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Is there power in a union? Why Norfolk Botanical Garden workers think so
Norfolk Botanical Garden workers are considering forming a union to push for better pay, a safer workplace and more input on garden policy. “They love what they do,” said Bridget Fitzgerald, the union organizer working with Norfolk garden employees. “They sometimes get frustrated with the fact that they don’t feel as if they’re being heard.” For instance, workers complain the current inclement weather policy can be unclear, leaving workers uncertain if a weather event will mean the garden will close.
Kiggans: ‘One big beautiful bill’ invests in our families, military and future
Coastal Virginians know that leadership isn’t about always getting everything you want — it’s about standing firm in your values and delivering real results for the people you serve. That’s what I have tried to do every day in Congress, and it’s why I supported final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While it isn’t perfect, I believe this bill will ultimately make Virginians safer and more prosperous. Not even the biggest critics can deny that the outcomes of this bill are substantial. This bill provides the largest tax cut in American history. Without action, the 2017 Trump tax cuts were set to expire, costing middle-class families in my district an average of $2,028 per year.
Falling to No. 4 on CNBC business ranking no reason to overreact
Cable news channel CNBC set the hearts of Virginia officials aflutter last year when it ranked Virginia the top state in the nation for business. Both Democrats and Republicans framed the honor as an endorsement of their work in Richmond, and ads for recruiting new companies to the commonwealth virtually wrote themselves. That Virginia slipped to fourth this year is a setback, but nothing that should prompt a wholesale change in how we cultivate a dynamic and welcoming climate conducive to business startups, growth, recruitment and retention. This remains an advantageous destination, thanks to bipartisan cooperation on programs and policies that adeptly balance the needs of employers and labor.
Reid breaks with Earle-Sears, would repeal Virginia gay marriage ban
John Reid is his own man. The longtime conservative radio host now running for Virginia's second-highest office is fully aware there is a divide on the Republican statewide ticket this year. Not over tariffs or cuts to the federal workforce or risks to Medicaid coverage, but gay marriage. Reid, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, is a gay man in a long-term relationship with another man. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP nominee for governor, remains an outspoken opponent of gay marriage. ... Reid is on the record saying if there were a tie in the state Senate, where as lieutenant governor he would be required to cast tie-breaking votes, he would vote no on the [proposed] amendment as currently worded — in line with the woman running to be his future boss. But should lawmakers simply repeal the current amendment banning gay marriage, Reid said his vote would be different.
One year in, Va. corrections ombudsman office on track to investigate misconduct allegations
As the state grapples with public concerns about conditions inside prisons and the complaint reporting process, prisoners’ grievances are on track to being heard and, when possible, investigated, Virginia Corrections Ombudsman Andrea Sapone shared in a meeting Tuesday. The volume of recent complaints are a big challenge. Some aren’t under her office’s purview (like those stemming from local or regional jails) while others are duplicate or near-duplicate mass emails the office has to ensure aren’t all separate issues. Of the over 500 complaints her team is exploring, 269 of those stem from Red Onion State Prison, Sapone said.
Yancey: University of Virginia faculty want more say in picking the next president. Here’s why that won’t happen.
Over the weekend, the faculty senate at the University of Virginia passed a resolution of “no confidence” in the school’s governing body, a consequence of the tumultuous resignation of President James Ryan under pressure from the Trump administration. This is what they call “a teaching moment.” Unfortunately for members of the faculty senate, they are the ones about to get schooled — not by me, but by the state’s political system. Faculty members are understandably upset by Ryan’s departure, or at least the way it happened. In theory, everyone should be unhappy about the latter: He was forced out by two midlevel Justice Department lawyers, and the members of the board of visitors were made to look like bystanders.
Petersburg asks for state-of-emergency declaration after flash floods wreak havoc on city
As Petersburg braces for the possibility of more rain adding to what has been an historic amount of flash-flooding, city officials are hoping that the high-water issues that have been plaguing the city for decades will rekindle discussions about dredging the Appomattox River shoreline. A combination of silt build-up and poor drainage from an already aged water infrastructure is to blame for flooding from storms that have pummeled Petersburg and surrounding areas for the past week or so. Storms that came through the overnight hours of July 15 were the worst of them to date, dumping as much as 5 inches of rain and creating pools in low-lying areas as deep as 18-24 inches.
Petersburg issues state of emergency following flooding
Petersburg officials have declared a local state of emergency after several days of heavy rain led to severe flooding across the city. The relentless rain led to flooding that hit across the entire city Monday evening and early Tuesday. With more rain in the forecast, a flood watch has been extended through midnight across the area. Officials called a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday to announce the state of emergency and address how it will fix those problems moving forward.
Petersburg officials: Flooding spurred by intense rain, aging water system, lack of river dredging
On Tuesday outside city hall, Petersburg officials said yet another night of intense, dangerous rainfall led to major flooding for the third time in a week in the city. While providing updates on the safety concerns and the additional storms rolling in, city leaders explained how the Appomattox River is playing a role in the ongoing overflows. Meanwhile, legislators are touting state-level solutions to manage the recurrent flooding. ... Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham placed blame not only on the heavy rains, but also on aged water systems that can’t keep up with demand, and lack of dredging in the Appomattox River that allows water to pool in portions of the city.
Trump administration fires 17 immigration court judges across 10 states, including Virginia, union says
Seventeen immigration court judges have been fired in recent days, according to the union that represents them, as the Trump administration pushes forward with its mass deportations of immigrants in the country. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents immigration court judges as well as other professionals, said in a news release that 15 judges were fired “without cause” on Friday and another two on Monday. The union said they were working in courts in 10 different states across the country — California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia.