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Georgia, Rhode Island repealed car taxes. Could Youngkin’s plan lead to an elimination in Virginia?
As lawmakers consider Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to provide vehicle tax relief for Virginians and ultimately eliminate the property tax, policymakers can find comfort after repeals in Rhode Island and Georgia. All of Virginia’s cities, counties and towns are subject to a personal property tax, which helps fund their respective governments. Municipalities are likely to […]
Biden admin withdraws trans student athlete proposal as Virginia continues Title IX challenge
The U.S. Department of Education on Dec. 20 signaled it would withdraw a proposed rule that would have set a regulatory standard for how schools limit or ban transgender students from competing in sports aligned with their gender identity. As President Joe Biden’s administration backtracks its efforts to maintain some protections for transgender students due […]
Feds end special education monitoring in Virginia as advocates question post-review process
After a year-long review of the Virginia Department of Education, which failed to meet federal requirements to support students with disabilities, the federal government’s watchdog for special education programs wrote in a letter that all of its findings and required actions for VDOE are now closed, although questions by education advocates linger. Each year since […]
Legislation proposes stricter penalty for Virginia vehicle owners who let unlicensed teens drive
Lawmakers will consider a bill in January that aims to stop unlicensed minors from operating a vehicle by charging the vehicle owner with a Class 1 misdemeanor. Tammy McGee, whose son died in a 2019 car crash after an unlicensed and underage teen driver crashed the car he was in, has become an outspoken advocate […]
Metro area leaders discuss regional funding source for transit system
Washington Metropolitan area leaders favor considering a regional revenue source for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), which faced financial challenges to maintain services at the start of the year. However, where the funding will come from and the amount each jurisdiction will contribute to the fund is a concern regional leaders expressed at […]
Board of Education plans to advance accountability framework, despite calls for delay
The Virginia Board of Education has no plans to delay the implementation of the new accountability framework to determine if students and schools are meeting state expectations, after school board chairs from Northern Virginia, representing a third of school divisions in the commonwealth, signed a letter making that request last month. “We have to do […]
Virginia lawmakers to consider proposal to support regional airports
Virginia lawmakers will soon consider a bill that could help to bring larger airlines to smaller airports and support the growth of regional airports in the commonwealth. Last session, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and lawmakers settled on a biennium budget that included several transportation investments, including $1 million to establish an Advanced Air Aviation Test Site […]
Metro adopts bus route redesigns for Northern Virginia areas
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is moving forward with a service-wide redesign of its bus routes, including in a few areas of Northern Virginia, improving where people want to travel and simplifying services by the summer. The transit agency is planning to make changes in Alexandria, Fairlington and West Falls Church and Fairfax […]
Few Va. universities have studied food insecurity among students, though 80% say it’s an issue
Most of Virginia’s public universities and colleges are aware of student food insecurity at their institutions, according to a November survey conducted by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 80% labeled on-campus food insecurity as a “somewhat” or “very problematic” issue. The total number of college students experiencing food insecurity is unclear because […]
472 Virginia schools to receive millions in safety equipment and tools grants
Virginia is handing out $12 million worth of grants to 96 school divisions and 472 schools across 96 school divisions in the commonwealth to purchase security equipment including voice and video internal communication systems and surveillance cameras. According to a Nov. 21 announcement by the Virginia Department of Education, each school division can receive grants […]
Va. House lawmakers lay potential legislative groundwork in response to campus protests
House lawmakers studying how some of Virginia’s universities handle campus protests and free speech policies faced criticism Wednesday after arranging a hearing that some in attendance felt leaned heavily toward institutional and pro-Israeli perspectives. However, House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, who chairs the House Select Committee tasked with reviewing campus safety and free speech […]
Va. lawmakers will consider teacher compact to stem shortage
Lawmakers will consider legislation allowing Virginia to recruit more teachers through a multi-state agreement in the upcoming legislative session, which some see as an opportunity to continue reducing the state’s teacher shortage that has declined in recent months. The legislation to enter Virginia into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact was carried by Del. Jackie Glass, […]