Lawmakers amend Virginia Human Rights Act, kill workplace harassment bills
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly passed several bills this session expanding employment protections for people with disabilities and domestic workers but killed a pair of workplace harassment bills. Five bills were introduced during the 2021 session to amend the Virginia Human Rights Act. Three passed the Gene[...]
90K Johnson & Johnson shots arriving in Va. this week
More than 90,000 Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses are arriving in Virginia now through Thursday, the state vaccine coordinator said Wednesday afternoon. According to Dr. Danny Avula, 69,000 doses of the one-shot vaccine are heading to local health districts, and retail pharmacies will receive 22,000 doses, which will[...]
Virginia becomes 10th state to pass domestic worker protections
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly passed multiple bills providing protections and benefits for the state’s domestic workers. House Bill 2032, introduced by Del.Wendy Gooditis, D-Clarke, extends employee protection laws to domestic service workers that allows them to file complaints regarding workplace safety. The Commission of Labor and Industry would investigate such claims. Domestic […][...]
Virginia restaurants grapple with plastic foam container ban
RICHMOND, Va. — From vermicelli bowls to crispy chicken, Pho Luca’s, a Vietnamese-owned Richmond restaurant, uses plastic foam containers to package takeout meals. That may soon change after the General Assembly recently passed a bill banning such packaging. After negotiations on a Senate amendment, the House agreed [...]
Lawmakers pass COVID-19 workers’ comp bills
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly passed multiple bills allowing health care workers and first responders to receive workers’ compensation benefits if they are disabled or die due to COVID-19. “We did it!” Del. Chris Hurst, D-Blacksburg, said in a Twitter post. “Health care heroes who got COVID on the job will get the […]
COVID roundup: Johnson & Johnson vaccine headed to Va. this week
Virginia expects to receive its first allocation of 69,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses produced by Johnson & Johnson this week, along with about 360,000 more doses from Moderna and Pfizer Inc., the Virginia Department of Health announced this weekend. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccin[...]
UPDATED: Va. becomes 2nd state with consumer data protection law
Updated March 2: Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Consumer Data Protection Act on Tuesday. In a statement, sponsor Sen. David Marsden, D-Fairfax, said, “This is a huge step forward. By creating this omnibus bill, we take the lead in data privacy in the United States. This omnibus bill is clear, concise and holds companies accoun[...]
Virginia could get 400K+ COVID vaccine doses for first week of March
Virginia could receive up to 433,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine doses for the first week of March, depending on the timing of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine, according to Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator. During a Friday news conferenc[...]
Richmond confirms six eligible bids for casino, seeks public input
Place your bets. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s office confirmed Friday that the six casino proposals made public this week all submitted proposals that are eligible for consideration by Richmond City Council and voters. The city also revealed the proposed locations for all six plans. Bally’s Corp. and Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos are interested in […]
Delegate celebrates passage of limited paid leave bill
RICHMOND,Va. — After four years and multiple bills, Del. Elizabeth Guzmán, D-Woodbridge, is on the cusp of being able to secure paid leave for some Virginia workers. “It feels really good,” Guzmán said. “I think about the amount of people who are going to get this benefit and how they will have peace of mind [&hell[...]
$8.5M parcel in Spotsylvania to be used for Veterans Affairs clinic
Nearly 50 acres of land along Route 1 and Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania County has sold for $8.5 million, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced Wednesday. The 48.75-acre parcel will be used to develop one of the nation’s largest Veterans Affairs facilities, according to Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer. Carneg[...]
Va. saw nearly 20% drop in initial jobless claims last week
Initial jobless claims filed last week fell 19.8% from the previous week, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission but continued claims slightly increased. During the week ending Feb. 20, 11,944 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims, compared to 14,901 from the week prior. Last week, [...]