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Virginia Retirement System investments lag benchmark but expect ‘comparable’ rates
The Virginia Retirement System expects to adopt comparable rates for state agencies and school divisions to pay for their employees' long-term pension benefits in the next two-year state budget, even though the system's investment returns were lagging its benchmark target through March 31. The retirement system, with more than 380,000 active employees and almost 250,000 retirees, has not released its rate of return on investments in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, but those investments were earning a return of 6.3% in the first nine months of the fiscal year - below its benchmark of 7.9% and the annual targeted return of 6.75%.
DNC pours large donation into Virginia’s high-stakes elections
The Democratic National Committee will contribute $1.5 million to help elect Democrats in Virginia this year, highlighting the national significance of the state’s contests for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates ahead of next year’s congressional midterms. The donation to Virginia’s combined campaign, announced Tuesday, comes on the heels of an even bigger political windfall from House Speaker Don L. Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth), who last week made a total of $3 million in contributions for his party’s legislative candidates.
State cited Hopewell for inoperable equipment months before massive sewage spill into James River
Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the City of Hopewell’s wastewater treatment plant for eight discharges of raw wastewater six months prior to Friday night’s massive discharge of raw sewage into the James River and Gravely Run Creek. DEQ said in the NOV it had reason to believe the plant was in violation of the State Water Control Law. The plant, called Hopewell Water Renewal, treats raw sewage from the City of Hopewell, but also industrial wastewater from nearby companies like AdvanSix-Hopewell, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, GP, Smurfit WestRock and Virginia American Water Company, according to DEQ records.
Professor responds to new GMU federal investigation over alleged discriminatory hiring practices
George Mason University (GMU), Virginia’s largest public university, is under federal investigation over its hiring practices, marking the second time in a month the institution has come under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Education. The Trump administration's latest inquiry accuses GMU of racial bias in its hiring practices, alleging the university prioritized diversity over credentials. The probe continues a broader nationwide campaign targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at universities that uses funding from the federal government. ... Faculty concern grew louder Monday after VA-AAUP released a sharply worded letter condemning the federal probe as a politically motivated “hit job.”
Former speaker Gilbert sworn in as U.S. Attorney for Western Virginia
On his first day as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Todd Gilbert said it’s a job he has long desired. Although Gilbert has held other high-profile positions as a Virginia lawmaker and Speaker of the House of Delegates, he still remembers fondly his previous tenure as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in several jurisdictions. “I bring to this job truly the heart of a prosecutor,” he said in an interview Monday at the U.S. Attorney’s Roanoke office, several hours after he was sworn in by District Judge Thomas Cullen.
Hopewell facility fully operational after Friday’s million-gallon sewage spill
A spill that caused more than a million gallons of untreated sewage to affect waterways in Hopewell has been contained. The city of Hopewell released a statement saying that the Hopewell Water Renewal facility on 231 Hummel Ross Road was back to full operational capacity as of Saturday afternoon. Around 11:50 p.m. Friday, HWR experienced a power failure due to faulty wiring, resulting in sewage overflow. HWR staff responded immediately and brought in contractors to restore the affected systems.
After Hopewell water plant released raw sewage, state officials outline health, environmental impact
Public officials are advising locals to avoid the James River in Hopewell and Richmond, after a weekend water treatment plant malfunction released raw sewage into the waterway. They also said the region’s recent heavy rains play a part in pollution in the river but don’t expect long-term effects. ... The Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the incident. They visited the facility on Saturday and will be working with the plant to find solutions to ensure another leak won’t happen again.
Subramanyam Warns of Federal Budget Impacts in Town Hall
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) on Thursday warned constituents of the coming impacts of the recently signed federal budget bill during a town hall at John Champe High School. The legislation has been touted by Republicans and the White House as the “largest tax cut in history for middle- and working-class Americans” including no taxes on tips, overtime and social security. The bill is also expected to fund the completion of a wall along the southern border, the hiring of thousands more Immigration and Customs Enforcement and border patrol officers and modernize air traffic control systems across the country.
DNC launches $1.5M investment in Virginia
The Democratic National Committee announced an initial $1.5 million investment in Virginia on Tuesday in an effort to help candidates up and down the ballot in November’s off-year elections. The investment in the state is one of the largest and earliest investments the committee has made to the Virginia Democratic Coordinated Campaign during an off election year, according to the DNC.
Survey reveals Virginia schools banned over 220 library books since 2020
A report presented to a group of Virginia legislators Monday reveals that school boards have removed over 220 books from their schools' libraries since 2020. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission survey asked Virginia's 131 school divisions if they have school library book removal policies and the number of books currently banned. The survey found that almost two-thirds of the participating divisions hadn't removed any books for content-related purposes. The survey revealed that a significant portion of the increase in banned books is attributed to a misinterpretation of a 2022 law.