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Kaine targets GOP budget bill with amendments to blunt its impact on Virginians
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., filed a series of amendments Monday to the Republican-led budget package moving through Congress, arguing the legislation would slash essential services and disproportionately benefit the wealthy. A member of the Senate Budget Committee, Kaine said his amendments are designed to blunt some of what he called the proposal’s “worst of the worst” provisions.
The Navy puts admiral in charge of Norfolk Naval Shipyard amid growing maintenance backlog
The Navy has appointed Rear Adm. Kavon Hakimzadeh to a newly created position of commodore over the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Under a two-year pilot project, Hakimzadeh will oversee maintenance at the public shipyard in Portsmouth. . . . Public shipyards are traditionally overseen by a captain. Capt. James “Jip” Mosman is the commander at Norfolk. As part of the pilot project, two captains will also be appointed to oversee submarine maintenance and aircraft carrier maintenance at the shipyard. The Navy has seen a growing maintenance backlog for a decade.
U.Va. names short-term leader following Ryan’s exit
Following President Jim Ryan’s sudden resignation, the University of Virginia‘s short-term acting president will be Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis, the university’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, the university’s board of visitors announced Monday. She will remain acting president until the board — which changes composition Tuesday with the start of the next year’s terms — names a longer-term interim president to serve until a permanent hire can be made after a national search.
Roadless Rule rescission could open up Virginia forestland for road development, logging
The U.S. The Department of Agriculture is about to undo the 2001 Roadless Rule that has protected 59 million acres of national forests from being developed or logged for decades. Virginia boasts the most inventoried roadless areas in the southeast, 394,000 acres, which would be opened up for development once the rule is axed. The state has over 1.6 million acres of forest in the National Forest System.
Fairfax Co. schools planning to make weapon detectors permanent
All Fairfax County high schools will have a permanent weapons detection system in place starting in the fall. Virginia’s largest school division launched a pilot program last spring, choosing to put the technology on different high school campuses on various days. But calls for extra security intensified after a what police described as a stabbing at West Potomac High School in April. At the time of that incident, district leaders said weapon scanners weren’t deployed at the school.
Will Mayor Avula publish city payment data as required by code? Maybe.
If you ask Mayor Danny Avula, he’ll tell you he understands the importance of transparency. It was one of his central campaign pledges and, in the six months since he took office, City Hall has in some ways shifted. . . . Meanwhile, compliance with rules set by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act has increased significantly with respect to requests submitted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch — although city officials continue to charge large, discretionary fees for disclosing public records.
Newport News launches new FOIA protocol to boost transparency and public access
Newport News has rolled out a new Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) Responses Protocol, aiming to enhance transparency and streamline public access to government records. The city processes more than 2,000 VFOIA requests each year and says the new formalized system will improve consistency, compliance with state law, and the overall experience for residents.
Whyte: Virginia could set a new standard for responsible gambling
Last session, the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate introduced companion bills to legalize and license online gaming, commonly referred to as iGaming. Virginia was among several states contemplating similar measures amidst a dramatic rise in consumer popularity in states with legalized iGaming — and to establish a clear regulatory framework for an activity that is already occurring in Virginia, largely through illegal and unregulated operators.
Bracknell: Election shenanigans by Norfolk officials disgraced city
May 13 likely went unnoticed by many Norfolk residents, but was a sad day in the city’s political history. This was the day special interests and the City Council hijacked the Norfolk Charter in an unsuccessful yet formidable attempt to tip the scales in a local election. The opacity of the process and the influence of relatively big money on the race for the commonwealth’s attorney’s office is the latest example of the foul state of opaque insider politics in the Mermaid City.
Outside of DOJ official’s CNN appearance, Republicans largely mum on Ryan resignation
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for Civil Rights and herself a UVA law graduate, defended the Department of Justice’s aggressive posturing that led to the resignation of University of Virginia president Jim Ryan on Friday. Appearing on CNN for an interview with Jake Tapper on Friday evening, Dhillon said the university was not responsive to DOJ requests for confirmation that it was in compliance with federal law and indicated she believed Ryan was largely responsible for that.