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Fortreum acquires Reston-based cybersecurity firm

SUMMARY:

  • acquired , combining compliance tools with cybersecurity auditing.
  • Kovr automates complex compliance processes liked FedRAMP and CMMC.
  • startup founded by former AWS execs, emerged from stealth in 2025


-based cybersecurity assessment firm Fortreum last week announced it had acquired Reston-based AI compliance startup Kovr.ai, less than a year after the company emerged from stealth.

The deal brings together Kovri’s -driven compliance platform with Fortreum’s role as an independent cybersecurity assessor, expanding its ability to support organizations from compliance preparation to formal certification.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Tackling a costly compliance bottleneck

Kovr launched publicly in May 2025 with $3.6 million in seed funding. At the time, it positioned itself as an “AI-native” platform designed to automate cybersecurity compliance processes for government contractors and highly regulated industries. Many of those compliance requirements, including the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), are needed to win certain federal contracts or work with defense contractors.

The compliance processes, however, are notoriously burdensome.

“If you’re going to go for like a FedRAMP type of standard, the general rule of thumb is two years and $2 million,” Kovr CEO and co-founder Andrew Black said in an interview. “It’s a lot of time, it’s a lot of work, and it’s typically 2,000-3000 hours of work for that process to be accomplished. It is an enormous burden.”

Traditionally, companies must document hundreds of security controls, often manually in spreadsheets, while reviewing thousands of pages of technical evidence, pulling engineers away from actually securing systems.

Kovr’s platform aims to automate much of that effort by connecting to a company’s cloud systems, internal documents and security tools, then using AI to analyze the data against compliance requirements.

“We provide an assistant, basically, to people to do that [work] faster and better,” Black said.

According to Black, the platform gives companies real-time feedback on whether they meet compliance standards.

“We’ve never had this before,” he said. “So, imagine taking a test for which there is no rubric on whether or not you ever pass. Now you have the ability to know in real time whether or not you are passing that test.”

Kovr was co-founded in October 2024 by Black and Sri Iyer, both former Amazon Web Services executives, and grew quickly after its public launch, reaching seven-figure revenue and doubling quarterly, according to Black. Its customers ranged from to large enterprises and federal users, including deployments with the U.S. Air Force and Space Force and partnerships with companies such as Accenture Federal Services.

Why Fortreum?

Black said the company was not initially seeking a sale.

“We were not planning on selling the business,” he said. “That was absolutely not in the cards. But it’s always nice to be wanted, right?”

Nevertheless, Black said the company drew strong interest from investors and industry players as it demonstrated it could automate compliance work without lowering the standards required by auditors. He said Fortreum stood out for its reputation and deep bench of compliance expertise.

Fortreum, backed by Gryphon Investors, is known for conducting independent cybersecurity assessments, including for certification programs like FedRAMP and CMMC.

The acquisition allows the combined company to offer both compliance readiness and automation through Kovr and an independent audit through Fortreum. However, Black said the two companies plan to maintain strict separation between those functions to avoid conflicts of interest, even as they operate under the same umbrella.

“You can’t be on both sides,” Black said. “You can’t do the readiness side of helping someone get ready for an audit and then audit them, right? You can’t grade your own homework, basically.”

Kovr will continue as a distinct brand within Fortreum, and all employees are being retained, with some receiving promotions, he said.

Black declined to reveal the headcount of Kovr, the customer count and the exact acquisition timeline.

Modernizing compliance

A central component of the Kovr platform is “Agent Artemis,” an AI system that provides a unified interface for compliance data across cloud environments, security tools and documentation.

Fortreum emphasized that the system operates within a FedRAMP-authorized environment and includes a governance framework to ensure that AI-generated outputs are auditable and reviewed by human experts.

“This acquisition is about doing AI right — making our assessments better, not just faster,” Fortreum CEO James Leach said in a statement.

Launched in 2021, Fortreum announced in 2023 it would establish its headquarters in , moving from a co-working space in Ashburn.

6,000-acre innovation district launches in Manassas

SUMMARY: 

  • Northern leaders unveiled name of new Friday
  • Organizers secured $2.6 million grant from GO Virginia to launch district
  • Founding partners include ATCC, Micron Technology and Dominion Energy

Officials with , and the City of on Friday announced the name selected for an innovation district encompassing 6,000 acres in Northern Virginia: Innovation District.

The innovation district will be a place where researchers, entrepreneurs and scholars, as well as a growing cluster of technology companies, can share ideas and talent. It will support life sciences, aerospace, defense, data centers and infrastructure, along with other industries.

The moniker is a nod to how the district centers around Innovation Park, a 1,500-acre corporate research park in Manassas that’s anchored by George Mason’s Science and Technology Campus. The central corridor of the district is Route 234.

George Mason President Gregory Washington said in a statement, “Since 1997, George Mason has been at the heart of Nexus234: Collaborating with local businesses and government, channeling bold ideas into research, discovery and invention, and working in partnership with Northern Virginia Community College to train a pipeline of workers to successfully enter high-demand fields. We stand behind the leaders that came before us who set this district in motion.”

Nexus234 includes about 330 acres available for laboratory, , manufacturing and office development, with a portion of land publicly controlled to support coordinated public-private growth, according to a news release.

In 2025, regional leaders received a $2.6 million grant to launch an innovation district from GO Virginia. The grant was matched by $1.3 million in local investments.

Founding partners of the innovation district include ATCC, the Manassas-based global biological materials and information resource and standards organization, Idaho-based Micron Technology, a semiconductor company that manufactures computer memory and storage products and has a major facility in Manassas, and -based Fortune 500 utility Dominion Energy.

“Prince William County is building a destination for discovery,” Deshundra Jefferson, chair-at-large of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said in a statement. “Nexus234 reflects our long-term strategy to attract high-value industries, support groundbreaking research and ensure companies have the space, talent and infrastructure they need to grow.”

The innovation district’s executive director, Amy Adams, has served in the role since July 2025. With 24 years of experience in higher education, Adams also serves as executive director of George Mason’s Institute for Biohealth Innovation. She earned a master’s degree in chemistry from George Mason and sits on the boards of Maryland-based nonprofit BioHealth Innovation and the Association of University Research Parks.

Attendees at the event held in Brentsville Hall in Manassas on Friday also got a look at the district’s logo, which includes pops of cyan, mustard and raspberry.

Friday’s event coincided with the Insights Into Research Parks gathering organized by the Association of University Research Parks, the world’s largest association of research and science parks. The site visit brings together economic developers, university and industry partners and others.

Oil volatile as supply worries offset hopes for Iran-US talks

LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) – were volatile on Friday as traders weighed supply disruptions against peace talks between the U.S. and potentially resuming.

Prices rose 2% earlier in the day on fears of renewed military escalation in the region after Iran released footage of commandos boarding a cargo ship in the , and as progress stalled on re-opening the key waterway.

They then pulled back after three Pakistani sources told Reuters that Iranian Foreign Minister was expected to arrive in Islamabad late on Friday with a small team. has been hosting peace talks.

“The (Strait of Hormuz) disruption has created a complex logistical challenge that will take time to resolve …. Clearing this backlog will take weeks, as vessels are sequenced through ports that are themselves operating under constrained conditions,” said analyst in a note.

At 1321 GMT, futures were down 29 cents, or around 0.3%, at $104.78, and U.S. futures were down $1, or around 1.1%, to $94.83.

“Whilst the fundamental backdrop remains supportive, traders are liquidating length ahead of an unusually unpredictable weekend and will readjust their positions Sunday night based on Iranian developments,” said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM.

For the week, Brent is up about 16% and WTI 14%, the second-largest weekly gains since the war began.

Navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried about a fifth of global oil output, remains effectively blocked. Iran’s capture of two cargo ships highlighted Washington’s difficulties in trying to control the passage.

On Thursday, U.S. President said Iran may have loaded up its weaponry “a little bit” during a two-week ceasefire, but added that the U.S. military could eliminate it in a single day. On Wednesday, he said he would indefinitely extend the ceasefire to allow for further peace talks.

Haitong Futures said in a report that if peace talks fail to make progress by the end of April and fighting resumes, oil prices could climb to new highs for the year.

“There’s set to be fresh financial pain ahead as key shipments from the region remain blocked,” said Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at UK investment service Wealth Club. “That is set to keep costs elevated for a vast array of commodities.”

(Additional reporting by Sam Li and Helen Clark. Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter)

 

Stocks close lower on fading hopes for quick Iran deal, mixed quarterly earnings

Summary:
  • S&P 500 falls 0.63% amid tensions
  • raises annual profit forecast
  • J.P. Morgan boosts S&P 500 year-end target

NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) – U.S. stocks closed lower on Tuesday, with early gains evaporating as renewed concerns about the outweighed initial optimism over a round of solid corporate earnings.

Iran could attend talks with the in if Washington abandons its policy of pressure and threats, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that Tehran rejects negotiations aimed at surrender.

Equities extended declines late in the session after reports that U.S. Vice President had called off his trip to Pakistan for peace talks.

Stocks have rallied in recent weeks on the belief that a peace deal could be on the horizon.

“There’s two things going on – what is the resolution going to be or the path going to be for Iran, but in the meantime if that wasn’t there, you’ve got really good expectations for earnings coming in and the companies are pretty much reporting that way, and the economy is doing fine,” said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at GLOBALT Investments in Atlanta.

“The wild card is indeed what happens with Iran, and nobody knows, and it’s baffling to me to think that people think that it’s going to be OK.”

According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 45.09 points, or 0.63%, to end at 7,064.05 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 144.08 points, or 0.59%, to 24,260.31. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 292.59 points, or 0.59%, to 49,148.64.

The benchmark S&P index had earlier been up as much as 0.4%.

Earlier economic data from the Commerce Department showed U.S. increased more than expected in March as the war with Iran boosted gasoline prices and led to a record surge in receipts at service stations.

Retail sales jumped 1.7% last month, the largest rise since March 2025, after an upwardly revised 0.7% gain in February and above the 1.4% estimate of economists polled by Reuters.

EARNINGS, REASSURE INVESTORS

Optimism around AI and upbeat earnings have cheered investors, with first-quarter growth expectations of around 14%, according to LSEG data.

J.P. Morgan raised its year-end target for the S&P 500, citing AI and tech-driven earnings, while Amazon said on Monday it will invest up to $25 billion in Anthropic, signaling megacap companies are still willing to spend massively on the AI technology.

The S&P 500 energy index rose as the best-performing among the major S&P sectors due to another jump in crude prices on Middle East tensions.

UnitedHealth jumped after the healthcare conglomerate raised its annual profit forecast and beat Wall Street expectations for the first quarter, and was the biggest boost to the Dow.

Apple shares also garnered attention, losing ground after the company said CEO Tim Cook would hand over the reins to longtime hardware boss John Ternus.

WARSH HEARING IN FOCUS

Investors were also digesting comments from , Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, whose confirmation hearing wrapped up in the Senate on Tuesday.

Warsh said he had made no promises to President about cutting interest rates, as he tried to assure U.S. senators mulling his confirmation to lead the U.S. central bank that he would act independently of the White House while pursuing broad reforms.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis has promised to block Warsh’s confirmation until the Department of Justice ends an investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell that Tillis says threatens the central bank’s independence.

The impasse could impact monetary policy, especially as Trump has vowed to fire Powell if he does not leave when his term ends in May.

​

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; additional reporting by Niket Nishant and Avinash P in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Shinjini Ganguli, Rod Nickel)

 

Leidos subsidiary lands $617M Army award for air defense launchers

Alabama-based , a subsidiary of -based Fortune 500 , has received a $617 million award to build and deliver additional launchers for a mobile, ground-based air defense system.

The system is called the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2, or IFPC Inc 2, according to a Thursday news release. The IFPC Inc 2 system is designed to defeat cruise missiles, uncrewed aircraft systems, and rocket, artillery and mortars, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Work under the cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 30, 2029, according to a mid-April notice from the U.S. Department of Defense.

After also winning awards last year in July and September, Leidos now has nearly $1.2 billion in production contracts supporting the Army’s efforts to field IFPC Inc 2 at scale.

Leidos has more than 100 launchers committed for delivery. The funding also supports continued research as well as development and testing, according to a news release.

“These awards reflect the Army’s confidence in our team and the growing demand for a proven defense system that’s available today,” Dino Pusinsky, vice president of the IFPC Inc 2 product area at Leidos, said in a statement. “We’re working with our Army and industry partners to apply innovative manufacturing and engineering strategies that ensure this capability is ready when and where it’s needed, while building resiliency and capacity across the supply chain to support sustained, scalable production.”

IFPC Inc 2 is part of the Army’s planned defense of Guam, according to the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation.

Leidos purchased Dynetics, a government contractor providing mission-critical services and solutions, in 2020 for $1.65 billion.

Leidos has approximately 50,000 employees and reported $17.2 billion in revenue for its most recent fiscal year.

Port of Virginia touts confidence in ability to adapt to uncertainty

SUMMARY:

  • stayed resilient during 2025’s volatile trade environment
  • Port achieved second-highest revenue: $877 million
  • Diversified trade partners reduced reliance on China
  • Investments boosted capacity, speed and future readiness

Despite the hectic, constantly shifting trade policies that dominated 2025 amid President Trump’s , Port of Interim CEO and Executive Director Sarah McCoy said Thursday that the port remained adaptable and last year delivered the second-highest revenue year in its history.

Speaking at the 2026 State of the Port event in Virginia Beach, McCoy highlighted challenges the industry has faced and ways the port navigated a year of uncertainty. In February 2025, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese exports, kicking off a series of escalating trade measures between the U.S. and China.

“Before we keep talking and looking ahead, we’ve got to talk about last year,” she said. “2025 was wild. But it gave us a clear picture of what this era of global trade looks like.”

The port has previously stated that Chinese goods account for only about 19% of its cargo. McCoy noted Thursday that the port’s trade lanes are diversifying, with a strategic mix of partners: 24% of imports and exports come from northern Europe, 22% from Southeast Asia, 21% from Northeast Asia and 14% from India. She said this diversity reduces the volatility of any single market.

“Supply chains are being reconfigured in real time to prioritize speed, resilience and flexibility,” she said. “This is no longer a period of temporary discretion. This is the operating environment in Virginia. We have proven that we can operate. In this environment, last year, we increased productivity, even as conditions around us continue to change.”

She told reporters the war in has had a very minimal impact on the port’s container shipping, but noted it had a “very significant impact on fuel and that supply chain.”

Despite these challenges, last year, the port earned $877 million in operating revenues, which McCoy said was the second-highest in the port’s history, behind 2022’s $946 million.

A central component of McCoy’s speech was the numerous projects the port is working on to invest in its future. McCoy noted the port in February completed a $450 million project to dredge Virginia’s commercial shipping channels and Harbor. The project, in development since 2019, aimed to produce channels deep and wide enough to safely handle two-way traffic for the largest ships in the Atlantic trade. The widening portion was completed in February 2024.

“We have built the most accessible harbor in the Atlantic trade, at 55 feet,” McCoy said. “It is the deepest on the East Coast. And with room for two-way vessel movement and zero overhead restrictions, we have cut port stays up to 15%.”

The channel wasn’t just built for the ships in circulation today, McCoy said, but also for the next generation of vessels. She said being prepared for the future provides certainty that ships will not outgrow Virginia’s harbor.

The was one of the central projects in the port’s $1.4 billion capital construction campaign known as the Gateway Investment Program. The campaign launched in 2023 and, since then, has resulted in fully operational projects, such as an $83 million expansion of the port’s annual rail capacity to 2 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and a $220 million conversion of the Portsmouth Marine Terminal into a deep-water heavy-lift facility.

Last month, the port brought a fourth ultra-large container vessel berth into operation, which McCoy noted was twice as many as the two in operation at the same time last year. A fifth ultra-large container vessel berth is being developed at Norfolk International Terminals’ North Berth and is scheduled to be in operation in 2027.

“In 2025, trucks moved through our gates in an average of 36 minutes, and containers moved from ship to rail in just 34 hours,” she said. “Those metrics, they don’t happen by chance. They are the result of coordinated investment in infrastructure technology and people working together to move harder, quickly and predictably onto its next destination.”

Weathering future instability

In February, the Supreme Court ruled Trump couldn’t use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to enact freely. However, Trump then issued a 10% global tariff under the 1974 Trade Act.

McCoy told reporters that the port doesn’t know what the future holds regarding trade policy, even if there seems to be an emerging “new normal” with tariffs. Nevertheless, she said, last year taught the trade industry, “We can get through it.” She said even if the future of trading is uncertain, the port is confident it can overcome whatever challenges may lie ahead.

Ultimately, McCoy said, she hopes to “run the most efficient port in America” and be a “business magnet.”

“We want businesses to locate close for the speed and reliability in the supply chain,” she said. “When the world’s so uncertain around us, we want to be that certainty that people say, ‘Let’s locate in Virginia. Let’s be close to the Port of Virginia.”

McCoy has been serving as interim CEO since the start of this year, after former CEO and executive director Stephen Edwards left at the end of 2025 to become CEO of ferrying company Hornblower Group.

When asked by a reporter about the port’s long-term solution to find Edwards’ replacement, McCoy replied, “Our board is running a global search, and my job is really simple: Keep the momentum of this incredible port and give them the time and space they need to run that search, and so that’s what I’m focused on right now.”

The Port of Virginia is one of the state’s economic drivers, accounting for more than 565,000 jobs, more than $124.1 billion in total spending and $5.8 billion in state and local tax revenues.

Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center invests $37M across two ERs

SUMMARY:

Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center announced Wednesday plans to invest more than $37 million in emergency services for the region, including a new in Stafford County and an expansion and renovation of the hospital’s primary ER in .

Located on 75 acres south of Fredericksburg along Interstate 95, the 133-bed Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center opened in 2010 and is part of the Health System. Its leaders plan to spend $16.2 million to add 10 ER exam rooms at the hospital, expanding capacity by 30%, and create three triage bays. Overall, the project will add about 5,400 square feet to the emergency room.

The cost of constructing an 11,000-square-foot freestanding emergency room in Stafford is expected to be about $21 million. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with a 2028 opening. The ER will have 11 emergency bays, including a trauma bay and a covered ambulance entrance.

The freestanding ER will be staffed by emergency physicians and about 40 clinical professionals.

“We are incredibly excited to be able to make this investment in emergency care to meet the needs of our growing community and bring the exceptional care that we offer closer to home for many patients,” Ryan DeWeese, CEO of Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, said in a statement. “These projects will improve the patient experience through more convenient access and shorter wait times, allowing us to focus on the most complex, high-acuity needs.”

Last year, HCA Health System had more than 613,000 emergency room visits at its facilities in the commonwealth.

HCA Virginia opened its first freestanding ER in Virginia in 2012 with the West Creek Emergency Center in Goochland County. While HCA closed the West Creek facility during the pandemic, citing a need to redeploy resources amid staffing and supply chain shortages, the system now operates eight other freestanding ERs in Virginia.

In January, Hospital Center broke ground on a 14,000-square-foot emergency room and outpatient imaging center in Leesburg. It is expected to open by early fall and is one of three HCA Virginia freestanding ER projects in the works. Scott’s Walk ER and Chesterfield ER are scheduled to open in Central Virginia in summer 2026.

“At HCA Virginia, we are focused on expanding access to high-quality care across the commonwealth,” Shaila Menees, chief development officer of HCA Healthcare Capital Division, said in a statement. “The ‘front doors’ into our system are critical to supporting our full continuum of care, and we are proud to be building a system that meets patients where they are.”

The HCA Virginia Health System operates 14 hospitals, 26 outpatient centers, eight freestanding emergency rooms and 12 urgent care centers.

Warner Bros shareholders back $110B merger with Paramount Skydance

April 23 (Reuters) – Warner Bros Discovery shareholders on Thursday backed the company’s proposed $110 billion with , but cast an advisory vote against plans tied to the deal.

Under the pay packages proposed to executives, CEO could receive up to $887 million if the sale is completed.

Attention now turns to , with both Washington and London expected to examine the merger’s impact on competition.

The U.S. Department of Justice sent subpoenas in late March seeking information on how the merger would affect studio output, content rights, streaming competition and movie theaters.

Paramount triumphed over Netflix in a months-long bidding war, sealing the Warner Bros deal and cementing chief executive as a powerful force in the rapidly contracting entertainment landscape.

The merger has faced considerable opposition from actors, film makers and theater groups that have raised concerns about the loss of a major studio and its impact on the creative community, theater owners and moviegoers.

“Shareholder approval marks another important milestone towards completing our acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery,” a Paramount spokesperson said.

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter this year.

The merger will reduce the number of major U.S. to four and lead to fewer jobs, creative opportunities and less choice for consumers, over 4,000 film industry professionals and consumers said in an open letter, which called on California Attorney General Rob Bonta to consider taking legal action to block it.

Ellison promised theater owners that Paramount and Warner Bros would release at least 30 films a year if regulators clear the deal.

However, analysts expect Hollywood’s overall film output to , as theater attendance declines and the major studios focus on fewer, big-budget films.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Devika Syamnath)

 

Spanberger’s marijuana bill changes rejected by Virginia legislature

Summary:

The sponsor of Senate legislation that creates a retail marijuana market in Virginia by the beginning of next year said she hoped now will sign the legislation sent back to her minus her amendments.

In a statement after the General Assembly used a parliamentary process April 22 to offset the need for a supermajority vote to overturn Spanberger’s substitute bill, state Sen. Lashrecse Aird said the action “reflects our commitment to a framework that expands access to a safe, legal market” instead of tacking on additional requirements that could hinder it.

Aird, D-Henrico County, said she knew that Spanberger agreed with lawmakers about the importance of having a regulated market, “there are clear differences in approach” that prompted the governor’s substitute legislation.

During the reconvened session in , both the Senate and House of Delegates agreed that Spanberger’s substitute should be “passed by for the day” and reconsidered at another time. Since the session was only a day long and there are no subsequent meetings planned, passing it by essentially killed Spanberger’s amendments and restored the legislation to its original form as passed earlier this year.

The move was significant because under Virginia law, a vote to pass a bill by requires a simple majority for passage rather than a standard two-thirds majority had the bill been debated. It also reinforces the appearance of party peace between Democrat Spanberger and the -controlled General Assembly.

Democrats hold 21 seats in the Senate and 64 in the House. A two-thirds majority would have required six GOP senators and three Republicans in the House join the Democrats in voting against the amendments. During the regular session, Republicans stood united behind opposition to the retail market.

“This decision reflects our commitment to a framework that expands access to a safe, legal market, supports small and equity-focused businesses, and protects the progress made on criminal justice reform,” Aird said. “The governor now has the opportunity to respond to the outpouring of concern and sign the bill in its enrolled form.”

The House of Delegates agreed to passing by the measure on a voice vote. In the Senate, the 21-18 vote was along party lines and happened after Senate Republicans sought clarity on what the pass-by meant.

“If the motion to pass these bills by for the day is granted, that means that the governor’s amendments or recommendations on each of the bills will be rejected. Is that accurate?” asked Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover County.

After a few moments, Hashmi said it would. She also confirmed McDougle’s inquiry about the options Spanberger has.

What did the governor want?

Spanberger’s suggestions would have rolled back the start of the retail market from Jan. 1, 2027 to July 1, 2027, restrict the number of stores allowed to sell marijuana from 350 in the original legislation to 200 before January 2029, drop the per-transaction size from 2.5 to 2 ounces, and maintain a 6% cannabis state sales tax that would jump to 8% in 2029. It also calls for local governments to have authority to impose 1-3.5% taxes – all in addition to existing and use taxes.

The sponsors of the measure – Aird, and Del. Paul Krizek, D- – opposed Spanberger’s amendments, saying in a joint statement her substitute essentially watered down the original intent of the legislation, They also said the amendments undercut extensive work by the Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market, a panel Krizek and Aird lead that did all the legwork for the legislation.

“These changes reduce the number of available licenses, delay the launch of retail sales and impose high barriers to entry, resulting in revenue losses, delayed economic opportunity for market participants and the elimination of investment to small businesses. These barriers do not eliminate demand; it simply redirects it back to the illicit market,” their statement read.

“The governor’s substitute represents a significant departure from the framework passed by the General Assembly, raising serious concerns about fairness, access and public safety,” it continued. “By making the legal market harder to access, this proposal allows the illicit market to continue to thrive in every corner store in our commonwealth. That undermines the core goals of legalization and increases the likelihood of untested products, inconsistent potency, and lacks consumer protections.”

What’s next for the Virginia ?

Under Virginia law, Spanberger has seven days to act on what the Assembly sent her. She has the option to sign it, veto it or let it become law without her signature.

Aird said April 22 that she hoped to work with the Spanberger administration to enact the legislation.

The bill was part of a bloc of legislation that the Senate pulled from the daily calendar for action. Included in that bloc were amendments to an assault weapons ban, prescription drug affordability, paid sick leave and a statewide collective bargaining standard for local government employees.

A message left with a Spanberger spokesperson seeking comment on the action has not yet been returned.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) has won numerous awards during his 40-year journalism career. A Petersburg native, Bill is a 1984 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond with a degree in mass communications. He specializes in coverage of breaking news, crime, government, and local/state/national politics. He is an avid history buff and a lifelong Washington Commanders fan. Reach him at [email protected] with news tips and story suggestions.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: VA governor’s marijuana bill changes rejected by Assembly

Reporting by Bill Atkinson, Petersburg Progress-Index / The Progress-Index

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Virginia court blocks voter approved congressional map backed by Democrats

April 22 (Reuters) – A court on Wednesday halted a new -drawn approved by voters that could flip four Republican seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in November’s ‌.

The court in said Tuesday’s was invalid, blocking the state from taking any action to enact the new districts. The sued to block the referendum.

Virginia Attorney General said his office would appeal the ruling.

“As I said last night, Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the People’s vote. We look forward to defending the outcome of last night’s election in court,” Jones said in a post on X.

 

(Reporting by Diana Novak Jones, editing by Ross Colvin)