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Clean slate
On April 17, 2020, with a flourish of the pen, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam reshaped the future of energy production in the commonwealth. Signing the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) into law last year, Northam declared that Virginia would become a leader in fighting climate change, and, indeed, no other Southern state has passed legislation […]
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 […]
Virginia ABC reports $1.4B in FY 2021 revenue
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) reported $1.4 billion in gross revenue for fiscal year 2021, up $163 million over the previous fiscal year. It’s the third year in a row the state authority has surpassed $1 billion. As a division of state government, ABC sends its profits — $616.4 million — to the […]
Va. jobless claims saw slight decrease last week
Virginia’s initial and continued unemployment claims decreased last week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending July 24, the state recorded 6,178 new jobless claims, down 126 from the previous week, while continued claims totaled 33,603, down 1,599 from the previous week. Compared to the same week last year, continued claims […]
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 […]
Virginia finishes FY21 with record $2.6B surplus
Virginia reached the end of fiscal year 2021 with a $2.6 billion surplus, the largest in the commonwealth’s history, according to a statement released by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday. Total revenue collections grew 14.5% over fiscal year 2020, ahead of 2.7% growth projections. State collections reached $8.6 billion in the final quarter of […]
GO Virginia awards $11.1 million in economic recovery grants
The state’s GO Virginia economic development initiative announced Wednesday that it has allocated $11.1 million in grants to advance economic recovery efforts across Virginia, including a $1.45 million award to create a statewide system to support cybersecurity jobs training for Virginia’s defense contracting industry. “The targeted support that GO Virginia provides is critical to en[...]
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 […]
State sees historic 66.2% General Fund revenue increase in May
The state’s General Fund revenue rose 66.2% in May 2021 compared with May 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday, the largest increase in more than 50 years. He also announced the appointment of the state’s new secretary and deputy secretary of finance. May is usually a big month for revenue collections due to the state’s […]
VMI report released; calls school ‘traditionally run by white men, for white men’
A long-awaited state report on an alleged culture of racism at Virginia Military Institute was released Tuesday afternoon, concluding that “VMI has … traditionally been run by white men, for white men,” although the state-funded military institution in Lexington has made “incremental steps towards a more diverse, inclusive VMI.” In a statement Tuesday, Virginia Gov. [[...]
