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Virginia data center reform bill vetoed by Gov. Youngkin
Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill with bipartisan support Friday that would have required data center applicants and energy utilities to disclose information to local governments on noise and environmental impacts of the project. Under the bill, data center site applicants would have to perform and submit site assessments to examine the noise impact on residents and schools located within 500 feet of the property. It would also allow local governments to require site assessments from applicants to examine the effect of the data center on water and agricultural resources, parks, historic sites and forestland.
Proposed Medicaid cuts condemned at Leesburg town hall
Proposed Medicaid cuts would be ruinous to Loudoun County's most vulnerable individuals, including poor people and adults and children with disabilities. That was the message from panelists and speakers at a May 3 "Medicaid Summit" hosted by Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-10th. Some 120 people attended the town hall event at Leesburg Elementary School, including people with disabilities and their caregivers, parents and grandparents.
Mark Warner warns of negative consequences to slashing intel workforce
Senate Intelligence ranking member Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Sunday warned of long-term fallout for the Trump administration’s looming mass layoffs to the federal intelligence workforce. The Trump administration plans to downsize the government’s most sensitive national security agencies with cuts to 1,200 positions at the CIA and thousands more at other intelligence agencies, the Washington Post reported over the weekend.
Jam-packed GMU board meeting becomes battleground in national school diversity fight
George Mason University Board of Visitors meetings aren’t typically jam-packed, but a battle over diversity programs among the school’s leadership has stirred up the university’s student body. At a meeting yesterday (Thursday), board members questioned university staff on whether the school is complying with the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education.
Governor vetoes bill that would have removed tax exempt status for J.E.B. Stuart site in Patrick County
A bill that would have removed the tax exempt status to the J.E.B. Stuart Preservation Inc. site in Patrick County was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday. House Bill 1699 was introduced by Del. Alex Askew, D-Virginia Beach, and was among the bills on the governor’s desk for final action Friday.
Virginia prepares to finalize transgender athlete restrictions
A heated fight over transgender athlete participation in Virginia schools is coming to a head this week, as state high school sports leaders prepare to finalize controversial new restrictions — despite mounting pressure from advocates urging them to reconsider. On Wednesday, the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Executive Committee will meet for the first time since voting nearly two months ago to limit competition in girls’ sports to students assigned female at birth, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
Youngkin signs Flock surveillance bill into law, creating new regulations on police
Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday signed into law a bill to regulate an increasing form of mass surveillance — Flock Safety cameras and other license plate readers. The new law sets the stage for another battle in the 2026 legislative session over whether the Flock cameras should be expanded to interstates, bridge-tunnels and other state-maintained roads. The measure, set to go into effect July 1, limits to 21 days how long police and sheriff’s offices can store Flock surveillance data before purging it from their systems.
Special education student in Salem wrongly suspended, lawsuit says
A federal lawsuit accuses Salem City Schools of improperly suspending a special education student, whom it found responsible for causing a disturbance at Andrew Lewis Middle School. The case involves an eighth grader who suffers from a variety of mental and emotional disabilities that include autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, sensory processing difficulty and oppositional defiant disorder. . . . In suspending the student for 55 days, school officials violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws that make the student eligible for special education services, the lawsuit alleges.
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 Dwayne Yancey of Cardinal News, Laura Vozzella of the Washington Post, and Jeff Schapiro of Radio IQ. They discuss the week's top headlines from news and commentary: low early voting in rural communities, sparring between GOP lieutenant governor nominee John Reid and Youngkin aide Matthew Moran over an extortion claim, and Youngkin's Republican Party schism. Tune in for insights and analysis on Virginia politics. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Deeds: Washington jeopardizes Virginia’s bipartisan work on health care
Virginia is enjoying bipartisan support for improving young people’s access to mental health services. The governor and the General Assembly have worked together over the past 3 1/2 years to support efforts to expand access to behavioral health care in our schools and in our communities and invest in the behavioral health workforce. We have significant needs in this area, and we are working jointly to meet those needs. But budget cuts in Washington threaten to thwart our progress and starve our initiatives of the money they need to succeed.