Archive for February, 2022

An effort to roll back Virginia’s red flag law is done for the year

Credit: NPR

Virginia has a red-flag law designed to combat gun violence. As Michael Pope reports, a Republican effort to overturn the law has failed.

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A regulated marijuana marketplace in Virginia likely isn’t happening this year

The effort to create a regulated marijuana marketplace is going nowhere, at least for this year. Michael Pope has more from the General Assembly.

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Va. News: Foster bear moms, decertified police officers

Credit: VPAP

Almost four dozen police officers have been decertified in Virginia since a new law took effect last year. And wildlife officers are having success finding foster moms for orphaned bear cubs.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

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Some state Senators want protective plexiglass in the chamber removed

Senator Siobhan Dunnavant says she wants the box around her desk removed by Monday, vowing to remove it herself if it’s not gone by the beginning of next week. (Credit: Virginia Senate livestream)

Mask mandates are being lifted in schools across Virginia. And as Michael Pope reports, COVID-19 protocols may also be changing in the state Senate.

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Differences of opinion on what to do with Virginia’s grocery tax remain

Governor Glenn Youngkin campaigned on eliminating the grocery tax. Now lawmakers are debating how much of it they want to eliminate. Michael Pope reports.

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One in seven eligible adults have already accessed newly expanded Medicaid dental care

It’s been a little over six months since Virginians with Medicaid also began receiving dental insurance. Virginia’s Department of Medical Assistance Services estimates that in that time more than 100,000 people have gotten dental care.

As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, the next hurdle is getting more dentists to accept Medicaid. 

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Pope & Schapiro: Budget battles, election audits and approval numbers

The battle over Virginia’s budget is creating fireworks at the state capitol.

Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Time-Dispatch and Michael Pope bring us up to speed on some of the big story lines at the General Assembly this week.

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An effort to end solitary confinement in Virginia is dead for this year’s session

Lawmakers are rejecting an effort to end solitary confinement. As Michael Pope reports, they’re moving forward with a study instead.

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Senate committee delays decision on criminal case files

Last year lawmakers opened up public access to some police documents in closed cases.

Now, as Michael Pope reports, they’re considering rolling that back.

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Bill stripping citizen boards of permitting authority headed to House floor

The House of Delegates is considering a Senate bill that would strip permitting authority from two citizen boards. Michael Pope reports.

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The changing role of Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension began, more than 100 years ago, as a service to farm families. (Credit: Virginia Tech)

In the age of climate change, this country’s land grant universities are working overtime to assure that farmers can feed a growing world population.  For Virginia State and Virginia Tech, that means reaching out to cities and to countries around the world.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

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Republican efforts to roll back voting access officially dead for this year’s session

Credit: Jahd Khalil

House Republicans began the session hoping to roll back some of the new voter access laws Democrats put in place over the last two years. As Michael Pope reports, they have been unable to make any of those changes.

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Does Virginia need tax cuts? The debate is heating up in Richmond

Members of the General Assembly are debating the need for tax cuts, and it’s a conversation that is getting heated. Michael Pope reports on the latest flare up.

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Full Disclosure Briefing: Luring the Washington Commanders to the Commonwealth

The Washington Commanders’ contract at FedEx Field in Maryland expires after the 2026-27 season.  And an effort to lure the football team to a new stadium in Virginia is working its way through the General Assembly.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Weekend Edition host Craig Wright have more on the proposal that comes with a whole lot of strings attached.

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House and Senate working to iron out differences in education budgets

Lawmakers are trying to balance the books for the coming year. One part of the budget is a top priority for both parties: education. Michael Pope has more on the newly-released proposals.

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Concealed carry law violation bill dies in state Senate

Senate Democrats are standing in the way of House Republicans who want to expand access to guns. Michael Pope reports.

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Va. News: Pandemic relief water park, Albemarle County rowing team

Credit: VPAP

A Virginia town will have a water park thanks to pandemic relief money. And some Albemarle County teens are trying to make winter a little easier for elderly residents. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

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Pope & Schapiro: With mask legislation settled, attention turns to taxes and budgets

There have been a few wins, a few losses and plenty of draws so far for Governor Glenn Youngkin’s agenda in the first half of the General Assembly session.

Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Michael Pope have more on what’s been done and what’s still to be decided.

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State Senators want solar developers to study potential adverse impacts

Credit: Dominion Energy

The growth of solar energy in Virginia is creating concern among many people about solar farms, potentially putting green space in conflict with green energy. Michael Pope reports.

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A bill rolling back local employee collective bargaining faces unlikely odds in state Senate

House Republicans are hoping to roll back some of the new labor laws that Democrats put into the code when they were in power. As Michael Pope reports, Senate Democrats are standing in their way.

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Family and faith propel retired teacher to finish Richmond Marathon 19 times

Eddie Gordon on the porch of her home in Richmond’s Northside. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)

We’re bringing you a little inspiration this morning/afternoon. The story of a woman who recently celebrated her 80th birthday and whose long accomplished life, so far, has included running the Richmond Marathon 19 times.

Mallory Noe-Payne paid her a visit and has the story of a life that goes far beyond running. 

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Republicans and Democrats at odds over best approach to marijuana licenses

Credit: NPR

The House of Delegates is considering a bill from the Senate that creates new licenses to sell marijuana. Michael Pope reports.

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Governor Youngkin signs legislation allowing parents to decide whether kids wear masks in school

Starting next month, masks will no longer be mandated in Virginia schools. Michael Pope has more from the state Capitol.

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Virginia Senate approves March 1 mask deadline

A sign on the door of a school in Hopewell informs visitors, students and staff of the school’s mask requirement. (Credit: Jahd Khalil)

Mask mandates in Virginia schools may be coming to an end as early as next month.

Michael Pope explains the latest developments.

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Effort to move up commercial marijuana sales moves forward in Senate, but future is hazy in the House

Credit: DEA

Legal sales of marijuana could begin as early as September. Michael Pope reports on the potential change of plan.

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Record donation should make VCU a world leader in diagnosing and treating liver disease

Dr. Dr. Arun Sanyal (left) and Dr. Todd Stravitz (right); (Credit: Virginia Commonwealth University)

Liver disease is a growing problem in this country, and Virginia Commonwealth University is hoping to fight that trend with the largest donation in its history.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

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Full Disclosure Briefing: Spirit and Frontier airlines hope to land big merger

Low-cost airlines Spirit and Frontier are trying to land a big-dollar merger.  If approved, the merger would bring a thousand daily flights to 145 destinations under one brand.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright talk through the potential impacts.

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Education advocates push lawmakers for higher teacher pay, school infrastructure investments

As lawmakers try to balance the budget, advocates for schools are asking for an investment in public education. Michael Pope reports.

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Effort to remove ban on same-sex marriage in Virginia Constitution clears Senate

Gay marriage has been the law of the land for years thanks to a Supreme Court decision. But the Virginia Constitution still bans same-sex marriage.

Michael Pope reports an effort to change that took a step forward Monday. 

The Senate also approved a constitutional amendment to allow the automatic restoration of voting rights for formerly convicted felons. But it also faces an uphill battle in the House of Delegates.

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Va. News: Courts helping veterans, keeping cars safe

Credit: VPAP

Virginia Beach police are putting some extra effort into helping people keep their parked cars safe. And several city and county courts in Virginia are now providing specialized assistance for veterans facing criminal charges.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link. More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

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House Education Committee fast tracks school mask mandate legislation

State Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, spoke at Friday’s hearing. Members of the Virginia Education Association dressed in red sat behind her. (Credit: Jahd Khalil)

Governor Youngkin’s executive order on school masking has met court challenges and resistance from school boards. But, as Jahd Khalil reports, legislation could achieve his goal instead. 

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Pope & Schapiro: Almost at the midpoint

The General Assembly session is almost at its midpoint.  And it’s clear that the split control of the legislature has sidelined numerous bills from both Democrats and Republicans.

But there have been a few areas of agreement so far, as Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Michael Pope point out.

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What to do if your car is stolen and how to prevent that from happening


Special agent Peter Lazear etches a car’s VIN onto a window to help prevent theft.

30 years ago, vehicle theft in Virginia was so common that the legislature set up a special program to stop thieves.  Sandy Hausman reports on the program’s success so far and where it may be headed.

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State Republicans working to pull Virginia out of RGGI

Republicans now in control of the House of Delegates want to roll back much of the environmental legislation approved by Democrats when they were in power. But, as Michael Pope reports, they’re going to hit a blue wall in the Senate.

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Sexually explicit material notification legislation may be headed for a gubernatorial signature

Governor Glenn Youngkin may soon be receiving a bill that would allow him to deliver on a campaign promise to notify parents when their children will be learning about sexually explicit material. Michael Pope has the latest from the Capitol.

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School mask mandate legislation likely headed to Youngkin’s desk

Credit: NPR

Governor Glenn Youngkin may soon be considering a bill that would prohibit local school boards from issuing mask mandates. Michael Pope reports.

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One charter school bill backed by the governor is most likely dead for this year’s session

Governor Glenn Youngkin wants 20 new charter schools in Virginia. Three major bills to get that done have been introduced. Jahd Khalil reports that one bill was sent to the full House of Delegates, but another of the Governor’s bills died Wednesday. 

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State Senate rejects Andrew Wheeler nomination

Controversial cabinet pick Andrew Wheeler testifies before the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee last month. (Credit: Michael Pope)

Governor Glenn Youngkin is dealing with a major setback. The state Senate rejected one of his key cabinet nominees Wednesday. Michael Pope reports.

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Governor Youngkin’s promise of cutting the grocery tax could be in trouble

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One of the governor’s top priorities for cutting taxes may be in trouble. Michael Pope explains why.

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Full Disclosure Briefing: Volatility and the markets

It’s been a volatile couple of weeks for the stock market, highlighted by a big loss for the company formerly known as Facebook.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright have more on Meta and where the markets might be heading.

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Regional charter schools legislation passes House education committee

Key pieces of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Charter School agenda have been voted down by the state Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. Jahd Khalil has this update on where things stand on the House side. 

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House Republicans eyeing new rules for the use of natural gas

Now that Republicans are in control of the House of Delegates, they’re taking a different approach to environmental issues. Michael Pope has this report about potential new rules around natural gas.

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State lawmakers working to crack down on unsolicited, explicit photos

Lawmakers are considering a bill that would crack down on cyber-flashing, unsolicited pictures that often pop up on smartphones. Michael Pope explains.

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State lawmakers mull solutions for complicated absentee voting structure

Credit: Jahd Khalil

The pandemic has upended much of modern life. And as Michael Pope reports, it’s also created havoc with election returns.

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Senate committee kills “divisive concepts” bill, members poised to kill House version, too

Lawmakers are divided over what, exactly, is divisive. Michael Pope explains.

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Va. News: Norfolk flooding app, Danville U.S. Civil Rights Trail stop

Credit: VPAP

The U.S. Civil Rights Trail will now feature a third stop in Virginia with the addition of a site in Danville. And a new app will help drivers in Norfolk avoid flooded streets. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

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Pope & Schapiro: Help and hindrance for Youngkin’s agenda

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s getting plenty of help for his agenda in one chamber of the General Assembly, while he’s finding plenty of roadblocks in the other.

Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Michael Pope have a rundown of where those efforts stand as well as the court fight over masks in schools.

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House of Delegates could debate Senate solitary confinement bill in the coming weeks

Lawmakers are considering a bill that would create new limitations on how long inmates can be held in solitary confinement in Virginia prisons. Michael Pope reports the bill is facing a tough time in the House.

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Bill allowing students to access their transcripts despite unpaid debt clears state Senate

Members of the General Assembly are considering a bill that would change how colleges and universities handle transcripts. Michael Pope reports.

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The effort to identify and memorialize Virginia Green Book locations

The cover of the 1940 edition of the Green Book.

Lawmakers are considering a bill that would add historic markers on sites listed in African American travel guides. Michael Pope reports.

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