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Fall election will help determine the fate of constitutional amendments
Changing the Virginia Constitution is difficult by design. A proposed amendment must twice pass the General Assembly — doing so in consecutive terms — before voters decide if it will be enshrined in the commonwealth’s governing document. Lawmakers began that process in January by advancing three amendments mostly along party lines, with the Democratic majority approving measures that Republicans largely opposed. The fate of those proposals hinge on November’s election, lending greater weight to the decisions voters will make this fall.
223 Richmond taxpayers were sent inflated car tax bills
When Bill Gay received the personal property tax bill for his 2004 BMW convertible, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Last year, the 21-year-old car had been assessed at $2,350, Gay told the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Monday evening. This year’s assessment? $43,793. . . . Gay is among multiple Richmond residents who own older vehicles and suddenly find themselves facing surging assessments. Some of those residents have contacted the city’s Department of Finance to have their bills adjusted. Others haven’t yet been able to get in touch with anyone who can help. But they all have one thing in common: nobody has explained to them what, exactly, led to the absurd hikes.
Richmond City Council dismisses head of city’s top watchdog office, texts show
Richmond’s top watchdog — Inspector General Jim Osuna — has been relieved of his duties, according to texts exchanged between Osuna and 8th District Councilwoman Reva Trammell. The inspector general's office reports to the Council and conducts internal investigations into allegations of fraud, waste and abuse in city government. For example, Osuna recently spearheaded the probe of the city's Office of Elections, and identified fraudulent use of city funds by former Registrar Keith Balmer, who later resigned. The revelation comes after City Council met at 4 p.m. Monday for a closed session to discuss “consideration of the performance of a Council appointee.” A person familiar with the situation told The Times-Dispatch that the group agreed not to move forward with Osuna.
Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority has diversified, bolstered Southwest Virginia's economy
Businesses assisted by the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority had an $8.4 billion direct impact on Southwest Virginia’s economy in 2024 and were responsible for over 28,000 jobs. Those were among the findings of a new study by Chmura Economics & Analytics, commissioned by VCEDA. The authority, which is based in Lebanon, Virginia, was created in 1988 by the Virginia General Assembly to enhance and diversify the economic base of Southwest Virginia’s coal-producing region as coal’s impact diminished.
Martinsville administration defends city bank card charges
A city council meeting last week has resulted in the disclosure of bank card expenses from city officials showing thousands of dollars in travel, hotel stays, food, and conferences, including trips to Las Vegas and luxury resorts. Bank card statements, downloaded by the Martinsville Bulletin from a publicly available folder on the city of Martinsville’s OneDrive SharePoint server, contain redacted monthly statements from Bank of America from January 2024 through March of this year. City Councilman Aaron Rawls requested the statements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and shared them with the Bulletin.
Va. teacher salaries increase, but there is much left to do
Virginia’s leaders don’t strive for a middling commitment to economic development, transportation, law enforcement or any other government responsibility that shapes the state’s quality of life. But the middle is precisely where the commonwealth lands in a new national ranking of teacher salaries — signaling a need to expand major initiatives in recent years to boost classroom pay. Average teacher salaries in Virginia increased 5.1% in 2023-24 and 3% in 2024-25, but the average pay in the state last year — $66,327 — still ranks 26th in the nation ...
Tariff deal with China doesn’t end uncertainty in Virginia
What does the owner of a beloved Richmond toy store do when almost all of the merchandise it sells ultimately comes from China? For Thea Brown, owner of World of Mirth in Carytown, all she could do was pay the $1,200 tariff imposed on the $5,000 cost of the merchandise she had ordered. “For no reason,” she said. But there was a reason: the trade war that President Donald Trump launched soon after taking office on Jan. 20 that has affected imported goods from almost all of the United States’ trading partners, especially China.
Virginia state lawmakers briefed on potential impacts of federal Medicaid cuts
A bipartisan group of Virginia delegates were briefed Monday on the impact Medicaid cuts could have across the state and local communities. The meeting, the third for the Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions, was held one day after congress unveiled legislation that targeted $880 billion in cuts centered around Medicaid. Currently, there are 1.9 million Virginians enrolled in Medicaid across its Base, FAMIS and Expansion programs.
Virginia signals it’s ready to explore geothermal energy with new legislation
Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is working with Democrats who control the General Assembly to increase renewable energy. It's the hottest new energy source, literally. Geothermal energy is created by boring deep into the ground to release heat from the earth's crust. And now Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin [signed] a bill that would add geothermal energy to Virginia's renewable energy portfolio standards – essentially encouraging geothermal energy production in Virginia. The bill was introduced by Senator Jeremy McPike, a Democrat from Prince William County.
Parastaran: Recovery schools can help teens battling addiction
In 2023, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s annual survey on drug use and health estimated that 2.2 million adolescents aged 12-17 — about 8.5% of this age group — had a substance use disorder. Yet, a staggering 1.8 million received no treatment. Do the math and you’ll find a concerning picture for education: In an average classroom of 30 students, two are likely struggling with an unaddressed addiction. And the future of those students all-too-often includes a spiral leading to academic failures, dropouts and juvenile delinquency. Fortunately, there are initiatives to break this cycle.