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Virginia Beach council supports referendum on voting system
Virginia Beach voters will likely find a referendum on the city’s voting system on their ballots this November after City Council approved asking a court to place it on the ballot. After hearing 14 passionate speakers, council members on Tuesday voted 7-4 in favor of having the referendum.
Virginia Beach council votes to put election system question on November ballot
Voters in Virginia Beach will have the opportunity to cast a vote for the method in which they want to elect their City Council members. Seven of 11 council members voted Tuesday in favor of a charter change referendum on the election system to be placed on the November ballot. The referendum question would ask voters whether they want to keep the current single-member district system or if they support a voting system with some at-large seats on council.
Virginia Beach school board keeps anti-DEI policy
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools board convened Tuesday night and voted to keep in place an April resolution to suspend diversity, equity and inclusion policies. School board members who called the emergency meeting introduced a motion to amend the previous resolution, and pause enacting some of its directives while federal courts litigate the issue. The motion failed in a 5-5 vote, with one member absent. More than 50 residents spoke at the meeting, with about two to one speakers in favor of DEI initiatives.
Richmond school bus drivers fired after speaking about overtime pay
A union says Richmond Public Schools fired five bus drivers after speaking up about overtime pay at a school board meeting. But the district says the firings came after an unlawful strike. It's the latest in a multiyear controversy over whether RPS bus drivers are being paid overtime for hours they haven't worked, which an audit found last year has cost the district about $150,000 per month. The school bus drivers' union, LiUNA Local 804, has disputed the allegations.
Will politics keep Canadians away from Virginia Beach? The local tourism industry hopes not
With U.S. destinations reporting double-digit drops in Canadian tourists amid political tensions, Virginia Beach is hoping to keep its largest group of international travelers from looking elsewhere. Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney met at the White House to try and simmer down tensions between the neighboring countries related to ongoing trade disputes and "51st state" rhetoric from Trump. At least on the U.S. side of things, the fallout has been swift in recent months, with double digit percentage drops in Canadian tourism to many American destinations in protest of U.S. politics.
State inspector general announces investigation into Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center
Tuesday, the Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) announced it will open an investigation into the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, which is Virginia's only youth prison. The news comes in response to a request from the Commission on Youth amid "disturbing reports" of incidents at the facility in recent months.
Fairfax Supervisor James Walkinshaw declares candidacy for Congress
A former longtime adviser to Rep. Gerry Connolly appears to be running to succeed his political mentor. James Walkinshaw, a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for the past five years, filed paperwork today (Tuesday) to formally seek the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. Walkinshaw’s campaign sent out a mass text to supporters announcing his candidacy this afternoon.
Gerry Connolly backs former chief of staff to fill his Northern Virginia seat
A former aide to Rep. Gerry Connolly has quickly jumped into the race to replace the longtime member of Congress from Northern Virginia — with the blessing of his former boss. James Walkinshaw, a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors who served as Connolly’s chief of staff for more than a decade, cast himself as a fierce opponent of President Donald Trump’s agenda as he announced his candidacy Tuesday for the seat in the heavily Democratic suburb of Washington.
Virginia Republicans reel from party infighting over nominee for lieutenant governor
Virginia Republicans are reeling from an intraparty fight over a disputed social media account that has pitted lieutenant governor nominee John Reid against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political operation, imperiling the party’s chances of holding on to power in this year’s general election. The controversy comes as Republicans look to buck historic trends that favor the party out of power in Washington to hold on to the top three statewide offices — governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general — and make gains in the House of Delegates, where all 100 seats are up for reelection in November and where Democrats hold a narrow majority.
Virginia to rein in medical debt collectors after Youngkin signature
Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is working with Democrats who control the General Assembly to put new restrictions on debt collectors seeking money for hospitals and doctors. Debt collectors seeking to cash in on patients who owe money to hospitals and doctors often engage in behavior critics call predatory. That's why Jay Speer at the Virginia Poverty Law Center worked with lawmakers to create new restrictions on debt collectors.