Sign In
Free Newsletter
Saving grace
When Del. Don L. Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, was sworn in on Jan. 10 as the first Black speaker of the house in the Virginia legislature’s 405-year history, he also was likely the first leader of that illustrious body to have served time in federal prison. Reminiscent of the literary trials of Jean Valjean, Scott’s is […]
After long delay, Va. lawmakers appoint two SCC judges
The Virginia General Assembly unanimously elected two attorneys to fill two vacancies on the Virginia State Corporation Commission on Wednesday, after more than a year of understaffing and partisan battles. State senators and delegates voted 40-0 and 98-0, respectively, to approve the nominations of Kelsey Bagot, a former legal adviser with the Federal Energy Regulatory […]
Fairfax, Petersburg could hold casino referendums
Two pending Virginia State Senate bills would change the list of locations eligible to host a casino, adding Petersburg and Fairfax County to the mix and removing Richmond. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology’s gaming subcommittee met to discuss these and other measures regarding skill games, sports betting and horse racing. […]
Anthem, Va. Chamber partner on WiseChoice Healthcare Alliance
The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield on the WiseChoice Healthcare Alliance, the next step in providing health insurance to small business owners through a newly legalized consortium structure, President and CEO Barry DuVal announced Wednesday. In June 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed legislation allowing associations — including […]
Wizards, Capitals plan Alexandria move in $2B deal
The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards are planning a move to a new home in Alexandria in a $2 billion deal that would see the professional sports franchises exit Washington, D.C., by 2028, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Dec. 13, 2023. The nonbinding agreement to build a new arena for the Capitals and Wizards is […]
Back in the saddle again
The political version of musical chairs — aka the 2024 General Assembly session — begins again in Richmond this month, as legislative control shifts once again to Democrats, who won majorities in the House of Delegates and the state Senate in the November 2023 elections. Nevertheless, a 6-foot-5-inch Republican roadblock stands in the way of […]
Pot of gold
Placing aside the morality of marijuana use, let’s consider how much money Virginia is currently leaving on the table without a regulated, taxed recreational cannabis market. In 2020, directed by the Virginia General Assembly, which was then under Democratic control, the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission conducted a study on legalizing marijuana in Virginia. […]
Democrats sweep Va. General Assembly
Democrats regained control of the General Assembly in the Nov. 7 elections, likely putting a damper on Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s legislative agenda and potential 2024 presidential aspirations. Democrats won 21 out of 40 seats in the Virginia State Senate and 51 seats out of 100 in the House of Delegates, which has been held […]
EVMS, ODU merger pushed to July 2024
The merger of Eastern Virginia Medical School into Old Dominion University has been pushed back six months, to July 1, 2024, instead of January as originally planned, ODU President Brian O. Hemphill announced Friday during his State of the University address. While that date still meets the deadline set by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the […]
Coming into focus
In 2016, amid concerns over how the Virginia Economic Development Partnership was being run, the General Assembly directed Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to examine VEDP’s organizational management and performance. “There was a perception, at least publicly, that [VEDP] was a fairly good organization that was successful in bringing in business,” says Hal […[...]
McGuireWoods Consulting taps education team lead
Richmond-based McGuireWoods Consulting has named former Virginia Secretary of Education Laura Novey to lead its national education team, the firm announced Tuesday. Novey joined the consulting firm affiliated with the state’s largest law firm in 2017 as senior vice president, after serving as executive assistant to the president for state governmental affairs at the University of Virginia.[...]
Travis Hill to step down as Va. ABC’s CEO
Travis Hill, CEO of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, announced Thursday he plans to step down from his post at the ABC, where he’s worked since 2014. Hired nine years ago as the Virginia ABC’s chief operating officer, Hill became CEO in 2018 after managing the former state department’s transition to a semi-independent authority […]
