Author
Virginia corrections dept asks court to dismiss sex discrimination suit over strip search policies
The Virginia Department of Corrections has asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit by three current and former female employees who say its policies on body scanners discriminate against women because the technology is unable to distinguish between contraband and menstrual or reproductive products. The agency argues its policies, which permit the firing of […]
Animal welfare officials halted repeat C-sections on baboons at Eastern Virginia Medical School
Federal animal welfare officials last year withdrew special permission given to researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School that allowed them to conduct repeat cesarean section surgeries on five baboons. In May 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is responsible for ensuring researchers comply with the federal Animal Welfare […]
Va. court says lease agreements can’t override landlord’s duty to keep property ‘habitable’
In a case involving a flea infestation of an Alexandria rental, the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that lease agreements can’t override state law requiring that landlords keep their properties “in a fit and habitable condition.” Under the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act, tenants must “take an active role in keeping the dwelling unit […]
After 2024 legislative session’s end, legislature releases two-year state budget
Much of the attention on the two-year budget crafted this year by Democratic majorities in Virginia’s House of Delegates and Senate has been on what’s not in the spending plan: the arena project backed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to bring the Washington Wizards and Capitals to Alexandria. But there’s no shortage of other things to […]
Virginia General Assembly votes to scrap Robert E. Lee license plate
Legislation that would end Virginia’s issuance of two license plates that honor Robert E. Lee as “The Virginia Gentleman” and spotlight the Sons of Confederate Veterans is headed to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk. The bill is the second attempt by Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, to get rid of the Robert E. Lee plate, […]
Virginia Democrats released their budget plans. What’s in and what’s out?
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s yearslong push for tax cuts is still running up against stiff opposition in the General Assembly. His marquee proposal to bring a professional sports arena to Northern Virginia has gotten a mixed reception. And Democrats are still eager to show they’re doing more to boost funding for the state’s K-12 schools. There […]
Crossover roundup: What’s alive and what’s on shaky ground in Virginia’s General Assembly
At the halfway point of Virginia’s 2024 General Assembly session, Democrats have used their majority power on both sides of the Capitol to pass bills to raise the minimum wage, ban newly made assault weapons, protect abortion access and allow recreational weed dispensaries. All of those priorities are expected to win final passage in the […]
Spring outdoor burning restrictions to start in Virginia Feb. 15
Statewide prohibitions on outdoor burning near woods or dry grass before 4 p.m. will go into effect Feb. 15 and run through April 30, as Virginia’s spring fire season begins. The law forbids open-air fires — such as campfires or fires to burn debris — within 300 feet of “any woodland, brushland, or field containing […]
Female workers sue Virginia prison agency, claiming body searches discriminate against women
Three former and current female employees of the Virginia Department of Corrections are pursuing a class-action lawsuit against the agency, saying its policies on body scanners discriminate against women. The inability of the state’s body-scanner technology to distinguish between contraband like drugs and menstrual products such as tampons, menstrual cups and intrauterine devices has led […]
Charlotte and Liam top list of Virginia’s most popular baby names in 2023
For a second year running, Charlotte was the most popular baby name for girls born in Virginia, while Liam edged out last year’s winner, Noah, to take the title for boys. “It’s always fun to see what the most popular baby names will be in Virginia,” said Seth Austin, state registrar and director of the […]
Few answers to missing and months-late mail: ‘The Postal Service in Richmond is broken’
In December, the busiest month of the year for charitable donations, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture received only seven pieces of mail. What the museum did get: dozens of calls from supporters asking why the institution — Virginia’s oldest museum, now operated as a private nonprofit — had not cashed the checks they […]
Youngkin administration unveils new platform to track state permits
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration unveiled a new website that will allow the public to track the status of government permits. The Virginia Permit Transparency website aims to bring “greater visibility to the regulatory and permitting processes,” said Youngkin in a statement on the release Monday. https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/virginia-launches-platform-to-make-environmental-permit-info-public/ Piloted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality as […]