The color of money
A dusty floor, lumber piles and strewn tools mark the signs of active construction in the future showroom of Pure Shenandoah LLC. CEO Tanner Johnson stands in the front room of the historic, renovated Casey Jones building in Elkton and describes the experience of a future customer. “You’ll come in right here to a cool […]
VCU poll shows McAuliffe with 9-point lead in governor’s race
A new statewide poll from Virginia Commonwealth University shows Democratic former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe with a nine-point lead over Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, a far different take than the much tighter race indicated by a Washington Post-George Mason University poll released Saturday. VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs released [&[...]
Government | Politics
HALA AYALA DELEGATE, VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES; DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,PRINCE WILLIAM County Part of the new guard of Democratic state lawmakers, Ayala won her seat in the House of Delegates in 2017 by defeating a five-term GOP incumbent. This spring, she beat a full field of opponents to win the Democratic nomination for […]
Northam proposes $111M for undergrad financial aid
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that he wants to designate $111 million in federal aid to financial aid for undergraduate students: $100 million for public higher education institutions through the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia and $11 million for private institutions eligible for SCHEV’s Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant program. The General Assembly [&hellip[...]
Northam proposes $936M for unemployment fund, VEC
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that he wants to spend $935.6 million of $4.3 billion in federal aid on the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund and upgrading the Virginia Employment Commission. The General Assembly will meet Aug. 2 for a special session to allocate the funding, which the state received through the the $1.9 […]
Northam appoints members to newly created cannabis boards
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has appointed members to three newly created oversight boards for the legalization of recreational marijuana, his office announced today. On July 1, Virginia’s adult-use cannabis legislation changes began going into effect. This year, the General Assembly legalized possession of up to one ounce in public and home cultivation of up to […]
New ABC laws go into effect July 1
Starting July 1, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) will begin enforcing new laws passed by the Virginia General Assembly during its 2021 session, including allowing localities to create special large outdoor entertainment districts where consumption of alcohol would be allowed. Other measures passed by the Assembly include allowing restaurants to continue selling cocktails [&[...]
Va. General Assembly to convene special session on Aug. 2
The Virginia General Assembly will convene in Richmond on Aug. 2 for a special session to allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal relief funding, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday in a proclamation. In May, Northam and Democratic leaders from the Virginia State Senate and the House of Delegates outlined their priorities for the special […]
Northam, GA leaders pledge to invest $4.3B in federal funds in special session
Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday issued a statement with General Assembly leaders outlining their priorities for a $4.3 billion windfall from the most recent federal stimulus package passed in March. Among their plans during a special legislative session this summer will be to allocate money from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to fully fund […]
Lawmakers OK recreational marijuana, cultivation
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers signed off on amendments that make the possession of small amounts of recreational marijuana and homegrown plants legal in the state in July as opposed to 2024. “On July 1, 2021 dreams come true,” Marijuana Justice stated in a tweet. The group has worked to legalize the use and possession […]
Va. restaurant, hospitality industry seeks $270M+ in relief funding
Hard hit by the pandemic, Virginia’s restaurant and hospitality industry is asking the General Assembly to dedicate more than $270 million from the state’s share of federal American Rescue Plan dollars to assist hotels, restaurants and other hospitality-related industries. In a letter sent Tuesday to members of the state legislature’s money committees, the Virginia Restaurant, [&[...]
Tuition-free program for eligible community college students becomes law
Legislation creating a tuition-free community college program in Virginia became law Monday, as Gov. Ralph Northam held a bill signing ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College for the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back” program, one of his signature initiatives. Known as G3, the program provides funding for tuition, fees and books and other […]