Javascript is required to run this page
VaNews

Search


Richmond ballpark could lose $25 million due to arena

By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A $25 million chunk of funding for the nascent Diamond District baseball stadium is being held up by the debate surrounding Gov. Glenn Youngkin's now defunct plan to build an arena in Alexandria. The city of Richmond hopes to use state sales tax revenue to help pay off the minor league ballpark, but the law giving the city that authority expires in July. Now the Richmond ballpark needs help from Youngkin and state lawmakers. The tax problem is not dire enough to kill the Richmond project, but it could increase the difficulty of paying for it.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Youngkin vetoes Virginia bills mandating minimum wage increase, establishing marijuana retail sales

By SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed two top Democratic legislative priorities on Thursday: bills that would have allowed the recreational retail sales of marijuana to begin next year and measures mandating a minimum wage increase. The development, which drew criticism from Democrats who control the General Assembly, did not come as a surprise. While Youngkin had not explicitly threatened to veto either set of bills, he told reporters he didn’t think the minimum wage legislation was needed and had repeatedly said he was uninterested in setting up retail marijuana sales.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Port of Virginia will lend a hand as Baltimore begins its recovery

Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

If there was any question as to why the commonwealth continues to invest in improvements to the Port of Virginia, it was answered on Tuesday when a malfunctioning container ship slammed into a support tower of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing it into Baltimore Harbor. Hampton Roads facilities will handle additional commercial traffic as federal and state officials investigate the accident and set about the challenging task of removing and rebuilding the bridge. Being able to step up in this critical moment demonstrates the value of our port and the need to ensure its continued ability to serve national, as well as local, interests.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Lead Fairfax Co. prosecutor calls Gov. Youngkin’s gun vetoes ‘boneheaded’

By NICK IANNELLI, WTOP

The lead prosecutor in Fairfax County, Virginia, slammed Gov. Glenn Youngkin on guns, using the word “boneheaded” when describing the governor’s recent vetoes. It came after Youngkin announced earlier this week that he’d vetoed 30 pieces of gun-related legislation. While Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, a Democrat, said he was pleased that the Republican governor did not veto a bill that would create new restrictions related to firearms that have a serial number that has been scratched off. He told WTOP that Youngkin “did make a lot of, in my opinion, boneheaded decisions when it comes to common-sense gun laws.”

VaNews March 29, 2024


Persons: Honor promises to people with developmental disabilities

By GREY PERSONS, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia stands at a pivotal moment in its history, poised to uphold its commitment to ensuring “A Life Like Yours” for all its citizens, including those with developmental disabilities. The recent allocation of $200 million in the state budget to eliminate the priority-one waitlist for Medicaid waivers marks an historic moment to be recognized and celebrated. At long last, this funding promises access to crucial services for thousands of individuals identified as needing support. However, it’s crucial to recognize that merely funneling funds into the existing system won’t suffice. Virginia must strive for a more integrated, individualized approach ...

Persons of Norfolk is president of The Arc of Virginia Board of Directors.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Prince William County to pilot tool to determine if person can be released before trial

By BRITTNEY MELTON, WUSA-TV

Prince William County Criminal Justice Services team announced Thursday that it is ready to launch its Public Safety Assessment (PSA) tool. It is designed to determine whether a person charged with crimes can be released back into the community pending trial. Prince William County will be one of five communities in Virginia to pilot the tool that uses nine scoring factors to help judges and judicial officers make release conditions. It is said to help ensure court appearance and public safety during the pretrial period for the person facing charges.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Youngkin vetoes bills on retail marijuana sales, minimum wage

By GRAHAM MOOMAW, Virginia Mercury

Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation Thursday that would have established a retail marijuana market in Virginia and raised the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour, torpedoing two top Democratic priorities from the 2024 General Assembly session. The moves came one day after Youngkin’s top priority — the proposal to bring a professional sports arena to Alexandria — imploded under the weight of community opposition, questions about its public financing scheme and partisan combat in Richmond. Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, announced he’d reached a deal to keep the teams in D.C. Blocking bills at what could be a record-setting pace, Youngkin has now vetoed 86 pieces of legislation the General Assembly passed earlier this year.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Loyalty test: Bob Good and his conservative allies want voters to know he’s Trump’s man

By JASON ARMESTO, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Mike Johnson's grip on the speaker's gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives was already loose, but now two of the hard-right Republicans responsible for the coup that ousted his predecessor are not ruling out doing it again. Four members of the 42-strong conservative House Freedom Caucus were in Scottsville Wednesday as part of Rep. Bob Good's "Freedom Fighters Tour" reelection campaign.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Youngkin vetoes legal cannabis market, minimum wage hike

By ANDREW CAIN AND ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday announced he has vetoed seven more bills, including measures to set up a legal market to sell cannabis and to increase the state's minimum wage. In 2021, Virginia made it legal for adults to possess and use small amounts of cannabis, but did not authorize buying or selling, and a black market has emerged in the void. Youngkin has long said he was not interested in setting up a legal market for sales.

VaNews March 29, 2024


Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel project behind by 18 months

By JOSH JANNEY, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The completion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project has been delayed by 18 months and isn’t expected until 2027, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced Thursday. The more than $3.9 billion project will widen Interstate 64 from two to four lanes in each direction and construct two two-lane tunnels, doubling the road segment’s capacity. The project was expected to be completed in 2025. But the Thursday announcement of the revised project schedule sets the substantial completion date for Feb. 26, 2027, and a final completion date for Aug. 27, 2027.

VaNews March 29, 2024