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Virginia Democrats again push for paid family and medical leave
Virginia Democrats are again backing a proposal to create a universal paid family and medical leave program that would be run through the Virginia Employment Commission. The legislation carried by Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, and Del. Briana Sewell, D-Prince William, would adopt the general model used for unemployment insurance to cover the costs of up […]
Bill to require salary ranges in job posts, bar salary history requests advances
Amid a docket of new policy proposals, a Virginia Senate panel heard a familiar one Monday when Sen. Jennifer Boysko again presented legislation to require employers to list a wage or salary range in all job postings and prohibit them from asking prospective employees for a salary history. “This is the eighth time I have […]
Virginia Democrats continue push to hike state minimum wage to $15
Legislation to raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026 is moving briskly through the Virginia General Assembly as Democrats take advantage of their narrow majorities in both chambers to complete an effort they began in 2020. “This is a simple bill,” said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, who chairs the Senate Commerce […]
Judge orders release of Richmond graduation shooting report with limited redactions
A judge ordered the Richmond School Board to release an external report it commissioned on a June 2023 shooting outside a high school graduation ceremony in downtown Richmond that left two dead and five others wounded. The ruling was a victory for local news outlets who had asked for copies of the report and a […]
Judge orders Richmond School Board to let him review ‘confidential’ report on graduation shooting
A local judge ordered the Richmond School Board to let him review a copy of a disputed third-party report on a June 2023 shooting outside a high school graduation ceremony as part of his deliberations on whether it should be released to the public. After nearly eight hours of testimony Friday, Richmond Judge W. Reilly […]
Scott announces special committee on Virginia rural health care access
A day after being sworn in as Virginia’s first Black Speaker of the House, Del. Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, is already looking beyond the current legislative session that began Wednesday. On Thursday, Scott announced the creation of a new temporary committee that will meet beginning this May to address the lack of health care access in […]
The Mercury’s most read stories of 2023
This year, Mercury news reporters published over 1,021 stories and commentary writers put out 221 opinion pieces. Some of you read all of them. Others — including my parents, whom I would have hoped would be in the former category — were more choosy. As we embark on a fresh year of covering the weirdness […]
Va. appeals court says police stop of Black man in Waynesboro invasion case didn’t violate rights
In a reversal of an earlier decision, the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that an officer’s stop of two Black men in a Waynesboro neighborhood on suspicion of involvement in a home invasion that had just occurred had not violated one man’s rights against unreasonable seizure. In a majority opinion, Judge Lisa Lorish wrote […]
Youngkin budget calls for income tax cuts, sales tax increases
At the halfway point of his administration, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled a budget proposal that calls for significant income tax cuts, increases in state sales and use tax — and a push to get rid of the car tax, which the Republican called “the single most hated tax” in Virginia. “The car tax belongs […]
Mulchi and Younger to face off for Southside Virginia Senate seat
Republican Tammy Brankley Mulchi and Democrat Tina Wyatt Younger will face off in a special election this January to represent state Senate District 9 in Southside Virginia. Voters elected long-time Sen. Frank Ruff this November to represent the district, which encompasses Pittsylvania, Halifax, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg and Nottoway counties, the southern part of Prince Edward […]
Up to 10 candidates to vie for party nominations for Southside state Senate seat Tuesday
As many as 10 candidates will vie for party nominations for a Southside Virginia state Senate seat on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Republican Sen. Frank Ruff, a 30-year veteran of the General Assembly, was elected this November to represent the new Senate District 9, encompassing Pittsylvania, Halifax, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg and Nottoway counties, the southern portion […]
Virginia to close four prisons, reassume control of sole private prison
The Virginia Department of Corrections will close four prisons and take control of the state’s only privately operated prison this summer, officials said Friday. Augusta Correctional Center, Sussex II State Prison, Haynesville Correctional Unit #17 and Stafford Community Corrections Alternative Program will close July 1, 2024. The department said the closures are intended “to enhance […]