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....
Princess Blanding, a prominent public safety, mental health and racial justice advocate, has announced her campaign to run for Governor of Virginia in 2021. Blanding has entered the race as the candidate of the newly-formed Liberation Party, which will compete as an independent party in the November 2021 election. Blanding is the sister of the...
After signing a bill into law that decriminalized marijuana earlier this year, Governor Ralph Northam formally voiced his support for fully legalizing marijuana in Virginia next year. This is welcome news both for civil rights advocates and cannabis enthusiasts in the Commonwealth. Recreational marijuana use may be legal in Virginia by 2021 --...
Recently, two different Latina members of the General Assembly, Hala Ayala and Elizabeth Guzmán, have announced their candidacies for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia; if either is elected, they would be the first Latina woman to hold the office. Hala Ayala and Elizabeth Guzmán, two delegates who represent Prince William County, have formally...
State and local efforts to keep COVID out of jails have been hobbled by poor oversight and unambitious policy, advocates say. At the time the Governor announced his early release plan, Letiesha Gordon’s son, Dayon Jones, was serving the final months of a non-violent felony sentence in Riverside Regional Jail, near Petersburg. As soon as the plan...
No one in Virginia likes gerrymandering, but there's a significant difference of opinion in how to fix it. The amendment Virginians vote on tomorrow offers one plan, but some progressive voices in the Commonwealth feel it's not the best move. Before Kelly Herring voted in the presidential election, she was undecided on a key vote, and it wasn’t...
As of January 1, 2021, Virginia law will prohibit driving while holding a cellphone. But what does that really mean for the Commonwealth's drivers? How will this law affect you? RVA Mag breaks it down. A law prohibiting handheld cellphone use while driving a motor vehicle in Virginia will be enforced January of next year. This law replaced a...
RVA Magazine spoke to state Senator and candidate for governor Jennifer Carroll Foy about career politicians, the relationship between police and the military, and making real progress in Virginia. Last month, as the Virginia General Assembly debated a variety of police reform bills, RVA Magazine sat down with Jennifer Carroll Foy, a member of...
Del. Elizabeth Guzman hasn't been able to get her bill mandating paid sick days for Virginia's workers through the General Assembly. But she's not going to stop trying. Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman said she is no stranger to the struggles of low-paying jobs. She immigrated to the United States as a single mother and worked multiple minimum...
On Tuesday, November 3, you'll have a chance to vote on the way Virginia handles redistricting for the next ten years and beyond. Should you vote yes or no? That depends on who you ask. A single question on the 2020 electoral ballot will decide the fate of the Virginia redistricting system, and determine how voting districts are drawn for the...
