NORTHAM FINDS NEARLY $300 MILLION MORE IN THE BANK FOR BUDGET

Gov. Ralph Northam is giving a nearly $300 million boost to the General Assembly money committees as they prepare to release their versions of the state budget on Sunday afternoon. Buoyed by higher revenues in January, Northam informed the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on Friday that he has found $292.5 million

GOVERNOR: STRONG ECONOMY MEANS MORE MONEY FOR STATE BUDGET

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is telling lawmakers that a stronger than expected economy means they will have an extra $180 million to spend when crafting a state budget. Northam said in a letter to lawmakers Friday that new tax and other revenue estimates for fiscal year 2020 shows an expected increase of about $293 million.

WILL VIRGINIA JOIN STATES PUSHING POPULAR VOTE OVER ELECTORAL COLLEGE?

Four years after Donald Trump was elected president despite losing the popular vote, Virginia lawmakers are considering joining a national coalition of states looking to do away with the Electoral College system. The House of Delegates passed House Bill 177 from Del. Mark Levine, D-Alexandria, on Wednesday in a 51-46 vote.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES OPTS AGAINST MINIMUM-WAGE FREE-FOR-ALL

Local officials in Virginia won’t have the power to set minimum wages within their jurisdictions, as the House of Delegates took no action on a bill aimed at giving localities that power. A House subcommittee let the proposal, by Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria-Arlington), die without a hearing

CONFEDERATE STATUES IN STATE CAPITOL REMAIN UNADDRESSED

As the General Assembly wrestles over whether to give localities the right to control their Confederate monuments, their debate is being waged in the State Capitol — a virtual shrine to the Confederacy. A full-size statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee adorns the museum-like Old House Chamber, a largely ceremonial room on view to visitors and during tours. It was at that spot where the statue stands, docents tell visitors, that Gen. Lee accepted command of the Army of Northern Virginia, leading the Confederates’ strategy and battle efforts in the Civil War against the United States of America.

CASINO GAMBLING ADVANCES WITH PAMUNKEY TRIBE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

The Pamunkey Indian Tribe has gained a boost from the General Assembly in its efforts to build lavish casino-resort hotels in Richmond and Norfolk. This week, both the state Senate and House of Delegates passed bills for the second year to allow casino gambling that require both cities “to provide substantial and preferred consideration” to the tribe’s proposals.

BRISTOL SUPERINTENDENT KEITH PERRIGAN, RURAL SCHOOLS CALL FOR MORE FUNDING

Bristol Virginia School Superintendent Keith Perrigan urged state lawmakers to fulfill their campaign promises and provide additional funding for schools during a Richmond news conference. Perrigan, who also serves as president of the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools in Virginia, was among several speakers,

GUN-TOTING STATE SENATOR EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE BID FOR VIRGINIA GOVERNOR

State Sen. Amanda Chase, a suburban Republican known for embracing President Trump and wearing a .38 Special on her hip, will have a "huge" announcement Monday — feeding speculation that she will run for governor next year.

TOP DONOR PULLS OUT OF VIRGINIA DEMS' GALA BECAUSE FAIRFAX WILL SPEAK

A high-level sponsor for Virginia Democrats’ annual fundraising gala Saturday is pulling out of the event, citing a speaking role for Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. Top Democratic donor Michael Bills, an investor from Charlottesville who chairs the utility reform group Clean Virginia, said Friday that he could not overlook the “credible allegations of rape and sexual assault” against Fairfax

NORFOLK MAYOR KENNY ALEXANDER ENDORSES BLOOMBERG FOR PRESIDENT, DESPITE HIS CONTROVERSIAL RECORD ON RACE

Norfolk’s mayor has backed a different mayor — Michael Bloomberg, former three-term chief executive of New York City — as the race for the Democratic nomination for president continues to heat up.

DELS. GUZMAN, CARTER NAMED CO-CHAIRS FOR BERNIE SANDERS' VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN

Two Northern Virginia Democrats are backing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for president and have been named as leaders of his Virginia campaign. Del. Lee Carter, D-Manassas, and Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William, are among the co-chairs the Sanders campaign announced on Friday

VIRGINIA NOW HAS A PLAN TO SAVE THE STATE’S LARGEST WATERBIRD COLONY AT HAMPTON ROADS BRIDGE-TUNNEL

The uncertain future of Virginia’s largest waterbird colony along the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel finally has some answers. Gov. Ralph Northam’s office outlined a plan Friday that highlights a number of ways the commonwealth plans to stitch together habitat for the thousands of birds

AFTER FEDERAL ROLLBACK, VIRGINIA OFFERS NEW BIRD PROTECTIONS

Virginia officials announced plans Friday to create new habitat for about 25,000 seabirds after their nesting grounds were paved for a state tunnel expansion project — a case that highlighted weakened protections for birds across the U.S. under President Donald Trump.

RIVERSIDE JAIL SUPERINTENDENT SAYS SHE RESIGNED DUE TO TOXIC WORK CONDITIONS, LACK OF SUPPORT

Riverside Regional Jail’s superintendent said in her resignation letter that the facility’s operations are plagued by dysfunction and a toxic work climate arose after the jail’s governing body failed to support her reform efforts.

METRO SAFETY AUDIT SHOWS A LACK OF CHECKS, RECORDS AND RULES

The new safety commission overseeing Metrorail found several problems with how Metro maintains its tracks, including a failure to consistently check for heat-related buckling and kinks that could lead to derailments. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission gave Metro 45 days to come up with a plan to fix the 16 safety flaws cited in the commission’s track audit, released Thursday.

RADFORD UNIVERSITY AIMS TO TRIM ITS BUDGET

Radford University is actively looking for ways to cut its spending per the state’s request. The notice came in a Jan. 22 email school President Brian Hemphill sent to faculty and staff. “While Radford University continues to demonstrate strong fiscal health, the Commonwealth is being proactive and, in late Fall 2019, asked state entities, including public colleges and universities, to examine their respective budgets with a critical focus on spending,” it reads.

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF PHARMACY HAS TEMPORARILY RESTORED ITS ACCREDITATION

Hampton University School of Pharmacy’s accreditation has been temporarily reinstated with probation, according to the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. This after the council’s board of directors decided to withdraw the school’s accreditation in a January meeting, citing two standards, “progression” and “educational outcomes,” that it had not been completely meeting.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE EXTENSION CLEARS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW BY FERC

Plans to extend the Mountain Valley Pipeline 75 miles into North Carolina moved forward Friday, even as the initial project remains mired in legal and regulatory challenges. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission concluded that while there would be some environmental damage caused by building the so-called MVP Southgate, it could be minimized

VIRGINIA COLLEGE STUDENTS CREATE WEBSITE TO TRACK CORONAVIRUS

Tracking the coronavirus just got a whole lot easier. When Virginia Tech junior Austin Stout and his friends at the University of Virginia and Stanford saw an e-mail from UVA warning people about the coronavirus, they created trackcorona.live to try to improve on other coronavirus tracking websites.

RESIDENTS BRING MILITIA RESOLUTION, HINTS OF SECESSION TO WISE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Militias and joining West Virginia were part of public comments at Thursday’s Wise County Board of Supervisors meeting. About 50 people — some wearing “Guns Save Lives” stickers and Second Amendment shirts — vented about gun control bills being debated in the General Assembly.

ARLINGTON BOARD RECONSIDERS ITS FULL-ON SUPPORT OF DORSEY

Arlington County Board members say they are reconsidering their support of fellow member Christian Dorsey, because residents are objecting to his failure to return a $10,000 campaign donation as he promised.

HOMELESS IN RICHMOND: VA. CAPITAL HAS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S HIGHEST EVICTION RATES

"Sheriff's office! Anybody home?" yelled a sheriff's deputy with his hand over his gun, his holster unsnapped. Deputy John Vaughan opened the door of an apartment that was empty enough to make his voice echo. A red scooter and an old crib were the only items left.

NEW LIGHT POLES AROUND HAMPTON WILL HAVE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS FOR POLICE

Hampton has installed 15 new light solar-powered poles with surveillance camera capabilities in Y.H. Thomas Park. City officials say the “off-the-grid" poles will illuminate neighborhoods with limited light sources, enhance security to the ball fields and walking trail

STATE FINES VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER’S GROUP FOR VIOLATING ELECTION LAW

The state Department of Elections has fined a group created by Virginia Beach School Board member Laura Hughes to lobby for candidates last year, ruling it didn’t file required paperwork on time. The group, the Virginia Beach Teachers’ Association, drew attention — and caused confusion — on Election Day when supporters showed up at polls handing out sample ballots with their endorsements.

THE VEXIT FANTASY

Tazewell County is a beautiful place with some ugly problems. Over the past decade, it’s lost 8.3% of its population, the fourth-fastest decline of any locality in the state. That’s mostly happened because 2,180 people have moved out of the county. Only five other localities in Virginia have seen more people leave.

SCHAPIRO: VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE IS A BACKDROP FOR INVISIBLE PRIMARY

Justin Fairfax is reminding fellow Democrats who want him to go away that it’s important he stick around. As presiding officer of the Virginia Senate, the lieutenant governor — an alleged sexual assailant — has twice cast a tie-breaking vote to save proposals prized by his party.

CHURCH, ET AL: EDWARDS SHOULD HONOR PLEDGE TO BACK CIAFFONE FOR JUDGESHIP

Judges are an important part of our justice system, and Virginia has a proud history of selecting highly qualified judges. The serious job of picking judges falls to the General Assembly, which has traditionally relied on members of the local bar associations to offer advice and guidance on new judges.

The full list of signatories is at the bottom. All are Roanoke Valley lawyers.