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Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Bob Good a ‘liar’ and John McGuire a ‘loyalist’ at rally
Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stepped off a bus emblazoned with former President Donald Trump’s name and image in Louisa County on Wednesday, smiling like longtime friends. The state and federal politicians have only interacted in recent months, but Greene said she trusts McGuire and hopes he’ll become her future colleague in the U.S. House of Representatives. McGuire, a state senator and former state delegate, is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell, in a Republican primary for Virginia’s 5th congressional district.
State review of failed Richmond development calls for changes at VCU Health
A year after a Richmond BizSense report revealed that backing out of an ill-fated downtown development cost VCU Health $80 million and counting, a state review is calling for significant changes to the health system’s leadership structure. At a meeting Wednesday of the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission, the oversight agency of the Virginia General Assembly, JLARC staff presented the findings and recommendations from a monthslong study of VCU Health aimed at improving the health system’s governance and process for reviewing and approving capital projects.
Youngkin pulls Virginia out of California electric vehicle mandate
Virginia will stop following a California mandate for electric vehicles as of the end of this year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. That’s when California’s current mandate is superseded by new California Air Resources Board targets. The new California mandates step up the pace to require that all new car, truck and SUV sales be zero emission vehicles by 2035, with 35% of new sales being electric vehicles in model year 2026.
Youngkin moves to lift Virginia’s strict auto emissions standards
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said Wednesday that he will withdraw the state from participation in California’s tough auto emissions standards at the end of this year, citing an opinion from Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares (R) as justification for undoing an action taken by the General Assembly but causing Democrats to accuse him of overreach.
Youngkin pulling Virginia out of clean car emission standards mandate
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday his administration will withdraw Virginia from a plan to follow strict car emissions standards set by California. The move, which will take effect when current standards expire at the end of 2024, drew applause from gasoline and auto dealer trade groups and condemnation from Virginia Democrats and environmental groups, who said the administration was overstepping its authority. In an announcement, Youngkin said Virginia will not follow new California rules set to take effect in 2025, which mandate all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035.
Against backdrop of car dealership, Youngkin announces reversal of California-driven electric-car sale rules
Saying he was “unleashing the power” of Virginia consumers, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he planned to do away with a California-driven initiative requiring that a percentage of vehicle purchases in the state be electrically-powered cars by the end of the year. “We are ending once and for all the California Electric Vehicle Mandate in Virginia,” Youngkin said to thunderous applause Wednesday afternoon in an appearance at Loyalty Toyota.
Casey: Reps. Griffith, Cline question Dr. Anthony Fauci and Attorney General Merrick Garland
Did you catch representatives from Western Virginia shining in some congressional hearings earlier this week? Those would be Reps. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, and Ben Cline, R-Botetourt. OK, “shining” might not be the most accurate descriptor for Cline, R-Fincastle and Griffith. But hey, each got exposure and some of the limelight. That ought to be worth something, right? Cline and Griffith aren’t exactly household names beyond Front Royal and Big Stone Gap, respectively.
Virginia legislators express concern over medical school’s treatment of baboons
A group of three state legislators sent leadership at Eastern Virginia Medical School a letter expressing concerns over the treatment of pregnant olive baboons used for experiments. “We are especially troubled by the school’s history of repeated noncompliance with federal animal welfare regulations,” the lawmakers wrote. The letter comes after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a complaint with the city of Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi, calling for a criminal probe on May 14. PETA obtained extensive records showing that school researchers subjected mother baboons to traumatic, invasive procedures without legally required adequate care.
State air board adopts federal particulate matter standards
The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board voted to adopt federal standards for fine particulate matter found in wildfire smoke on Tuesday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM 2.5 — particles smaller than 2.5 microns. … Karen Sabasteanski, a Department of Environmental Quality policy analyst, told members of the air board that Virginia localities are already in compliance with the standards, meaning new emissions controls won’t be needed when the rules take effect this summer. “Compared to the rest of the country, we’re in good shape,” Sabasteanski said.
Hard Rock Bristol casino pushes back opening timeline
The partners behind Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol on Wednesday announced an extension of the grand opening timeline for the permanent casino resort to “late fall” of this year. The casino was originally expected to open in July with the luxury hotel and other components later in the year. Instead of opening the permanent casino in stages beginning in July, the partnership team now plans to have a grand opening later this year with a fully operational casino and amenities for an overall better guest experience, according to a written statement.