Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Sunday that he has signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act into law, requiring state electricity providers to become 100% carbon free by 2050.
The legislation sets a 2045 carbon-free deadline for Virginia power operations for Dominion Energy Inc. and a 2050 deadline for Appalachian Power. It also requires virtually all coal-fired electrical plants to close in Virginia by 2024. The law advances Dominion’s proposal to build the nation’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach and encourages the development of solar and onshore wind assets. Under the new laws, Virginia will also join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
“These new clean energy laws propel Virginia to leadership among the states in fighting climate change,” Northam said in a statement. “They advance environmental justice and help create clean energy jobs. In Virginia, we are proving that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand-in-hand.”
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed laws this weekend repealing Virginia’s voter ID law, making Election Day a state holiday and expanding access to early voting.
After July 1, voters will not be required to show a photo ID in order to vote. The new laws also repeal the controversial Lee-Jackson Day state holiday in January, which honors the Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and replaces it with a state holiday on Election Day in November. Northam also signed legislation that will allow Virginians to engage in early voting 45 days prior to an election without stating a reason. Currently, voters who wish to file an absentee ballot must select a reason from an approved list.
“Voting is a fundamental right and these new laws strengthen our democracy by making it easier to cast a ballot, not harder,” Northam said in a statement. “No matter who you are or where you live in Virginia, your voice deserves to be heard. I’m proud to sign these bills 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-discriminationlaws 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 applications. The legislation also extends protections to Virginians on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability and status as a veteran.
“This legislation sends a strong, clear message — Virginia is a place where all people are welcome to live, work, visit and raise a family,” Northam said in a statement. “We are building an inclusive commonwealth where there is opportunity for everyone and everyone is treated fairly. No longer will LGBTQ Virginians have to fear being fired, evicted, or denied service in public places because of who they are.”
“I am grateful to Gov. Northam for signing the Virginia Values Act, which represents years of dedicated work by activists, legislators and progressive members of our business community to ensure full protection for every Virginian under the law,” said one of the act’s patrons, Sen. Adam Ebbin. “Sadly, during times of crisis like these, discrimination rises and its effects become more apparent. When jobs are scarce and housing unaffordable, the reality of who you are must be an additional hurdle to putting food on the table or providing shelter for your family. This law provides important new protections.”
Other legislation signed into law by Northam on Saturday included legislation granting localities the power to remove, relocate or contextualize Confederate monuments within their communities, as well as legislation that begins the process needed to replace Virginia’s statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection. Each state contributes two statues to the collection and Virginia is represented by statues of Lee and George Washington.
“These monuments tell a particular version of history that doesn’t include everyone,” Northam said. “In Virginia, that version of history has been given prominence and authority for far too long.”
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 on April 22, legislators will consider a budget amendment from Northam that would grant DOC with the authority to release prisoners with less than a year left to serve and who have demonstrated good behavior and are not a threat to public safety or others. Inmates would be released in an accelerated fashion within “weeks,” Northam said, and he has tasked DOC with planning for how they could safely be released and provided with reentry services.
Additionally, as the death toll reached 39 at the Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Henrico County, Northam said he has tapped Dr. Laurie Forlano, the Virginia Department of Health’s deputy commissioner for public health, to lead a state government task force to coordinate with long-term care medical facilities and nursing homes responding to COVID-19 infections. Forlano also leads the state’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy.
The cross-disciplinary task force, which will consist of different state secretariats and agencies, will assist long-term care facilities and nursing homes by providing additional resources to fight the coronavirus, including strengthening staffing and infection control measures and providing needed supplies such as COVID-19 test kits, personal protective equipment and cleaning materials, Northam said.
“As we continue to fight the virus together, it’s clear that while we’ve taken a lot of steps across the commonwealth to protect residents of nursing homes and staff … we need to offer them more help,” Forlano said Friday. “Residents who live in these facilities are often among the most vulnerable to the virus due to their age or health conditions they might have, and on top of that, social distancing is pretty difficult to achieve in a congregate care living situation.”
“Every person in assisted living or long-term care is someone’s parent or loved one,” Northam said. “It is vital we protect them. Dr. Forlano and this task force will do just that.”
5 p.m. April 10 update: The Piedmont Health District announced Friday afternoon that an elderly resident in a long-term care facility has died from causes related to COVID-19 but did not give further information about the patient. Piedmont covers Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties. Officials said that the facility is working closely with the health department to protect other residents and staff members.
Earlier:
As of Friday, April 10. the Virginia Department of Health has confirmed 4,509 COVID-19 cases in the commonwealth, logging 121 deaths from the disease. Nearly 775 Virginians are hospitalized from the coronavirus.
Northern Virginia continues to lead the state in confirmed coronavirus cases, with 777 in Fairfax County, 337 in Prince William County, 312 in Arlington County and 274 in Loudoun County. In Central Virginia, there are 342 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Henrico County, 179 in Chesterfield County and 139 in Richmond.
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 originally scheduled to end, according to a statement from the SCC.
Despite the order, the SCC warns customers that they will still owe payment for utility services received after the disconnect bans expires.
“If such bills are never paid, the costs of these unpaid bills … do not disappear; they are shifted to other customers, who themselves may be struggling to make ends meet in the economic catastrophe caused by the pandemic,” the SCC wrote in the order.
Also, the DuPont Spruance plant in Chesterfield County, which is producing material used for personal protective garments, confirmed Thursday that one of its employees has died from conditions related to the virus. Four others have tested positive, a spokesman said, and are quarantined at home.
Earlier:
Virginia now has 4,042 confirmed coronavirus cases, up from 3,645 the previous day, according to the Virginia Department of Health. As of Thursday, April 9, 109 Virginians are dead from COVID-19 and 685 are hospitalized. Thirty-five of the deaths have occurred at a long-term care nursing home in Henrico County, Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center.
Northern Virginia still has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide, with 690 cases in Fairfax County, 299 in Prince William County, 280 cases in Arlington County, 258 in Loudoun County and 149 in Alexandria. In Central Virginia, there are 319 confirmed cases in Henrico County, 158 in Chesterfield County and 126 in Richmond.
Nearly 55% of the cases are among Virginians ages 50 and up, according to VDH, with 43% of cases affecting those between the ages of 20 and 50.
Globally, there are 1.48 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 90,000 deaths. The United States continues to have the most confirmed cases worldwide, with 432,438 confirmed cases as of April 9. There have been 14,808 deaths, with 4,571 of those in New York City.
10:30 p.m. April 8 update: VDH health districts reported three more virus-related deaths Wednesday afternoon and evening. These are the first fatal cases in the Central Virginia Health District (Lynchburg and surrounding counties), Three Rivers Health District (Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula), where a woman in her 40s has died, and the Eastern Shore Health District, where a woman in her 70s died. No further information was provided about the patient in Central Virginia.
3:30 p.m. April 8 update: Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Henrico County announced Wednesday that another patient has died, bringing the total number of fatal cases to 33. Currently there are 90 residents and 25 staff members who have tested positive, according to the center, and many have not displayed symptoms, although some are being treated in the center or at a regional hospital.
Earlier:
As of Wednesday, April 8, there are 3,645 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the commonwealth, up from 3,333 the day before, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Seventy-five Virginians have died from the illness. More than 40% of the state’s COVID-19-related deaths have taken place at Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, a long-term care nursing home in Henrico County where 32 patients have died from COVID-19 and more than 100 patients and staff have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Northern Virginia still has the highest numbers of confirmed cases statewide, with 570 in Fairfax County, 254 in Arlington County, 238 in Loudoun County and 263 in Prince William County. In Central Virginia, there are 291 confirmed cases in Henrico County, 145 in Chesterfield County and 119 in Richmond.
More than 400,000 adults have now enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program since Virginia expanded eligibility in January 2019, Gov. Ralph Northam and the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) announced Friday.
“We could never envision that we would reach this milestone amid a historic health emergency, but the timing is a reminder of the importance of state leaders’ decision to expand this vital program,” said DMAS Director Karen Kimsey. “Medicaid is an essential tool in the commonwealth’s response to COVID-19. Thousands of individuals are experiencing the loss of employment and insurance, and we want them to know that we are here to help them access health care during this critical time.”
Virginia expanded eligibility to Medicaid in January 2019. More than 383,000 newly eligible adults have used their coverage to obtain health care services, according to DMAS.
“We are all grateful Virginia did expand eligibility so more people can have access to health care at this critical time,” Northam said during a Friday news conference, noting that unemployment in Virginia has skyrocketed in recent weeks due to the crisis.
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, DMAS initiated a series of policies to increase access to care for its 1.5 million members, including:
Ensuring members do not inadvertently lose coverage due to lapses in paperwork or a change in circumstances; this policy includes the continuation of all coverage renewals and eligibility redeterminations.
Eliminating co-pays for all Medicaid- and Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS)-covered services, including COVID-19 testing and treatment.
Allowing Medicaid members to obtain a 90-day supply of many routine prescriptions.
Waiving preapproval requirements for many critical medical services, and enacting automatic extensions for approvals that are already in place.
Enabling Medicaid providers and members to make greater use of telehealth.
With the COVID-19 crisis growing, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that Virginia has selected three sites for overflow patient care: the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, the Greater Richmond Convention Center and the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton.
The state government is completing contracts to use the facilities as temporary hospitals and is coordinating with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the National Guard on the initiative. The facilities will require design and construction to be adjusted for medical care. “We expect these alternative care sites to be ready in about six weeks,” Northam said, noting that a surge in cases is likely to occur in Virginia in May.
The Dulles Expo Center can accommodate 315 acute-care beds or 510 non-acute hospital beds; the Greater Richmond Convention Center will be able to hold 432 acute-care beds or 758 non-acute beds; and the Hampton Roads Convention Center can handle 360 acute-care beds or 580 non-acute beds.
Virginia received a Major Disaster Declaration designation from the federal government Thursday, which will provide federal public assistance in areas of Virginia affected by the pandemic at a federal cost share of 75 percent. Additionally, it authorizes federal agencies to provide direct emergency assistance to Virginia and will allow the purchase of additional supplies and services needed to respond to the crisis, such as providing shelter for more than 1,500 homeless Virginians who rely in shelters that are unable to comply with social distancing, Northam said.
Speaking during a Friday news conference about the coronavirus pandemic, Northam also said that he has directed state agencies to eliminate all discretionary spending for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. And he has additionally instructed state agencies to prepare for budget cuts starting with the new fiscal year in July and has directed state budgeting experts to look at initiatives and “new commitments” that can be cut. Virginia Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne told legislators last week that Virginia can expect a $1 billion annual revenue shortfall for the next two years, due to the COVID-19 crisis and its economic fallout.
“We can expect to have significantly less revenue than even our most pessimistic forecasts” predict,” Northam said, noting that the state government is incurring extraordinary expenses to respond to the pandemic. “We have to rearrange our priorities. .. Virginia had a strong economy … before the pandemic. And when this pandemic is finished, we will again be strong.”
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