VISUALIZATION: THE NEW MINORITY

When the General Assembly convenes this week, native Virginians will represent fewer than half of the state's 140 legislators. This is not a big surprise in a state evenly split between those who were born here and those who came here. But this may be the first time since the Colonial era that Virginia-born lawmakers have been outnumbered.

NORTHAM PROPOSES SWEEPING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is promising sweeping changes to the state’s criminal justice reforms that include decriminalizing marijuana, softening the penalties for people caught stealing smaller-dollar items, and reducing the number of Virginians whose driver’s licenses are suspended.

NORTHAM SAYS IT’S TIME TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA POSSESSION

Virginians shouldn’t risk jail for having small amounts of marijuana in their pockets, or go through life with a felony record that keeps them out of many jobs for stealing a cellphone, Gov. Ralph Northam says. He’s proposing a series of criminal law reforms he says will temper the state’s tough penalties for violating the laws with a little bit of mercy and fairness.

NORTHAM BACKS MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION, RAISING FELONY LARCENY THRESHOLD TO $1,000

Gov. Ralph Northam said Friday that he would throw his weight behind the decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia this year but said he wants to study full legalization before going further. Northam announced legislation Friday that would make possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil offense carrying a $50 penalty, instead of a criminal misdemeanor. The proposal is part of a broader “criminal justice reform agenda”

NORTHAM LAYS OUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AGENDA

Gov. Ralph Northam made it clear Friday of his intent to support the decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia, unveiling his proposed criminal justice reform agenda ahead of the 2020 General Assembly session. Northam proposed creating a $50 civil penalty for simple possession of marijuana and clearing the record of those who have been previously convicted of simple possession.

DANVILLE AREA LEADERS REACT TO NORTHAM'S PROPOSAL TO DECRIMINALIZE SIMPLE POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA

In the view of Del. Danny Marshall, R- Danville, marijuana is a drug just like alcohol, which is why he supports the decriminalization of marijuana proposed by Gov. Ralph Northam. “This is a step that’s comfortable for me at this particular point,” he said of voting in favor of the proposal. On Friday morning, Northam unveiled his new criminal justice reform agenda for the 2020 General Assembly.

PROSPECT OF GUN CONTROL IN VIRGINIA DRAWS THREATS, PROMISE OF ARMED PROTEST

Gun rights advocates and militia members from around the country are urging thousands of armed protesters to descend on Virginia's capital later this month to stop newly empowered Democrats from passing gun-control bills. What began as a handful of rural Virginia counties declaring themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries” has jumped the state’s borders and become an Internet phenomenon. Far-right websites and commenters are declaring that Virginia is the place to take a stand against what they see as a national trend of weakening gun rights.

CONCERNED GUN OWNERS TURN OUT FOR PATRIOT EVENT FRIDAY

Hundreds of people poured into the Belgravia Farm on Friday night hoping to have their questions answered and concerns eased about an imminent debate in the General Assembly about gun control legislation. Steve Sager, the event organizer and community leader, said Friday night’s Patriot Meeting was not meant to stir anyone to arms or form a militia. Sager said, many times, that the meeting was for patriots, for concerned citizens who wanted a space to ask questions and get answers.

GUN CONTROL STANDOFF HEATS UP IN VIRGINIA

A battle over gun control in Virginia with national implications is heating up as the legislature prepares to vote on sweeping new restrictions and localities band together to defy them in growing numbers.

SIGNS POSTED IN CULPEPER DEPICT NORTHAM BLACKFACE PHOTO IN PROMOTING PRO-GUN RALLY

Members of Virginia’s top pro-gun group recently posted signs in the town of Culpeper with a reproduction of the racist photo that appeared in Gov. Ralph Northam’s 1984 medical school yearbook. “The man behind the sheet wants your guns,” stated the poster, which promoted the Virginia Citizen Defense League’s Jan. 20 rally in Richmond.

DEMOCRATS, NEWLY DOMINANT IN VIRGINIA, RACE TO MAKE NEW LAWS

Virginia Democrats, who hold full control of state government for the first time in a generation, want to ban assault-style rifles. They want to get rid of statutes honoring Confederate leaders in dozens of Virginia cities. They intend to give undocumented people licenses to drive. And they want to do it all in the next 60 days.

IN VIRGINIA’S NEW GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BIG BATTLES LOOM THIS YEAR

A new Democratic majority in the General Assembly means some highly partisan issues that got no traction for two decades will get some now, but big battles still loom on matters where regional, social and ideological divides don’t necessarily match party lines.

GUNS, GAMING, BUDGET HIGHLIGHT SESSION AS DEMOCRATS TAKE CHARGE

The start of a new decade is propelling Virginia into a new era of political control, a reality that will be on full display when lawmakers return to Richmond Wednesday for the start of a 60-day General Assembly session. Democrats who will take over the House and Senate are eager to move ahead on their agenda, as Republicans work to push back while exploring how they might chart a return to power. It will be the most racially and ethnically diverse legislature in Virginia's history, and for the first time, a woman will be at the helm of its lower chamber.

DEMOCRATS PREPARE TO RULE IN RICHMOND AS REPUBLICANS ADAPT TO BEING IN THE MINORITY

It’s a new day in Richmond as Democrats assume control of the Virginia General Assembly with a full plate of issues to digest over the next few months. The 60-day session will open Wednesday with partisan tension as Republicans become the ones who will have their bills die quiet deaths and figure out how to fight off Democratic bills they’ve been killing for years.

STATE LEGISLATURE CONVENES WEDNESDAY

When the 2020 General Assembly legislative session begins Wednesday in Richmond, it will be the first time since 1994 that Democrats have had the majority in the House of Delegates and the Senate — a result of the Nov. 5 elections. Tenth District Del. Wendy Gooditis, D-Clarke County — the area’s only Democratic state legislator — said in a recent interview that she hopes the Democratic majority will enable the General Assembly to finally pass the Equal Rights Amendment.

ALL BETS ARE ON? VIRGINIA WEIGHS LEGALIZING CASINOS

Casinos could be coming soon to Virginia, but a brawl over just how many, where they would go, and who would run them is on tap first. Gambling-related issues are set to be one of the hottest topics at the state Capitol when lawmakers return to the Richmond next month to kick off the 2020 legislative session.

ELECTION CONTROVERSIES, OTHER CONCERNS PROMPT POTENTIAL VIRGINIA VOTING CHANGES IN 2020

Virginia’s newly Democratic-controlled General Assembly is considering a number of significant voting-related proposals for 2020. The proposals deal with: making it easier to vote, overhauling Virginia’s redistricting process, changing how primaries work and responding to a series of election controversies from the last few years.

GUN CONTROL, CASINO GAMING AMONG ISSUES AWAITING VIRGINIA LAWMAKERS

Gun control and casino gaming are among the prime topics facing Virginia lawmakers as they return to Richmond this week for the upcoming session of the General Assembly. It will be a historic session as Democrats have their first trifecta since 1993, with majorities in both the Senate and House, as well as occupying the governor’s mansion

WITH NEW DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP, GENERAL ASSEMBLY FACES FLOOD OF ENERGY PROPOSALS

The week after elections swept Democrats to power in the General Assembly, environment and clean energy activists struggled to get their sea legs in the new ocean of possibilities that suddenly opened up before them.

VIRGINIA COURT CLERKS PUSH FOR PAY EQUITY

Smyth County Clerk of Circuit Court John Graham had an excellent deputy clerk. But when she got a job offer to be a deputy clerk in the lower court, general district court, that came with a $6,000 raise, she took it. She was only making $26,000 working in the circuit court.

PROSTITUTION CHARGES COULD BE ERASED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS UNDER THIS BILL

Ateba Gaines remembers the first time she was looked at in a sexual way. She was wearing a pretty dress that twirled, and her father said she looked like a prostitute. She was 7 years old. She became convinced the only thing she was good for was her body. She said her father fed into that narrative, sexually abusing her and later offering her to a friend.

RASOUL: IT'S TIME FOR RANKED CHOICE VOTING IN VIRGINIA

Winning a primary often guarantees winning an election. That’s because many districts are so heavily red or so heavily blue. Delegate Sam Rasoul wants to change all that. He has a plan that would create ranked choice voting and open primaries, sending four of the top candidates to the November ballot regardless of which the candidates are from. He acknowledges party leaders on either side probably won’t like the idea.

HERE’S WHAT D.C. SUBURBS CAN EXPECT FROM VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS

What harvest can the Washington region hope to reap from the Virginia and Maryland General Assembly sessions starting Wednesday? In Virginia, in particular, it’s a promising year. Northern Virginia has become a Democratic bastion, and the Democrats’ takeover of both the state Senate and House of Delegates in the November elections means the party controls the entire legislature and the governorship for the first time in a generation.

AREA'S SENATORS DEFEND HISTORIC TRIANGLE SALES TAX FOR TOURISM MARKETING

Sens. Tommy Norment and Monty Mason mounted a vigorous defense of the Historic Triangle sales tax increase levied to generate funds for tourism marketing at a pre-legislative session forum that brought together most of the Williamsburg area’s General Assembly delegation Friday.

AUGUSTA COUNTY DELEGATES DISCUSS EDUCATION, ABORTION AT TOWN HALL

Education, pro-life legislation and state vehicle inspections were among topics members of the community brought up to three delegates representing Augusta County at a town hall Thursday at the Augusta County Public Library. About a dozen residents of the community met with 20th district delegate John Avoli, R-Staunton, 25th district delegate Chris Runion, R-Rockingham, and 24th district delegate Ronnie Campbell, R-Rockbridge.

A LOOK AT SOME BILLS FILED BY LAWMAKERS FROM WESTERN VIRGINIA

Newly empowered Democrats are hoping to have a productive General Assembly session that begins this week. Lawmakers could begin filing legislation ahead of the session beginning in mid-November, and they already have submitted more than 700 bills.

ARMY VETERAN SEEKING TO CHALLENGE SEN. MARK WARNER VISITS STAUNTON

Daniel Gade admittedly likes to fight, and now the retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel is fighting for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Mark Warner. Gade made multiple stops along the Shenandoah Valley this week

KAINE FEARS KILLING OF IRANIAN GENERAL COULD LEAD TO “UNNECESSARY WAR”

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine warned Friday that President Donald Trump’s decision to kill an Iranian general in Iraq has brought the United States to “the brink of another war in the Middle East.” Kaine introduced a war powers resolution that will force the Senate to vote on whether the U.S. military should engage in hostile activities with Iran. The resolution wouldn’t stop the United States from defending itself against an imminent attack, but it does call for the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran within 30 days unless there’s a declaration of war or authorization of force by Congress.

SPANBERGER ASSESSES HER FRESHMAN YEAR IN HOUSE

A current Republican talking point is that “Do Nothing Democrats” are obsessed with impeachment. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the centrist Democrat who represents Central Virginia’s sprawling 7th District, doesn’t buy it. On Friday, her first anniversary as a member of the 166th Congress, Spanberger said she is proud of what she has achieved on health care, broadband access, fair trade, immigration, agriculture and election security.

VIRGINIA BEACH REP. ELAINE LURIA ENDORSES JOE BIDEN

U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria is endorsing Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 Democratic primary, calling him “battle-tested on the world stage” and pitching him as the candidate most prepared to take on President Donald Trump. Luria announced her endorsement Sunday night along with two other U.S. Reps., both from battleground districts in Pennsylvania: Chrissy Houlahan, of Chester County, and Conor Lamb, of Pittsburgh suburbs. All three share a military background and represent districts that have traditionally been held by Republicans but flipped in 2018.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH RISKS LEAVING MARYLAND SUBURBS BEHIND

The scene is dreary at what’s left of Montgomery County’s White Flint Mall, the site that Maryland hoped would lure Amazon to build its second headquarters. A lonely Lord & Taylor store sits next to acres of land filled with bushes and weeds where much of the shopping center once stood.

AS DOMINION PREPARES TO CLOSE YORKTOWN COAL ASH LANDFILL, SOME WANT MORE SCRUTINY OF ITS FUTURE

Dominion Energy closed its two coal-burning units at the Yorktown Power Station in February of 2019, and the utility is preparing to close its coal ash landfill by May. That landfill covers 48 acres and holds about 1.5 million tons of coal ash, a mix of pollutants and heavy metals from the coal-burning units that has accrued over three decades.

AMAZON PAYS $73M FOR MORE LOUDOUN DATA CENTER LAND

An Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) subsidiary has acquired more data center land in Loudoun County, spending $73 million for an undeveloped site south of Dulles International Airport. The 100.2-acre parcel, located at 25020 Willard Road in Chantilly, was most recently owned by H&M Gudelsky Asset Management LLC, which falls under the Montgomery County-based Gudelsky family of companies. The buyer is listed as Amazon Data Services Inc., with Amazon’s Seattle mailing address, according to public records.

DAN RIVER REGION OFFICIALS: INCENTIVES NECESSARY IN COMPETITIVE MARKET

When Ikea closed its doors on its last day of production Dec. 13, it marked the end of an 11-year partnership between Danville and Pittsylvania County — through the localities’ joint Regional Industrial Facility Authority — and the company that employed as many as 300 people. With nearly $4 million in local incentives and more than $9 million in state incentives, Danville, Pittsylvania County and the state collectively were able to recruit a replacement in Morgan Olson: a delivery van company promising to provide 700 jobs within five years.

VDOT SAFETY PATROL NO STRANGER TO DANGER ALONG INTERSTATES

For five years, Chad Moore, of Mount Crawford, has gotten out of his Virginia Department of Transportation truck to change tires and charge batteries for broken-down cars on the shoulders of Interstates 81, 66 and 64. “You’re putting your life in the hands of strangers and the driving public,” he said with a knowing grin. “When you think about this, it’s pretty serious.”

LATEST LAWSUIT AGAINST MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE CONTESTS THE TAKING OF PRIVATE LAND

Work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline might be stalled for the winter, but that has not stopped the legal challenges against the embattled project. In the latest attack, brought Thursday, three couples who had their land taken for the natural gas pipeline are contesting the seizures, arguing that as a private company, Mountain Valley should not have been allowed to use the laws of eminent domain.

CHESAPEAKE BAY ADVOCATES UNHAPPY WITH PENNSYLVANIA.

Chesapeake Bay cleanup just got a big budget boost for fiscal 2020, pleasing bay advocates. But those advocates are urging the EPA to go after Pennsylvania for failing in its commitments to help restore the polluted estuary.

VIRGINIA’S MONACAN TRIBE USES NEW FEDERAL STATUS TO TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT COULD BE ITS LONG-LOST CAPITAL

No one doubts that layers of history lie at this spot southeast of Charlottesville where the Rivanna River flows into the James. Abandoned canal locks loom like castle walls; Revolution-era buildings stand in ruins nearby. But one group of Virginians claims the land has even deeper significance. The Monacan Indians, chased out some 300 years ago, believe the V where the two rivers meet was the site of their ancient capital, Rassawek.

IN VIRGINIA, A PUSH TO REMEMBER HISTORICALLY BLACK HIGH SCHOOLS BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR

Vivian Monroe-Hester’s high school textbooks harbored hatred in their margins. As a teenager at the all-black Booker T. Washington High School in segregated, 1960s-era Virginia, Monroe-Hester studied from used books passed along by white high schools. White students, knowing the texts’ final destination, scrawled their animus atop pictures, beneath paragraphs, between words.

ANNUAL HEROIN DEATHS REMAIN HIGH

Eight years after the national opioid epidemic hit the region, a high number of annual deaths has become the new normal. Last year, 27 people fatally overdosed on fentanyl, heroin or a combination of both in Winchester as well as Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties.

FORT BELVOIR MOLD PROBLEM HAS UPROOTED FAMILIES WAITING FOR ANSWERS

For several months, about two dozen families at the Fort Belvoir military base in Virginia have been living in a hotel, forced out of their homes by a pervasive mold problem that has caused illnesses and contaminated their belongings. Though a defense-spending bill signed by President Trump last month is meant to prevent such problems with military housing, some of the Fort Belvoir families say their frustrating experiences have them looking for other housing options in the pricey Washington region.

NEW LOUDOUN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SWORN IN

Loudoun County, Virginia ushered a significant swing Saturday morning as the new Democratic-led Board of Supervisors held a swearing-in ceremony at the National Conference Center. Board of Supervisors Chairman Phyllis Randall was reelected in November, and Democrats also flipped several seats. Randall is the first black elected chairman in Loudoun County

VIRGINIA BEACH TO CONSIDER $430 MILLION BOND REFERENDUM IN EFFORT TO SPEED UP FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

Virginia Beach will consider putting the city’s largest bond referendum on next November’s ballot in an effort to safeguard the area from future storms. Though many details regarding the possible $430 million referendum need to be finalized, several city council members have signaled that they are open to the idea.

HE OFFERED TO “TAKE THE HEAT” FOR POSTING DAMAGING INFORMATION ABOUT A VIRGINIA BEACH POLITICAL CANDIDATE

When a Virginia Beach woman suggested last year that she had some damaging information on a City Council candidate but was hesitant to share it, James Cohen offered to get the word out instead, according to recent court filings. “Tell me and I’ll pass it on,” Cohen wrote in a private Facebook exchange with the candidate’s estranged stepdaughter, Christine Melchor. “I’ll take the heat,” he added.

DOES MARTINSVILLE REALLY NEED TO GO THROUGH REVERSION?

Martinsville Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Easley has analyzed reversion and its effects from cover to cover, and, to her, the results are clear: Martinsville is not broke, and a rush to reversion is not necessary and could be borderline irresponsible.

COUNTING ON VIRGINIA

Everyone in Virginia, and especially in Hampton Roads, should thank the community activists and good neighbors who are working to convince wary residents that it’s safe and worthwhile to respond to next year’s U.S. census. Most of us may view participation in the census as a civic duty or, at worst, a minor annoyance. But there are people who are, for one reason or another, difficult for census workers to find. And there are people who fear that answering census questions will get them into trouble.

DEMOCRATS, DON'T DARE TO GUT REDISTRICTING REFORM

In the 2019 session of the General Assembly, almost a decade’s worth of hard work, lobbying legislators and educating the general public came to fruition when the House of Delegates and the state Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve a constitutional amendment to establish nonpartisan legislative redistricting in the commonwealth. The votes in the two chambers weren’t even close, either: a vote of 85 to 13 in the House and 39 to 1 in the Senate.

IT'S NOT 1993 ANYMORE

When the General Assembly convenes Wednesday, it will be the first time since 1993 that Democrats have controlled both chambers of the legislature and the governorship at the same time. In a way, though, that’s misleading, because the Democrats who will run the House of Delegates for at least the next two years — and the state Senate for the next four — bear scant resemblance to the Democrats of 1993.

REDISTRICTING REFORM NOW

The Virginia General Assembly’s passage last year of a constitutional amendment to change how the commonwealth draws representative districts marked an important milestone on the path to fairness and equality. Now lawmakers need to go the distance to see it enacted.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

When the 2020 General Assembly convenes on Wednesday to conduct the people’s business, it should remember, as one longtime lawmaker used to say, “who brung ’em to the dance.” In this case, it’s the citizens of Virginia. They deserve full transparency regarding the actions of the delegates and senators they elected to represent them.

SCHAPIRO: IN VA. HOUSE, NEW RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

In conference calls, private meetings and occasional dinners, about 10 senior Democrats have been quietly working on ways to blunt a Republican advantage in the House of Delegates that could endure — at minimum, near term — even though the GOP is back in the minority. The incoming speaker, Eileen Filler-Corn, other top House Democrats and two former delegates who led the party as a majority and a minority are rewriting the rules by which the House will do the people’s business.

MORSE: RURAL-URBAN SPLIT WORRISOME TO VIRGINIA

The 2020 General Assembly opens its proceedings on Wednesday and here’s an idea: Everyone just take a breath. Now, slowly breathe out and calmly assess the terrain ahead. Let’s see if we can act as if we’ve been doing representative government in Virginia for more than four centuries.

After writing editorials for The Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot in the 1980s, Gordon C. Morse wrote speeches for Gov. Gerald L. Baliles, then spent nearly three decades working on behalf of corporate and philanthropic organizations

CARTLEDGE: REFLECTING ON A DECADE OF TRANSFORMATION: COLLABORATION IS THE FUTURE

Another calendar year has ended and with it a decade of significant transformation in our region. Taking time to reflect on our hopes and dreams, and especially our collective accomplishments, will prepare us for the year ahead — and the new decade to come. ... Let’s take a brief look back at the past decade. I can tell you that what we have achieved together far exceeded my expectations.

Cartledge is Chair Emeritus of the Carilion Clinic board of directors.

BAILEY AND BEARMAN: NON-MEDICAL EXEMPTION OF VACCINATION POSES A LOOMING THREAT TO VIRGINIA

Through Dec. 5, there were 1,276 cases of measles in the United States. The virus, declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, made a resurgence this year. A recent Virginia Health Department advisory cautioned about a measles-infected person at Richmond International Airport; earlier this year, one traveled through Dulles International Airport and several other places in Northern Virginia.

Dr. Pamela Bailey is an infectious diseases physician at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Dr. Gonzalo Bearman is an infectious diseases physician at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System.

NGUYEN: DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES BUILT BY THE GRASSROOTS

Otmaro Aguirre moved from El Salvador to Virginia 18 years ago and joined New Virginia Majority to fight for access to affordable housing and driver's licenses. “We continue to fight so that all people, regardless of immigration status, can have a driver's license that serves as a primary source of identification.

Tram Nguyen is co-executive director of New Virginia Majority, a progressive 501(c)(4) advocacy group based in Richmond.

BRODERICK: VIRGINIA SCHOOLS ARE ‘HUBS OF INNOVATION’

Leaders in the 757 have set ambitious goals to advance our region’s economy. Virginia universities play a crucial role in achieving these objectives through expanded linkages with the business community to leverage innovation, discovery and job creation. The commonwealth’s research institutions are hubs of innovation. In addition to advancing knowledge and discovery, faculty and researchers develop intellectual property that benefits businesses and government entities that directly align with major assets in our region, including health care, maritime and port assets, federal facilities and resilience efforts.

John R. Broderick is president of Old Dominion University and chair of the Council of Presidents of the Southeastern Universities Research Association.

GALUSZKA: DISTURBING ‘SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY’ TREND IN VIRGINIA

A vigorous and reactionary movement has sprung up throughout Virginia to declare cities and counties “Second Amendment sanctuaries” that will not enforce gun-control laws that the Democratic-controlled General Assembly may pass.

Peter Galuszka is a freelance writer.

CALFEE: INVESTING IN VIRGINA'S FUTURE

The 2020 General Assembly Session is fast approaching, and our elected officials will be doing all they can to ensure that the commonwealth remains prosperous — not just in 2020, but for decades to come. The key to this long-term prosperity is investing in Virginia’s young people, and in doing so, investing in Virginia’s future.

Jared Calfee is executive director of Virginia21.