Sign In
Free Newsletter
Va. House, Senate pass bills on texting while driving
RICHMOND Both chambers of the General Assembly have approved legislation to toughen penalties for texting while driving. Texting while driving is already punishable by a $20 fine, but it's a secondary offense. That means police can only write a ticket if they stop the motorist for another violation.
Va. House, Senate get tough on texting while driving
RICHMOND Although traffic safety studies show texting while operating a motor vehicle is one of the most dangerous behaviors a driver can engage in, the penalty in Virginia is only a modest fine. That could soon change now that the House of Delegates and state Senate have each passed bills to toughen the punishment for texting or e-mailing when behind the wheel.
Norfolk senator treats elderly man injured at Capitol
RICHMOND Dr. Ralph Northam doesn’t see his usual volume of patients when he’s serving in the Virginia Senate each winter. But the Norfolk Democrat used his medical skills Tuesday when a visitor to the State Capitol observing Senate action from balcony seating tripped and hit his head, opening up a gash.
Norfolk senator treats elderly man injured at state Capitol
RICHMOND Dr. Ralph Northam doesn't see his usual volume of patients when he's serving in the Virginia Senate each winter. But the Norfolk Democrat used his medical skills Tuesday when a visitor to the State Capitol observing Senate action from balcony seating tripped and hit his head, opening up a gash. Northam, a pediatric neurologist, rushed to aid medics who were treating the man.
Beach arena bill survives local lawmaker’s opposition
RICHMOND A local lawmaker’s effort to get state aid in developing a sports and entertainment arena in Virginia Beach was endorsed by the House of Delegates today – but not before another local legislator tried to torpedo it.
House passes bill to create special school district
RICHMOND The House of Delegates this afternoon passed a bill to create a special school district designed to take over and fix failing schools.
Virginia bill passes to create special school district
RICHMOND Both houses of the General Assembly this afternoon passed bills to create a special school district designed to take over and fix failing schools.
Va. Assembly OKs special district for failing schools
RICHMOND Both houses of the General Assembly this afternoon passed bills to create a special school district designed to take over and fix failing schools.
Va. Senate OKs A-to-F grading scale for schools
RICHMOND Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposal to grade schools on the same A-to-F scale used for students has barely won General Assembly approval. Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling cast a tie-breaking vote Tuesday to pass the bill in the 40-member Senate. The Republican-controlled House of Delegates approved the proposal Monday.
House passes transportation plan; Senate can’t agree
RICHMOND Red-faced and frustrated, Sen. Frank Wagner struggled to hold back profanity as he urged Democrats to consider his proposal to raise nearly $1 billion annually for roads within five years. But his rant didn't persuade enough senators to support his rewrite of Gov. Bob McDonnell's transportation funding bill, whose key feature was an 8 percent wholesale tax on gasoline.
House OKs governor’s transportation plan in close vote
RICHMOND Gov. Bob McDonnell’s transportation funding plan won final approval in the House of Delegates today, 53-46, after a debate that reflected deep divisions over how to fix a years-long deficit in road construction money. In the state Senate, where a revised version of the governor’s plan is also up for a final vote today, its prospects remain uncertain.
Lt. Gov. Bolling helps Senate delay voter ID changes
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling delighted Democrats and flummoxed Republicans Monday when he cast a tie-breaking vote to delay until July 2014 the effective date of a bill to scale back which forms of voter identification are accepted at the polls. Bolling turned the tables Tuesday when he cast the decisive vote to pass the bill out of the Senate after the chamber deadlocked 20-20 on SB 719.
