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Va. Minority Business Commission starts Wednesday
With the initiation of a swath of bills passed during the most recent Virginia General Assembly session, the bill that creates the Minority Business Commission went into effective Wednesday, July 1. The Minority Business Commission will provide policy input and operational guidance to the General Assembly with a goal of addressing challenges facing minority business […]
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 […]
Protesters bring the noise, demand to reopen Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. — Horns blared and flags waved from vehicle windows as hundreds of Virginians converged Wednesday on Capitol Square to protest restrictions implemented by Gov. Ralph Northam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protesters reiterated the message of similar demonstrations taking place in state capitals across the country. The groups hope to influence governors and lawmakers […]
Democratic lawmakers reflect on historic General Assembly session
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers passed over 1,200 new laws in two months, a variety of them in the final days of the 2020 session, which expanded into Sunday evening to accommodate the backlog of legislation. This session has been the first time since 1994 that the Democrats have controlled both chambers of the General […]
Bill allows renters to make certain repairs if landlord doesn’t respond
CORRECTION: THIS WIRE STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED. The original version incorrectly stated the party affiliation of state Sen. John Bell. RICHMOND, Va. — A bill that gives tenants the power to make repairs on their property and deduct the costs from their rent, with conditions, recently passed the Virginia Senate and is expected to advance […]
Virginia students could get in-state tuition despite citizenship status
RICHMOND, Va. — The state Senate and the House have advanced bills to make students living in the U.S. without documentation eligible for in-state tuition. SB 935, introduced by Democratic Sens. Jennifer Boysko and Ghazala Hashmi, would require a student to provide proof of filed taxes to be eligible for in-state tuition. A student also […]
Bill banning holding cellphones while driving clears House, Senate
RICHMOND, Va. — The state Senate voted Tuesday in favor of a bill that would prohibit holding a phone while driving a motor vehicle on Virginia roadways and which implements a penalty for the traffic violation. House Bill 874 will head to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, who has voiced support for prohibiting the […]
Bill seeks to clarify workers’ rights for pregnant, lactating employees
For employees who are pregnant or lactating, their workers’ rights are sometimes viewed as vague and can be difficult to discern for them and business owners alike. In Virginia, Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, hopes to clear things up once and for all. Her bill, SB712, is designed to expand upon the federal law that protects […]
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 […]
Analysis: 1,000+ Democrat-backed bills pass by crossover
RICHMOND, Va. — A record number of bills passed in the House of Delegates ahead of the “crossover” deadline, considered the halfway point in the session when a bill has to pass its chamber or it dies. Democrat-led efforts like marijuana decriminalization, removal of war memorials, and an assault weapons ban squeezed past in the […]
General Assembly snuffs marijuana legalization hopes for now
RICHMOND, Va. — Going into the 2020 legislative session, advocates say Democratic leaders had an ambitious marijuana reform agenda. By crossover day, several decriminalization bills passed their respective chambers, but hopes of legalization went up in smoke. Lawmakers, who say that the state isn’t ready for legalization yet, advanced decriminalization bills, incorporated a bulk of [&helli[...]
Lawmakers advance bills regulating consumer lending
RICHMOND, Va. — Del. Mark Levine recalls receiving a $1,000 loan offer from a company with a 299% interest rate buried deep in the fine print. “As the company compounds daily at this interest rate, this loan would cost anyone desperate enough to accept this offer more than $20,000 in interest and fees if they […]
