Enrollment is set to begin October 1st for Virginia’s new health insurance marketplace, which will be operated by the federal government. The exchange that opens this week is for individuals, while the small business program—known as “SHOP”—will open on November 1st.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, not every plan will be available everywhere in the Commonwealth.

The Virginia State Police and the DMV are highlighting a program that’s been around for some time … but because of a change in state law, it’s being extended to a growing category of motorists. Moped and motorcycle operators are now being offered a FREE accessory that police believe helps deter theft and even lowers some insurance premiums. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.

A coalition of Richmond-area pastors says Richmond’s City Council is overstepping its authority by considering an ordinance that would grant benefits to spouses of city workers in same-sex marriages.  The pastors say the state Constitution is clear in its definition of a marriage being between one man and one woman—which is also as the New Testament defines it.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.

While it is known as the home of freedom-loving Founding Fathers, Virginia has also had a history of undemocratic institutions and tendencies.  That was the controversial topic of a book launch and discussion hosted by the Library of Virginia.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, author and historian Brent Tarter discovered primary sources with those ideas throughout the 400 years of the Commonwealth’s history.

The State Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services is officially under investigation by the U.S. Office for Civil Rights over the state’s Auxiliary Grant program, which funds services mostly for people with disabilities and physical or mental impairments. At issue is whether or not the program’s policies are discriminatory and place unnecessary restrictions on where individuals may live in order to receive the grant funds. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports.

U.S. Senator Mark Warner says Congress could learn a thing or two from Phyllis Galanti, the wife of former Vietnam War POW Paul Galanti. She was honored today [Friday] during a Virginia War Memorial ceremony … where she spoke about how she remained steadfast in her resolve while her husband was gone for seven-and-a-half years. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, Warner weighed in on the latest dust-up in Washington. 

Virginia has recently joined other states that want to reduce distracted driving accidents by passing a ban on texting while behind the wheel. But some drivers still don’t get it and perform the act daily. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, how safety advocates can help change that was the focus of the first annual Distracted Driving Summit in Richmond.

While some political pundits say Democrat Terry McAuliffe has all but won the Virginia Governor’s race, a new Quinnipiac University Poll says Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli should not be counted out of the race yet.  In fact, as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, it’s a statistical dead heat between the two.

As the demand for health care services is set to expand under the federal Affordable Care Act, a new report suggests that Virginia is in short supply of those doctors needed to handle the influx of patients. The need for primary care and family practice doctors will be especially great.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the state’s Joint Commission on Health Care is looking for solutions.

State lawmakers have been learning more about how the Virginia Information Technologies Agency protects and oversees the Commonwealth’s most sensitive databases.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, they’re finding out that while Medicaid expansion is supposed to help benefit those who need services, the state might not be prepared for the influx of data the expansion would bring with it.

State leaders say they do not have a contingency plan if the Virginia Supreme Court upholds a lower court ruling that tolls are taxes and not user fees.  A group of Hampton Roads residents won a victory earlier this year over whether or not they are being unfairly tolled to pay for construction of a second Midtown Tunnel and maintenance of other tunnels.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, those who support VDOT’s position say that if residents within that region win this lawsuit, citizens throughout the entire state will lose.

Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates don’t agree on much and when invited to various forums, they speak at different times. But during a candidates’ visit to the Virginia Commonwealth University class of former Governor Douglas Wilder, they both agreed on a matter that has been a sticking point for current Governor Bob McDonnell.
As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, neither GOP Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli nor Democrat Terry McAuliffe would sign off on McDonnell’s education reform package that would allow the state to take over failing schools.

Concerns that skyrocketing costs may be driving many Virginia families away from higher education prompted state lawmakers to mandate a study to discover which factors are making tuition and fees so expensive.  In its second in a series of reports, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission broke down the costs of non-academic university services, including athletics, recreation centers, housing, and dining.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, it found that these “auxiliary enterprises” are one of the major cost drivers.

The Polaris Project is an organization active in the fight against human trafficking in the U.S. and globally. Pushing for stronger state laws, they rank states on their efforts fight trafficking. Virginia once had a poor score but, as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, that has changed.

Virginia’s laws and processes in administering the death penalty can and should be improved.  That’s according to a report unveiled through a project sponsored by the American Bar Association.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the goal of the Death Penalty Assessment Team’s findings is to reduce the risk of wrongful conviction or execution.

U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is being heavily lobbied by two sets of constituents who are at opposite ends of a polarizing debate. One wants him to push for a vote next month on comprehensive immigration reform, while the other wants him to be steadfast, refuse to capitulate, and push to reinforce U.S. borders.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports on a visit to the Congressman’s Richmond office by two competing groups.

When DNA evidence began springing people from prison, prosecutors discovered just how unreliable eyewitnesses can be.   Here in Virginia, 13 out of 16 cases of wrongful convictions involved inaccurate identifications.  That led the state to issue model procedures for dealing with witnesses, but after nearly two years, Sandy Hausman reports that very few have put those recommendations into practice.

A defendant who’s charged with committing a sex offense against a child may have his previous convictions used against him in court under legislation that’s being considered by the Virginia State Crime Commission.  The bill’s opponents say that acknowledging prior convictions or negative character traits during a trial has the potential to prejudice a jury against a defendant.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, some lawmakers believe current state law does not strike the right balance to secure justice for victimized children.

Photo: Old Dominion University

Many pilots learned how to fly and surgeons how to make incisions by engaging in some type of “modeling and simulation” program developed by a group of engineers. But while “modeling and simulation” is now becoming its own profession, in Virginia few schools provide a course of study needed to train and retain these specialized engineers. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the current administration and General Assembly are trying to change that.