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Stoney voices support for VCU while some on council condemn police response
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney responded to the protests that erupted on Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus last night by stating his support for the university. “My administration and Richmond Police have been in close contact with VCU officials and will continue to support them in their mission to ensure the safety of all students and community members,” Stoney said.
Officials, orgs respond to Virginia-wide protest arrests
More than 100 protesters gathered at dusk Tuesday in Richmond’s Abner Clay Park. People took turns standing on a picnic table to address the pro-Palestine gathering. Those speaking to the crowd, who were mostly seated in the grass, touched on topics like healing and self-care. Several spoke about how to weather aggression from law enforcement, and one led protesters in song. Most also mentioned standing against U.S. support for Israel’s military and called for the disclosure of how Virginia Commonwealth University invests its money following 13 arrests during a similar gathering at the school’s library a day before. Earlier on Tuesday, politicians reacted largely along party lines to recent antiwar protests at three Virginia public colleges — as well as law enforcement’s response.
Virginia lawmakers want postmaster general to deliver on promises
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy may have bought time with an apology to a bipartisan Virginia congressional delegation that is irate over delays in mail deliveries — including essential medications — to people in the Richmond area. But U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Virginia Democrats, and Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, and Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, say they will not relax scrutiny of the Postal Service and its regional mail distribution center in Richmond.
McElwain: As other states ban abortion, Va. remains a beacon of hope
In a small town in Florida, a half-day drive from Richmond, a woman takes a pregnancy test after realizing her period is a couple of weeks late. If she goes into her nearest Planned Parenthood in Tallahassee to seek an abortion, she may be too late now that Florida’s six-week abortion ban has taken effect. Even if she makes it into the health center prior to the cutoff, she will have to come back again at least 24 hours later due to Florida’s mandatory waiting period. As Florida’s near-total ban on abortion takes effect, our hearts go out to all impacted. In these troubling times, I want to assure those seeking care: Virginia is here for you.
More Republican states, including Virginia, challenge new Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ+ students
Another six Republican states are piling on to challenge the Biden administration’s newly expanded campus sexual assault rules, saying they overstep the president’s authority and undermine the Title IX anti-discrimination law. A federal lawsuit, led by Tennessee and West Virginia, on Tuesday asks a judge to halt and overturn the new policy. The suit is joined by Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Virginia. It follows other legal challenges filed by Monday by nine other states including Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. The lawsuits are the first to challenge the administration’s new Title IX rules, which expand protections to LGBTQ+ students and add new safeguards for victims of sexual assault. The policy was finalized in April and takes effect in August.
States rethink data centers as ‘electricity hogs’ strain grid
State Sen. Norm Needleman championed the 2021 legislation designed to lure major data centers to Connecticut. The Democratic lawmaker hoped to better compete with nearby states, bring in a growing industry, and provide paychecks for workers tasked with building the sprawling server farms. But this legislative session, he’s wondering if those tax breaks are appropriate for all data centers, especially those with the potential to disrupt the state’s clean energy supply. Particularly concerning to him are plans for a mega data center on the site of the state’s only nuclear power plant. The developer is proposing an arrangement that would give it priority access to electricity generated at the plant, which would mean less carbon-free power for other users.
Legislators faced ‘weird’ but adventurous General Assembly session
Local representatives of the Virginia General Assembly all agreed that the latest session was a most unusual one, with many new faces elected to serve. Sens. Ryan McDougle and Danny Diggs, and Dels. Amanda Batten, A.C. Cordoza and Chad Green, all Republicans, reflected on the 2024 General Assembly session during a post-legislative forum on Friday. The event was hosted by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce at the Williamsburg Regional Library. “It was a really weird year,” noted Batten, as senators and delegates navigated proposed legislation while getting to know new members of the General Assembly. Both Diggs and Green were among those who experienced their first session this year.
Drakes: School nurses could be the cure to chronic absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools is at an all-time high in Virginia as the public education system continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Chronic absenteeism is defined as students who miss more than 18 days of school, and this number has doubled across the commonwealth since 2019. The Virginia Department of Education has launched a campaign in response to this issue, as gaps in learning have been revealed by the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores.
To keep its coyote population in check, Bedford County offers hunters cash prizes for kills
Early this spring, many Americans’ eyes were glued to the Mega Millions lottery as the jackpot barreled its way to an eventual $1.13 billion. Jeff Williams was more concerned about a different lottery. The Forest resident had submitted multiple entries in the Bedford coyote lottery, which provided hunters and trappers chances to win cash prizes for each coyote they killed in the county. When numbers were drawn after the lottery closed at the end of February, Williams and his hunting friends had won four of the seven prizes, for a total of $2,000. … For organizers of the lottery, it was a small price to pay in their effort to keep the county’s coyotes at bay, something they see as important not only to members of their agricultural community but also residents who were concerned about the roaming wild canines.
Is process for approving Virginia lab schools too quick?
The Virginia Board of Education recently approved six applications to bring students and colleges together to offer specialized instruction amid concerns over awarding state funds to private schools and financial uncertainty as leaders discuss funding for the biennium budget. Under Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration, which has made laboratory schools a priority since the governor’s term started in 2022, the list of applications accepted by the board increased from six to 12 on April 18. The additions are Paul D. Camp Community College, George Mason University, Old Dominion University at Newport News and Chesapeake, and private schools Roanoke College and Emory and Henry College.