At the Richmond Convention Center on Tuesday, supporters of Abigail Spanberger gathered to mark a turning point in Virginia’s history. By night’s end, Spanberger, a former CIA officer and three-term congresswoman, became the Commonwealth’s first woman governor. Her...
While much of the media attention surrounding marijuana reform in Virginia has been focused on decriminalization this past year, it is another facet of the movement that appears most poised for a major legislative advance this session of the General Assembly: Medical marijuana. “The biggest hope for gains is on the healthcare front,” said Jenn...
Ralph S. Northam was sworn in as the 73rd governor of Virginia just as the sun broke from an overcast sky on Saturday at the state Capitol. Northam promised to work for all Virginians, invoking the Virginia Way stump speech he used throughout the campaign, and provided a clear rebuke to the divisive Trumpian worldview his GOP opponent Ed...
One of Virginia's most precious assets is its thousands of miles of shoreline, which not only graces the Commonwealth with a diverse ecosystem but also generates a significant portion of the gross domestic product (GDP) that fuels the economy. This is true for all states that rely on their coastal economies for revenue generation. According to...
A tied election for Virginia’s House of Delegates, which has drawn national attention for its significance and unusual process, came a little closer to resolution today after Republican David Yancey's name was selected at random. It seems likely that there will be further challenges to the process from Democrat Shelly Simonds, who seemed to be...
“I wasn’t really prepared to win!” said Jenefer Hughes as she stood on a chair in the middle of a crowded sports bar to thank her supporters and celebrate her triumph. Chesterfield County’s new Commissioner of Revenue captured over 55 percent of the vote to defeat incumbent Republican Timothy McPeters in a special election Nov. 7. While few in...
Right now control of the House of Delegates is in limbo. Over in Newport News’ 94th House district, a recount on Tuesday showed Democrat Shelly Simonds ahead of incumbent David Yancey by one single vote. A win for Simonds would evenly divide the House between Democrats and Republicans, 50-50. But not so fast. On Wednesday, Republican lawyers got...
Just in time for Christmas, the "Blue Wave" of electoral victories delivers another gift to Virginia Democrats as a recount ends with a single-vote victory by Shelly Simonds, Democratic House of Delegates candidate Newport News. More important for the party, this ends an 18-year GOP-majority in the House, and sets the stage for Governor-Elect...
After a contentious Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hearing, the Virginia State Water Control Board voted Tuesday afternoon for a conditional approval of the 401 Certification for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) permit, tentatively stalling the ACP from moving forward with their pipeline construction planning process. The vote was...
After a two-day hearing in Richmond’s north side with the Virginia Department of Environment Quality (DEQ), the State Water Control Board approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (MVP) permit request. With five board members in favor and two opposed, the motion grants MVP the right to proceed with plans to build 303 miles of natural gas...
