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Legislative Briefing
Virginia lawmakers considered an array of bills impacting businesses and the state economy. Here’s a look at some key actions taken during the 2020 session: Casinos Virginia lawmakers passed legislation opening the door for casinos but only in five localities: Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond. A study by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review […]
Northam bans congregating in bars as Phase Three starts
As Virginia enters Phase Three of the state’s Forward Virginia reopening plan on Wednesday, July 1, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that bar seating and congregating areas of restaurants will remain closed. Restaurants will be permitted to use non-bar seating in the bar area, so long as tables are at least six feet apart. While key […]
State directs $30M to health care providers struggling from pandemic
Amid the COVID-19 public health crisis, Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday approved an estimated $30 million in emergency support for primary care doctors, pediatricians and other health care providers who offer general health care services to Virginia Medicaid members, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) announced Tuesday. “By taking action to support these frontline […]
Virginia Employment Commission closes HQ due to COVID-19
The Virginia Employment Commission is temporarily closing its Richmond headquarters office after the fourth VEC employee in three months has tested positive for COVID-19, the VEC announced Tuesday. The closure affects 350 employees who work out of the Richmond office. VEC call centers and district offices have not been affected and will continue to process […]
Community colleges, businesses partner to get Virginians back to work
The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready) announced Monday a program that will provide stipends for unemployed Virginians to attend community college programs in an effort to find new industry jobs and overcome coronavirus-related economic hardships. “We have people who need work and companies who need employees, so Virginia’s community colleges and employers are coming together [&helli[...]
New state program to provide rent, mortgage relief
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday the launch of a $50 million state program to provide relief for people facing eviction or foreclosure due to the pandemic. Federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is being directed to the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP). “Expanding access to safe, affordable […]
Phase Three reopening starts July 1
Virginia will enter Phase Three of the state’s Forward Virginia reopening plan on Wednesday, July 1, ending restrictions on restaurants, retail stores and bars, among other changes, Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday. “This gives us about three-and-a-half weeks of Phase Two where we have been able to follow the data,” Northam said during his Tuesday […]
State directs nearly $250M to long-term care facilities for COVID-19
Because a majority of COVID-19 outbreaks in Virginia have occurred in long-term care facilities, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that the state will direct nearly $250 million to these facilities for coronavirus response, with most of the funding coming from federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. Northam has also directed the […]
State offering relief grants to destination marketing organizations
A new state relief program, the WanderLOVE Recovery Grant Program, will provide up to 50 grants of up to $10,000 apiece to destination marketing organizations (DMOs) across the commonwealth that have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The program, which is being administered by the Virginia Tourism Corp., began […]
386K+ remain unemployed in Va. during pandemic
UPDATED 4 P.M. FRIDAY | More than 386,000 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims across the commonwealth continues to decrease. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced Thursday that 849,486 initial unemployment claims have been filed since March 15. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unempl[...]
Virginia gets new digits
On Wednesday, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) announced that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator has assigned a new area code, 826, to relieve future exhaustion of the 540 area code, which is expected to occur in 2022. Residents and businesses in the affected region will not lose their existing 540 phone numbers under […]
$2.48M in state research grants awarded to tech firms, universities
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that $2.48 million in grant funding from the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) will be dispersed among small technology businesses and universities to be used to commercialize research in sectors including clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences and unmanned systems. “These entrepreneurs and innovators are on the front l[...]
