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By DWAYNE YANCEY,
Cardinal News
Today we begin with a civics lesson.
This is required if you’re going to understand the action that will blow up in the General Assembly on Wednesday — and perhaps beyond.
The essential point here is that Richmond does not work the way Washington does. Most of the time, that’s a good thing. This may be a good thing, too, depending on your point of view.
Let’s go back to what we learned in school about how a bill becomes law. In Washington, Congress can pass a bill, and then the president has either two choices: to sign it into law, or to veto it, and then Congress has a chance to override that veto with a two-thirds votes in both chambers. Richmond works somewhat differently, because a Virginia governor has a third option — he (or maybe someday she) can send the measure back to the legislature with amendments. That’s what’s happened in the case of the budget, the skill game bill and lots of others.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By DAN BRENDEL,
Washington Business Journal
(Subscription required for some articles)
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission has sounded an alarm to state legislators about a budget amendment from Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would slash extra funding for Metro — funds the transit authority has said it badly needs to help cover a budget shortfall and avoid service cuts, staving off potentially dire economic consequences for Greater Washington.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By CHARLIE PAULLIN,
Virginia Mercury
Charybdis, the name of one of the Greek sea monsters who made it difficult for Odysseus to complete his epic journey in The Odyssey, is also the name of Dominion Energy’s new 471-foot ship, a vessel that will be used during construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, the largest such project in the country.
On Monday, Dominion announced the 23,000-ton ship was lifted from land, rolled to the edge of a dock and placed in the water to undergo the rest of the work needed to finish it by late 2024.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By EMILY HARRISON,
WVEC-TV
After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, Port of Virginia officials warned there could be a substantial increase of containers coming to Hampton Roads.
Now weeks after the disaster, those in Hampton Roads are starting to feel the impacts.
“It’s all that anyone will talk about,” said Brooke Deems, president of the Tidewater Motor Truck Association. “But it’s unavoidable, the Port is doing everything it can.”
VaNews April 16, 2024
By EVAN GOODENOW,
Loudoun Times
(Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)
A Loudoun County Sheriff's Office deputy who has twice run for School Board is the subject of an internal LCSO investigation over derogatory remarks he made about public speakers at the April 9 board meeting. Deputy Michael A. Rivera removed the comments from his X feed several hours after posting them on April 10, according to LCSO lead spokesman Thomas R. Julia. In the post, Rivera referred to one speaker as "a barren hag that probably lives in her parent's basement."
VaNews April 16, 2024
By KARRI PEIFER,
Axios
The city of Richmond sent late notices to 58% of delinquent meals tax accounts during a recent seven-month period, according to a new report from the city auditor.
The other 42% considered delinquent between July 12, 2022 and Feb. 13, 2024 did not receive any notice telling them they owed a balance.
July 2022 is when the city said it began sending late notices to delinquent account holders. By February, the city was a month into the recent meals tax debacle.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By DAVID TEEL,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)
The inevitability and wisdom of college athletic departments and their foundations coordinating name, image and likeness compensation for their enrolled athletes has long been clear. Overriding NCAA policy, state law soon will grant Virginia schools that option.
Wednesday’s reconvened session of the General Assembly will determine whether the bill, passed by the House and Senate and supported by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, becomes law July 1 or Nov. 15. The latter date comes into play if Wednesday’s session requests a review of the bill by the General Assembly’s Athletics Review Commission.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By PATRICK LARSEN,
VPM
The General Assembly will take another look at legislation that would allow the state’s two biggest electric utility companies to request ratepayer funds to cover costs of early development for small modular nuclear reactors.
SMRs are well-described by their name. They’re smaller than a traditional reactor — those are often rated at about 1,000 MW. An SMR would produce about one-third of that. They’re modular — meaning they can be built off-site and used in an array of one or more reactors.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office made some changes to the bills that supporters say would protect electric ratepayers against major bill impacts — opponents of the measures maintain the bills have ratepayers fronting the risk of an unproven technology.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By GRAHAM MOOMAW,
Virginia Mercury
At Krunal Patel’s convenience store outside Richmond, a row of Queen of Virginia skill games has been powered off and turned around against a wall. On Monday, in response to what he sees as unfair treatment in a state that’s embraced legalized gambling, Patel also turned off the Virginia Lottery machines in his store.
He posted signs on his front doors and above the checkout counter explaining the one-day shutdown of lottery sales was a protest against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed changes to a pending Virginia bill that would legalize, tax and regulate skill games instead of leaving them banned as a type of illegal gambling.
VaNews April 16, 2024
By BEN PETERS,
Inside NOVA
Election season is getting underway in Prince William County and across the region, with two crowded and competitive races to replace outgoing members of Congress in both the 7th and 10th districts.
In the 7th District, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, is stepping down to run for Virginia governor in 2025. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, also a Democrat, is stepping down in the 10th District due to health issues. Those are considered the two most competitive congressional races in Virginia in 2024, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
VaNews April 16, 2024
