens here in Virginia. We have federal law enforcement, whose job it is to go and identify, find, and deport these individuals. We had been working constructively with those federal partners to do that.”

    Spanberger, meanwhile, said her order does not prohibit cooperation between state agencies and ICE under limited circumstances, such as participation in special task forces or when ICE presents  judicial warrants requesting assistance.

    “That’s a clear delineation,” she said. “But taking Virginia law enforcement, state agency personnel, and basically giving them over to ICE, is something that ends today.”

    Virginia Mercury reporter Shannon Heckt contributed to this story.

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    Jose Umana

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  • Here’s what Virginia is doing so far to reduce its SNAP error rate – WTOP News

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    States must reduce rates to 6% over the next year, or lose federal funding that supports the program.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    As 850,000 Virginians (and millions nationwide) went without food stamps this fall during the federal government shutdown, the giant reconciliation bill Congress passed this summer set off a timer for states to reduce their error rates in computing the disbursement of funds to recipients. States that don’t comply risk losing their funding.

    That means Virginia must drop its error rate from where it hovers now around 11% down to 6% by 2027. Otherwise, the state could be on the hook for $270 million annually.

    Enter “SNAP Forward,” an initiative spearheaded by Gov. Glenn Youngkin through an executive directive this past August with the express purpose of reducing the state’s SNAP error rates. It’s work that incoming Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration will inherit.

    Youngkin has publicly referenced the initiative and his administration’s efforts to slash SNAP error rates repeatedly in recent months, most recently in his final budget presentation to lawmakers last month, but has shared few details. The Mercury gleaned a clearer picture of the progress so far through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests and by reviewing  Youngkin’s  proposed state budget.

    Compliance with federal law changes

    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, helps low-income earners afford to buy groceries. States have always handled disbursing the federal funds to qualifying residents. Sometimes, errors in either overpaying or underpaying households arise, stemming from paperwork mistakes by government staff or outdated information from beneficiaries.

    When Congress passed its reconciliation bill in July, the measure stipulated that states with higher error rates may have to, for the first time, pay a portion of SNAP benefits to recipients.

    Beyond spurring error rate reductions, the law adjusted age and work eligibility requirements.

    Since Oct. 1, Virginia beneficiaries can no longer attest to their expenses and income themselves. Now, state employees reviewing SNAP cases must  take further steps to verify applicants’ expenses. Household composition will be required to be verified as well by March 2026.

    Strategic meetings

    A series of meeting presentation slides revealed by the November and December records request shows conversation materials used during a monthly series of “SNAP Forward” virtual meetings with local Department of Social Services workers around the state. The meetings began in September.

    The conversations entailed training refreshers for workers on managing SNAP, new policies to verify household information and notes on other states, like Wisconsin, which has maintained a low error rate. Virginia’s Department of Social Services has plans to conduct interviews with states that have track records of dropping their error rates to gather insights.

    Screenshot from a “SNAP Forward” slide.

    Contracted help

    The Mercury reviewed a $1.7 million contract for services by a company called KPMG included in the state’s FOIA response. The organization offers tax, audit and advisory services to companies and governments that hire it.

    With a six-month contract for services, KPMG has been tasked with deploying to “agreed-upon” local DSS offices to “support (Virginia) with targeted strategies to help improve SNAP payment accuracy.” The company was also hired to provide recommendations and prepare training documents.

    The Mercury reached out to KPMG to inquire further but did not receive a response by the time of this publication.

    A quality assurance team 

    As local social service departments around the state handle SNAP case loads, the administrative ease or strain looks different in different localities. One of the records the state released to the Mercury was a document outlining feedback from the Virginia League of Social Services Executives. The group expressed concerns about whether smaller local social services offices in the state could handle the additional administrative burden that the new process would require.

    Lawmakers and advocates have also warned that these workers are expected to have heavier loads for Medicaid eligibility changes triggered by the reconciliation bill.

    Youngkin’s outgoing state budget proposal earmarks about $2.4 million to fund a quality assurance team for the Office of Health and Human Services — a potential solution for the expected administrative challenges. The 14 new positions Virginia could  hire would be responsible for helping to find and correct SNAP payment errors.

    Whether the team comes to be or not depends on upcoming budget negotiations in the 2026 legislative session, where Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger will have her own ideas about how the state should allocate its resources. After Virginia’s legislature agrees on the next state budget, Spanberger will be responsible for signing it or making adjustments.

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    Valerie Bonk

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  • Federal funding shifts cloud Virginia’s transportation plans for 2026 – WTOP News

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    Virginia’s transportation system is massive, with about 129,000 lane miles of roads and roughly 5,900 miles of rail criss-crossing the commonwealth, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation and a 2022 Virginia Statewide Rail Plan.  

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Virginia’s transportation system is massive, with about 129,000 lane miles of roads and roughly 5,900 miles of rail criss-crossing the commonwealth, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation and a 2022 Virginia Statewide Rail Plan.

    There’s always some kind of improvement or expansion underway, leaving drivers and commuters wondering when relief will arrive.

    But before unpacking what projects Virginians can expect in 2026, federal funding looms as a major factor shaping what moves forward — and what does not.

    “Probably the biggest change to transportation development for 2026 is the fallout that all of our local and state partners are feeling from federal funding,” said Brantley Tyndall, director at BikeWalkRVA.

    ”Federal funding in many ways [will be] reduced or dried up. And in particular the USDOT has been ordered to oppose the funding of bike/ped projects. They are viewed as antagonistic to cars and driving. We think that’s very shortsighted. It’s going to lead to years and years of funding short falls that will be very difficult to fill.”

    Some bright federal funding spots

    In November, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, touted an almost $70 million release of federal grant funding to improve Virginia’s bus and rail systems. Part of that package includes $8.6 million to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation system to replace aging vehicles.

    Also included under that $70 million amount will be roughly $10.9 million to the city of Alexandria and $50.3 million to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to convert buses to low or no emission vehicles.

    The money comes from the Department of Transportation’s 2025-26 fiscal year Low or No Emission program and a FY25 Buses & Bus Facilities Program — all part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed during President Biden’s administration.

    Also in November, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released a similar press release announcing the same grants, describing them as part of the Trump’s administration’s investment in modernizing America’s transit bus infrastructure.

    Highlights for 2026 at the General Assembly

    With an eye toward 2026, here’s what some government and transportation officials say are on the horizon for the new year.

    Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, chairs the Transportation Committee. She said one of the biggest issues her committee will be taking up next session will involve expanding photo speed enforcement devices, which she said did not become law during the previous session.

    “That was a big conversation last session and an important one,” Delaney said. “I think that we’re going to get a little more into [it] this session because the crime commission just released a study that I had asked them to complete.” Delaney said the report was based on conversations from the last session.

    “We just need to have this looked at a little closer so that we can really drill down on where the issues are, and what legislative solutions are needed to address,” she said.

    Delaney emphasized that some of those issues range from some transportation board members wanting to expand their use to include more locations — which some lawmakers disagree with. At the same time, there’s a debate about whether the current speed enforcement cameras already in place are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

    “Are they fair? Are they just? And there’s been a lot of concern about their revenue generation,” Delaney said. “There are some localities in the commonwealth that are making thousands of dollars a year in profits off of their speed cameras. And now those funds are going to the general funds, and adding quite a bit of cushion to their budget. It creates, at a minimum, a concern that localities have an incentive to police for profit.”

    The Virginia Mercury reported on this bill last session.

    Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel

    “The biggest project in the history of the commonwealth is, have you ever heard of a little thing called Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel?” said John Mahaley, principal transportation planner at Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.

    “If you’ve ever gone to the Outer Banks, you’ve been through there. That project needed to be done 30 years ago. Finally, we were able to get the money to do it.”

    Mahaley said drivers will be able to see substantial completion within a year or so. But full completion — and opening the tunnel to traffic — won’t happen for several months after that, because eight express lanes still need to be built on either side of the water to match the tunnel.

    Washington Metro Area

    Northern Virginia rail and transit commuters can expect to see line expansions, increased bus service and the installation of modernized bike parking within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

    “We’re installing new bike lockers across 73 of our stations,” a Metro spokesperson said. “What that does is kind of enable a kind of wider reach for Metrorail stations. Most people might only walk 10 or 15 minutes to get to a Metro station. But if they live 20 or 25 minutes away, it gives people a safe place to park [their] bike.”

    Lockers would cost $1 a day and bikes would be protected from rain and snow. Installation of the lockers will be ongoing, with updates posted on WMATA’s website.

    For riders on the Yellow Line, starting Dec. 31, the Yellow Line will extend to Greenbelt, serving destinations in D.C. including Shaw and Columbia Heights, among others. In mid-December, WMATA released a proposed budget that includes rail and service increases on 15% of their routes. If approved by the Metro Board of Directors, the new services would go into effect July 1, 2026.

    Richmond and Henrico eye more Fall Line Trail segments

    “We are really looking at more groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting throughout the region,” said BikeWalkRVA’s Tyndall, in areas such as Lakeside, Bryan Park and Kanawha Plaza.

    “So by early 2026 we’re going to have about 20 miles under construction or at least under contract being administered and something active or completed in every locality.”

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    Gaby Arancibia

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  • After years of vetoes, Virginia poised to launch adult-use cannabis market – WTOP News

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    Spanberger’s election clears the way for a regulated retail system, with legislators set to introduce a revamped bill shaped by months of hearings and equity debates.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    After four years of stalled efforts and repeated vetoes from outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Virginia lawmakers now see a clear path to finally standing up a legal adult-use cannabis market.

    During her campaign, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, elected governor two weeks ago, pledged to sign legislation establishing a regulated retail system — reversing the impasse that kept marijuana sales in limbo since Virginia legalized possession and home cultivation in 2021.

    Lawmakers and advocates say the absence of a retail structure has fueled an unregulated market increasingly dominated by illicit operators.

    At its next meeting on Dec. 2, the Joint Commission on the Future of Cannabis Sales, which the legislature created earlier this year, will roll out its finalized proposal for a retail framework it hopes the General Assembly will pass during the 2026 session. If lawmakers send the bill to Spanberger’s desk early next year, sales could begin as early as fall 2026.

    The legislation will be carried by Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, the commission’s chair, and Sens. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach. Krizek told The Mercury in an interview last week that Spanberger’s election removed the biggest roadblock lawmakers had faced to date.

    He said the outcome was “a good day for public safety and for communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition,” and a chance to finally direct tax revenue toward priorities such as job training and education. By contrast, he said, “It was a bad day for organized crime in the illicit cannabis market.”

    After years of pushing a bill under a governor “that was unwilling to discuss it at all and just vetoed our bill,” he said lawmakers now have the opportunity they have been waiting for.

    “We’ve got to stand up this legal marketplace sooner rather than later,” Krizek said.

    Final proposal pending

    At the December meeting, Krizek said, the commission will present a proposal that incorporates months of stakeholder testimony and adjustments intended to strengthen equity provisions and improve opportunities for small growers.

    He described the legislation as one that “addresses the historical injustice” and adds new programs to earlier drafts, including guaranteed shelf space at medical cannabis dispensaries for micro-enterprise farmers once adult-use sales begin.

    “There’s going to be a lot of new and interesting programs and good stuff in there that will help create a well-regulated market that’s going to be good for everybody,” he said.

    Krizek expects meaningful but not sweeping revisions to earlier proposals — changes “around the edges” based on feedback from stakeholders and the public.

    The extra time created by Youngkin’s opposition, he added, allowed lawmakers to refine the legislation. “The only good thing that the current governor has done for us is he has given us more time to perfect this bill,” Krizek said.

    But organized crime, Krizek said, “has had time to get a stranglehold on sales,” making it essential for the state to move quickly while still giving the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority enough time to roll out the marketplace.

    He noted that the strong election results and lessons learned from the commission’s hearings will shape the bill, and he expects those hearings to continue for at least the next two years.

    Spanberger said in an interview with The Mercury in August that she would sign the commission’s proposal.

    “I support a legal marketplace for cannabis,” she said at the time. “I want to ensure that it is fully regulated, people know what they’re buying, and revenues go towards education.”

    The commission’s summer hearings — its first round of work since its creation — included presentations on public safety, market structure, licensing and regulatory models.

    A long path to legalization

    Virginia legalized simple possession and home cultivation in 2021 under Democratic control and then-Gov. Ralph Northam. But creating a retail market required a second vote under the state’s reenactment clause.

    When Republicans took the House in 2022 and Youngkin expressed opposition to commercial marijuana sales, the process stalled. Still, lawmakers sent multiple versions of a retail bill to Youngkin, who vetoed every proposal, including the one he received earlier this year.

    With no legal retail option, unregulated storefronts and delivery services proliferated. Local officials have raised concerns about public safety and product testing, and law enforcement agencies have struggled to distinguish legal CBD products from illegal THC imports. But the refined proposal aims to create a regulated, equitable market after years of uncertainty.

    CCA launches new medical cannabis portal

    As lawmakers prepare for a broader retail system, the CCA last week rolled out a new online portal to streamline medical cannabis certification.

    “The new CCA Portal was designed with practitioners and patients in mind,” the agency said in a news release. The platform, which is mobile-friendly, “offers stronger protection for personal information, safeguards against fraud, and provides a simpler process,” while maintaining clear records of every change.

    Jamie Patten, the CCA’s acting head and chief administrative officer, called the upgrade “a major step forward for Virginia’s medical cannabis program. It’s safer, faster, and easier to use, and it helps us better protect patient information while supporting the integrity of the program.”

    Patients will now receive email instructions to view, save or print their certification for dispensary visits. Practitioners can print certifications as needed.

    Federal hemp restrictions unlikely to affect Virginia’s plans
    A continuing resolution passed by Congress last week included an agriculture appropriations bill that effectively shut down much of the U.S. hemp industry by reinstating stricter federal enforcement — a move that analysts say reverses the flexibility created under the 2018 Farm Bill.

    But Krizek said the federal action does not affect Virginia’s push for adult-use marijuana sales.

    “Our legislation is not a hemp bill,” he said. “This is creating a formalized and legal adult marijuana marketplace.”

    Cannabis equity advocates say Spanberger’s victory opens the door for stronger protections against market consolidation and more robust investments in communities disproportionately harmed by prohibition.

    Chelsea Higgs Wise, co-founder of Marijuana Justice, said the final bill should ensure fair competition by sequencing applications and limiting canopy size for pharmaceutical processors so they cannot dominate the market at launch.

    The legislation should set a uniform Jan. 1, 2027 start date, Wise said, so Virginia entrepreneurs can compete on equal footing, rather than allowing medical operators an early-sales advantage.

    She also urged lawmakers to clearly define what “equal and meaningful opportunity” means in licensing and ensure patient access is protected as the adult-use market comes online.

    Wise also called for stronger equity provisions, including updated language that explicitly acknowledges the harm of past prohibition and commits to repairing it through impact licenses, reinvestment programs and measurable small-business ownership goals.

    Lawmakers should include micro-licenses, delivery options, nursery and craft licenses, event permits, and direct-to-consumer sales opportunities for small cultivators, Wise further suggested. She supports a 10,000-plant cap to prevent consolidation by major operators and says half of the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund should go to the Equity Business Loan Fund.

    With Spanberger set to take office in January and Democrats maintaining the legislature, lawmakers say Virginia is finally positioned to finish the work that began in 2021.

    “We’re going to make some real positive progress,” Krizek said. “This is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for.”

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    Diane Morris

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  • Virginia Supreme Court refuses to review AG’s appeal in college board appointees case – WTOP News

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    The Virginia Supreme Court has refused to take up a case that suspended multiple appointees by Gov. Glenn Youngkin from serving on three Virginia university governing boards.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    The Virginia Supreme Court has refused to take up a case that suspended multiple appointees by Gov. Glenn Youngkin from serving on three Virginia university governing boards.

    Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares appealed to the court after the Fairfax County Circuit Court suspended eight governing board appointments from serving at George Mason University, Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia. The 15-member Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections rejected 22 appointments in the past year and the issue has been one of several that rocked Virginia’s higher education landscape in 2025.

    The court heard arguments from the attorney general’s office, representing the three governing board rectors, asking for a temporary injunction be lifted in order for appointees to serve less than three weeks ago. Attorneys representing the nine Democratic state senators who requested the temporary injunction  also made arguments asking for the lower court’s order to be upheld.

    In its order on Monday, the high court said the case must be allowed to continue and that it will not review the temporary decision, but the rectors can appeal the overall final outcome later.

    Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, posted on social media that the Supreme Court of Virginia “affirmed the Senate P&E Committees authority to reject gubernatorial nominations because MAGA rules don’t work in Virginia where we still have a rule of law that Youngkin and Miyares have to follow.”

    In Virginia, when the governor nominates a candidate to a board or commission to a seat, they need the General Assembly’s approval. During each legislative session, it is common practice for the General Assembly to vote on the list of gubernatorial candidates in both chambers.

    However, senators rejected the appointees outside of the regular session, a move they said would protect Virginia’s institutions of higher learning from partisan attacks but that Youngkin and Miyares said flouted the law.

    The attorney general’s office did not immediately comment or respond to what its next step will be following the Supreme Court’s decision.

    The attorney general’s office had previously argued that the circuit court’s decision was incorrect, asserting that the court lacked jurisdiction and that the vote by the senate committee did not meet the requirement for a final refusal because there were other ways for appointments to be confirmed.

    However, the senators, some of whom serve on the committee, argued that said the committee’s decision to block the board nominees was a “definitive” refusal.

    No trial date has been set yet in Fairfax County. It’s uncertain when the case will continue, as Youngkin’s administration prepares to transition out of power and with Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s team being sworn in mid-January.

    The Mercury contacted Attorney General-elect Jay Jones for comment on if his office would continue to pursue the case once he is in office, but has not received a response.

     

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    Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

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  • After stinging GOP losses, Youngkin pivots to legacy and transition – WTOP News

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    Less than 12 hours after Democrats swept Virginia’s statewide offices and expanded their majority in the House of Delegates, Gov. Glenn Youngkin addressed reporters.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks at a post-election news conference in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)(AP/Allen G. Breed)

    Less than 12 hours after Democrats swept Virginia’s three statewide offices and expanded their majority in the House of Delegates to at least 64 of 100 seats, Gov. Glenn Youngkin addressed reporters and administration officials in a packed meeting room at the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond’s Capitol Square Wednesday morning.

    He used the appearance to reflect on his four-year term and begin publicly shaping how he wants his legacy to be viewed.

    Youngkin began by congratulating Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger and offering practical cooperation.

    “She will build her team, she will run her transition. And we will support her in that process, so that she and her team can hit the ground running,” he said.

    Legacy claims and record setting

    Youngkin emphasized what he described as his administration’s achievements.

    “We came in four years ago with an incredibly ambitious agenda. And we have worked diligently, tirelessly, and we’ve accomplished an extraordinary amount.”

    He hailed a Virginia with “record job growth, record investment, and record opportunity,” a safer state, and major business commitments.

    “There’s $143 billion of commitments from companies to expand in the commonwealth. That’s as much as the last five administrations combined. That underpins another 85,000 jobs and 40,000 construction jobs. 
At the end of the day, that’s what we have to focus on,” Youngkin said.

    The governor also reiterated his signature belief that economic growth is Virginia’s mechanism for opportunity.

    “And if I have one great piece of advice for anyone who is serving as governor, whether it’s Gov.-elect Spanberger, or 10 governors from now, it’s we must continue to drive economic prosperity through job creation. ”

    Reading the election results

    Spanberger’s win and the capture of lieutenant governor and attorney general offices by state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, and former delegate Jay Jones, alongside the House gains, triggered numerous interpretations of the public’s message.

    Youngkin declined to assign his party’s losses to his own performance, instead citing external factors. At Wednesday’s briefing, a reporter asked the governor whether the outcome in Virginia was a repudiation of President Donald Trump’s policies, especially around federal workforce issues.

    “There are going to be pundit after pundit after pundit who will un-pick the results,” Youngkin pushed back. “I, as a governor, will today do exactly what I knew I would be doing today, and that is preparing to finish strong.”

    He pointed directly to the federal government shutdown and its accompanying economic concerns.

    “It is a big, big challenge, I have been vocal about it,” he said. “I think that we have 330,000 federal workers in the commonwealth of Virginia, and to have this shutdown extending as the longest shutdown ever, has been extraordinary for so many Virginians. People are going without paychecks, they’re worried about mortgages and rents. They’re worried about how they’re going to feed their families.”

    On whether Republicans lost because his administration was viewed differently than he believes, Youngkin insisted he believes that “Virginians thoroughly support what we’ve been doing.”

    He cited the surpluses and tax relief: “We’ve run $10 billion of surpluses, and we’ve had $9 billion of tax relief.”

    Scandal and future prospects

    Youngkin didn’t shy from commenting on the controversy surrounding Jones, the incoming attorney general, whose 2022 text exchange with a Republican lawmaker in which he fantasized about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and the death of his children became a campaign issue.

    “They were abhorrent, and I think that they once again reiterate that you can’t come into this job if you are espousing death on a political enemy, the death of children, and the death of law enforcement. And I believe… that disqualifies him for the job,” Youngkin said.

    He added that the next administration “will have to figure out how to deal with that, because they have law enforcement that they’re going to need to make sure feel good about doing the job… and that parents, with children, feel safe.”

    When asked how the election results might influence his own political trajectory, Youngkin remained focused on the job at hand and did not offer any clarity on plans beyond his term.

    “My focus has been, will be, and will continue to be on the commonwealth of Virginia up until the last second.”

    The Democratic rally cry

    Also on Wednesday, the Democratic House majority held a news conference at the nearby General Assembly Building.

    Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, declared the pickup of 13 seats “is what a mandate looks like.”

    “We even ran ahead of the top of the ticket and a number of seats, demonstrating the strength of our campaigns. This is the largest democratic majority we’ve won in more than three decades,” Scott said.

    He blamed the GOP’s’ widespread defeat on the party’s failure to push back against the president’s policies.

    “Until Republicans decide to stand up to Donald Trump and to MAGA extremism, this will continue to happen,” Scott said.

    David Richards, a political-science professor at University of Lynchburg, described the results as “pretty eye-opening,” which set the stage for the 2026 midterm elections.

    “I give a lot of credit to Spanberger for staying on point with the pocket-book issues that voters seemed concerned about,” Richards said, adding that the GOP’s emphasis on culture-war themes “did not work as well, so they will have to find another angle.”

    He noted Youngkin could face headwinds in his future political ambitions: “Youngkin may have some trouble ahead, if he is blamed for the Virginia loss.”

    House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, stands with Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, chair of the House Privileges and Elections Committee, during a Democratic news conference at the Capitol on Wednesday, celebrating the party’s sweep of statewide races and its newly expanded majority in the House of Delegates. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)

    National ripple effects

    The Democratic thrust in Virginia is part of a broader wave.

    Trump remained largely silent on social media following defeats in Virginia, New Jersey and New York, but addressed Republican senators Wednesday morning at a breakfast in Washington, D.C.

    “Last night, it was, you know, not expected to be a victory… it was very Democrat areas. But I don’t think it was good for Republicans,” he said.

    “I’m not sure it was good for anybody… I thought we’d have a discussion after the press leaves about what last night represented and what we should do about it. And also about the shutdown and how that relates to last night. I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor.”

    And on X, formerly Twitter, longtime Virginia GOP strategist and Trump’s 2024 campaign manager Chris LaCivita blamed the Republican defeat on Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican gubernatorial nominee who lost to Spanberger by nearly 15 points.

    “A Bad candidate and Bad campaign have consequences — the Virginia Governors race is example number 1,” LaCivita wrote late Tuesday.

    Advocacy voices join the chorus

    Major national and state advocacy groups weighed in as well.

    The Democratic National Committee’s Ken Martin said in a statement that “across Virginia, commonwealth voters made it clear what they were looking for from their next governor: lower costs, good jobs, affordable health care, and strong schools. … Those same voters made it clear who they want to lead: Abigail Spanberger.”

    The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee’s Heather Williams called the outcome “an earthquake election in Virginia … Democrats ran winning campaigns across every corner of the state, clinching nearly every target race and netting the biggest House majority in nearly 40 years.”

    From the civil-rights side, the ACLU of Virginia’s Mary Bauer emphasized that the election was “a critical step to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in Virginia … Voters delivered decisive wins to pro-civil-rights candidates up and down the ballot.”

    Meanwhile, the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund’s April Greene emphasized that abortion care – one of the key issues in the 2025 election cycle — is “a divine, human right. This victory is proof that our communities believe it too.”

    And from gun-safety advocates, the Giffords PAC described the sweep as “a major victory for public safety in Virginia. With last night’s wins and the election of a gun-safety champion in Governor-elect Spanberger, we know a safer future is coming to the commonwealth.”

    As Youngkin winds down his term, his tone Wednesday was firm, forward-looking and intent on defining his legacy — even in the face of a partisan shift in Richmond.

    The outgoing governor framed his remaining months as an opportunity to “finish strong” and hand off a stronger commonwealth.

    “We have worked together in order to meet extraordinary moments,” he said.

    YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.

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    Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

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  • Va. among states most affected by job losses from Trump’s cuts, housing and spending slowdowns – WTOP News

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    Virginia and New Jersey may be among the states most affected by the hiring slowdown that enraged President Donald Trump when it appeared in an Aug. 1 jobs report.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Virginia and New Jersey may be among the states most affected by the hiring slowdown that enraged President Donald Trump when it appeared in an Aug. 1 jobs report showing the United States had 258,000 fewer jobs than initially reported in May and June.

    Such revisions to earlier reports are based on more up-to-date payroll data and are routine. But the scale in this case was shocking — showing the smallest monthly job gains since pandemic-era December 2020 and the largest jobs revision, outside recessions, since 1968.

    In response, Trump declared the numbers were wrong, fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief, and offered as a replacement E.J. Antoni, a loyalist who has proposed suspending the jobs report. Trump falsely said in a Truth Social post that the revised jobs numbers were “RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.”

    Beyond those attention-grabbing actions, though, the numbers demonstrate the real effects of Trump’s work slashing the federal government.

    A Stateline analysis of the data shows how several states, especially Virginia and New Jersey, shed jobs in the second quarter of this year, which includes May and June.

    In Virginia, there were job losses blamed on canceled federal contracts in Northern Virginia as part of cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. Meanwhile, a slow housing market shuttered a plywood factory in the southern part of the state, and DOGE efforts canceled flooding control contracts on the coast.

    Jay Ford, Virginia policy manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, told a state legislative committee in June that $50 million in contracts were slashed in the Hampton Roads area near the coast, causing a spike in unemployment claims.

    That included $20 million to address flooding in Hampton, where almost a quarter of homes are in flood zones, and $24 million to repair a Portsmouth dam that could fail in a major storm, he said.

    “This is work that you desperately needed,” Ford said at the committee hearing. “There was a real focus on certain buzzwords like ‘climate’ or ‘resilience,’ and I think people conflated some of these projects as somehow unnecessary.”

    For instance, the American Institutes for Research announced 233 layoffs in Virginia in May and 50 in Maryland since the beginning of the year. The not-for-profit organization’s projects include working with school districts to solve achievement gaps and absenteeism, creating AI-driven workforce training, and addressing health care issues such as improving kidney disease care while reducing Medicare costs and strengthening access to health care by keeping rural hospitals open.

    “The changes occurring in the federal government have brought significant challenges for many federal contractors, including AIR,” said Dana Tofig, the company’s spokesperson.

    Other recent layoffs in Virginia: 442 workers at Northern Virginia’s Mitre, which manages federally funded defense research centers and faced $28 million in canceled federal contracts; and 554 workers at a shuttered plywood factory in Southern Virginia.

    “Housing affordability challenges and a 30-year low in existing home sales are impacting our plywood business, as many of our plywood products are used in repair and remodel projects, which often occur when homes change ownership,” Georgia-Pacific said in a May news release.

    Stateline looked at two state jobs surveys for the second quarter that sometimes have quite different results: the so-called payroll survey of businesses that the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses for its monthly report, which has yet to be revised at the state level, and the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which estimates job changes based on monthly household surveys.

    The LAUS estimates are often called the “household” survey because they rely mostly on surveys of households, asking how many people are employed. They include jobs the payroll survey can’t get, such as contract and agricultural jobs, and capture jobs where people live rather than states where employers are located.

    In a state like Virginia with a high number of federal employees and contract workers, lost jobs may show up sooner in the household survey since many federal jobs are not reflected on state-level payrolls if they are done by subcontractors, if the agency or contractor is based in another state, or if DOGE cuts allowed people to stop work but stay on the payroll until September. Those people might report being unemployed in the household survey but wouldn’t show up in other surveys until October.

    The household survey shows about the same number of slowing job gains as the revised national payroll report, so it may be a window into the trends, many caused by Trump administration cuts in government, health care and foreign aid, and also by slowing sales in stores and housing markets.

    Both surveys rely on small samples and are often revised later, said Charles Gascon, an economist and research officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The more definitive Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, set for release Dec. 3 for the second quarter, will show state patterns more conclusively, he said.

    The household surveys show Virginia with the largest job losses in the country for the second quarter, down about 43,000, and job losses every month since February. Before that, the state gained jobs every month since the height of pandemic job losses in April 2020.

    New Jersey, which had the most job losses — 15,400 — in the separate second-quarter payroll survey, has suffered layoffs in retail stores hit by a slowdown in consumer spending, increased shoplifting and, among drugstores, lawsuits for their role in the opioid epidemic.

    Walmart announced 481 layoffs at its Hoboken, New Jersey, corporate office, and Rite Aid drugstores laid off 1,122 amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy affected by opioid crisis lawsuits that also hit Walmart and other pharmacy chains. Pharma firms Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis also have announced hundreds of layoffs in New Jersey, citing patent expirations on popular drugs.

    Wobbly state finances

    Rising unemployment combined with weak revenue growth suggests “economic fragility” for state finances, said Lucy Dadayan, a principal research associate for the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center who tracks state tax revenue.

    Nationally, unemployment was at 4.2% in July, the same as July 2024 but up from recent lows of 3.4% in April 2023, with the largest increases in Mississippi, Virginia and Oregon.

    Unemployment has dropped the most compared with July 2024 in Indiana, Illinois, New York and West Virginia.

    The states with the highest unemployment rates in July were California (5.5%), Nevada (5.4%) and Michigan (5.3%), while the lowest were in South Dakota (1.9%), North Dakota (2.5%) and Vermont (2.6%).

    “I think the dramatic May and June jobs revision signals economic fragility. State-level warning signs suggest the impacts will show gradually,” Dadayan said. “And of course states are facing fiscal challenges caused by One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax and spending decisions.”

    State finances are a mixed picture, with income tax collections rising because of a strong stock market and sales tax growth weak as consumers retreat on spending, Dadayan said.

    In Virginia, the economically distressed area around Emporia will suffer aftershocks from the plywood plant closing, said Del. Otto Wachsmann, a Republican who represents the area in the state House of Delegates. The area is already reeling from the indefinite closure of a nearby Boar’s Head lunch meat plant that employed 600 people after a listeria outbreak there last year.

    The community, part of the southern “Wood Basket” region, has a large logging industry that will now struggle to find new markets farther away with higher costs for trucking, Wachsmann said. “We’re working hard to find new industries to come here.”

    Layoff rates in April, as calculated by the online human resources platform Techr, showed New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia with the highest rates.

    Amanda Goodall, a workforce analyst who calls herself “The Job Chick” on social media, said the layoffs reflect restructuring in major corporations as well as federal cutbacks. She wrote about the layoff rates in a recent post.

    “These are not statistical flukes. They reflect real corporate moves, in New Jersey and Virginia especially,” Goodall wrote in an emailed statement to Stateline. “The bigger issue is that nobody on the ground cares what the unemployment rate says if they can’t find an interview for a job they’re qualified for. State layoff figures are giving us an early read.”

    California and Texas

    California and Texas saw the biggest jobs gains in both surveys in the second quarter.

    Texas added 42,700 jobs in the payroll survey, with the largest increase coming in the category of private educational services, 14,400 jobs, as the state approved a plan for school vouchers to start next year, according to a statement to Stateline from the Texas Workforce Commission.

    California added 25,300 jobs. But the household survey showed an increase of almost 111,000 jobs, the highest in the country.

    A Public Policy Institute of California blog post in July called the state’s labor market “at best, in a hold-steady pattern this year,” citing the state’s stubbornly elevated unemployment rate of 5.4% but also its jobs improvement over last year.

    “A hold-steady pattern is a welcome change from a year ago,” said the post, written by Sarah Bohn, a senior fellow at the institute.

    Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in Stateline, which is, like the Virginia Mercury, part of States Newsroom.

    Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

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  • Technology Transportation Virginia adopted standards for electronic credentials years ago. What happened? – WTOP News

    Technology Transportation Virginia adopted standards for electronic credentials years ago. What happened? – WTOP News

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    In some states, smartphones can do more than help you pay for services, capture memorable moments, or instantly access your…

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    In some states, smartphones can do more than help you pay for services, capture memorable moments, or instantly access your choice of media.

    In approximately half of the country, people can also store and share personal credentials on their devices, including state identification cards or driver’s licenses. Virginia has been working with experts to develop technology to make the same thing possible here.

    According to Jillian Cowherd, a spokeswoman with Virginia DMV, the agency has partnered with CBN Secure Technologies on its Virginia Mobile ID (mID) program. While the agency continues to work with businesses and organizations to accept the mID, Cowherd said the agency is working to “make it easier” and “more secure for customers to manage their credentials” while addressing privacy concerns about the potential for personal data to be released without approval. State lawmakers are also closely monitoring the process.

    “We always want to make things easier for folks (and) we can do that with the use of technology … but that’s always tempered with making sure that the privacy of individuals is paramount,” said House Technology Committee Chair Cliff Hayes, D-Chesapeake.

    Currently the app is available for download and is being used by a portion of Virginia’s nearly 126,000 state employees. mID can be used at select TSA checkpoints including Richmond International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and state workers are providing feedback to the agency.

    Cowherd said the team is working to make mID available to the public in Google, Apple, and Samsung wallets and is in discussions with public and private entities to ensure it will be accepted at businesses and by organizations when launched. She said that once its fully rolled out,, Virginians should be able to use their mobile ID to board planes, show proof of identity at DMV offices, engage with law enforcement and emergency services, and eventually show proof of age at retail establishments and restaurants.

    “DMV has continued to work with CBN Secure Technologies, our secure credential vendor partner, to develop an app, conduct extensive testing, gather customer feedback and ensure it has seamless functionality and robust security,” said Cowherd in a statement. “However, building a program that is widely accepted and highly secure takes time.”

    The pilot program, legislation

    In 2017, the General Assembly passed legislation creating the standards for issuing, reviewing, and displaying electronic credentials after the agency conducted a year-long pilot research program to assess “customer value, market demand and the ability to meet stakeholder needs,” Cowherd said.

    According to the program’s list of frequently asked questions, there is no cost associated for Virginians to add the mID to their device or to use it.

    In 2017, lawmakers discussed charging for each individual-issued electronic credential. State law allows the agency to charge users up to $10 per year.

    According to an earlier fiscal statement from the Department of Planning and Budget, at the fixed rate of $10, Virginia would have collected $1.7 million in revenue per year if 3% of the state’s approximately 5.6 million licensed drivers signed up. If 5% of licensed drivers were to buy an electronic credential, Virginia could receive approximately $2.8 million per year.

    Privacy Concerns

    Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, chair of the House Transportation committee, said having technology to store your identification card on your smartphone is convenient for a lot of people, but privacy is paramount to many Virginians.

    “Having the security factors is an essential part of making sure that this program is trustworthy for the public,” Delaney said. “We are responsible for making sure that those guardrails are in place. But, at the end of the day, it is also going to be a choice for people.”

    Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, said he believes the 2017 bill that created the mobile ID standards didn’t “raise any alarm bells” for the legislature, but believes lawmakers would be open to making any necessary changes if needed to address privacy or security worries.

    State governments and authorities known as “issuing authorities” seeking to use mobile ID technology have partnered with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing model programs for motor vehicle administration, law enforcement and highway safety, for guidance.

    According to guidelines provided by the AAMVA, the issuing authorities, in this case Virginia, should take care to ensure mobile ID data stored on peoples’ phones is “adequately protected.”

    “As standards in this respect are still under development, each Issuing Authority should take great care to ensure that the design of its solution supports this requirement,” the guidelines read.

    AAMVA’s guidelines also advise authorities to encrypt mobile ID information and protect key material in a security module.

    The organization also provides guidance on access.

    While law enforcement and emergency services have legal access to a person’s physical credentials in Virginia, the association has suggested that mobile driver’s license apps allow similar access in case of justifiable need.

    However, the association said that because such an option could be misused, the app must not allow anyone other than the mobile ID holder to access the mobile ID information.Virginia’s mobile ID app follows suit.

    “Your information is not accessible without your consent. You control what information from your mID you’d like to share,” the DMV’s mobile ID FAQ page states. “When you enroll, your information is stored on your personal device. Only those with access to your personal device and the ability to unlock and access the app would have access to view it.”

    Cowherd confirmed that user security is at the forefront of the project. She said the customer will control the information shared on the app, which presents the information needed for the interaction. The customer can also review and authorize the requested information before it is shared.

    “Virginia DMV provides the highest level of security in credential storage, data transmission and verification,” she said.

    Additionally, she said mobile IDs are presented digitally through encrypted communication directly between a user’s device and a verifying business or organization.

    “The device never needs to be handed to anyone or leave the customer’s possession.,” she said.

    Cowherd said the agency hopes to fully release the app early next year, but this depends on final testing and proven use cases.

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  • Virginia abortion patients, new report highlight barriers to accessing care despite fewer restrictions – WTOP News

    Virginia abortion patients, new report highlight barriers to accessing care despite fewer restrictions – WTOP News

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    A sign outside a clinic that provides abortions in Richmond, Va. (Sarah Vogelsong/Virginia Mercury) A sign outside a clinic that…

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    A sign outside a clinic that provides abortions in Richmond, Va. (Sarah Vogelsong/Virginia Mercury)

    Editor’s note: The Virginia Mercury is not using the last names of the women in this article to protect their privacy and safety. The accounts of all three women have been verified with medical records and by a medical professional with knowledge of their experiences.

    Nisa knew her third pregnancy was a non-starter. She didn’t know that she would fear death for 18 days while trying to get an abortion.

    “I felt like I had a ticking time bomb inside of me,” she said.

    This is because Nisa has Von Willebrand Disease, a genetic blood disorder that prevents clotting. It puts her at higher risk for bleeding to death during things like injuries, surgeries, or if she were to have a miscarriage.

    Her first two pregnancies had been challenging and once she had been diagnosed with the blood disorder, she’d decided not to have more children for fear of complications or passing the disease onto others. By the time she became unexpectedly pregnant last summer, she was also in the throes of Stage 4 endometriosis symptoms — a diagnosis that would later lead to her having a hysterectomy. She’d also had an endometrial ablation to treat endometriosis symptoms before finding out she was pregnant last summer — placing her in a more at-risk pregnancy.

    Under 10 weeks of gestation at the time, Nisa said she otherwise would have been able to take abortion medication. With her disease, she couldn’t. Surgical abortions also posed challenges because she needed to have specific medications and extra blood on standby. The procedure was denied by her local providers in coastal Virginia, she said, and the local Planned Parenthood facilities didn’t have the resources. A hospital was her best bet for completing the procedure, but it took 18 days to sort out an abortion at VCU Health in Richmond.

    Despite Virginia’s status as the least-restrictive Southern state for abortion access, Nisa wonders how many others may be falling through health care gaps as she did.

    “Virginia is not safe. We think we’re safe, but we’re not,” she said. “How do you treat a person who isn’t the standard in this post-Roe world?”

    Virginia’s barriers

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two and a half years ago, states around the country have shored up their protections or enacted various bans and restrictions. And though Virginia is the least restrictive Southern state — and a bastion for out-of-state patients — a new report indicates some hurdles.

    In Virginia, abortion is legal for any reason until around 26 weeks, with limited exceptions for later abortions. In those cases, three physicians must attest that someone’s physical or mental health would be “irremediably impaired” if a pregnancy were to continue. Conversely, surrounding states have near-total bans or limits as low as 6 weeks on the procedure.

    Key findings from the RAND Corporation report noted how abortion law is currently housed in Virginia’s criminal code (a Class 4 felony for unlawfully conducted abortions), the three-physician threshold for some abortions, and lack of clarity on the “ability to provide second-trimester abortions in non-hospital settings.”

    Dr. William Fitzhugh, who runs clinics in Richmond, Newport News and Roanoke, said he’s seen a flux of out-of-state patients over the past two years. But sometimes, he’s had to refer patients elsewhere. For example, by the time a Tennessee patient had made it to one of his clinics, she was 28 weeks along, he said, so he referred her to Maryland where there are no gestation limits.

    “I worry for other women in gray areas like mine,” Nisa said. “I had family that could help watch my kids and I didn’t have to travel far, but I still had to travel in my own state. There are women who can’t take time off work or have childcare.”

    North Carolina resident Kishia ended up having to take time off work and her children had to miss school for a few days so they could travel to Fitzhugh’s Richmond clinic for her 14-year-old daughter to get an abortion.

    She called the experience “H-E-double-L.”

    More important, Kishia said, is the fact that her daughter Myasia has been in pain.

    At 19-weeks of gestation, she couldn’t legally obtain an abortion in North Carolina and being further into gestation means a more invasive abortion procedure. In these cases, small rods are typically placed in the cervix to prepare it for an abortion to occur the next day. Kishia said the family would have sought an abortion sooner if they could have.

    Myasia has had regular menstrual cycles, her mother said, and with bleeding in early gestation common in 15% to 25% of pregnancies, Myasia hadn’t realized right away that she was pregnant. By the time she did and told her mother, when they visited a clinic in Charlotte they were told she was too far along for the state’s 12-week limit.

    “People get abortions for different reasons,” Kishia stressed as she noted that people can have medical issues, or be young and not emotionally or financially ready to care for an unplanned child. In Myasia’s case, she is still technically a child herself.

    With a smile, Kishia said that she is grateful her family was able to connect with an abortion fund to offset travel costs. She said she doesn’t plan on having to go through their ordeal again.

    Kishia said she’s somewhat tuned in to state, congressional, presidential and gubernatorial elections. As her chance to vote in North Carolina this fall approaches, she’ll be thinking about abortion access and other reproductive rights.

    “I don’t think this should ever be banned,” she said.

    Legal challenges

    Another finding in the RAND report noted local-level abortion hurdles when it comes to city, town and county governments in the state. Such is the case in  parts of Southwest Virginia, where local governments have ordinances to deter the establishment of abortion clinics. A clinic in Bristol has been embroiled in lawsuits with its building’s landlords that threaten its existence. Conversely, Alexandria passed an ordinance to make it easier for clinics to open and Richmond recently transferred land for cheap to Planned Parenthood to set up another clinic in town.

    At the state level, democratic  lawmakers still plan to strengthen Virginia’s abortion access laws. In 2025, they plan to introduce a proposed constitutional amendment. It will need to pass two years in a row with a House of Delegates election in between before appearing on statewide ballots for voters to approve or reject. Placing protections in the constitution would make them less susceptible to partisan shifts in the legislature over time. Even Republican-leaning states have approved similar ballot measures in recent years, showing that it is not a totally partisan issue.

    It wouldn’t be the first time Virignia has tried to enshrine abortion access in its constitution. Similar proposals have failed in the two previous legislative sessions. A sticking point had been language that GOP lawmakers alleged was too broad and would go further than Roe’s legal framework.

    The language, much like language in other states’ passed amendments, would declare people have a right to abortion unless there is a “compelling state interest.”

    Where Roe balanced the right to obtain an abortion and health of the pregnant person with the potential life of a fetus, constitutionally protecting access within a state would operate similarly.

    It’s unclear what the language of the next attempted abortion amendment  would be but Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield — who plans to co-sponsor it again — said there will be more to discuss later this year.

    “We are still working on the language to ensure that our constitutional amendment effectively protects safe and legal access to abortion in Virginia.”

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  • Virginia could lead the way on strengthening privacy laws regarding intimate images – WTOP News

    Virginia could lead the way on strengthening privacy laws regarding intimate images – WTOP News

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    A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in Virginia and other states want to strengthen privacy laws regarding the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images.

    A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in Virginia and other states want to strengthen privacy laws regarding the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images.

    Forty-nine states including Virginia already have some law on the books to protect peoples’ sexual or intimate images from being shared without their consent, but model policy from former democratic House of Delegates candidate Susanna Gibson provides a blueprint for lawmakers to use.

    The issue took center stage in Gibson’s campaign last year, when news media was alerted to sex videos she and her husband had streamed online. Though the married couple had consented to the content that they streamed together being published on a particular pornography website, they did not consent to the content being recorded or widely disseminated beyond their audience of followers on that website.

    Screenshots of Gibson’s nude body then circulated on social media along with derogatory language by online users. The Republican Party of Virginia later sent out campaign mailers with cropped, explicit photos of Gibson. At one point a false emergency call had been placed to send law enforcement to her home — an act colloquially referred to as “swatting.” Gibson also said that people loitered outside of her home and she received death threats.

    Amid the fallout, Gibson also said prospective young women political candidates in other states had reached out to her. Learning her story had them concerned that ex-partners could someday share nude images of them, and made them afraid to run for office.

    “I quickly realized that my path had shifted from candidacy to advocacy,” Gibson said in a press call Wednesday to announce model policy from her organization, MyOwn Image.

    Earlier this year Gibson worked with Del. Irene Shin, D-Fairfax to expand the statute of limitations for prosecutions of unlawful dissemination of images in Virginia. The new model policy, which Gibson and MyOwn board members say six states are planning to implement, would create various tiers of misdemeanor and felony penalties for unlawful dissemination and remove language that requires proof of intent.

    Democratic Florida lawmaker Katherine Waldron said the measure is important because without the consent of the person whose image is being shared, the intent to cause them harm, or lack thereof, doesn’t erase the harm that happens.

    She and several other lawmakers that joined the press call relayed how victims’ mental health, personal relationships, employment or ability to find employment can be negatively impaired.

    “We know that women still have a long way to go with representation in our halls of power. So when these images are shared or used as a threat, it really can impact elections. It can impact someone’s desire to step up and run for office.” — New Jersey assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez

    While several speakers acknowledged that anyone can become a victim of their image being shared without their consent, they noted how it often happens to women, minors or victims of sex trafficking.

    New Jersey assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez also noted how the crime could deter women from office, echoing Gibson’s concern, or be used as an intimidation tactic.

    “We know that women still have a long way to go with representation in our halls of power,” she said. “So when these images are shared or used as a threat, it really can impact elections. It can impact someone’s desire to step up and run for office. We have to take action now to ensure that anyone can engage in public service without fear of intimidation.”

    Virginia delegates Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield and Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, plan to build on Virginia’s law using the model policy, they said. Coyner, who was inspired to carry the legislation as the mother of teen daughters, expressed concerns about artificial intelligence as well.

    “The rapid rise of (artificial intelligence) image generation software has heightened the threat posed by non-consensual disclosure of intimate images,” Coyner said. “I know fellow parents are familiar with the harms and risks of social media and cyberbullying, but the increased risk posed by digitally forged intimate images make these issues much more severe.”

    Meanwhile, South Carolina is the only state without existing protections against nonconsensual distribution of intimate images.

    Former Miss South Carolina Jill Dudley joined the call along with the state’s deputy attorney general and Republican state representative Chris Wooten. All will press for the creation of a law based on the model policy.

    Dudley, who advocates for protections and support for survivors of rape and sexual assault, stressed that distributing someone’s intimate image, whether real or artificial, fits within the scope of rape culture.

    “Rape culture thrives when we blame or shame victims, when we dismiss their trauma, or when we fail to address sexual violence in all of its forms.”

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • How Kamala Harris’ new policy plan could impact housing in Virginia – WTOP News

    How Kamala Harris’ new policy plan could impact housing in Virginia – WTOP News

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    Virginia Democratic lawmakers praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ housing policy plans in a virtual call Wednesday afternoon. The gathering came…

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Virginia Democratic lawmakers praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ housing policy plans in a virtual call Wednesday afternoon. The gathering came on the heels of a new campaign ad highlighting Harris’ plan to build three million new homes and rental units if elected president.

    The plan is part of a proposal she unveiled ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which includes providing $25,000 in down payment assistance for some first-time homebuyers and tax incentives for builders.

    A 2021 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study found that most Virginains affected by affordable housing issues are  renters. It also found that a declining number of Virginians can afford to purchase a home, while the state has an estimated shortage of at least 200,000 affordable rental units.

    U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria, said that Harris’ plans will help local governments handle affordable housing issues.

    “She can do this by deploying tax incentives to build starter homes to alleviate the shortage of houses on the market for aspiring homeowners,” Beyer said.

    He pointed to Harris’ support of increasing low income housing tax credits that local governments could utilize for construction of new homes and apartments. These tax breaks to developers help incentivize development of homes to various percentages of area median income.

    But many localities in Virginia lack the authority to utilize LIHTC credits when negotiating developments and redevelopments with companies and a bill that would have expanded those abilities was vetoed this year by the governor. This is where state and federal levels of government can be helpful to local governments.

    Alexandria councilman John Chapman stressed how increasing affordable housing options is “not a hyper-local issue.”

    “We want to hear that at the state level, and we love to hear that at the federal level, that there’s a need for supply, and there are also going to be some additional tools,” he said.

    Housing is a personal issue for him, Chapman said, as someone benefiting from living in the home that his mother was able to purchase, in part, from down payment assistance.

    “I know personally of the effect of the generational wealth that has passed along from family to family,” Chapman said.

    Some of Harris’ policy platforms will hinge on who controls the U.S. House and Senate next year if she is elected. In Virginia, Sen. Tim Kaine is running for re-election and all 11 congressional seats are in play.

    Beyer said that he thinks the fact that both Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have previously served in Congress can bode well for them.

    He said that he thinks both candidates “struck a bipartisan and post-partisan tone in the convention.”

    Bolstering housing supply is also something former president Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, wants to address if re-elected.

    Trump’s housing plans include opening portions of federal lands to allow for new home construction while addressing inflation overall, as well as building on previous efforts to reduce regulatory barriers to construction.

    During his first term in office he created Opportunity Zones meant to attract investors to underinvested neighborhoods, but there’s not enough evidence to determine if poverty declined more in these zones than elsewhere.

    Agenda 47 from his campaign also alleges that illegal immigrants have driven up the cost of housing. While limited legal immigrants qualify for federal housing assistance, undocumented people could lose their anonymity if they tried to purchase a home or lease an apartment.

    Jeff Ryer, a spokesman for the Trump campaign in Virginia said that “Trump will defeat inflation, lower mortgage rates and make homeownership an achievable dream again for Virginia families.”

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  • Virginia one step closer to creating single gaming agency – WTOP News

    Virginia one step closer to creating single gaming agency – WTOP News

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    Legal gaming has surged to new heights in Virginia, transforming into a multibillion-dollar annual market as the state’s expanding casinos, sports betting, and online gaming sectors fuel economic growth and reshape the entertainment landscape.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Legal gaming has surged to new heights in Virginia, transforming into a multibillion-dollar annual market as the state’s expanding casinos, sports betting, and online gaming sectors fuel economic growth and reshape the entertainment landscape.

    But the industry is currently overseen by multiple state agencies, and splitting those duties has created oversight and enforcement gaps in the rapidly expanding industry. After a 2022 report by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC) recommended that Virginia give a single state agency the power to regulate most gambling, efforts began to consolidate regulatory powers by a centralized body.

    On Wednesday, the newly created Joint Subcommittee to Study the Feasibility of Establishing the Virginia Gaming Commission for the first time reviewed a proposal that would put the numerous agencies under one roof.

    Under the two-year plan before the committee, an independent state agency — dubbed the Virginia Gaming Commission — would consolidate the regulatory powers over online gambling, charity gaming, bingo, live horse racing, fantasy contests, the state’s five licensed casinos, and 10 licenses for Rosie’s Gaming Emporium.

    A Virginia Gaming Commission would have regulatory powers over bingo, online gambling, charity gaming, fantasy contests, live horse racing, and the state’s casinos (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

    The sole exception under the proposal is the Virginia Lottery, a state agency created in 1987 after a statewide voter referendum, that would remain a separate entity and continue to oversee and regulate the sale of lottery tickets in the commonwealth.

    “As we have gone through the cost-benefit analysis, our team has studied different options, continued stakeholder outreach and working sessions with the agencies, and our team views this option as the best path forward,” Collin Hood, a director at the Virginia-based consulting firm Guidehouse, advised the committee at its meeting in Richmond Wednesday.

    The target operating model for the Virginia Gaming Commission, Hood added, is an “efficient, cost-effective and strong regulator.”

    If realized under the proposed plan, the new state agency would be able to respond to new regulatory and oversight needs from emerging gaming types, maintain the state’s commitment to horse racing and charitable gaming industries, increase transparency through centralized annual reporting to the public and the state government, and increase accountability for gaming regulation and oversight.

    It would also facilitate a consistent statewide problem gambling strategy across all gaming types and clarify the points of contact for key stakeholders, including Virginia State Police, local law enforcement, state legislators and the industry itself.

    “Change is difficult, but it is the right thing that we need to do to get a handle on it, otherwise everybody is working in different silos,” Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania and the committee chair, said in an interview after Wednesday’s meeting.

    “There is internet gaming or electronic gaming that happens in the cloud, and we have three different agencies trying to manage that, so there’s some areas where we can save the state a lot of money.”

    Heading toward $21 billion in wagers

    The plan recommended by Guidehouse, which is drafting various options, “is probably where we’re headed,” Reeves said. “Consolidation is going to help us with enforcement and compliance. If you talk to prosecutors today, they don’t even know what they are looking at.”

    Before Virginia’s anti-gambling stance softened in 2018, about $3.4 billion was wagered on state lottery games, charitable gaming and traditional horse racing — a number that grew steadily as the state approved more ways to gamble. By 2025, when four casinos are expected to be open, total wagering could grow to $21 billion.

    The JLARC report recommended that the Virginia Lottery should become the primary gambling regulator, noting the agency has already been beefing up its staff to handle sports betting and the four casinos being built around the state.

    But the Virginia Racing Commission that is in charge of live horse racing and the horse racing-adjacent Rosie’s slots enterprise, doesn’t have the staff to carry out its regulatory mission, the report found. It further concluded the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services — which regulates forms of charitable gaming like bingo, poker and slots-like machines called electronic pull tabs — also doesn’t have the resources to do its job.

    The creation of the Virginia Gaming Commission as a head organization would bring together the existing agencies in an effort to provide the state’s response to a rapidly changing industry, Reeves said.

    “I’ve never voted for gambling, and now I find myself the chairman of the committee, only from the simple fact that this all started from charitable gaming and then finding fraud in it,” he said, referring to findings by a General Assembly subcommittee in 2021 that showed corruption in the state’s charitable gaming industry was rampant due to inadequate oversight and conflicts of interest.

    The Virginia Lottery could one day be added to the Virginia Gaming Commission’s responsibilities. (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

    “We cleaned that up, and everybody learned some hard lessons,” Reeves said. “What we are trying to do here as legislators is that we don’t have the time or bandwidth to monitor all these different gambling institutions, that shouldn’t be our job. In the end we made a policy decision, it’s not a political decision, we are taking politics out of it.”

    ‘A good way to govern’

    Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, committee member and an unapologetic critic of legal gaming, applauded the proposed consolidation plan.

    “We’re moving judiciously and prudently, and this is a big issue because right now we have a number of different agencies regulating the industry, and they all do it a little bit differently,” Krizek said. “It really needs to be consolidated under one umbrella, that brings expertise and people that know the whole industry.”

    Under the current system, legislators like himself don’t have an easy point of contact to go to  with concerns, Krizek said.

    “It ends up being the loudest voices that catch our ear, and really what we need is an expert agency that can vet all of this and make sure that it especially protects the public. And that’s the kind of input that would come from a Virginia Gaming Commission.”

    As the next step, the Guidehouse consultants are tasked with delivering a final report for the committee to vote on at its next meeting in November while lawmakers begin to develop the legislation framework to change the code for the consolidation. The General Assembly would weigh the measure during the 2025 session.

    The proposed two-year roadmap toward the creation of the new state agency would formally begin on July 1. After a successful launch of the Virginia Gaming Commission, lawmakers would reconsider consolidating Virginia Lottery operations under the same roof.

    “This is the first time in 13 years that I have seen us take a proactive approach to government rather than making a cheese sandwich and saying you’ve got to eat it,” Reeves said. “It’s going to allow more people the opportunity to enter the process and to those setting it up a realistic timeline so it’s not so stressful. This is what I would call a good way to govern.”

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  • Federal government awards $150 million to reduce emissions in Virginia – WTOP News

    Federal government awards $150 million to reduce emissions in Virginia – WTOP News

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    Virginia is the recipient of two federal grants to capture climate changing emissions, one focused on methane and another on promoting natural solutions to capture carbon.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Virginia is the recipient of two federal grants to capture climate changing emissions, one focused on methane and another on promoting natural solutions to capture carbon.

    The funds, about $150 million, are from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    “Investments such as this are paramount to ensuring communities across the region who are impacted the most have access to reduced climate and air pollution,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “We need our partners to help us in tackling climate challenges.”

    Virginia’s funding is funneled through the Department of Environmental Quality, which is primarily working with Virginia Energy to use about $99.9 million towards methane capture from mined lands, and the Department of Wildlife Resources, to use $50 million on the land preservation component. The awarding to DWR is also part of a collaborative effort with the state of North Carolina that received a total of $421 million, with about $47.2 million going to The Nature Conservancy’s operations in Virginia.

    DEQ said the state’s methane capture component could reduce 25 million tons of greenhouse gasses by 2050. The Nature Conservancy estimates about 28 million tons of GHGs — the same amount produced by about 6.6 million cars — will be captured between 2025 and 2050 through regional partnership.

    “These are intended to achieve immediate emission reductions in the short term,” said Tom Ballou, air data analysis & planning director at DEQ.

    Minimizing methane

    About $80 million of the methane capture funding will boost efforts already underway by current mining operations and abandoned mined lands project developers  to remove the most potent greenhouse gas, which is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

    The idea of capturing methane — which is released during active mining operations to relieve pressure during underground digging to prevent explosions, and that naturally emanates from closed down sites — has been discussed in Virginia for at least a couple years. The EPA lists nine projects in the coalfields region of Southwest Virginia that can include capturing the methane and turning it into natural gas and flaring, or burning it.

    Environmental nonprofits have pushed back against using methane as an energy source for the broader electric grid, beyond manufacturers using it to power their operations. The groups say  converting methane to sellable natural gas would create a revenue stream for mining operations to continue and wouldn’t be a clean, zero-emissions source of electricity, like solar and wind.

    But, with 80% of Vrignia’s coal being mined for ongoing metallurgical production of steel, the CPRG funding provides opportunities to “look at better ways” to mine, said Daniel Kestner, economic development manager at Virginia Energy.

    “We know there’s a safety aspect around degassing those mines, as those workers are undergoing work, but also [an] opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs in these communities that have been impacted by the downturn in the coal economy,” said Kestor, adding that requests for proposals to use the funding could go out early next year. “It’s a pretty lofty goal, but we think it can be achieved with the use of technology.”

    The remaining $20 million in grants for methane capture will go toward a potential of one to three projects at landfills in the central or Southwest Virginia regions to meet LIDAC requirements. One example of a landfill capturing methane is the Southeastern Public Service Authority landfill in Suffolk, which unveiled a $25 million renewable natural gas facility last year that collects and sells it as natural gas.

    A portion of the $20 million will also fund food waste prevention at 15 to 20 Virginia universities, to divert food sources that are typically thrown out, despite not having expired, from ever getting to landfills and emitting methane in the first place.

    A more natural approach

    In addition to funding that will go toward the Virginia Port Authority and a Virginia Native American tribe yet to be chosen, the Department of Wildlife and The Nature Conservationy are leading Virginia’s effort to sequester carbon using forests, wetlands and peat.

    To maintain wildlife habitat, DWR will  embark on eight projects that include shoring up about 6,000 acres of wetlands by installing breakwaters to reduce the flow of energy that can crash into and erode shorelines. Several animal species, including the Saltmarsh Sparrow, use coastal wetlands to migrate around the Chesapeake Bay, explained Becky Gwynn, deputy director at DWR.

    The agency will contract workers to restore about 2,500 acres of forestland in the coastal and Eastern Shore regions by removing invasive plant species and growing the Atlantic White Cedar, a tree that has long been harvested for shingles production, prior to the wood pellet industry staking a claim in the region.

    “It was a win-win-win all around. It addresses clearly the overall goals of the grant program by facilitating natural carbon capture, but it also really is value-added and accelerates a lot of this important habitat enhancement and restoration,” said Gwynn.

    The Nature Conservancy, an international environmental nonprofit, is also setting out to acquire land and place development-blocking easements across about 36,000 acres of forestland in Southwest Virginia, including Warm Springs Mountain in the Allegheny Highlands.

    TNC will also preserve Longleaf pine across 7,750 acres on the East Coast, and about 150 acres of tidal wetlands that contain peat, a dirt that can sequester twice the amount of carbon that forests can.

    The effort involves an analysis from Duke University and a third-party, VERRA, to validate the carbon that is stored. The TNC projects will not produce carbon credits, which companies can purchase to offset their other operations that emit greenhouse gasses, but may not result in funding going back to those communities producing the credits.

    Bettina Ring, Virginia state director at the TNC, touted her organization’s respect for local communities and its “shared vision” of partnership with other groups to reach sustainability goals.

    “Our entire organization is watching this project, we’re really excited about it, knowing it’s a game changer for biodiversity.”

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  • Virginia House punts on proposal to prohibit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for minors – WTOP News

    Virginia House punts on proposal to prohibit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for minors – WTOP News

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    Virginia lawmakers seem to agree that kids spending too much time on social media is a problem. But they’re not ready to pass new laws on the topic just yet.

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Virginia lawmakers seem to agree that kids spending too much time on social media is a problem. But they’re not ready to pass new laws on the topic just yet.

    On Monday, a Democratic-led House of Delegates subcommittee voted to delay action on a Democratic state senator’s proposal to prohibit social media companies from using “addictive” feeds to encourage kids under 18 to endlessly scroll through videos and other content served up via algorithms designed to capture attention.

    The bill had passed the Virginia Senate unanimously, but the House Communications Subcommittee voted 9-1 to send it to the legislature’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science for more study. Del. Holly Seibold, D-Fairfax, called the proposal “a great bill” but said it needed a closer look “along with all other social media concerns.”

    The move came after representatives for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and other technology companies said the proposed bill was so vague they wouldn’t be able to comply with it.

    At the House subcommittee hearing, Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, said he found it “kind of baffling” that social media companies claimed to not understand what would be expected of them.

    “I mean, come on,” VanValkenburg said. “All they have to do is turn off the addictive algorithm that makes it so that the nonstop stuff keeps going.”

    Gov. Glenn Youngkin has made safeguarding children from the harms of social media a major talking point.

    In his speech to the General Assembly last month, the governor asked lawmakers to send him a bill “that empowers parents to protect their children and prohibits tech companies from selling the data of children under the age of 18.” Several Republican lawmakers introduced bills on the topic this year, but they too failed to advance.

    With broad, bipartisan support in the Senate, VanValkenburg’s narrower social media bill seemed to have better odds of passage since Democrats control both legislative chambers.

    A high school teacher who said he’s seen firsthand how social media can impact teenagers’ schoolwork and mental health, VanValkenburg argued his bill wouldn’t impose sweeping new limits on minors’ access to social media or their ability to see content from friends or accounts they choose to follow. Instead, he said, the bill deals with just “one thing.”

    “That one thing is about a minor being on the phone and just staring at it nonstop because they keep getting content pumped to them,” the senator said.

    The legislation would have prevented social media platforms from serving an “addictive feed” to users known to be under 18 without parental consent. The definition of addictive feed would still allow minors to see content they have “expressly and unambiguously requested.”

    According to tech companies, the bill wasn’t so simple.

    Eric Link, a lobbyist for the Northern Virginia Technology Council — whose members include Meta and Google — said it wasn’t clear what “unambiguous” meant because it wasn’t defined in the bill.

    “We don’t argue about the policy goals of this bill,” Link told the House subcommittee. “But we do argue about our ability to comply with it.”

    In a letter raising concerns about the bill, Meta said it could require all new users of social media platforms to share sensitive personal information in order to verify their identity and age. The company said Instagram already includes several features designed to encourage teens to take breaks after scrolling the app for long periods.

    A more effective solution to the issue, the company said, is federal legislation requiring parental approval whenever kids under 16 attempt to download products from app stores.

    “While we acknowledge the underlying intent of Senate Bill 359, we believe this bill, as currently drafted, fails to create robust, industry-wide standards that help Virginia parents and teens manage their online activity,” Meta Public Policy Manager Beauclarine Thomas said in the letter.

    VanValkenburg said he’ll work with the technology commission over the next year and reintroduce the legislation in 2025. The negative social impacts of kids getting hooked on social media, he told House members, are increasingly obvious.

    “When you’re on your phone staring at videos all day, you’re not talking to your friends. You’re not talking to adults,” he said. “You’re not interacting with the world.”

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  • Virginia sees bills to ease process for claiming roadkill, change how many mixed drinks restaurants can sell – WTOP News

    Virginia sees bills to ease process for claiming roadkill, change how many mixed drinks restaurants can sell – WTOP News

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    Hundreds of bills are filed for General Assembly consideration each year. In this weekly series, the Mercury takes a look…

    This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

    Hundreds of bills are filed for General Assembly consideration each year. In this weekly series, the Mercury takes a look at a few of lawmakers’ 2024 proposals that might not otherwise make headlines during the whirlwind legislative session.

    House Bill 1025: Letting more people claim roadkill

    This bill from Del. Tony Wilt, R-Harrisonburg, allows any person to claim a deer, bear, turkey or elk that appears to have been killed in a motor vehicle collision. Under current law, only the person who hits a deer or bear with their vehicle is permitted to claim the dead animal.

    Wilt told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee last month that the animal can only be claimed once it is reported to the Department of Wildlife Resources or local law enforcement.

    “If you’ve hit a deer and maybe it’s put your car out of commission, if I come along, I can call the department and they can give me permission to take the animal,” Wilt said.

    His bill would also permit the person who claims the animal to use it for whatever purposes they want, including eating it or claiming the head as a trophy. Some subcommittee members, like Del. Rob Bloxom, R-Accomack, raised concerns that allowing people to eat roadkill whose time and manner of death are unknown could be dangerous.

    Wilt said that “if you see an animal lying on the road and it’s blown up twice its size, it’s probably not a good bet … but you still have to get permission.”

    “If you feel brave enough that you want to chance it,” he added, “you would have that opportunity under this legislation.”

    When asked what problem Wilt’s legislation is looking to solve, the delegate told the subcommittee that it would help to alleviate some of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s workload. The department is responsible for collecting dead animals on the side of the road and then transporting them to landfills.

    The fiscal impact statement on the legislation also notes the bill could result in a reduction of Class 2 misdemeanors, the punishment for violating the current law, and could possibly decrease jail populations and costs to the state.

    The legislation passed the House unanimously.

    Senate Bill 168: Reducing the food-to-beverage ratio for restaurants serving mixed drinks

    SB 168 from Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Fredericksburg, would increase the amount of mixed beverages a licensed restaurant can serve based on average monthly food sales, replacing the current mandatory 45% food-to-beverage ratio enforced by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

    The legislation would set a 35% food-to-beverage ratio for restaurants with monthly food sales of between $4,000 and $10,000 and impose no ratio on those with monthly food sales of over $10,000.

    Reeves told the Senate ABC Subcommittee last month his bill “greatly benefits restaurants across the commonwealth who are greatly limited by antiquated ABC regulations.”

    The current law has been a long-running concern for many restaurant owners, especially those that sell expensive spirits. McCormack’s Whisky Grill in Richmond, for example, has run into trouble with the law for exceeding the ratio, even though some of the top-shelf liquor it sells — like a $2,000 shot of Macallan M whiskey — can make it nearly impossible to meet state targets.

    Robert Melvin with right-leaning think tank R Street Institute told the subcommittee that Reeves’ legislation is beneficial for consumers who want to take advantage of craft cocktail establishments seen in other states like New York.

    He also pointed out customers who don’t drink alcoholic beverages at restaurants can also feel the impacts of the ratio: In 2014, ABC raised liquor prices throughout the commonwealth due to state budget shortfalls. “As a result,” he said, “that goes and impacts the food-to-beverage ratio for the restaurant, and then the restaurants raise the food prices as well.”

    While no legislators or stakeholders spoke in opposition to the bill, previous attempts to change the ratio have produced spirited debate in the General Assembly. In 2015, then-Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, declared, “If you can’t meet that ratio, you ain’t running a restaurant, you are running a bar. If you want saloons in Virginia, say so.”

    Reeves’ bill unanimously passed the Senate.

    More from this series:

    House Bill 517: Designating the European honey bee as the official state pollinator

    This legislation from Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, would designate the European honey bee as the official pollinator of Virginia.

    The delegate told a House subcommittee last month he’s carrying the bill for over 1,000 Virginians who signed a petition requesting the insect be the official state pollinator.

    The European honey bee, said the delegate, is integral to the success of agricultural industries and native Virginia plants. The insect was also crucial in guaranteeing the success of the Jamestown settlement — where it was first introduced in North America — as it allowed European colonists to pollinate non-native fruits and vegetables they brought, like apples, potatoes and peaches.

    If the king of England had not sent honey bee colonies to Jamestown, Hope said, “we may not have had a successful Jamestown settlement, and, of course, [honey bees] wouldn’t be in North America.”

    The honey bee also has a significant impact on Virginia’s economy. Hope said fruits and vegetables pollinated by the insect have brought over $116 million in profits for the state annually, as well as $1 million from honey sales.

    Del. Buddy Fowler, R-Hanover, said that “as someone who lives on a farm, we would have no agriculture to speak of without the honey bee.”

    Subcommittee Chair Del. Paul Krizek, D-Alexandria, agreed it’s important to recognize the bee for the work it does but reminded Hope that it’s also important to protect native pollinators and plants. While the honey bee was imported by Europeans, there are roughly 4,000 species of bees that are native to North America, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

    Krizek also said he is “perturbed” that there are non-native Nandina trees planted on the General Assembly grounds, which can cause certain birds to die if they eat the tree’s berries.

    “I would like to see us work together and try to get a native garden planted out in front [of the General Assembly building] with native plants,” Krizek said. “That would be good for your pollinator and other Virginia pollinators, so that’s something we need to work on.”

    Hope’s bill passed the House unanimously.

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