VISUALIZATION: WHICH LEGISLATORS ARE BUSIER THIS YEAR?

Two measures of legislators' workload are 1) the number of committee assignments and 2) the number of bills sponsored. We have a chart that shows how these two measures changed for individual lawmakers compared to 2018.

DEMOCRATIC AGS PLAN TO FILE LAWSUIT OVER ERA

Virginia’s attorney general, who has vowed to go to court if needed to see the Equal Rights Amendment adopted, plans to announce “landmark civil rights litigation” dealing with the proposed Constitutional amendment, his office announced Wednesday. Attorney General Mark Herring is partnering on the lawsuit with fellow Democratic attorneys general Kwame Raoul of Illinois and Aaron Ford of Nevada

VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL PUSHES FOR HATE-CRIME LEGISLATION IN TALK AT SYNAGOGUE

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) said Wednesday that now is the worst time in recent memory for anti-Semitism, hate speech and white supremacy in the United States and urged residents to step up to oppose it.

TRANSPORTATION BILL PASSES SENATE PANEL - WITHOUT SAFETY FEATURES

A divided Senate subcommittee endorsed a sweeping transportation bill on Wednesday that would raise Virginia’s gasoline tax by 12 cents a gallon over three years, but the legislation does not include major new highway safety requirements that Gov. Ralph Northam has proposed as part of the omnibus funding package. The legislation also would restore the annual registration fees that Northam had proposed to cut in half.

REPORT: 19,000 VIRGINIANS WOULD LOSE MONEY IF RIGHT-TO-WORK LAW IS REPEALED

About 19,000 Virginians would face a pay cut if the commonwealth fully repeals its current right-to-work protections, according to a report issued by the nonprofit VirginiaWorks....If these protections are repealed, thousands of Virginians likely would be forced to pay union dues or risk being fired from their jobs. According to the report, the average private sector union dues are $750 annually, which would be taken from a worker’s paycheck.

PROPOSED FUND WOULD BOOST RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS ON COAL SITES

New funding for renewable energy projects on brownfields and former coal sites could become available under a proposed program before Virginia’s General Assembly. The Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund would provide up to $35 million annually for sun, wind and geothermal projects under House Bill 754, introduced by Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City. Dels. Chris Hurst, D-Blacksburg, and Tony Wilt, R-Harrisonburg, are chief co-patrons of the bill.

MENHADEN MIGHT NOT BE REGULATED BY VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE ANYMORE

Virginia moved to keep fishing for menhaden in Chesapeake Bay, but a legislative compromise that got its first nods this week means the big boats from Reedville won’t catch quite as much. The reason is that the most political fish of all would no longer be regulated by the General Assembly, where state Senate and House of Delegates panels say the legislature should turn the job over to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the panel that oversees every other fish.

SENATE BACKS BILL TO REPEAL ABORTION RESTRICTIONS AS FAIRFAX BREAKS 20-20 TIE

The Virginia Senate on Wednesday voted to roll back restrictions on abortion, a day after the House of Delegates backed a similar measure. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax broke a 20-20 tie as the chamber approved Senate Bill 733 from Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, which would remove the mandatory 24-hour waiting period and the required ultrasound women must get before proceeding with an abortion.

VIRGINIA SENATE OKS UNDOING GOP-BACKED ABORTION RESTRICTIONS

The Virginia Senate approved legislation Wednesday that would undo restrictions on abortion put in place when Republicans controlled the legislature. The new Democratic majority voted to roll back provisions including a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion and a requirement that women seeking an abortion undergo an ultrasound and counseling. The 20-20 vote came after about an hour of heated debate. Sen. Joe Morrissey split with fellow Democrats

NONPROFIT URGES LAWMAKERS TO PROTECT DOMESTIC WORKER RIGHTS

After a 15-hour work day, Lenka Mendoza is tired but she prepares to do it all over again the next day. Mendoza spoke Tuesday at a Care in Action press conference in support of several General Assembly bills, dubbed the Virginia Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The nonprofit advocates for fairness and dignity for U.S. domestic workers, including 60,000 domestic workers in Virginia, according to director Alexsis Rodgers.

SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE REJECTS ENERGY COMPETITION PROPOSALS

A Senate subcommittee on Wednesday voted down proposals to expand retail competition in Virginia’s energy markets....The measures, which were rolled into one bill championed by Democratic Sen. Jeremy McPike of Prince William, would allow energy customers more leeway to buy power from entities other than the reigning utility, particularly when it comes to renewable energy.

SPORTS BETTING MAY FINALLY COME TO VA. IF A STATE BILL WINS SUPPORT

Virginia lawmakers will consider fully legalizing online sports betting during their 2020 legislative session, while also tackling more substantial changes that could allow for the construction of casinos. The moves would be a big change for the commonwealth, where gambling has long been outlawed save for the lottery, charitable gaming and horse racing.

VIRGINIA SENATE MOVES TO BAN ELECTRONIC 'SKILL GAMES,' BUT KEEPS OPTIONS OPEN

A Senate committee voted to ban electronic “skill games” in Virginia, but then left open the option to regulate them or allow full competition with slot machines in retail outlets across the state. The series of votes by the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on Wednesday leaves the decision to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. Its chairwoman, Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, is now calling for a ban on unregulated electronic skill games that have been cutting into Virginia Lottery profits.

DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATES SPEAK AGAINST BILL TO LEGALIZE PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE

A group of medical professionals and disability rights advocates gathered in the state legislature’s office building Wednesday morning to speak out against a bill that would legalize physician-assisted suicide in Virginia.

PANEL TO CONSIDER BILL ESTABLISHING PASSENGER RAIL AUTHORITY

A House committee decided Wednesday to temporarily postpone action on a comprehensive transportation bill that, in part, establishes a governing body to purchase and manage railways, something supporters said the state has gone too long without. The House Finance Committee, citing time constraints and the bill’s complexity, will act Monday on House Bill 1414, introduced by House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax.

ONLINE CONCEALED CARRY COURSES WOULD NOT SUFFICE UNDER SENATE-APPROVED BILL

In a party-line vote, the Virginia Senate voted Wednesday to remove the option for people trying to get a concealed handgun permit to demonstrate their competence by completing an online test.

BILLS AIM TO FIX GLARING SHORTAGE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSES IN VIRGINIA

A recent study from the Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care showed many people in the state have to travel long distances for medical care after they’ve been sexually assaulted. That’s because Virginia has a shortage of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE). These specialized, forensic nurses examine patients, collect evidence and testify in court to convict perpetrators.

VIRGINIA SENATE BACKS BAN ON HOLDING A PHONE WHILE DRIVING

The Virginia Senate has approved a ban on holding a phone while driving. The body approved Senate Bill 160 from Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, in a 33-7 vote. The Senate also backed the bill last year, but it died in a conference committee. "This problem today is an epidemic," Surovell said.

BAN ON STRIP SEARCHES OF CHILDREN IN VIRGINIA PRISONS PASSES STATE SENATE UNANIMOUSLY

Two bills designed to prevent the state Department of Corrections from strip searching children and stop the practice of banning visitors who refuse a strip search passed the state Senate unanimously Wednesday and will head to the House of Delegates.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES PANEL KILLS 'TEBOW BILL'

Home-schooled students still won’t be able to compete in public school sports. A House of Delegates subcommittee on Wednesday killed House Bill 226 from Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, which would have barred public schools from joining an organization that governs athletics that doesn’t allow home-schooled students to be eligible to play.

IF MONEY TALKS, HERE’S WHAT LEGISLATORS’ PROPOSED BUDGET AMENDMENTS SAY

Talk about putting money where your mouth is: Del. Martha Mugler, D-Hampton, is serious – really serious – about boosting Virginia teachers’ pay to the national average. She’s proposed amending the state budget to include $506 million to do just that. While there are a couple of different ways of comparing teacher pay from state to state, the Virginia Department of Education says the average teacher salary in Virginia of just under $52,000 in 2017, was 14% below the national average.

MAKING THE ERA PERMANENT: DANICA ROEM HAS AMENDMENT TATTOOED ON HER ARM

For Virginia Del. Danica A. Roem, merely voting for the Equal Rights Amendment did not feel like enough of a statement. That’s why Sunday, on the night before the historic passage of the amendment, she went to a tattoo parlor in Loudoun County. In black cursive, an artist tattooed the first 24 words of the Equal Rights Amendment onto the inside of her left arm.

DGIF CONSIDERING NAME CHANGE

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries may be changing its name to Board of Wildlife Resources if a bill by Sen. Creigh Deeds, (D–District 25) fully progresses though the General Assembly. The legislation recently passed unanimously in the full senate.

BUFFETT SELLS RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, NINE OTHER VIRGINIA NEWSPAPERS

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is transitioning from an owner of newspapers to a financier. His BH Media Group is selling its newspaper operations, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch and nine other daily newspapers in Virginia, to Lee Enterprises Inc. of Davenport, Iowa, a media company that has managed those publications for the past 18 months.

WARREN BUFFETT GETS OUT OF THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS

Billionaire Warren Buffett is giving up on the newspaper business. He’s selling all of Berkshire Hathaway’s publications to Lee Enterprises for $140 million, including the Omaha World-Herald in Nebraska and The Buffalo News in New York. Buffett is a lifelong fan of newspapers but he has said for several years that he expects most of them to continue on their declining trajectory

AMAZON, ARLINGTON TO PURCHASE ENERGY FROM COUNTY SOLAR FARM

Technology giant Amazon has announced it is partnering with Arlington County to purchase the energy from a 120-megawatt Pittsylvania County solar project which is being named Amazon Arlington Solar Farm Virginia. The project is 7 miles northwest of Chatham. Formerly called the Maplewood Solar Project, the solar farm is to be developed by Dominion Energy.

FAIRFAX TO SEEK FUNDING FOR SECOND MCLEAN METRO STATION ENTRANCE

Fairfax County supervisors on Jan. 28 were slated to approve a resolution authorizing county Department of Transportation Director Tom Biesiadny to seek $10.1 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) to pay for several projects, including $1 million for construction of a second entrance to the McLean Metro station.

SORENSEN INSTITUTE GETS NEW DIRECTOR

Veteran Virginia political and legal adviser Larry Roberts has been named director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia, officials announced Tuesday. Roberts is the institute’s fifth director.

NEW STUDY IS MORE EVIDENCE OF HOW POULTRY OPERATIONS WORSEN COASTAL POLLUTION

Poultry operations are a big source of nitrogen pollution in waterways, and nitrogen is a major pollutant in the Chesapeake Bay. A new study confirms that antibiotics and byproducts found in treated wastewater from chicken processing plants also inhibit the natural microbes in water and sediment that otherwise would help remove nitrogen.

REPORT FINDS RACIAL DISPARITY AT ALMOST EVERY LEVEL OF LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Black residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle County are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system and face disparity on nearly every level, according to a study commissioned by the localities. The report, which studied Charlottesville and Albemarle County, took an expansive look at available data from 2014 through 2016 to determine if black people are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system — and if they get unfair treatment.

WOMEN TO LEAD COUNTY’S THREE GOVERNING BODIES

For the first time in Chesterfield County’s history, women have been chosen to lead its three top governing bodies. Gloria Freye was elected chairwoman of the Chesterfield Planning Commission during its inaugural 2020 meeting last Tuesday. She joins Leslie Haley and Debbie Bailey, who were voted by their peers earlier this month to chair the Board of Supervisors and School Board, respectively.

EMAIL REVEALS TALK AMONG COUNCILMEN ABOUT DANVILLE RESOLUTION AMID GUN-CONTROL DEBATE

Emails between Danville city councilmen reveal possible concern over proposed wording for a Danville City Council resolution in response to expected gun-control legislation from Richmond. In one exchange, Vice Mayor Lee Vogler stated in a Dec. 12 email to councilmen Fred Shanks and Madison Whittle and Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, that Mayor Alonzo Jones “is concerned about pissing off Richmond.”

LEESBURG COUNCIL DISCUSSES STEINBERG LETTER, TOWN ATTORNEY IN CLOSED SESSION

The majority of Leesburg Town Council tensions remained behind closed doors this week as council members responded to Councilman Neil Steinberg’s recent letter to the editor and held two closed sessions about the performance of Town Attorney Barbara Notar. After Tuesday night’s closed session, council unanimously directed Town Manager Kaj Dentler to “proceed with discussion with the town attorney as discussed in closed session,” Mayor Kelly Burk said.

VIRGINIA PERPETUATES SCHOOL DISPARITY

A curious thing happened in Richmond this week. On Monday, teachers rallied at the state Capitol to call for more school funding. State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, held a news conference to endorse that: “Every child, regardless of their ZIP code, regardless of the block they live in, deserves a free high quality public education. We have promised them that in our constitution.”

VIRGINIA MAY KILL RIGHT TO WORK

Democrats in Virginia aren’t wasting time with their first statehouse majority in 26 years—by repealing the state’s 70-year-old right-to-work law that has helped the commonwealth thrive.

DON'T REPEAL RIGHT TO WORK LAW

Historically, the commonwealth of Virginia and the Richmond Times-Dispatch have both placed great value upon the concepts of individual liberty and the right to self-determination. Virginia’s right-to-work law honors those ideals. The law itself is simple enough: No worker should be forced to join a union or pay union dues against his or her will as a condition of employment.

TEENAGE KILLERS SHOULD BE TRIED AS ADULTS

SHOULD the minimum age to be tried as an adult for juveniles accused of committing violent felonies be raised from 14 to 16? Bills patroned by Del. Josh Cole, D–Fredericksburg, (HB 274) and Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D–Prince William, (HB 477) propose eliminating the automatic transfer to circuit court for juvenile offenders aged 14 and over who are accused of first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding. But there are several good reasons why the current law should not be changed.

PERSONAL FINANCE CLASSES AND PAYING FOR SCHOOL GO HAND IN HAND

More than 1 million Virginians carry student loan debt. The average amount is an estimated $37,000, and as people work to pay off their debt, the state is pioneering the search for solutions. On Jan. 1, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia released its Annual Report of the Office of the Qualified Loan Ombudsman. Established during the 2018 General Assembly session, the office provides assistance to student loan borrowers and connects them with resources.

TEAR DOWN THE BARRIERS TO VOTING IN VIRGINIA

When A federal appeals court upheld Virginia’s voter ID law in 2016, the panel of three judges, all Republican appointees, felt compelled to perform exquisite pirouettes of logic. Faced with the plain fact that the law’s real-world effect is to disproportionately impede ballot access for black voters, who are more likely to lack photo IDs required for in-person voting, the judges skirted the issue of disparate impact.

SCHAPIRO: JUDGING PENSIONS FOR VIRGINIA JUDGES

A circuit court judge in Virginia Beach is worried he’ll get stiffed on his retirement pay — that he won’t get full credit for years on the public payroll before going to the bench, for which he is annually paid almost $176,000. One of his city’s delegates, Republican Barry Knight, said the judge, Les Lilley, asked him for a legislative fix, ensuring Lilley’s pension includes cash amassed during two decades as municipal attorney.

POLITIFACT: GUN CONTROL IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

A Democratic-backed package on gun-control bills is advancing in the General Assembly this winter despite protests that it would confiscate firearms from law-abiding Virginians. Last fall’s elections gave Democrats majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time this century. They’ve been working to pass eight gun-control bills proposed by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.

CRAWFORD: VIRGINIA'S ENERGY POLICIES SHOULD REFLECT KING'S LESSONS

In 1967, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped up to the pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to deliver what would ultimately be his final Christmas Eve sermon. Being the holiday season, it’s not surprising that he wanted to talk about world peace. What was surprising, though, was how Dr. King decided to approach the subject: by talking about the planet as a whole.

Crawford is the director of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, a Richmond-based nonprofit.

TIME TO PROTECT VIRGINIANS FROM DRIVERS ON CELL PHONES

Even though we’re aware of the dangers of distracted driving, we still do it. Increasingly, drivers are posting on social media, scrolling through Spotify playlists, live streaming video, and binge-watching television shows. These activities put motorists, their passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists in real danger. We need better driver behavior and stronger laws

Nancy Egan is assistant vice president and state government relations counsel for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association

KEENA, GILBERT AND GREEN: THE REDISTRICTING AMENDMENT WILL STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY IN VIRGINIA

This year, lawmakers in the General Assembly are considering a proposal to change the way election districts are drawn in Virginia. The proposal would amend the Virginia Constitution to transfer redistricting authority from the General Assembly to a new redistricting commission made up jointly of citizens and legislators. The public overwhelmingly supports this proposal, but some Democratic lawmakers are wavering now that their party controls state government.

Alex Keena is a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Michael D. Gilbert is a law professor at the University of Virginia. Rebecca Green is a law professor at William & Mary.