VISUALIZATION: IF MONEY WERE VOTES

Virginia residents have donated $8 million to candidates running for president, according to latest numbers from the Federal Elections Commission. VPAP has a tool that lets you pick any two candidates and shows which one has raised the most by region. You can zoom to the ZIP Code level to see who has raised the most in your neighborhood. Caveat: Some candidates (including Donald Trump) list most of their small donors, while others do not.

POLICE CLEAR THE ROOM AFTER HOUSE PANEL BACKS ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

A House of Delegates committee on Friday backed the most controversial bill of Virginia Democrats' gun control package, a vote that led to gun-rights supporters being escorted out of a committee room. The House Public Safety Committee voted 12-9 to send a revised version of an assault weapons ban proposed by Del. Mark Levine, D-Alexandria, to the full House of Delegates.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS ADVANCE ASSAULT WEAPON BAN

Democratic lawmakers in Virginia are advancing legislation to ban the sale of assault weapons and the possession of high-capacity magazines despite fierce opposition from gun owners. A state House committee on Friday advanced legislation backed by Gov. Ralph Northam to ban the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles, and silencers and prohibit the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds.

RAUCOUS ROOM CLEARED AFTER COMMITTEE SUPPORTS BILL TARGETING ASSAULT WEAPONS, HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES

House Democrats used their majority Friday to advance the most controversial gun control bill this General Assembly session, a ban on the sale of assault weapons and the possession of “high capacity” magazines of 12 or more rounds. The House Public Safety Committee backed HB 961 on a 12-9 party-line vote, sending it to the floor of the House of Delegates. The bill would, among other things, require Virginians to turn over or destroy ammunition magazines considered to be “high capacity” and allow the possession of centerfire assault rifles but prohibit the transfer or sale of them in most situations.

BAN ON SALES OF ASSAULT WEAPONS ADVANCES IN VIRGINIA, STIRRING ANGER

A bill banning the sale of assault-style weapons and possession of high-capacity magazines cleared a House committee Friday, drawing such an angry reaction from gun rights activists that the panel’s chairman had Capitol Police clear the room. Sponsored by Del. Mark H. Levine (D-Alexandria), the measure would prohibit the sale or transfer of those firearms beginning July 1, and outlaw possession of the magazines six months later, on Jan. 1, 2021.

WHERE 30 VIRGINIA ISSUES STAND AHEAD OF TUESDAY CROSSOVER DEADLINE

The General Assembly, now under Democratic control, is backing sweeping changes on issues ranging from cellphones to cigarettes and from gaming to guns. Here's an update on where 30 Virginia issues stand ahead of Crossover, the 60-day session's procedural midpoint.

HOUSE BACKS BILL TO ALLOW RANKED-CHOICE VOTING IN LOCAL CONTESTS

Virginia could soon have ranked-choice voting in local elections. House Bill 1103 from Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, would let localities use ranked-choice voting, an emerging electoral process. The bill passed the House of Delegates on Friday in a 57-42 vote.

WILL VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS HONOR LAST YEAR'S PLEDGE FOR FAIRER POLITICAL MAPS?

Virginia could change the way it draws state and Congressional districts this year, potentially affecting which party holds more power in the state for a decade. A push for an redistricting commission began last year and is continuing in the General Assembly, where Democrats are now in the majority. The debate picked up steam after parts of the map drawn after the 2010 census were thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court.

VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS EYEING PLASTIC BAG TAX, BUT WILL IT WORK?

While convenient for shoppers, plastic bags can be an environmental eyesore, and they can also harm wildlife if they end up in rivers or oceans. They’re now in the sights of the Virginia General Assembly, where lawmakers are considering imposing a new tax on plastic bags. Virginia's environmental groups have been asking for a plastic bag ban or tax for years. With the new Democratic majority in the General Assembly, that legislation seems likely to pass.

LOOKING AT THE GREEN — GREENBACKS, THAT IS — IN CLEAN ENERGY EFFORTS

There was lots of talk about long hours of stakeholders’ negotiations to get Virginia a clean energy bill as the week came to an end — just as, at the start of the week, there was some sharp senatorial criticism of secretly negotiated changes to a proposal that had already won a thumbs up from a Commerce and Labor subcommittee.

LEGISLATION AIMED AT GIVING FORMER DRUG USERS A SECOND CHANCE PASSES HOUSE

As Virginia seeks to expand treatment options for people with substance use disorder, the House of Delegates has passed a bill aimed at making it easier for people in recovery to work for certain programs that help others fight their addictions. The state has moved in recent years to increase the number of peer recovery specialists, or people who have lived through addiction or mental illness but have achieved substantial recovery and are trained to support others.

HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES HUDSON'S STATUES BILL

Days after an omnibus bill seeking to put control of war monuments into the hands of localities was approved by a Virginia Senate committee, a House version created in part by a Charlottesville legislator likewise advanced.

VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS PASS BILLS TO IMPROVE OVERSIGHT OF STUDENT LOAN SERVICERS

Virginia legislators hope a proposal backed by both chambers will protect borrowers from their student loan servicers. The “Borrower’s Bill of Rights,” as it’s commonly referred to, cleared the House of Delegates in late January and the Senate unanimously approved it on Wednesday.

JOHNSON: CASINO HOLDS KEY TO FURTHER PINNACLE DEVELOPMENT

A casino holds the key to a proposed $500 million development on the Virginia portion of The Pinnacle, developer Steve Johnson said. Johnson continues to urge the Virginia General Assembly to consider a proposed $250 million casino and hotel that would be operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, as part of his plans to develop 350 acres in Washington County, Virginia.

BANNING SKILL GAMES IN VIRGINIA COULD BE BAD BET FOR CONVENIENCE STORE OWNERS

On a Friday afternoon, the inside of the VA Food Mart in Richmond is all abuzz with the ringing and pinging of games of skill. The gaming machines have been popping up in area convenience stores but the General Assembly is threatening to take the convenience store’s cash cow away. The Virginia House of Delegates recently voted to do away with them.

VIRGINIA FORNICATION LAW REPEAL ONE STEP CLOSER

Lawmakers are closing a legal loophole that could charge unmarried people with a crime for having consensual sex. The House of Delegates passed a bill this week that aims to repeal the crime of fornication, which makes it illegal for people to have consensual sex outside of marriage.

EMOTIONAL SPEECH FROM FIRST TRANS DELEGATE HIGHLIGHTS CHANGE IN VA. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The air of change gripping Virginia's legislature has mostly played out in grand fashion, from gun rallies to jubilant crowds celebrating passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. But this week, it got personal. Bills were grinding through the House of Delegates. Democratic leaders, flexing their new majority, often cut off debate to keep the machinery moving. Republicans tried to pick their battles, usually certain of defeat.

LAWMAKER’S PRIVILEGE TIES UP CASE AGAINST EX-NASCAR DRIVER

For a year and a half, a Virginia mother of seven young girls has been frustrated by repeated delays in the domestic violence case against her estranged husband because his defense lawyer exercised a privilege that most other attorneys don’t have. Nine separate times, court records show, the appeals trial for her former NASCAR driver husband has been delayed because his attorney, Republican state lawmaker Jeff Campbell, signaled he was too busy with legislative business to go to court.

IN NORFOLK, TRUMP'S FIRED NAVY SECRETARY ENDORSES BLOOMBERG FOR PRESIDENT

The former Navy secretary who was fired after criticizing President Donald Trump endorsed Democrat Michael Bloomberg for president on Friday, saying the U.S. needs a leader with integrity who would have “a steady hand on the wheel.” Former Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced the endorsement during a campaign event in Norfolk.

SUPPORTERS AND PROTESTERS GATHER AT MIKE BLOOMBERG’S NORFOLK CAMPAIGN EVENT

Some signs read “Trump 2020.” Another said “We don’t need your dirty $$." And another said “Killing tiny humans is not health care.” A crowd of protesters joined dozens of supporters at presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg’s campaign event in Norfolk Friday. It’s his fifth visit to Virginia since launching his campaign in November, his team said.

KAINE: A VETOED WAR POWER RESOLUTION CAN HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine acknowledges that the War Powers Act is a bit of an obsession for him. The Virginia Democrat doesn’t want any president to start an armed conflict without the permission of Congress. He didn’t want President Barack Obama to do it and he doesn’t want President Donald Trump to do it, either.

ALLEGED DOWNTOWN ROANOKE BOILER ROOM HAS CLOSED, AG SAYS, AS CASE CONTINUES

An alleged illegal telemarketing boiler room that operated in downtown Roanoke has closed since Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring filed suit last summer. But Herring and the people he hoped to hold responsible have yet to debate the case in court or court filings.

VA. OFFICIALS HOPE TO COORDINATE TRANSPORTATION EFFORT WITH MARYLAND

Virginia leaders rejoiced last year when Maryland officials announced plans to expand American Legion Bridge capacity and extend Express Lanes from the bridge to Interstate 270. But coordinating Maryland’s initiatives with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) plans to lengthen Express Lanes between the Dulles Toll Road and George Washington Memorial Parkway is vital to avoid inconveniencing motorists and local residents, said Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville).

LOUDOUN COUNTY LEADERS DOUBTFUL ON 2020 METRO OPENING IN ASHBURN

The target opening date for the highly anticipated Metrorail Silver Line into Loudoun County remains in question. As future riders watch and wait, regional agencies and county leaders are mulling over when Metro into Ashburn will be fully operational and welcome riders. Numerous setbacks have been encountered since the project's launch

ASHLAND TO PETERSBURG MULTI-USE TRAIL GETS A LITTLE CLOSER TO REALITY

A proposed multi-use trail from Ashland to Petersburg is one step closer to reality. The Virginia Department of Transportation just completed its year-long study that included how it would look and how to fund it. The trail will span just over 40 miles from Ashland to Petersburg when it’s complete. That’s roughly 10 miles shorter than the Capitol Trail, which runs from Richmond to Williamsburg. Bike Walk RVA Director of Outreach Brantley Tyndall said it will serve commuters, not just recreational riders: “It will be a metropolitan backbone for biking and walking.”

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CONTINUE WITH MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE, GROUP SAYS

Problems with erosion and sedimentation along the construction zone of the Mountain Valley Pipeline have continued, despite a winter slowdown in the work. Inspections by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality found repeated violations from Sept. 19 through Dec. 20, 2019, according to an analysis by Wild Virginia, one of the environmental groups opposed to the natural gas pipeline being built through Southwest Virginia.

DIOCESE OF RICHMOND ALLOWS FATHER MARK WHITE TO KEEP HIS COLLAR BUT NOT HIS VOICE

Father Mark White, priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Martinsville and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Rocky Mount, will keep his job under a modified agreement of silence arranged at a meeting Wednesday at the Catholic Diocese offices. Late last year Bishop Barry Knestout ordered White to silence and threatened to remove him from the priesthood because of a popular blog White populated with comments of frustration and disgust over how the church hierarchy had responded to the many sexual abuse scandals in the church and particularly the cases involving former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick, who had ordained White as a priest.

ARLINGTON SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES PRE-LABOR DAY START FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

Arlington Public Schools are the latest in Northern Virginia to decide to start classes before Labor Day beginning next school year. The first day of classes will be Aug. 31, one week before Labor Day. Schools in Falls Church, as well as Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties have also decided to start classes before Labor Day.

FAIRFAX SCHOOL SYSTEM TAKES FIRST STEP TOWARD RENAMING ROBERT E. LEE HIGH

The largest school system in Virginia could strip the name of a Confederate general from one of its schools. Members of the Fairfax County School Board decided Thursday night to consider renaming Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield. Board members overwhelmingly indicated they would support a change and will formally vote on the renaming at a future meeting. Tamara Derenak Kaufax, the school board member who represents the area where Lee sits, said she hopes the renaming effort will finish before the 2020-2021 school year. “Confederate values are not ones that align with our community,” she said.

MAYOR WITHDRAWS PROPOSAL TO NAME CITY PARK PLAZA FOR DOMINION ENERGY

A new plaza proposed for the city-owned Low Line Green that runs along the Capital Trail on the riverfront will not bear the name of Dominion Energy. Mayor Levar M. Stoney on Tuesday withdrew legislation to make that happen.

JUDGE BARS PUBLIC FROM HEARING FOR PORTSMOUTH POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF RAPING TEENAGER WHILE ON DUTY

A judge barred the public from the courtroom Thursday in the case of a Portsmouth police officer accused of raping a 17-year-old girl while on duty last year. Prosecutors presented evidence and testimony at a preliminary hearing for Cleshaun Cox — but details about that evidence and testimony remain publicly unknown as a Virginian-Pilot reporter was not permitted to attend the hearing. The newspaper objected to the courtroom closure.

DANVILLE WAITING TURN ON GAMBLING

It looks like Danville will not try to come up with a proposed definition for indoor recreation until after the state decides the legality of so-called “gray” machines. Members of the Danville Planning Commission informally decided during a work session Thursday afternoon to wait until the General Assembly decides whether to allow skill-based indoor electronic gaming machines.

TOWN OF SOUTH HILL FACES FOIA LAWSUIT

Mr. Richard Hawkins of Midlothian, Virginia has filed a Petition for Mandamus under the Freedom of Information Act with the Mecklenburg County Circuit Court against the Town of South Hill. The Petition calls for the Court to “review all withheld documents, to reject the exemptions asserted by the Town, to order the Town to produce the requested documents, and to order all other appropriate relief.

HISTORIC AFRICAN AMERICAN SCHOOL IN BEDFORD GETS BACK ORIGINAL NAME

In 1970, the Bedford County School Board voted to change the name of Susie G. Gibson High School — the first new high school for black students in Bedford County during the era of racially segregated schools — to the Bedford Education Center, despite protest from Bedford County residents. On Thursday, 50 years later, the Bedford County School Board voted to reinstate the name of the educator the school originally honored.

TRUST ISSUES PROVE RICHMOND NEEDS A FRESH NAVY HILL PROPOSAL

Charlie Johnson, president and CEO of C.H. Johnson Consulting Inc., walked into a recent Richmond City Council committee meeting to deliver an assessment of the Navy Hill project. His firm was paid $215,000 by the council to conduct a third-party analysis, and on paper, he liked what he saw.

PERFECTION NOT POSSIBLE WITH REDISTRICTING AMENDMENT

"The perfect is the enemy of the good.” That aphorism fits nothing so well as the current fight over advancing a Virginia constitutional amendment to reform a politicized redistricting process. But one piece of good news appeared this week: The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee approved the amendment on strongly bipartisan terms.

BETTER THAN NOTHING

We’ve written a lot about how the new Democratic majority in the General Assembly seems as disinclined as the previous Republican one to do anything about disparities between Virginia’s most affluent schools and its poorest ones. A Senate committee punted until next year a proposed constitutional amendment (from state Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County) that would guarantee “equal educational opportunities” for all students.

ON REDISTRICTING, WILL VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS CHOOSE HYPOCRISY OR PRINCIPLE?

Ever since they regained control of the state legislature in Richmond last fall, Virginia Democrats have hemmed and hawed about prospects for redistricting reform, a cause in whose favor they spoke so stirringly when they were in the minority. For more than two decades in the political wilderness, many Democrats who moaned that gerrymandering had poisoned state politics prescribed nonpartisan redistricting as the antidote.

SCHAPIRO: YOU REALLY OUGHT TO GIVE VIRGINIA A TRY

One of the toe-tappers in the 1957 musical “The Music Man” includes this line: “You really ought to give Iowa a try.” Democrats have again — in their 2020 presidential nominating contest, that is. Now they’re singing the blues.

BRANSCOM, ROGERS AND TURK: WE SUPPORT THE REAPPOINTMENT OF JUDGE MARCUS HARDING LONG, JR.

We are two lifelong Republicans, one lifelong Democrat, two career defense attorneys with more than three decades of practice in the New River and Roanoke Valleys and one career prosecutor in the New River Valley and Roanoke Valley with more than three decades of prosecutions. We have appeared in front of Judge Marc Long hundreds of times and before over a hundred other judges. We know Judge Long to be one of the finest jurists before whom we have practiced.

Brancom is Commonwealth's Attorney for Floyd County. Rogers and Turk are attorneys in the New River Valley.