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Northam signs LGBTQ protections into law
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Saturday that he has signed the Virginia Values Act into law, making Virginia the first Southern state to pass sweeping anti-discrimination laws protecting the LGBTQ community. The act, which passed the Democratic-majority General Assembly in February and goes into effect July 1, prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, public spaces and credit […]
Battling coronavirus, Northam seeks faster release of prisoners
In light of the threat that coronavirus could pose to prison inmates, Gov. Ralph Northam has asked the state Department of Corrections to begin planning for the release of nonviolent prisoners with less than a year of time left to serve, the governor said during his Friday coronavirus news conference. When the General Assembly reconvenes […]
State extends ban on utility service disconnects
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Virginia State Corporation Commission has extended the ban on utilities disconnecting electricity, water, sewer and gas services until June 14. “While we fervently wish otherwise … it appears that the devastating economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are unlikely to abate significantly” by mid-May, when the order was […]
SCC offers health insurance tips for laid-off Virginians
The Virginia State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) Bureau of Insurance wants to remind Virginians that there are health insurance options available if they’ve recently been laid off or lost health insurance benefits through their employer. “Loss of a job doesn’t have to mean loss of health insurance coverage,” said Virginia Insurance Commissioner Scott A. White. “In [&hellip[...]
Real ID deadline extended by one year
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has extended the deadline for Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses by a year, meaning Virginians now have until Oct. 1, 2021, to obtain the new enhanced driver’s licenses and identification credential that will be required for domestic air travel. “We applaud the 1.3 million Virginians who were proactive […]
State looks to private industry for protective medical gear
UPDATED MARCH 27, 4 P.M. This week, Virginia received its first shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line health care workers from the federal government‘s Strategic National Stockpile, but that supply is falling far short of the demand that will be needed for the COVID-19 pandemic, so Gov. Ralph Northam is calling on private […]
Northam issues more restrictions; schools closed for rest of semester
Updated, 4:15 p.m. Monday: A seventh death has been reported by the Virginia Beach Health District, the first fatality related to COVID-19 in the district. The patient was a man in his 70s who had underlying health conditions, according to the Monday afternoon news release. More information here. Earlier: With novel coronavirus cases mounting across Virginia […]
Virginia extends tax payment deadline to June 1
Virginia is granting a one-month extension for payment of individual and corporate state income taxes by June 1, although tax returns are still due May 1, Virginia Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne Jr. said during a state coronavirus news briefing Thursday. Anyone who pays their state income tax after June 1 will not incur late […]
First Central Va. coronavirus case confirmed, ninth in the state
UPDATED: Cases 10 and 11 in Virginia were announced by Longwood University in Farmville and by the Alexandria Health Department late Wednesday. The Virginia Department of Health has not yet made an announcement regarding the cases. Wednesday at 10 p.m., Longwood University President Taylor Reveley IV posted a message on the university’s website that a student […]
Northam announces $292.5M revenue windfall
A mid-session revised revenue forecast has resulted in the state government projecting a windfall of $292.5 million in additional revenues for fiscal year 2020, which ends on June 30, Gov. Ralph Northam said in a letter on Friday to the General Assembly Money Committees. According to state statute, $112.3 million of that $292.5 million is […]
Northam proposes $1M investment for future STEM educators at HBCUs
Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday proposed a $1 million investment through the national UTeach program to increase pathways for students at Virginia’s two public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to become science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educators. Although the UTeach program is present at 45 U.S. colleges and universities, Virginia is the first [&hellip[...]
Could Democratic General Assembly repeal Va.’s right-to-work laws?
Buoyed by the Virginia legislature’s new Democratic majority, bills to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work laws have the greatest chance of making it to the governor‘s desk in a generation, predict political scientists. “I think it absolutely will [get repealed], but it will be a big fight,” says Elsie Harper-Anderson, director of the Ph.D. program in public […]
