VaNews
March 8, 2020

Today's Sponsor:


** Sentara Healthcare & Optima Health
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Congratulations to our state legislators for a successful 2020 General Assembly! Learn about how Sentara is taking strides to promote healthier communities every day. Sentara.com ([link removed])

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Top of the News


** With dozens of big issues unresolved, the General Assembly runs into overtime ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 1 article a month)

The General Assembly worked late into the night on what was supposed to be its final day — but which won’t be — with dozens of major issues unresolved. The biggest, the state’s multi-billion dollar budget for the next two years, is tied up in an impasse between senior members of the House of Delegates and the state Senate over college and university funding and what kind of raise public employees should get, legislators said.
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** Virginia lawmakers vote to raise the minimum wage to $12 ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

On what was scheduled to be the last day of Virginia’s legislative session, lawmakers struck a deal late Saturday night to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 over the next three years. Democrats, many of whom ran on increasing the minimum wage to $15, said it was the best compromise they could reach.
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** History-making batch of gun control bills moves from legislature to Northam ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Virginia Democrats used their newfound control of the General Assembly to send a historic number of gun control bills to Gov. Ralph Northam. Northam, a Democrat, had eight gun control proposals on his agenda, and the legislature passed seven of them.
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** House and Senate negotiators reach agreement on two-year budget ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

With the General Assembly an hour from ending its 60-day session without a new state budget, House and Senate negotiators reached agreement on a two-year spending plan and revisions to the current fiscal year budget. “We had an hour to spare,” Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, said, as she stood next to House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian, D-Prince William. “Our job was to get a budget out by March 7 and we’ve done that,” said Torian ...
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** Milk-defining bill leaves sour taste for plant-based manufacturers ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Plant-based milk products soon could be called something different in Virginia if a dairy bill is signed into law. HB 119, introduced by Del. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, and chief-copatroned by Del. Chris Runion, R-Bridgewater, seeks to define milk as “the lacteal secretion of a healthy hooved mammal.” Any product labeled as “milk” that doesn’t meet this definition would be deemed “unlawfully misbranded.”
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** Urban, rural divide widened in remade General Assembly, legislators say ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Republicans worried that increasing the minimum wage would cause significant job losses. Southwest legislators pleaded that shuttering a coal-burning power plant early would damage localities that rely on it as a major tax revenue source. A senator broke down on the floor when Democrats voted to roll back abortion restrictions.
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** First positive test for coronavirus confirmed in Virginia ([link removed])
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By VIVIAN MEDITHI, WTOP

A U.S. Marine at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the state’s first case of coronavirus, the Department of Defense announced in a tweet late Saturday. Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman tweeted that “the Marine recently returned from overseas where he was on official business. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the White House have been briefed.”
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** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** Governor Signs Bill Giving Public Housing Residents Notice Of Demolition ([link removed])
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By YASMINE JUMAA, WCVE

Currently, state law doesn’t have a minimum time requirement on housing agencies to notify its residents of such plans. But on Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law legislation that requires housing agencies to give residents 12 months notice before demolishing any properties. The governor signed the new law over the protests of Richmond’s public housing agency.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** Va. General Assembly takes flurry of historic legislation down to wire ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER AND LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia Democrats nearly completed their reshaping of state government on Saturday, wrapping up most of a historic General Assembly session in which they shattered 20 years of Republican leadership on social and environmental issues.
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** Legislature extends session to finish key bills before finalizing budget ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR AND JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia lawmakers voted late Saturday to extend the legislative session by 18 hours, allowing time for Democrats to deliver on key issues like collective bargaining, casino regulation and marijuana reform. The extension was borne out of a three-way deal between House Democratic leaders, House GOP leaders and the Senate. It allows lawmakers to work on the state budget until Thursday — negotiators have an agreement on the spending plan — while finishing other bills by 6 p.m. Sunday.
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** Proposed energy reforms heading to Northam; some lawmakers concerned about cost to ratepayers ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

A sweeping package of energy reforms meant to usher Virginia toward renewable energy is headed to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk, even as concerns over the cost to ratepayers linger. State lawmakers cleared the Virginia Clean Economy Act on Friday, which requires that by 2045, all of the energy sold by the state’s electric utilities comes from renewable sources ...
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** General Assembly agrees to back minimum wage increase ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN MATTINGLY AND MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia’s lowest-paid workers could see their wages rise to $9.50 an hour by January under landmark legislation the Democrat-controlled General Assembly advanced Saturday. The legislation would raise Virginia’s minimum wage to $9.50 an hour on Jan. 1, 2021 and increase it gradually to $12 an hour in 2023.
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** Va. Senate OKs casino legislation, but House extends deadline ([link removed])
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By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

The Virginia Senate late Saturday twice voted 27-12 to approve compromise legislation allowing casinos by referendums, but at 11:13 p.m., the House voted to extend the deadline for regular bills to 6 p.m. Sunday.
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** Proposed deal reached to legalize casinos in Richmond, four other cities ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

A deal to legalize casino gambling in Richmond and four other cities is awaiting action by the House of Delegates and Senate as the General Assembly attempts to wrap up a 60-day session that is going into overtime.
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** What sports betting in Virginia will mean for the Redskins ([link removed])
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By MICHAEL PHILLIPS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Virginia likely will become the 11th state to offer a full slate of sports betting options over the internet, including on mobile devices. A conference committee made up of members of the House and Senate agreed to a compromise bill on Saturday, and the final version is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam once approved by both chambers.
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** Virginia and Maryland look to loosen subsidy cap to help Metro increase service ([link removed])
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By JUSTIN GEORGE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Legislation approved by Virginia lawmakers and a comparable bill moving through the Maryland General Assembly could provide Metro with extra money for longer hours or more bus service by easing a subsidy cap that the transit agency says has forced cutbacks and outsourcing because of rising costs.
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** Virginia lawmakers vote to grant driver privilege cards to undocumented immigrants ([link removed])
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By NED OLIVER, Virginia Mercury

Virginia lawmakers voted Saturday to grant driver privilege cards – but not full-fledged licenses – to undocumented immigrants. . . . Currently undocumented immigrants are not able to get licenses, leading many to simply drive without one. Lawmakers framed the proposal as a way to allow immigrants living here to take care of their basic needs while also improving public safety by ensuring everyone on the road has passed a driving test and is insured.


** STATE ELECTIONS
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** Sen. Jennifer McClellan, 'practical progressive,' readies campaign for governor ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Angling to bring “hope” back into political discourse, Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, says she is “laying the groundwork” for a campaign for governor, with an announcement on her decision coming in April.


** TRANSPORTATION
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** Smartphone app offers drivers in Virginia a new route for paying tolls ([link removed])
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By LUZ LAZO, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

You can now use your smartphone to pay to drive on Virginia’s toll roads if you don’t have an E-ZPass transponder. GoToll, a new app by toll operator Transurban, gives drivers the choice of mobile payment while traveling on a dozen toll roads in the state, including the express lanes in Northern Virginia.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** Virginia's rural communities miss out on millions in federal economic investment funding ([link removed])
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By PAMELA A. D’ANGELO, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Every year from 2008 to 2018, Congress has authorized $30 million in funding to spur economic development in a region referred to as the “Black Belt.” It extends through seven states from Virginia to Mississippi and includes the largest concentration of historically black communities in the rural South. Most are economically deprived, a result of slavery and segregation.


** LOCAL
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** Women march on Roanoke, calling for a greater voice ([link removed])
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By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

In a whirlwind of political chants and sign-waving Saturday, nearly 800 women — and some men — swarmed Roanoke. From Elmwood Park, they marched down Jefferson Street, took a right on Campbell Avenue, another right on Market Street and then back to the park on a route that will eventually take them to the ballot box this November.
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** Lynchburg lawmakers reluctant to remove Confederate monuments ([link removed])
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By RICHARD CHUMNEY, News & Advance (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

Nearly five years after a massacre of black church-goers in South Carolina sparked a renewed reckoning over Confederate symbols in American life, legislation recently approved by the Virginia General Assembly soon may give local governments the chance to remove monuments to the Confederacy. But interviews with Lynchburg lawmakers suggest the Confederate monuments that dot the Hill City will not come down any time soon.

Today's Sponsor:


** Sentara Healthcare & Optima Health
------------------------------------------------------------

Congratulations to our state legislators for a successful 2020 General Assembly! Learn about how Sentara is taking strides to promote healthier communities every day. Sentara.com ([link removed])


** EDITORIALS
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** Structure of foster care questioned ([link removed])
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Daily Progress Editorial (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Failures in Virginia’s foster care system have been exposed in recent months by a state watchdog study and by newspaper reporting. And the litany of problems continues. In late 2018, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission issued a report detailing missteps in the Virginia Department of Social Services’ handling of its foster care program.
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** Building Communities Within the Commonwealth ([link removed])
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News & Advance Editorial (Metered Paywall - 18 articles a month)

It’s often been said, only half in jest, that Virginia is really two states inside the boundaries of one. The booming economic powerhouse of Northern Virginia in the back yard of the nation’s capital, the vitally important military hub in Tidewater with the largest U.S. Navy base in the country and Newport News Shipbuilding, the political and banking centers in the Richmond region … and the rest of Virginia.
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** Keep focused on upcoming local elections ([link removed])
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Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

About 1.3 million Virginia voters flocked to polling stations on Tuesday to participate in this year’s Democratic Party primary election, setting a turnout record for the commonwealth.
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** Next year's General Assembly should consider bill limits ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

Lawmakers headed into this weekend frantically trying to tie up this session’s business. While it’s not unusual for work to proceed at a frenetic pace during the final days of the General Assembly — Virginia’s legislative session is among the shortest in the nation — there is little doubt the 2020 session of this 400-year-old legislative body has been especially chaotic.


** OP-ED
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** West: Keep tech-friendly policies in mind during election ([link removed])
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By SKIP WEST, published in Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Voters play an integral role in shaping future public policy. As we head further into an election year, an issue that all voters should consider is how candidates approach innovation policy. The West Coast is often praised as the hotbed of innovation, but recently Virginia has been making a name for itself as a leader in the tech industry.

Skip West owns MAXSA Innovations, LLC in Virginia.
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** James & Williams: Commitment to HBCU serves America ([link removed])
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By KAY C. JAMES & HARRY L. WILLIAMS, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Vice President Mike Pence’s recent visit to Hampton University’s Proton Therapy Institute drew virtually no national media attention, but it should have. Sure, it offered no political drama. Such visits appear routine. Yet this visit highlighted an important initiative that has been largely overlooked: ensuring the continued success of our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at a time when declining enrollment and financial struggles threaten their existence.

Kay C. James, a graduate of Hampton University, is president of The Heritage Foundation. Dr. Harry L. Williams is president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
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** Morse: Virginia plays its part in setting the stage ([link removed])
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By GORDON C. MORSE, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

So, we’re down to Joe and Bernie, though more likely we’re down to Joe and Donald. Virginia played a big role in transforming the presidential election and on Thursday made the front page of The New York Times.

Gordon C. Morse began his writing career with the Daily Press editorial page in 1983, then moved across the water to write opinion for The Virginian-Pilot. He later joined the administration of Gerald L. Baliles as the governor's speechwriter
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** Vandermark: Virginia lawmakers, menhaden management make a responsible move ([link removed])
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By ROBERT C. VANDERMARK, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Access to this article limited to subscribers)

The Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries bring immeasurable pleasure and innumerable benefits to all who visit the area or live nearby, with its scenic shorelines and wetlands, diverse seabirds and marine wildlife, and opportunities for recreational enjoyment and economic growth.

Robert C. Vandermark is the executive director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, based in Arlington.
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