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Virginia’s fall elections to determine whether abortion will be on the ballot in 2026
Jessica Anderson was a freshman in college juggling a full course load and two jobs when her birth control failed. Anderson talked about her options with her partner at the time, as well as her parents, and decided to terminate the pregnancy. Navigating the state’s mandatory waiting period was difficult, she recalled, but federal abortion rights ultimately protected her ability to choose an abortion. Anderson went on to have three daughters, and decades later, she credits access to the procedure with paving the way for her future family. Anderson is running for one of the most hotly contested seats in the Virginia legislature this November, and she is making the fate of a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights in the state a top issue of her campaign.
Planned Parenthood says Trump’s megabill targets thousands of Virginians’ health care
Thousands of Virginians use Medicaid at Planned Parenthood health centers across the state for reproductive health care services every year. But a provision in President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” could cut off those people from accessing services using federal support. The organization serves roughly 25,000 people per year in the commonwealth, according to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia spokesperson RaeAnn Pickett. That includes nearly 800 people who use Medicaid for Planned Parenthood services in Virginia every month. With the potential cuts, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Executive Director Jamie Lockhart said that’s subject to change.
Spanberger extends financial advantage over Earle-Sears
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, raised almost twice as much money in her campaign for governor in the last quarter as Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, her Republican opponent, and had $15.2 million in hand with less than four months to election day. Spanberger raised $10.7 million in the past three months, including almost $4.3 million between June 5 and the end of June. Earle-Sears raised $5.9 million, including $2.4 million since the last campaign finance reporting deadline, and finished June with $4.5 million in the bank.
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.
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.
College of William and Mary changes chief diversity officer title to senior advisor to the president
Tuesday, July 1, the College of William and Mary changed former Chief Diversity Officer Fanchon Glover’s title to Senior Advisor to the President. The College also renamed the Center for Student Diversity to the Student Center for Inclusive Excellence. The change comes after the Board of Visitors took a neutral stance on DEI initiatives in the April 25 passage of HC-3 titled “Merit-based excellence, student opportunity and freedom from discrimination.” In the meeting, the Board voted for the resolution to support the College’s “merit-based” approach to education without directly eliminating DEI or changing the Office of Diversity and Inclusion or the Center for Student Diversity at the time.
Judge dismisses Thoroughfare cemetery case against Prince William County, landowners
A U.S. District Court judge on Friday denied plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction and granted a motion to dismiss in the case of Frank Washington v. International Investments LLC. Washington, a trustee for Scott Cemetery in Thoroughfare, filed the suit against the county government and International Investments for alleged failure to protect and eventual desecration of the private, historically-recognized cemetery in Thoroughfare belonging to the families of freed slaves and indigenous Native Americans. The plaintiffs claimed the property owned by International Investments had been disturbed by development and gatherings at the site.
State police launch investigation of Richmond candidate’s campaign finance filings
Virginia State Police are investigating Tavares Floyd — the former 6th District City Council candidate whose campaign finance filings came into question last October after multiple alleged donors told The Times-Dispatch they made no such contributions. The Times-Dispatch on Monday submitted a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for any and all interview notes related to state police’s probe into Floyd’s campaign. A state police FOIA officer responded by immediately invoking the seven-day extension to FOIA. But early Tuesday morning, the FOIA officer reached out again to mark the request closed.
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.