As Sunshine Week wrapped up, Richmond picked up a distinction that’s less celebration and more indictment. The city was named a 2026 recipient of the “City of Darkness” Award, part of The Foilies, an annual project from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock...
Chirping ducklings at the Restoring Ivy Collective center, a refuge for human trafficking victims, aren’t just cute -- they’re calming. Sex trafficking survivors can drop in at the Washington, D.C.-area center to hang out with animals, bake bread and create art. “Therapy animals can be helpful; finding volunteering passions that aren’t...
The House earlier this month passed a bill legalizing marijuana nationwide, and now the focus shifts to the Senate to see if the Democratic majority passes similar legislation. The House bill was approved on April 1 by a 220-204 margin, with three Republicans voting in favor and two Democrats voting against it. The action marks the second...
The medical cannabis market is thriving in Virginia, while the future of recreational cannabis, including hemp, is hazier. Cannabis advocates and smokers are disappointed after a 2022 General Assembly session which saw lawmakers fail to expedite recreational cannabis sales and propose penalties for possessing amounts over two pounds --...
Virginia legislators tabled a bill during the regular General Assembly session that pledged to end roadway fatalities. The move disappointed road safety advocates, but supporters say they’re still committed to advancing policies to protect pedestrians and drivers. House Joint Resolution 100 was a commitment to the Vision Zero initiative, which...
Jacob Williamson grows, makes and sells hemp-based CBD products through his family’s Hens and Hemp farm. He went through the permitting process to be a hemp farmer when it became legal in 2019, but now he is leaving the industry. “We can't keep up with the multimillion-dollar cannabis industry coming into the state,” Williamson said. “So,...
A new state fund could give the Patawomeck Tribe a chance to reacquire tribal land and help protect battlefield sites throughout the state where Black soldiers fought and died. “If there were any way that we could ever get anything back, we would want to see about getting a piece of that tract of land… where our main village was,” said Minnie...
Incarcerated people and their loved ones will continue to pay fees that advocates and some lawmakers say are too stiff. Senate Bill 581, introduced by Sen. Joseph Morrissey, D-Richmond, initially proposed to eliminate jail fees related to the costs of an inmate's keep, work release, or participation in educational or rehabilitative programs....
The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that will allow school principals to report some misdemeanor offenses of students to law enforcement, reversing parts of a previous law. Lawmakers, parents and advocates are concerned the legislation will prompt the overreporting of minor offenses to law enforcement, versus leaving reporting to the...
Lawmakers knocked down a proposal to update state law that considered how future development could affect water quality for communities that historically have been economically or socially disadvantaged. Del. Rodney T. Willett, D-Henrico, introduced House Bill 393, which died in committee in January along a party line vote. The State Water...
