VISUALIZATION: COMMITTEE WORKLOAD VARIES

The shift in power in the Virginia General Assembly is evident in how workload is distributed in standing committees, where much of the legislative business gets done. When Republicans in power, GOP lawmakers scrambled from meeting to meeting, while Democratic lawmakers had more time on their hands. Today, the roles are reversed.

HOUSE VOTES TO REPEAL A NUMBER OF ABORTION RESTRICTIONS

A much different House of Delegates voted on Tuesday to roll back restrictions on abortions - including the required performance of an ultrasound - that the institution adopted eight years ago. The 52-45 vote backed a measure that would end the ultrasound requirement for women to undergo first-trimester abortions that then-Gov. Bob McDonnell, an anti-abortion Republican, signed into law in 2012...

DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY EYES POTENTIAL NEW JUDGE - OR MORE - ON SCC

At least three candidates have emerged to fill the seat of State Corporation Commission Judge Patricia West if the General Assembly declines to re-elect the Republican appointee with less than a week left in her term.

COLLEGE TUITION FREEZE RENEWAL PROPOSED

Virginia bucked a two-decade trend of rising tuition costs when public colleges agreed to freeze rates last year in exchange for state funds. Lawmakers are flirting with the idea they’ll make that offer again.

SLOTS VS. SKILL — HOUSE PANEL MOVES TO BAN THEM ALL, BUT THE GAME'S JUST BEGUN

A House of Delegates subcommittee voted 8-0 on Tuesday to ban electronic “skill games” in Virginia, but there’s plenty of time on the clock with 39 days left in the General Assembly session. The subcommittee also voted unanimously to kill an alternative bill, endorsed by Gov. Ralph Northam. It would have regulated and taxed the machines to help compensate for the Virginia Lottery’s lost revenue from direct competition in 4,500 retail outlets across the state.

CASINO OPERATORS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN BRISTOL AND RICHMOND

Casino operators are already maneuvering into position as they wait for state legislators to legalize gaming. The stakes are high, and in at least two regions multiple operators are competing to cash in.

WHAT GAS TAX HIKE? TRANSPORTATION BILL SPEEDS THROUGH HOUSE COMMITTEE

The House Transportation Committee voted 12-6 Tuesday to approve a transportation bill that would raise gas taxes by 12 cents per gallon over three years. The proposed gas tax hike drew no opposition and picked up unprecedented support from the Virginia Petroleum and Convenience Marketers Association, which had never supported increasing motor vehicle taxes.

A NOT-SO-EASY PATH TO A MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

Raising Virginia’s minimum wage is a top priority of the General Assembly’s new, Democratic majority (or so they’ve said repeatedly), but the first airing of the notion Monday suggests it may not be as easy or as quick a path as many had hoped.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS PUSH TO RAISE MINIMUM WAGE, REQUIRE PAID LEAVE

Virginia Democrats are pushing a collection of bills aimed at turning the business-friendly state into one that is buddy-buddy with workers. The state’s minimum wage, currently set at the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour, would gradually rise as high as $15 an hour under some measures. In others, workers could receive up to 12 weeks of paid time off for family or medical leave.

BOYSKO AND CARROLL FOY PUSH FOR 12-WEEK STATE-PAID FAMILY LEAVE PROGRAM

Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly are attempting to pass bills that would create a paid family and medical leave program for all working Virginians that would provide 12 weeks off to care for new children or in emergencies. But skeptics of the program balk at the $73.5 million price tag that the Commonwealth Institute, a research organization focused on economic policy, estimates it would take to start the program.

BILL WOULD ADD WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS

In Virginia, worker protections like unemployment compensation, anti-discrimination laws, or even the minimum wage don’t apply to domestic workers. Democratic Delegate Wendy Gooditis is backing legislation to change that. She says the issue is close to her heart. Her elderly parents are able to stay at home because of two women who serve as their health aides.

COULD DEMOCRATIC GENERAL ASSEMBLY REPEAL VA.’S RIGHT-TO-WORK LAWS?

Buoyed by the Virginia legislature’s new Democratic majority, bills to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work laws have the greatest chance of making it to the governor’s desk in a generation, predict political scientists.

VIRGINIA SENATE BACKS CHANGE TO JUNE PRIMARY DATE

The June primary could soon be a week later. The Senate voted Tuesday to change the date of the June primary from the second Tuesday of the month to the third Tuesday. Senate Bill 316 from Sen. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, was approved in a 24-16 vote. “This is a good policy to not have our kids in school on election day,” said Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico.

HUDSON'S RANKED CHOICE VOTING BILL ADVANCES

A bill allowing Virginia voters to choose more than one candidate on the ballot narrowly advanced through subcommittee Monday. House Bill 1103, introduced by Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, would open a pilot program for ranked-choice voting in local elections, such as city council or school board contests.

DEMOCRATS ADVANCE VOTING BILLS ON PHOTO ID, PRE-REGISTRATION FOR 16 YEAR-OLDS

Democratic lawmakers have advanced several bills they say will reduce barriers to voting, including the elimination of the photo ID requirement on election day. The full Senate voted last week on a bill that would effectively allow early voting, scrapping the system of providing an excuse to vote absentee.

BILL TO CAP INSULIN COPAYS AT $30 ADVANCES WITH BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT

Legislation that would cap insulin co-pays at $30 a month won broad bi-partisan support in the House Labor and Commerce Committee, which voted 16-1 to advance the measure for a vote before the full chamber. “We know the price of insulin has been rising fast over the past few years,” said Del. Lee Carter, D-Manassas, who proposed the bill. “This situation has led to a number of Virginians rationing their insulin supply.”

STUDIES ON BAIL AND JUNK SCIENCE IN THE COURTS

Considering bills reining in the use of cash bail and bail bonds this week, the House of Delegates’ criminal law subcommittee gave a hint that it’s still somewhat skeptical — but not disinterested — when it comes to making big changes to the way Virginia courts are run.

LEGISLATION COULD HELP VIRGINIA HOMEOWNERS BLOCKED BY HOAS FROM INSTALLING SOLAR

Shervelle Marquina lives in the Thomasson Crossing subdivision in Triangle, Virginia. The graphic and web designer was attracted to the quietness of the neighborhood. Marquina really liked the corner lot house and the nearby school. After moving in, she began researching solar. She wanted to help the environment and her pocketbook. And with the program she signed up for, there were no upfront costs.

PREGNANCY FRAUD CASE INSPIRES ONLINE HOAX LEGISLATION IN VIRGINIA

In the wake of an elaborate adoption hoax involving a Southwest Virginia woman who defrauded a California couple by faking a pregnancy, legislation has been introduced in the General Assembly to close what’s being called a loophole in Virginia’s computer crimes laws. State Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Lebanon, introduced a bill that would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to maliciously use a computer as part of a hoax that causes another person or business to spend money

VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS REJECT SETTING STANDARDS FOR NURSING HOME STAFFING — FOR NOW

Brushing off — for the 16th time — a proposal to set minimum staff levels for Virginia nursing homes, which are ranked among the nation’s worst for the number of patients per caregiver, a state Senate panel decided to recommend a study group instead. The Senate Health subcommittee rejected on a voice vote a proposal from state Sen. Jennifer Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, that would have said nursing homes need to provide at least one direct care staffer for every six patients.

IF THERE’S A SHUTDOWN, FEDERAL WORKERS IN VIRGINIA COULD GET AN EXTENSION ON RENT OR MORTGAGE

When the Virginia General Assembly convened last year, the country was in the middle of a federal government shutdown that lasted 35 days. As the number of missed paychecks grew, hundreds of federal workers in Virginia filed for unemployment. Localities gave people more time to pay utility bills, and state lawmakers passed a bill to give furloughed employees a one-time 30-day extension on their rent or mortgage payment.

FAMILIES OF VIRGINIA BEACH MASS SHOOTING VICTIMS LOBBY LAWMAKERS FOR STATE INVESTIGATION

Sonja Snelling said she last spoke to her husband on the phone at 4:03 p.m. on May 31. Police say Bert Snelling, a construction contractor, was shot and killed by a mass shooter around that time at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. Eight months later, though, after receiving conflicting reports from officials, the Snelling family still doesn’t know exactly where Bert’s body was found. Sonja said she was also frustrated that the city won’t tell her who her husband planned to meet with at the city that day.

FAMILY MEMBERS, LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR STATE INVESTIGATION INTO VIRGINIA BEACH MASS SHOOTING

To help resolve what one legislator called a “crisis of confidence,” family members of victims of last year’s mass shooting in Virginia Beach and two members of the General Assembly are pushing for a state investigation into the event. Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler, D-Virginia Beach, has introduced House Bill 658, which would establish an independent commission to investigate the May 31 shooting that killed 12 people, plus the gunman.

FAMILIES SUPPORT THIRD VIRGINIA BEACH SHOOTING INVESTIGATION

Some families of Virginia Beach mass shooting victims spoke Tuesday in support of a new bill to create an independent commission to investigate the crime, which left 12 dead and four injured. Virginia Beach Dels. Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler and Jason S. Miyares introduced bipartisan House Bill 658, which would form a 21-member committee to investigate the underlying motive of last year’s massacre at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. Four of the victim’s families attended the press event, according to Convirs-Fowler’s office.

SENATE BACKS GUN BAN FOR PEOPLE SUBJECT TO PERMANENT PROTECTIVE ORDERS

Part of Gov. Ralph Northam’s gun control package gained limited Republican support on Tuesday. The state Senate approved Senate Bill 479 from Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, which would bar people subject to a permanent protective order from possessing a firearm. The idea is one of eight backed by Northam, a Democrat, that has drawn pushback from gun rights supporters in the state.

DEL. CHRIS HURST BLOWS OVER BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMIT DURING TRAFFIC STOP, IS RELEASED WITH A WARNING

A Southwest Virginia legislator who was pulled over on suspicion of intoxicated driving early Sunday left with a warning, not a charge — and could not have been cited even if the police officer wanted to because of a provision of the Virginia Constitution regarding immunity during General Assembly sessions. Del. Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery, was stopped in Christiansburg about 2 a.m. and blew a 0.085%, a result above the 0.08% legal limit for alcohol, in a field breath test

PORT OF VIRGINIA LEASES 40 ACRES TO OFFSHORE WIND COMPANY AT PORTSMOUTH TERMINAL, NORTHAM SAYS

Virginia’s shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy got a boost Tuesday when Gov. Ralph Northam announced a 40-acre lease to a European-based wind energy company. Orsted, based in Denmark, will pay nearly $13 million to the Port of Virginia to stage equipment at Portsmouth Marine Terminal needed to build an offshore wind farm.

PORT OF VIRGINIA TO LEASE 40 ACRES TO DANISH COMPANY AS PART OF STATE'S WIND ENERGY PUSH

The Port of Virginia will lease 40 acres to the Danish energy company Ørsted as part of the state’s bid to become a hub for the supply of offshore wind materials, state officials announced Tuesday. The lease, signed Tuesday morning, will run through 2026. It will allow Ørsted to set up its materials and equipment at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal for delivery to offshore wind projects along the East Coast.

VIRGINIA LEADERS, A CONSERVATION GROUP FILE A BILL, PREPARE A LAWSUIT TO PROTECT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

As Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts hit the home stretch, two Virginia congressmen filed a bill Monday to boost restoration while a bay advocacy group announced it’s gearing up to sue the EPA to enforce it. U.S. Reps. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott and Rob Wittman filed the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Science, Education and Ecosystem Enforcement Act (SEEE) along with Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland. The three co-chair the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force.

NEW AMAZON-ARLINGTON SOLAR FARM TO FULFILL MOST OF COUNTY’S RENEWABLE PLEDGES

Amazon and Arlington County have agreed to buy all the electricity generated from a new Dominion Energy solar power farm, a major step toward fulfilling their promises to rely fully on renewable energy in the coming decade. The agreement, which Amazon has signed and the Arlington County Board approved by a 5-to-0 vote Tuesday night, would name a 1,500-acre site near the North Carolina border the “Amazon Arlington Solar Farm Virginia.”

VIRGINIA COULD DITCH JAIL TIME FOR DRIVERS GOING 81 MPH IN A 70 MPH ZONE

Virginia could remove the risk of jail time for drivers who speed 81 mph in a 70 mph zone. The Virginia Senate voted 25-14 Monday to approve a bill that would change the automatic reckless driving standard from over 80 mph to over 85 mph in a 70 mph zone.

VIRGINIA USING STUDY TO FIND NEW WAYS TO FIX I–95 TRAFFIC ISSUES

At a time with upwards of $1 billion in road expansion happening along Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg area, an intensive study of the corridor running north–south through the state is calling for more of a “multimodal” approach that incorporates trains, buses and carpooling.

US ARCHIVES CONFIRMS IT WON’T TAKE STEPS TO CERTIFY ERA

A day after Virginia became the critical 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, the National Archives reiterated on Tuesday that it would not immediately take any action to certify the measure’s adoption as part of the U.S. Constitution. The National Archives has received Virginia’s ratification documentation but “the Archivist will take no action to certify the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment,” the press office of the National Archives and Records Administration said

VEXIT?: FALWELL BACKS PLAN FOR VIRGINIA COUNTIES TO SECEDE FROM THE STATE

Bemoaning Democratic control of state government, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. on Tuesday threw his support behind a proposal for counties and cities in Virginia to secede from the commonwealth and join neighboring West Virginia. “We need a state government that is not elected by federal workers in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. — as is the case now in Virginia — that will protect our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Falwell said.

WEST VIRGINIA’S GOVERNOR TO VIRGINIA COUNTIES: LEAVE YOUR BLUE STATE AND JOIN WEST VIRGINIA

As Virginia’s new Democratic majority ushers through a raft of liberal proposals on issues including gun control and abortion, West Virginia’s governor is making an unusual proposal to disgruntled Virginians: Break away. Gov. Jim Justice (R) on Tuesday endorsed a plan for conservatives unhappy with the new direction of their state legislature to demand ballot referendums in their cities and counties this November, through which they could express their desire for their county to leave Virginia and join West Virginia instead.

FALWELL AND W.VA. GOVERNOR PITCH VIRGINIA SECESSION PLEA

In what they acknowledged is a long-shot bid, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. urged unhappy Virginia counties Tuesday to secede and join a neighboring state where Democrats aren’t in charge. Both Justice, a Republican in a state where the GOP dominates the legislature, and Falwell, whose university is in Lynchburg, Virginia, said the invitation to join West Virginia sends a valid message.

CONFEDERATE MONUMENT IN VIRGINIA BEACH SHOULD STAY WHERE IT IS, CITY GROUP RECOMMENDS

Rather than remove a 27-foot-tall Confederate monument, a city-appointed group suggests Virginia Beach leaders should keep it where it is, and build a historical park that provides context as well as erect a second statue reflecting African American heritage.

DELAY IN ALERTING VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS TO LEAD IN WATER WAS COMMUNICATION FAILURE, REVIEW SAYS

Virginia Beach Public School officials agreed there was inadequate communication among staff when water testing during the summer found elevated lead levels in 23 schools. “Of concern were the timeliness of our follow-up actions and communications,” said Jack Freeman, chief operations officer for Virginia Beach schools.

WASHINGTON COUNTY SUPERVISORS HEAR CASINO PLANS

Developers of a proposed casino, hotel and golf course project shared their plans at Tuesday’s Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting. “We are talking about a transformative economic development opportunity that happens to be anchored by a casino,” said attorney Greg Habeeb of Salem, Virginia. The casino and related projects on the Virginia side of The Pinnacle could potentially provide 3,300 jobs, according to Habeeb,

NEW STUDY OUTLINES IMPACT OF COLONIAL DOWNS, ROSIE'S GAMING

Colonial Downs Racetrack and its string of Rosie’s gaming facilities are expected to produce $445 million in economic activity statewide in 2020, a new study shows. Conducted by Terry Clower, Northern Virginia chairman and professor of public policy at George Mason University, the study reviews impacts in each market where Rosie’s operates and how totals were reached, according to a written statement by Colonial Downs Group.

VIRGINIA’S GUN ‘SANCTUARIES’ ARE A RECIPE FOR MAYHEM

No doubt some local politicians in Virginia who supported resolutions proclaiming their jurisdictions as “gun sanctuaries” thought of their votes as a harmless sop to gun owners riled up at the prospect of tougher state gun laws. What’s the harm in a little pandering, after all?

HEALTH CARE AT PRISONS GETS NEEDED ATTENTION

More money for prison health care features in Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed budget. The budget outlay, if approved by the legislature, would attempt to address several health-care issues at Virginia’s prisons. It would affect Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women — and even the University of Virginia.

WHO SHOULD REPLACE LEE?

In the U.S. Capitol, each state is entitled to two statues, what is officially called the National Statuary Hall Collection. Virginia is represented by George Washington and Robert E. Lee. Now there’s a movement to replace Lee.

DON’T EXPECT MUCH CONGESTION RELIEF

Transportation Planning District 16—which includes the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George counties—no longer has a local delegate on the House Transportation Committee. And only Sen. Scott Surovell, D–Fairfax, whose gerrymandered 36th District stretches all the way from Alexandria to Widewater Beach in Stafford County, represents even part of Planning District 16 on the Senate Transportation Committee.

PRESS PAUSE ON ELECTRONIC GAMING

Here’s the single most useful recommendation on commercial electronic gaming in Virginia: Don’t. Just don’t. Virginia does not need it and will not advance its quality of life by legalizing it. For heaven’s sake, it’s a waste of time and a threat to your financial well-being. The “house” always wins, and you don’t. Period.

BERES: ENERGY INDEPENDENCE KEEPS FUEL PRICES IN CHECK

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is proposing an increase in the state’s gasoline tax to fund his sweeping transportation plan and shore up the fund used to pay for roads, transit and rail projects. The plan would raise gasoline taxes by 4 cents per gallon every year for the next three years. After that, subsequent increases would be indexed to inflation.

Robin Beres is deputy opinions editor

CAPPS, HUBER, RAINONE, SANDEL AND SPRINKLE: G3 IS A GOOD LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

Since the emergence of the state’s community college system a half-century ago, our institutions have provided opportunities that were previously unavailable to a significant portion of Virginians. Embracing a philosophy based on the value of readily accessible higher education, we have opened doors to better futures for many thousands of students.

Capps is president of Central Virginia Community College. Huber is president of New River Community College. Rainone is president of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. Sandel is president of Virginia Western Community College. Sprinkle is president of

CAPERTON: A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE LIES IN VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS’ HANDS

In December, I stood in a snowy field in upstate New York and watched Thomas and Janice Johnson join the solar economy. The Johnsons, dairy farmers, had struggled with years of low milk prices and finally decided to do something different with their land. Where they used to look out their window and see cows, they now see solar panels.

Caperton is Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at Arcadia Power. He is based in Washington, D.C.

KEENE: PRO-CHOICE MAJORITIES ARE DOING THE VOTERS’ WILL

As we enter a new decade with a new pro-choice majority in the General Assembly, Virginia finally has the opportunity to pass meaningful, lasting reproductive freedom legislation. The commonwealth can finally protect a woman’s bodily autonomy, roll-back harmful restrictions on reproductive health care and become a place that respects a woman’s ability to make her own personal health care decisions free from political interference.

Tarina Keene is executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia.