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Williams: Can Henrico and Richmond become one? It’s not so far-fetched
Henrico County, which hugs the city of Richmond on three sides, once had its seat of government embedded within the heart of the city. A remnant of that era, still plainly marked as the Henrico County Court House, sits at 22nd and Main streets in Shockoe Bottom. The Victorian-era building is a majestic example of Romanesque Revival architecture ... The building has been a source of curiosity to me, particularly during times when relations between Richmond and its suburban neighbor seemed especially distant or strained, before settling into its current mode of mutual aid as Henrico lends personnel to a malfunctioning city water plant and a dysfunctional City Hall.
Va. agencies’ financial reporting increasingly inaccurate
Over the past several years, state agencies have increasingly been filing inaccurate and late financial reports, the office of Virginia’s Auditor of Public Accounts says. Now that the office has completed the latest round of its annual reviews, it has found state agencies needed to make $4.1 billion of adjustments to financial reports from last year, up from $2.4 billion the year before, said Zach Borgerding, the office’s deputy auditor for human capital and operations.
VPAP Visual Paid Conferences: 2016-2024
After nearly disappearing in 2020, the number of paid conferences attended by Virginia General Assembly members and statewide officeholders has returned to pre-pandemic levels. This includes trips within Virginia, to other states, and outside the United States.
VPAP Visual Mapping Paid Conferences in 2024
In 2024, Virginia legislators and statewide office holders reported nearly 80 domestic conferences outside of Virginia, paid for by various organizations, often the host of the events. Under Virginia law, these paid conferences must be reported on annual disclosure forms.
From VPAP New Episode: The Virginia Press Room Podcast
In the latest episode of the podcast from VaNews and VPM, Michael Pope is joined by Sabrina Moreno of Axios Richmond, Michael O’Connor of the Virginia Dogwood, and Michael Martz of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. They discuss the week's top headlines: Virginia as a hot spot for immigration enforcement, consumers' tariff uncertainty, and proposed cuts to Medicaid. Tune in for insights and analysis on Virginia politics. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
A Virginia Democrat hunts for votes in rural pockets where MAGA has strengthened its grip
Democratic politics in rural Virginia are not of a bygone era, according to Abigail Spanberger. The former congressional representative, now the Democratic nominee in the race to be Virginia’s next governor, posts videos online of herself sitting in a car on an interstate highway that goes up and down the Appalachian Mountains. She has toured a small, family-owned oyster shucking and packaging operation along a quiet boat haven on the northern neck of Virginia. And last month, the nominee held a news conference at a small pharmacy in an agrarian hamlet outside of Richmond.
Earle-Sears pushes to end car tax, and so does Spanberger
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is trying to ride a familiar Republican campaign slogan to victory in the governor’s race: no car tax. Nearly 30 years after former Attorney General Jim Gilmore, a Republican, used the slogan to reach the Executive Mansion, Earle-Sears resurrected it in a brief speech to cheering volunteers before a campaign training session in Fairfax County on Tuesday. ... Spanberger, who stepped down from Congress after three terms to run for governor, said through a campaign spokesman on Thursday that she, too, would like to get rid of the car tax by finding a bipartisan way to get it done.
Spanberger announces plan to reduce housing costs in Va.
Democratic nominee for governor Abigail Spanberger announced a plan on Friday to lower housing costs in Virginia by eliminating arduous regulatory requirements that drive up production costs and incentivizing new housing construction for first-time homeowners and middle-class families. Spanberger announced her plan at Parkside Townes, a housing development under construction in eastern Henrico County that uses a land trust model to lower costs by separating ownership of the home from the land beneath it.
Republicans worry DOGE cuts will sink them in Virginia governor’s race
Republicans are increasingly worried that budget cuts by Elon Musk's DOGE could cost them dearly in November's vote for Virginia governor — an early electoral test of President Trump's policies. Virginia has one of the highest percentages of federal employees in the country — more than 5% of the state's workforce by some estimates — and Republicans' internal polls are starting to show the damage from tens of thousands of federal layoffs. The University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center has projected that 32,000 jobs could be lost in the state this year, many of them federal positions.
Group attacks Stoney for taking money from donors who give to other Democrats
The Working Families Party is criticizing Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Levar Stoney for the donations he has received for his campaign with a digital ad. However, donors that WFP cited in its criticism of Stoney also give substantial amounts to a long list of Democrats. “These donors have funded Republicans who advance Trump’s agenda, like Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares, and even a Republican candidate for the same position,” WFP said in a news release.