VISUALIZATION: IN-DISTRICT DONORS

With so much out-of-state money driving Virginia's 2019 state legislative elections, a few candidates sought to distinguish themselves by highlighting donors that came from actual voters in their districts. VPAP has come up with an in-district estimate for each candidate. The calculation is money raised from individuals within the district divided by money raised by all individual donors.

AFTER A YEAR OF CHAOS AND VICTORY, NORTHAM SAYS: 'I AM THE LEADER OF THIS PARTY.'

The last time winter bore down on Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam was living in the shadows and had few vocal allies. His party was about to have a shot at rising from the minority, and he was on the sidelines. As Northam dives back into the season of legislating and ice, his political reality couldn’t be more starkly different. His power is heightened, and his confidence appears renewed.

ATTORNEY GENERAL MARK HERRING, IN ADVISORY OPINION, SAYS SECOND AMENDMENT RESOLUTIONS HAVE 'NO LEGAL EFFECT'

The resolutions local governments have passed in more than 100 localities declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries have “no legal effect,” Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring wrote in an advisory opinion. Herring, a Democrat, said Friday the localities and local constitutional officers “cannot nullify state laws” and must follow the gun laws passed by the General Assembly.

AG HERRING ISSUES OPINION SAYING GUN SANCTUARY RESOLUTIONS HAVE NO LEGAL EFFECT

Attorney General Mark Herring issued an advisory opinion Friday saying that the Second Amendment “sanctuary” resolutions passed by local governments across Virginia have no legal effect. “When the General Assembly passes new gun safety laws they will be enforced, and they will be followed. These resolutions have no legal force, and they’re just part of an effort by the gun lobby to stoke fear,” Herring, a Democrat, said in a statement.

VIRGINIA AG HERRING: ‘SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY’ PROCLAMATIONS HAVE NO FORCE

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring issued an opinion Friday that there is no legal weight to the "Second Amendment sanctuary" resolutions being passed in localities around the state in reaction to potential new gun-control laws. If the General Assembly passes new gun restrictions, “they will be enforced, and they will be followed,” Herring (D) said in announcing the opinion. “These resolutions have no legal force, and they’re just part of an effort by the gun lobby to stoke fear.”

2ND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY RESOLUTIONS HAVE “NO LEGAL EFFECT,” VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS

Virginia’s top law-enforcement officer says the resolutions local governments have been passing to declare themselves exempt from proposed gun safety laws have no standing. Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, issued an opinion Friday saying the Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions have “no legal effect,”

VA. AG: SECOND AMENDMENT ‘SANCTUARY’ RESOLUTIONS ‘HAVE NO LEGAL EFFECT’

After dozens of Virginia localities — including several in Southwest Virginia — declared themselves Second Amendment “sanctuaries” in recent weeks, Attorney General Mark Herring issued an advisory opinion that the resolutions “have no legal effect.” Citing requirements in the Virginia Constitution and state code for local governments to follow state law, Herring wrote in his four-page opinion that “these resolutions neither have the force of law nor authorize localities or local constitutional officials to refuse to follow or decline to enforce gun violence prevention measures enacted by the General Assembly.”

SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY PUSH ACROSS VIRGINIA AIMS TO DEFY NEW GUN LAWS

A standing-room only crowd of more than 400 packed the meeting room, filled the lobby and spilled into the parking lot recently in rural Buckingham County, Virginia. They had one thing on their minds: guns. The vast majority favored a proposal to protect their right to carry firearms: declaring the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary. Similar scenes have played out across Virginia over the last six weeks.

DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE PLAN TO CUT ALL CARBON FROM ELECTRICAL GRID BY 2050

A group of Democratic lawmakers announced legislation on Thursday to phase out carbon pollution from Virginia’s electrical grid by 2050. The plan is in line with targets set by Governor Ralph Northam in an executive order earlier this year but less ambitious than the Virginia Green New Deal, which is sponsored by Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke).

WITH LIMITED BUT PROMISING DATA, NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS LOOK TO LEGISLATURE

More than 500 people have participated in Virginia’s syringe exchange programs, with 39 receiving treatment for hepatitis C, according to Virginia Department of Health data. The three programs operating in Virginia are showing encouraging results in their effort to curb the spread of infectious diseases brought on by the opioid epidemic.

IN VIRGINIA, DEMOCRATS GET READY TO RULE THE ROOST

Gun control. Civil rights. A minimum-wage increase. Virginia Democrats have a long list of goals for the legislative session that starts next month, and with their newfound power they are confident they can achieve many of them. “I’m excited for January to get here, because we’re going to do some good things for Virginia and really respond to what Virginians have asked for for many years,” Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam said in an interview.

‘STILL AN AMBUSH STATE’: THE MOVE TOWARD DISCOVERY REFORM IS GOING SLOWLY IN VIRGINIA

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Carlton and Danville Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman spoke quietly but intensely at the prosecution table. The two of them were part of a team tasked with prosecuting a federal trial that stemmed from gang activity in Danville. A critical error from Newman’s office had just opened the door for defense attorneys, and it was clear they knew everything in the case was about to change.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN BEHIND BARS CONTINUES TO DROP AS VIRGINIA OVERHAULS JUVENILE JUSTICE

Virginia imprisoned fewer young offenders over the past year, and more of those who were held served their time closer to home, according to the latest report on the state’s sweeping efforts at juvenile justice reform. And when kids get into trouble, juvenile probation officers and courts are finding more alternatives for less serious offenders than detention or imprisonment — or even going to court at all.

GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE WORK CULTURE FOR WOMEN, MINORITIES

To the public, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries might appear to be doing a good job. While that may be true, there are problems inside the agency dating back to the former director and his deputy. The department, which regulates hunting and fishing through licensing and its conservation police force, has been the target of several racial discrimination lawsuits.

STATE REPORT SHEDS LIGHT ON INTERNAL ISSUES AT VIRGINIA DEPT. OF GAME & INLAND FISHERIES

This week, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, or JLARC, confirmed a host of problems with the operations and management of the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. ...To the public, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is doing a good job. But inside the agency there are problems that date back to the former director, his deputy and agency divisions-- poor communication and leadership, lack of transparency, and a troubled work culture, according to the report.

DIRECTOR AT VIRGINIA GAME DEPARTMENT WANTS TO FIX LACK OF DIVERSITY

The newest executive director of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said he’s taking steps to try to increase diversity and inclusion at the agency. Director Ryan J. Brown, who took over in July, has hired a diversity and inclusion officer, George Braxton, who started this month and will create a diversity committee.

DOMINION SEEKS PERMITS TO BUILD NEW POWER PLANT IN CHESTERFIELD

Dominion Energy has filed an air permit application with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to build a $600 million combustion turbine peaking power plant in Chesterfield County near Dutch Gap. The four proposed natural gas peaking units – also known as peakers – would only produce electricity during periods of high demand. The plant would generate nearly 1,000 megawatts, enough to power 250,000 homes, and would be built in two phases. The first phase would be operational by spring 2023 and the second phase would be operational by spring 2024.

NORTHAM NAMES MELISSA BAKER AS NEW VIRGINIA STATE PARKS DIRECTOR

Gov. Ralph Northam has named Melissa Baker, the former director of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, as the new director of Virginia State Parks. She will be the first woman to hold the position in the park system’s 83-year history, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

NATIONAL SPENDING BILLS PROVIDE BIG FINANCIAL BOOST TO VIRGINIA

It is kind of like Congress' Christmas present to Virginia. The two new $1.37 trillion spending bills passed by the Senate Thursday includes over $13 billion in Virginia shipbuilding priorities.

PROVIDER OF NAVY PROTECTIVE GEAR CHARGED WITH PASSING OFF CHINESE PRODUCTS AS AMERICAN-MADE

The owner of a Virginia company that provides the U.S. Navy with ballistic vests, protective helmets and riot gear is facing a federal wire fraud charge, accused of misleading authorities about where the products were made. Prosecutors said Arthur Morgan, the 67-year-old chief executive of Surveillance Equipment Group Inc. and its division SEG Armor, falsely claimed the equipment was made in Hong Kong and the United States when it in fact was made in mainland China.

D.C. BID FOR RFK SITE AS NEW HOME FOR REDSKINS STADIUM DEALT BLOW

For the second time in the past year, an effort on Capitol Hill to get the former RFK Stadium land in the hands of D.C. government, an essential first step toward potentially building a new Washington Redskins stadium there, has failed. This, in turn, leaves the Redskins with no clear path for returning to the District by 2027, when the team’s legal obligation to play at Landover’s FedEx Field expires.

NOHE: METRO TO PRINCE WILLIAM ‘UNNECESSARY’ AFTER LANDMARK $3.7 BILLION RAIL DEAL

A $3.7 billion deal to include a new bridge across the Potomac River is expected to usher in a new era of local and regional rail travel in Virginia. The move will increase Virginia Railway Express service by more than 70%, with two new round-trip weekend trains, and two new weekday trains that will run later into the evening.

TITLE IX FOUND THE STUDENT RESPONSIBLE. HE STILL RECEIVED HIS DEGREE.

When Annaliese Estes began her sexual assault investigation through the University’s Title IX Office, she received an outline of the formal resolution process which said the investigation period typically does not exceed 60 days. For Estes, this process took almost nine months.

DEVIN NUNES, JOHNNY DEPP LAWSUITS SEEN AS THREATS TO FREE SPEECH AND PRESS

Rep. Devin Nunes of California was angered by a story in his hometown newspaper detailing a claim that investors in a winery he partly owns partied with cocaine and prostitutes. So the Republican decided to sue — in rural Virginia. Nunes bypassed the courthouse less than two miles from one of his offices and 10 blocks from the Fresno Bee to file the $150 million defamation claim against its owner 2,600 miles away. He also chose the Old Dominion to file two other recent defamation suits

VIRGINIA ATTORNEY CHARGED IN EXTORTION PLOT OVER ROUNDUP

A Virginia attorney involved in litigation against Monsanto Co. over health risks associated with Roundup weed killer has been accused by federal prosecutors of trying to extort $200 million from an unnamed company. Timothy Litzenburg, of Charlottesville, was arrested Tuesday on attempted extortion and interstate threat charges.

MEYER PROPOSES REBRANDING LOUDOUN’S DATA CENTER ALLEY

Loudoun’s Data Center Alley, according to the county Department of Economic Development, is the world’s largest concentration of data centers—and it has been one of the department’s greatest success stories. But outgoing Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run) says it’s time to make a change. At the current board’s final meeting on Dec. 17, supervisors passed an initiative proposed by Meyer to look into rebranding Data Center Alley and put up signs with the new brand.

COMMISSION: $1.5B NAVY HILL PROJECT POSES RISK TO RICHMOND'S GENERAL FUND, SCHOOLS

The $1.5 billion Navy Hill plan poses a risk to Richmond’s funding for basic services and schools, a City Council-appointed panel that has spent the past three months vetting the proposal determined. The Navy Hill Development Advisory Commission endorsed that and other draft recommendations about the controversial proposal to replace the Richmond Coliseum and redevelop 21 acres of publicly owned downtown real estate on Sunday afternoon. Its final report is due to the council Monday.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR APPEAL OVER VIRGINIA BEACH ARENA DEAL

The Supreme Court of Virginia gave new life this week to a contract dispute between Virginia Beach and a developer who wanted to build a sports and entertainment arena in the city. A Circuit Court judge ruled earlier this year the city did not breach its contract with Mid-Atlantic Arena when it backed out of a deal amid concerns over financing.

NORFOLK AND HAMPTON FOSTER CARE PROGRAMS HAVE STEERED WORK TO COMPANY WITH PERSONAL TIES TO CITY OFFICIALS

Supervisors in Norfolk’s and Hampton’s foster care programs have helped steer millions of taxpayer dollars to a company owned by a woman with whom they have personal connections, a Virginian-Pilot investigation has found.

MONTHS AFTER MASS SHOOTING, DELAYS PILE UP AS VIRGINIA BEACH STRUGGLES TO STAFF DEPARTMENTS IMPACTED BY TRAGEDY

In the wake of the May 31 mass shooting at the Municipal Center, Virginia Beach is finding itself short-staffed in the divisions most impacted by the tragedy — and having to delay virtually all projects connected to them. Some jobs involving the city’s public works and public utilities departments are now expected to be completed months — or even years — later than initially planned, city officials said.

CHINCOTEAGUE DRINKING WATER: FEDS TO INVESTIGATE IF IT'S BEEN CONTAMINATED FOR DECADES

In 2017, when NASA found a toxic chemical was contaminating wells supplying the town of Chincoteague's drinking water, the town's rapid disconnection from the affected wells meant water flowing to the community was perfectly clean. Now, however, a federal agency is investigating whether the practices that led to the contamination could have made Chincoteague water unsafe for decades prior to the discovery.

AREA PROSECUTORS CONCERNED ABOUT IMPACT OF HOSPITAL BLOOD-DRAW POLICIES

Blood-draw policies at both Charlottesville-area hospitals have prosecutors concerned about the ability to hold people suspected of driving under the influence accountable. In the last six months, both the University of Virginia Medical Center and Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital have implemented policies to not perform blood draws if the patient does not consent, regardless of whether police have obtained search warrants.

MONACANS ASK FOR INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION

The Monacan Indian Nation wants elected officials in Louisa and Fluvanna counties to seek an independent investigation of consultants on a contentious water project. Point of Fork, also known as Rassawek, the historic capital of the Monacan Indian Nation, is the planned site for a water intake and pump station,

GOP ASKS CITY TO VOTE ON 2ND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY

A week after Rockingham County became a Second Amendment sanctuary, the Harrisonburg Republican Committee is endorsing that the Harrisonburg City Council vote to make the city a Second Amendment sanctuary. If the council were to vote to adopt a resolution to be a Second Amendment sanctuary, it would be a symbolic way to show the Virginia legislature that residents are concerned about preserving gun rights.

FLOYD SEEKS UNPAID TAXES FROM WIFE OF COUNTY'S PROSECUTOR

The town of Floyd may seek a special prosecutor to try to collect unpaid taxes from the former owner of a popular town restaurant —because the former owner is married to the county’s commonwealth’s attorney. “It’s kind of difficult to prosecute someone’s wife that you have dealings with on a regular basis,” Town Attorney Jim Shortt said recently. “It makes it uncomfortable, and it’s just not right.”

IN BUDGET, MIXED MESSAGE FROM TAX, REGULATION PROPOSALS

When it comes to taxes and transportation, Gov. Ralph Northam exhibited both liberal and conservative impulses in revealing his proposed budget for the next biennium. A couple of proposed tax increases were labeled as “predictable” by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, the current House majority leader, soon to become minority leader. Tax increases are par for the course for Democratic politicians, members of the opposition typically believe, regardless of merit. However, two tax hikes do have some merit — at least enough to warrant bringing them before the public and the legislature for debate.

NORTHAM’S VIRGINIA BUDGET IS BOTH ASTUTE AND GENEROUS

In boom times, it can be easier to draft a bountiful budget than a smart one. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) seems to have managed to do both. His two-year spending plan, unveiled as state revenue outstrips projections, combines fiscal good sense with significant new programs — for struggling and needy Virginians, transportation, and education for toddlers and college students alike.

AN AMBITIOUS BLUEPRINT

The commonwealth’s system of government is nothing if not unique, and a feature of that uncommon approach is that Gov. Ralph Northam — elected in 2017 and inaugurated in 2018 — has only this week, in 2019, proposing his first two-year budget for consideration by the General Assembly in January. Northam signaled his general approach to the commonwealth’s budget in his proposal last year to use a windfall created by the 2017 federal tax law to help low-income residents through the Earned Income Tax Credit rather than through rebates favored by Republicans.

A GROWING DISCONNECT BETWEEN RICHMOND AND RURAL VIRGINIA

Virginia, which is officially styled a commonwealth, increasingly has a tough time living up to the first part of that appellation. This isn’t anything new, of course. The westernmost counties beyond the Alleghanies never felt much in common with the rest of the state — and took care of that problem back in 1863. Still, it feels as if this lack of commonality is accelerating,

INSURMOUNTABLE PRICE TO PAY

This month, several Virginians won a piece of a groundbreaking national settlement that aims to close a loophole allowing some firms to charge sky-high interest rates on payday loans. The settlement, approved in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Virginia, wipes out more than $380 million of debts owed by more than one million people across the country.

STATE INSPECTIONS PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY

In 2017 and 2018, rejected or unsafe vehicles accounted for nearly 20% of all inspections in Virginia. That translates to around 8.2 million passenger vehicles inspected in each year, with about 1.6 million found to have a defect of some kind. Because of the state’s 60-year old vehicle safety inspection program, most of those of mechanical ills were fixed during the annual look-over before returning to the state’s roadways, making our streets safer. Yet Gov. Ralph Northam wants to abolish this annual inspection.

FELLOW VIRGINIANS, WE NEED TO TONE IT DOWN

Politics can be nasty. We all know that. But that doesn’t mean we have to accept the rising level of meanness in national, state and local politics. Admittedly, there’s little we can do about the rhetoric at the national level, but at the state and, especially, local levels, we do have a degree of control.

W&L'S DIPLOMA QUANDARY

A picture, the saying goes, is worth a thousand words. In that case, a diploma from Washington and Lee University is worth 2,000 — because it comes adorned with images of the school’s two namesakes. Some students want that to change. A group of law students there is petitioning the school to give future graduates the option of a diploma without pictures of George Washington and Robert E. Lee.

GRUNDY, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN

Some problems simply have no solutions. Math is full of them and they all have exotic names: Crouzeix Conjecture. The Pompeiu Problem. The New York Times economics writer, Eduardo Porter, recently travelled to Southwest Virginia to visit Grundy. He looked at all the ways the town and surrounding Buchanan County have tried build a post-coal economy.

SCHAPIRO: A YULETIDE VISIT TO NORTHAM

Twas the countdown to Christmas, a season of cheer, Especially for Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam, who’d had a helluva year. At the mansion sat a content Northam, wife Pam at his side, Sipping bourbon-laced eggnog, they mused over their long, wild ride. February’s humiliation, the first lady said, was many months passed, Even before the holiday, it was clear 2019 would end with a blast.

POLITIFACT: TWITTER BOTS SPREAD WHITE SUPREMACIST’S BOGUS STORY ABOUT VIRGINIA’S PROPOSED ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

Ahead of a potential vote on an assault weapons ban in Virginia, some Facebook users are posting misinformation about the legislation. The source of the false information is a white supremacist with a rap sheet and a history of spreading conspiracy theories.

SPANBERGER: USMCA SHOWS HOW TRADE DEALS SHOULD GET DONE

Back in August on a hot, muggy day, I was standing beside a pair of grain bins in Nottoway County during my two-day farm tour. Flanked by a soybean grower on my left and farm reporters on my right, I was very clear: Congress needed to make progress on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The farmer agreed.

Abigail Spanberger represents Virginia’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

TUCK: HOW GUN OWNERS SHOULD RESPOND TO NEW LAWS

In examining some of the proposed [gun] legislation it is clear in my opinion that they won’t pass Constitutional muster. I didn’t just rely on my own opinion, but I reached out into the legal community, both prosecutors and defense attorneys, and they hold the same opinion.

Tuck is a member of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. This is an edited version of his remarks at the Dec. 16 supervisors meeting about Second Amendment sanctuaries.

HARWARD: INNOCENCE REASON ENOUGH TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY

In the early hours of Sept. 14, 1982, a man broke into a home in Newport News and beat 30-year-old Jesse Perron to death with a crowbar. Then, over several hours, the attacker sexually assaulted Perron’s 22-year-old wife, Teresa, leaving bite marks during the assault. Before the attacker fled, he took $14 from Teresa’s purse.

Keith Harward lives in North Carolina. He spent 20 years in a Virginia prison for a crime he didn't commit.

SICKLES AND RUSH: NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, RURAL BROADBAND IS A BIG ISSUE IN VIRGINIA

Bipartisan collaboration plays an essential role in the economic health and growth of the commonwealth and has proved critical in fueling the state’s record low unemployment rate and booming economic growth. But for crucial growth to continue, legislators must also look beyond their own districts, as we have. For one of us, Del. Nick Rush, whose district spans the New River Valley in Southwest Virginia, this means a vote in favor of an incentive package for Amazon that will bring thousands of jobs to Virginia.

Mark Sickles, a Democrat, and Nick Rush, a Republican, serve in the Virginia House of Delegates.

HULCHER: THE CASE FOR INVESTING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION – A MIXED DELIVERY APPROACH

What if every family who wanted pre-K education for their child could have access to that opportunity? What would that look like and what would it cost? You might say that it already exists with Head Start and the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) in the public schools, and you might be right. Those programs reach a great number of students

Kim Hulcher is executive director of the Virginia Child Care Association

CASSADA AND BURCHER: ADDRESSING VIRGINIA’S TEACHER “SHORTAGE”

Lately, the conversation is unavoidable and laced with words such as crisis, alarm and critical shortage. A sense of urgency exists for good reason as Virginia experiences significant difficulty ensuring K-12 students are taught by fully qualified teachers, in every classroom and community.

Kate Cassada is an associate professor at the University of Richmond. Kathy Burcher is director of government relations for the Virginia Education Association.

GIBSON: REPUBLICANS GO 'SUPER RURAL,' DEMOCRATS 'SUPER SUBURBAN'

How did Virginia’s once dominant Republican Party slip so fast from having 66 of 100 seats in the House of Delegates about two years ago to 45 seats when it convenes Jan. 8? Part of the answer rests in the GOP going “Super Rural” with its messaging and white male culture while Virginia trends “Super Suburban” with more women and minorities taking active political roles in growing suburbs.

Gibson is communications director and senior researcher at the University of Virginia’s Cooper Center for Public Service. The opinions expressed here are his own