On Saturday May 16, hundreds rallied at the Virginia Capitol and then took to the streets of Richmond for the kickoff campaign for the November election for reproductive freedom. "This amendment will be on the ballot on November 3rd and every day until then we...
Early indicators suggest Virginians responded to a slate of proposed gun control legislation with a noticeable increase in firearm background checks. The bills mark one the most significant shifts in the state’s firearm laws in recent years, and build on previously adopted firearm regulations such as expanded background check...
Editor’s Note: RVA Magazine has been covering Virginia’s evolving hemp and cannabis regulations, including proposed changes to THC limits and retail licensing. The following is a guest opinion from a Virginia hemp business owner directly affected by SB 542. By Barbara Biddle Eight years ago, I made a leap of faith. I had no investors, no...
Democrats and Republicans in the Virginia General Assembly were divided along party lines this session, but came together over some key issues. Out of nearly 2,400 bills introduced, 376 bills passed unanimously, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Most bills that passed unanimously or saw high levels of bipartisan...
Tim Cywinski and I got coffee and a bagel at Abi’s Books and Brews a couple weeks ago. The Iran War had just started, and the weariness was behind both of our eyes. He impressed on me that he had some fresh ideas, a great legacy of accomplishments, and is in need for some publicity for his campaign for United States Congress. Which seat?...
With a major cannabis bill now awaiting Governor Abigail Spanberger’s decision, Virginia hemp retailers, farmers, and small business advocates are urging her to step in before it becomes law. The Cannabis Small Business Association (CSBA) and a coalition of hemp businesses are calling on the governor to use her amendatory authority to revise...
Two months ago, Adam Dunigan had no public digital footprint. Today, the former Marine and CIA case officer has built a social media following that exploded to more than 180,000 people in just a few weeks, fueled largely by a series of detailed video breakdowns of the growing conflict with Iran. In one viral stretch, Dunigan’s audience jumped...
Virginia lawmakers have approved legislation that would create a legal retail market for recreational cannabis in the Commonwealth, ending years of uncertainty after possession was legalized but sales remained illegal. The bill passed the General Assembly on the final day of the 2026 legislative session, with the House voting 64–32 and...
A political mailer referencing Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan is circulating in Virginia ahead of the April 21 redistricting referendum, prompting criticism from state lawmakers and members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. The mailer urges voters to oppose the referendum and return their ballots immediately. One side reads, “Our...
Virginia voters will head to the polls this spring to decide the future of the state’s redistricting process after the Supreme Court of Virginia confirmed that the April 21 referendum election will move forward as scheduled. The court rejected efforts to block the election, writing that “issuing an injunction to keep Virginians from the polls...
