VaNews
February 22, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Pew’s Consumer Finance Project
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Research shows how Virginia can balance consumer protections, affordability, and access to credit by modernizing its payday and title loan markets: [link removed] ([link removed])

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** VPAP Visual Presidental Donations from Virginia ([link removed])
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The Virginia Public Access Project

In January, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders raised more money in Virginia than former Vice President Joe Biden for the second month in a row. VPAP shows how much Democratic presidential candidates have raised recently in Virginia heading into the March 3 Super Tuesday primary.
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** Virginia lawmakers say they have a deal on ‘red flag’ law ([link removed])
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By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Key state lawmakers have come to a consensus on a bill that allows police to temporarily seize guns from people deemed by a judge a risk to themselves or others. The lawmakers sponsoring the Senate and House versions of an extreme risk protection order, also known as the “red flag” law, have come to an agreement, which largely reflects the Senate’s version.
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** Top Virginia Democrat blames gun-sanctuary resolutions for denial of raises ([link removed])
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By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

After a Republican state senator lost his bid to give raises to sheriff's deputies a year sooner than proposed, Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw approached him on the floor to explain why. “Hey Stanley,” Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said to Sen. Bill Stanley of Franklin County on Thursday, according to an account Stanley later posted on Facebook. “You want to know why your sheriffs didn’t get a raise? — because they came to our committees and said that they weren’t going to enforce our laws.”
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** Pipeline politics hover over U.S. Supreme Court review ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Five years ago, Dominion Energy and its partners in the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline changed the project's path through the Blue Ridge Mountains to avoid having to ask Congress for permission to cross the Appalachian Trail. But the path instead has led the pipeline company to the U.S. Supreme Court
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** The poll tax finally being stripped from the law ([link removed])
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By MARIE ALBIGES, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

When Charlene Butts was a junior at Norview High School in Norfolk, her mother was in Washington, D.C., arguing for the right to vote without having to pay a tax. Charlene and her mother Evelyn Butts had already endured the discrimination of Massive Resistance — Virginia’s push in the 1950s to fight desegration ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education
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** How A Moderate Virginia May Boost Bloomberg’s Presidential Prospects ([link removed])
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By MARTIN AUSTERMUHLE, WAMU

Michael Bloomberg upended most political norms and expectations when he jumped into the Democratic presidential race. He promised to use his billions to self-fund his campaign, and said he’d also skip the first four primaries and caucuses — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — to instead set his eyes on Super Tuesday (that’s March 3rd to you), when primary voters in 15 states and territories cast ballots. And that includes Virginia, with its 99 delegates on offer during the primary.
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** Lawmakers nix idea to invite gun owners from Virginia to relocate to South Dakota ([link removed])
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By SHANNON MARVEL, The Dickinson Press

A resolution to invite responsible gun owners from Virginia to relocate to South Dakota was killed in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Friday, Feb. 21. The bill was moved to the 41st day of the legislative session on a 6-2 vote, which effectively kills the resolution. Sen. John Wiik, R-Big Stone, said that the resolution was to show solidarity to gun owners in Virginia whose Second Amendment rights were being tested.
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The Full Report
29 articles, 17 publications

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** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Is the bipartisan Fair Energy Bills Act facing its demise in the Senate? ([link removed])
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By SARAH VOGELSONG, Virginia Mercury

A bill to restore State Corporation Commission authority in reviewing Dominion Energy’s base rates that passed the House of Delegates with strong bipartisan support may face headwinds in the Senate, one of its patrons fears. Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, who along with Republican Del. Lee Ware of Powhatan is a chief sponsor of the Fair Energy Bills Act, said he is concerned the legislation won’t be docketed for consideration in the more utility-friendly Senate after clearing the House on a 77-23 vote.
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** Bill aims to answer pipeline question: ‘Is this necessary?’ ([link removed])
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By SARAH RANKIN AND ALAN SUDERMAN, Associated Press

As Dominion Energy spearheads the $8 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Virginia lawmakers are advancing legislation sponsored by a Republican who says he wants to protect the company’s captive ratepayers from possible overcharges. Under legislation from Del. Lee Ware, Dominion’s Virginia electric utility would have to demonstrate the need for a new fuel source and show that it “objectively studied” other options
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** Virginia lawmakers want to freeze college tuition again, but with a slant ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Tuition could again freeze at Virginia’s public colleges next year, but this time there’s a twist. The version of the two-year budget that the House of Delegates approved Thursday includes $111.8 million for the state’s public colleges to keep tuition rates flat in an effort to help families and students whose bills have ballooned over the past 10 years.
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** Virginia educators support raise in proposed state budget but want more ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

While the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate have approved versions of the state budget for the next two years, noticeably absent is the full funding of new standards state education leaders say schools need to properly teach students.
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** Lawmakers Want to Give Parents a Heads-Up on Lockdown Drills ([link removed])
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By MEGAN PAULY, WCVE

Lockdown drills have been required in Virginia public schools since 2013. But emerging evidence suggests that these drills can make kids feel less safe at school, and even increase symptoms of anxiety and depression. Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D - Henrico), who’s also a teacher, is sponsoring legislation to require schools to notify parents at least 24-hours before the drills. The bill cleared a Senate committee Thursday and passed the House unanimously a few weeks ago.
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** Virginia plans to crack down on companies that wrongly call employees contractors ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Virginia is gearing up for a major crackdown on employers that say people who work for them are independent contractors when they are not. Legislation allowing workers the right to sue for wages and benefits — including health insurance — they missed out because they were mistakenly classified as independent contractors is moving through both the House of Delegates and state Senate.
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** Bill allows renters to make certain repairs if landlord doesn’t respond ([link removed])
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By WILL GONZALEZ, VCU Capital News Service

A bill that gives tenants the power to make repairs on their property and deduct the costs from their rent, with conditions, recently passed the Virginia Senate and is expected to advance in the House.
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** Virginia lawmakers considering expanded definition of prostitution ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

When a man from New York was seen leaving a Henrico County massage parlor on Nine Mile Road in 2018 with a large sum of cash during a police investigation, detectives thought they finally found their smoking gun. But prosecutors knew it would amount to a misdemeanor charge for what they saw as a much more serious offense.
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** Legislature bans discrimination in organ donation ([link removed])
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By BRIDGET BALCH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Charlotte Woodward was born with a heart condition that resulted in four open-heart surgeries in her adolescence. When she was 22, her doctors said another surgery was not an option and, that for her to live, Woodward would need a new heart. After only 11 days on the organ transplant waitlist, Woodward got her heart — saving her life and allowing her to graduate from high school, attend community college and get a job working for the National Down Syndrome Society.
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** Virginia lawmakers pass bill making hair discrimination illegal ([link removed])
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WVEC

Lawmakers in the House of Delegates overwhelmingly passed a bill that would make hair discrimination illegal in Virginia. Senate Bill 50 introduces the Virginia Human Rights Act, which expands the terms of racial discrimination based on hairstyles. The bill would make it illegal to discriminate against anyone based on hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles like braids, locks and twists.
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** Virginia May Soon Add Shield Law Protections for Journalists ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL POPE, WVTF

Before she was elected to the House of Delegates, Danica Roem was a newspaper reporter for the Gainesville Times and the Prince William Times in Northern Virginia. Now that she’s a delegate, she’s working on a shield law for Virginia, protecting journalists from disclosing confidential sources.
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** Hanger Backs Undocumented-Driver Legislation ([link removed])
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By IAN MUNRO, Daily News Record (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

The General Assembly looks poised to present a path to legal driving for undocumented immigrants, but in what form remains to be seen. “We have a lot of immigrants in our community, in the Valley, across our state who are in an awkward position, if you will,” said Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Mount Solon.
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** Police chief: Del. Chris Hurst was shown no favoritism during DUI traffic stop ([link removed])
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By MIKE GANGLOFF, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

No policies were violated and a police officer did not give Del. Chris Hurst any preferential treatment at the Jan. 26 traffic stop where the legislator was released after blowing just above the legal threshold for drunken driving on a preliminary breath test, concluded a Christiansburg Police Department review of the incident.
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** Roanoke's judges don't reflect city's diversity, says black ex-legislator seeking circuit judgeship ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Legislators representing the Roanoke Valley remain divided on who should fill the impending vacancy on the Roanoke Circuit Court as a General Assembly panel interviewed two candidates on Friday. The Senate Judiciary Committee and House Judicial Panel interviewed Roanoke Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judges Frank Rogers and Onzlee Ware.
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** Fleenor, Doucette apparent picks for circuit bench ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The General Assembly is scheduled to interview 29 candidates for open trial court seats today, including eight prosecutors, five elected commonwealth’s attorneys, and eight district judges being considered for circuit seats. Montgomery County Circuit Judge Marc Long Jr. – having failed to win support from the House of Delegates for another term – could be replaced
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** VSB panel rates Court of Appeals candidates ([link removed])
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By PETER VIETH, Virginia Lawyers Weekly (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Two candidates emerged unopposed among eight considered “highly qualified” for a seat on the Court of Appeals in rankings by the Virginia State Bar’s Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee. Fairfax County Circuit Judge David Bernhard was listed as “highly qualified” by a 12-0 vote. Pittsylvania County Circuit Judge Stacey W. Moreau earned the same designation based on a 16-0 vote when she sought a Court of Appeals seat in 2014.
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** Governor, lawmakers, lobbyists take to the basketball court to raise money for cancer research ([link removed])
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By EMMA GAUTHIER, VCU Capital News Service

The governor, lobbyists, legislators and their assistants left Capitol Square Thursday to face off on the basketball court for a cancer research fundraiser....While the Senate appeared to have the rowdiest fans, that didn’t stop the House from stealing the game. Tension in the stadium rose when the Senate held a two point lead. With less than a second on the clock, the House landed a three-point shot, winning the game 26-25.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Political consultant gets a year in prison for money scam ([link removed])
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Associated Press

A northern Virginia political consultant has been sentenced to a year in prison for diverting tens of thousands of dollars from conservative political action committees and filing false reports to cover it up. Sixty-six-year-old Scott Mackenzie of Arlington was treasurer of multiple PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce and Conservative Majority Fund.


** STATE GOVERNMENT
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** Coronavirus: Virginia health officials monitoring 162 travelers ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Inside NOVA (Metered Paywall)

The Virginia Department of Health is currently monitoring 162 recent travelers at risk of having COVID-19, the new coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan, China. There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Virginia, but health officials say they're monitoring 151 people who have traveled from mainland China in the last 14 days, as well as 11 other people


** CONGRESS
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** Wexton checks out vocational programs at Clarke County High School ([link removed])
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By ANNA MEROD, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Robots and chinchillas were spotted during Rep. Jennifer Wexton’s tour through Clarke County High School on Thursday. As Wexton, D-10th, walked through the halls and classrooms of the high school for about 40 minutes, she was able to get a first-hand look at the opportunities students have in the school’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
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** GOP attorneys general seek to block Equal Rights Amendment ([link removed])
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Associated Press

Five Republican attorneys general are seeking to block an effort by three Democratic-led states to see the Equal Rights Amendment is adopted into the U.S. Constitution. Legal chiefs in five states — Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska and South Dakota — filed a motion on Thursday to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Virginia, Nevada and Illinois.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** Dominion Energy applies early for fuel-rate adjustment, could lower bills by $6 a month ([link removed])
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By KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Dominion Energy says its annual fuel-rate adjustment could result in monthly bills that are about $6 lighter for the average residential customer and 10% lower for large industrial customers.
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** Dominion, PGEC sign deal to bring broadband to Surry County ([link removed])
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By KATE ANDREWS, Va Business Magazine

Dominion Energy Virginia and Prince George Electric Cooperative (PGEC) signed a memorandum of understanding that would bring high-speed internet to about 7,000 households in Surry County, Dominion announced Friday. This is the first time a utility and a cooperative have partnered to expand broadband access in Virginia, according to Dominion’s news release.


** HIGHER EDUCATION
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** VCU will not move forward with Wi-Fi program for attendance tracking ([link removed])
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By KATIE HOLLOWELL, Commonwealth Times

VCU will no longer track selected students’ Wi-Fi locations for class attendance after the conclusion of a controversial pilot program that began in November. Results from the program, Ram Attend, showed 15% of students who participated were not frequently connected to the VCU SafeNet Wi-Fi network. Due to high opt-out rates, small class sizes and some classes being held outside their classrooms, the Wi-Fi data wasn’t clear enough.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Former head of defunct airline goes to prison for fraud in scandal at Newport News-Williamsburg airport ([link removed])
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Southside Daily

The former president of an airline at the center of a financial scandal at Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for fraud in connection with the failure of People Express Airlines in 2014 and the filing of a false income tax return. Michael Morisi, 59, of Suffolk, is the former president of People Express which engaged in failed start-up operations at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, according to court papers.


** LOCAL
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** South Richmond residents sound off on Pamunkey casino proposal ([link removed])
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By MARK ROBINSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Why here? Residents of the Oak Grove and Bellemeade neighborhoods raised that question and other concerns at a community meeting Thursday night about a casino proposed in South Richmond. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe said last month that it wanted to build a $350 million casino and resort hotel on a property off Commerce Road.
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** Stafford targeted to become Virginia's first Smart Community ([link removed])
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By JAMES SCOTT BARON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

The “downtown” area envisioned for the Stafford County courthouse may someday be so technologically advanced that the amount of garbage in each trash can will be electronically monitored. Ultra-wide broadband will be abundant, as will smart energy, lighting, water and temperature controls that will be built into energy-efficient housing units and commercial buildings.

Today's Sponsor:


** Pew’s Consumer Finance Project
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Research shows how Virginia can balance consumer protections, affordability, and access to credit by modernizing its payday and title loan markets: [link removed] ([link removed])


** EDITORIALS
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** What historical markers are we missing? ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

As part of Black History Month, Gov. Ralph Northam has announced a contest for Virginians —particularly students — to nominate suggestions for new historical markers that pertain to the state’s African-American history. Challenge accepted. There’s no doubt that Virginia’s official telling of history is not exactly a complete one.


** COLUMNISTS
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** Schapiro: Democrats behaving like Republicans on redistricting ([link removed])
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By JEFF E. SCHAPIRO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

A.L. Philpott, a Democratic speaker in the 1980s and 1990s who ruled the House with a scowl, might have been impressed. Vance Wilkins, too. The first Republican speaker in more than a century, Wilkins could be the bully. In an unsubtle display of power, House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, is singlehandedly blocking approval of a controversial bipartisan measure to depoliticize redistricting.
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