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Over 1,600 people removed from voter rolls under Youngkin order; groups seek court injunction
Over 1,600 voters have been removed from the rolls since an Aug. 7 executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the governor said Wednesday on a press call. Seventy-five voter registrations were denied in the same time period, said Ryan Snow, counsel with Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The […]
U.S. House Minority Leader Jeffries, RNC co-chair Lara Trump stump for Va. congressional candidates
Partisan control of the U.S. Congress could soon come down to some seats in Virginia. It’s why prominent political officials are visiting the state this week to support federal candidates in their parties. U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, will visit Virginia Beach Thursday evening to support Democratic candidate Missy Cotter Smasal in her challenge against […]
These Virginians won’t be able to vote next month
Santia Nance and Gin Carter said they haven’t washed a single dish since their partners were released from prison. As both loathe the household chore, Nance’s husband Quadaire Patterson and Carter’s husband Taj Mahon-Haft have been more than happy to take it on. While Carter is in her fourth year of veterinarian school, Mahon-Haft said […]
Leslie Mehta hopes to flip Virginia’s Republican-leaning 1st Congressional District
Longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, has served the 1st Congressional District since 2007. But this year’s Democratic challenger, Leslie Mehta, might make him work harder to win. She thinks she can flip the seat. “The thing with Rob Wittman is that he’s never had a real challenge,” said Chaz Nuttycombe, founder of the […]
‘Momnibus bill’ plans announced at Virginia’s Black Maternal Health Summit
Virginia lawmakers plan to introduce a “momnibus bill” in each chamber next year to help enhance maternal healthcare access, reduce mortality rates and address racial and unconscious bias. A play on the term, “omnibus,” the forthcoming legislation will be able to address a series of factors that contribute to negative maternal health outcomes. “Too many […]
Think you might have been mistakenly purged from Virginia’s voter rolls? Here’s what to do.
Editor’s note: On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the United States Supreme Court granted a stay blocking a lower court’s order for Virginia to pause its voter removal program, allowing additional purges through Election Day. Find more details on the decision here, and read below to find out how you can still vote if you were wrongly […]
Va. Dept. of Medical Services to tap reserve fund to cover delayed payments amid Medicaid unwinding
About 35,000 Virginians are still waiting to find out if they remain eligible for Medicaid, as Virginia’s Department of Medical Services projects it will use its $95 million reserve fund to cover delayed payments for fiscal year 2025, according to a presentation agency leaders made to the state Senate Finance Committee Tuesday. This also means […]
Voter purge lawsuits add to disenfranchisement allegations against Youngkin administration
Long before becoming a lawyer, state lawmaker and Virginia’s first Black House Speaker, Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, was, for years, unable to vote. After a previous felony conviction, it wasn’t until former Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell restored his rights that Scott could participate in democracy again — eventually paving the way for his own run for […]
About 38% of Americans think mental health isn’t adequately treated. Va.’s working to change that.
Virginia ranks number 12 in the nation of most challenging states to access mental healthcare in a new Forbes Advisor analysis, and a Gallup survey from earlier in the year found that about 38% of Americans think mental health isn’t treated as well as physical health issues. However, much of the data Forbes used in […]
Miyares joins multi-state lawsuit against federal change to nursing home staffing
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares joined attorneys general from 19 states in a lawsuit over a rule change that expands staffing requirements for nursing homes, which the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services announced earlier this year. Nursing homes are currently required by Congress to provide eight hours of continuous registered nurse staffing per day. […]
National bus tour stops in Va., boosts Democrats’ promise to protect ACA, Inflation Reduction Act
“The Affordable Care Act saved my life,” said Laura Packard, a Virginia resident, Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor and health advocate who joined other advocates and state and federal Democratic lawmakers on Monday as part of a national bus tour highlighting Democrat-led efforts to expand health care access. Dubbed “Care Force One,” the bus is […]
‘How do you treat a person who isn’t the standard in this post-Roe world?’
Editor’s note: The Virginia Mercury is not using the last names of the women in this article to protect their privacy and safety. The accounts of all three women have been verified with medical records and by a medical professional with knowledge of their experiences. Nisa knew her third pregnancy was a non-starter. She didn’t […]