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Federal cuts claim new victim: Virginia’s status as top state for business
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has faithfully defended President Donald Trump’s tariffs and cuts to the federal workforce despite their economic harm to the commonwealth, but on Thursday that allegiance deprived Youngkin of a favorite talking point. Virginia lost its coveted “Top State for Business” ranking from the CNBC financial news network, falling to No. 4 thanks to Trump administration action that the network said “hits The Old Dominion where it lives.” . . . “With economic anxiety rising, Virginia’s economic situation is just shaky enough to take it down a few pegs,” the network said. North Carolina took the top spot on the list.
New “Blue Envelope” program in Virginia aims to ease traffic stops for drivers with autism
A new initiative across Virginia is working to make traffic stops less stressful for people on the autism spectrum. It’s called the Blue Envelope Program, and it’s now available at DMV customer service centers statewide. The envelope is designed to help bridge communication gaps between drivers with autism and law enforcement officers during traffic stops. . . . The Blue Envelope acts as a signal to officers that the person they’re interacting with may communicate in a different way — and that a little extra patience can go a long way.
Virginia awards $67M to fight flooding across the state
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation awarded $67 million in grants from the state’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund on July 1. The fund supports cities and counties across the state in their efforts to manage or prevent flooding. It used to be fueled partly by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), but Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin pulled the state out of the agreement in 2023. The initiative reduces emissions by making power plants pay a fee if they exceed their emission limits. In lieu of funds from RGGI, the Republican governor added $50 million directly to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund this past legislative session.
Candidates running for late Rep. Connolly’s seat in Va. weigh in on key issues
In two months, some Virginians will head to the polls to pick a candidate to fill the Congressional seat vacated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a special election will be held on Sept. 9. Connolly died in May following a battle with esophageal cancer. He served Virginia’s 11th congressional district, which includes Fairfax City and most of Fairfax County. James Walkinshaw, a longtime Connolly staffer and Fairfax County supervisor, won the Democratic primary. Stewart Whitson, a former FBI agent and Army combat veteran, is the Republican candidate.
A fourth Democrat, lawyer Melvin Tull, seeks to challenge Wittman
A fourth candidate, attorney Melvin Tull, has joined the list of Democrats seeking to challenge Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st. The district, which stretches from the Northern Neck to the western portions of Henrico and Chesterfield counties, is one of the 33 Congressional districts with Republican incumbents that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted to flip. . . . Also seeking the Democratic Party nomination to challenge Wittman are Chesterfield County Circuit Court Clerk Amanda Pohl, Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, former president of the Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats, and civil rights lawyer Andrew Lucchetti.
Navy reservist announces campaign to unseat Rep. Jen Kiggans
With congressional midterms still more than a year away, Democrat James Osyf is the latest candidate to announce intentions to challenge Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. Osyf, a first-generation Ukrainian-American and a Navy reservist who served on the USS Norfolk submarine, announced his candidacy Thursday. “I think running for Congress, at least for me, boils down to one fundamental, and that’s really to help Virginia’s veteran and working class families who are being left behind,” said Osyf, a 40-year-old who works at Lockheed Martin as a defense innovation executive.
Virginia lawmakers to learn of strides, challenges in Chesapeake Bay clean up
The Chesapeake Bay is one of Virginia’s top economic drivers and premiere recreational sites. The commonwealth, as well as surrounding states, have taken strides to clean up the waters over the last decade. But as the estuary faces new, climate change-fueled challenges, researchers will provide critical information and recommendations to lawmakers this weekend on how to meet the obstacles head on. . . . Virginia has achieved 84% of its 2009-2025 reduction goal for nitrogen, 91% of its reduction goal for phosphorus and 100% of its reduction goal for sediment, according to Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Stefanie Taillon.
Virginia falls out of top spot as CNBC's best state for business
Virginia is no longer the top state for doing business in CNBC’s annual ranking, reflecting an economy vulnerable to cuts in federal spending and employment under President Donald Trump. Virginia, named No. 1 last year, fell to fourth in the new ranking that the cable network unveiled on Thursday morning, based on declining scores in its economy, workforce and the cost of doing business here.
George Mason University faces investigation in Trump administration’s anti-DEI crackdown
The Trump administration on Thursday opened a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices at George Mason University, expanding a national campaign against diversity policies to Virginia’s largest public university. The Education Department said it is responding to a complaint from multiple professors at George Mason who accuse the university of favoring those from underrepresented groups. The complaint takes aim at the university’s president, Gregory Washington, saying he issued guidance that favors faculty candidates based on diversity considerations rather than their credentials, according to the department.
Judge slams Virginia Beach election referendum as ‘intentional effort’ to sidestep federal law
A federal judge lambasted city officials this week for what he described as Virginia Beach’s “intentional effort to avoid compliance with federal law” by pursuing an election system referendum question on the November ballot. In a memorandum opinion and order issued Tuesday, Judge Raymond Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia called the referendum effort “problematic,” in part because he said it invites the public to legitimize a voting system that would violate federal law. His written memo followed a hearing last month where Jackson rescinded his previous dismissal of the Holloway v. City of Virginia Beach case.