Virginia Politics & News
Virginia news from The Daily Signal, covering state politics, education policy, election integrity, and the political shift between Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth’s conservative regions.
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- Opinion
Why Race Wasn’t Behind Virginia Redistricting Plan
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a congressional redistricting case that involves the complicated issues that arise under the Voting Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment when race intersects with politics. Experienced Supreme Court litigator Mike Carvin was up against Marc Elias, who is the attorney for Hillary Clinton’s…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Over Governor’s Veto, West Virginia Becomes 26th State to Pass Right-to-Work
West Virginia Republicans overrode a veto by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Friday, successfully passing right-to-work. Tomblin, a Democrat, vetoed the measure Thursday after expressing concern that it would not help stimulate the economy as some claimed. The policy outlaws mandatory union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Republicans argued that it could…Connor D. Wolf -
- News
How West Virginia Is Leading the Charge Against Obama’s Environmental ‘Power Grab’
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—The Mountain State has its back against the wall, and time is running out. Leading a coalition of more than two dozen coal states, West Virginia is asking the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of President Obama’s new regulations governing the coal industry. West Virginia and 26 other states argue that the Environmental…Philip Wegmann -
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Virginia Mom Takes Fight Against Sexually Explicit Books to State Lawmakers
After discovering what she considers over-the-top, sexually explicit material in her children’s high school reading assignments, a Northern Virginia mother is lobbying for greater transparency inside the classroom. “This happened four years ago, when I first became aware of the books that were being taught in schools,” Laura Murphy, a mother of four in Fairfax,…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
West Virginia Turns to Prayer as Obama’s ‘Clean Power’ Looms
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—There’s little separation between church and the fossil fuel industry in West Virginia’s coal country. Still reeling from recent mine shutdowns, the state legislature has set aside Jan. 31 as a “day of prayer for coal miners.” “We need a higher power to change the hearts and minds of those who want to destroy…Philip Wegmann -
- News
Virginia Severs Concealed Carry Agreements With 25 States
Virginia will stop honoring concealed carry permits from more than two dozen other states that currently have reciprocity privileges with the commonwealth. Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, announced the change Tuesday after a state audit determined that gun laws in 25 states failed to meet Virginia’s requirements for concealed handguns. The shift will take effect Feb….Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Are Unions Losing Their Grip in West Virginia?
West Virginia may well become the next right-to-work state. Bill Cole—the state-Senate president and probable GOP gubernatorial nominee—has made passing right-to-work legislation a top priority. However, Cole didn’t bring it up for hearings or a vote in this year’s legislative session. At the time, liberal groups celebrated the fact that right-to-work was bumped from the…James Sherk -
- News
West Virginia House Speaker Wants to Make Sure Planned Parenthood Isn’t Receiving State Funds
This post has been updated to include a response from a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, who returned our request for comment after this article was published. The Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates has asked the state’s Department of Health and Human Resources to provide lawmakers with information about any payments…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
How Virginia Is Making It Easier for Felons and Noncitizens to Vote
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and his appointees to the Virginia State Board of Elections seem determined to ensure that felons and noncitizens can illegally register and vote in elections without getting caught. In April 2015, Governor McAuliffe vetoed House Bill 1315, which would have required jury commissioners to retain information from individuals not qualified to…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Justice Served: One Virginia Chaplain’s Mission to Rehabilitate Jail Inmates
RICHMOND — It’s just after noon on a sunny, sweltering Tuesday in June. Roughly 15 inmates at the Richmond City Justice Center stand or sit on small, plastic chairs in a bright, sterile room on the fifth floor of the jail, waiting. For most of the men in this over-50 group, waiting is a near-constant part…Madaline Donnelly -
- News
West Virginia Joins Five Other States in Bailing on Interior Department Mine Regulation Agreement
After watching federal officials with the U.S. Department of the Interior unilaterally rewrite regulatory rules without state input in what was supposed to be a joint venture, West Virginia has joined with five other states to withdraw from a cooperative agreement they say the Interior Department has violated. In 2010, the Interior Department’s Office of…Kevin Mooney -
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West Virginia Overrides Governor’s Veto, Passes Law Banning Abortion After 20 Weeks
The West Virginia legislature has passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, overriding the governor’s veto of the legislation. On Friday, the West Virginia state Senate voted 27 to 5 to authorize House Bill 2568. According to the Associated Press, a simple majority is all that is needed to override a gubernatorial veto on matters…Kate Scanlon -
- News
‘Protect the Land Owner’: Virginia Farmer Continues Fight Against Environmental Group
Instead of filing the same version of the conservation easement that was signed by its president and a Virginia farmer, the Piedmont Environmental Council pulled a “bait and switch” that dramatically altered the document’s terms and conditions. That’s one of several revelations that have come to light in the past few days as Martha Boneta,…Kevin Mooney -
- News
Virginia Farmer’s Property Rights Dispute With Green Group Hits Another Snag
Virginia farmer Martha Boneta thought her long-running dispute with a local green group was coming to an end. But now, that light at the end of the tunnel has gone dark again. Efforts to reach a settlement with a local green group, the Piedmont Environmental Council, are on hold. The PEC currently oversees enforcement duties…Kevin Mooney -
- News
Virginia Attorney General Sits Out Fighting Obama Administration on Immigration Executive Action
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia is sitting out the legal fight over President Obama’s controversial amnesty order, even though illegal immigration costs Virginians more than $1.8 billion a year. Indeed, while 25 other state attorneys general are suing the administration to block the path to citizenship for some 5 million illegals in this country, Virginia Attorney…Kenric Ward -
- News
Federal Taxpayers Help Virginia Make $2 Million Health Care Advertising Push
Federal taxpayers are pitching in $2 million for a marketing campaign to make sure Virginians eligible for government-subsidized health care know how to enroll. The commonwealth isn’t expanding Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, at least not yet. Still, a federal exchange grant that runs through December 2015 will help Gov. Terry McAuliffe accomplish…Kathryn Watson -
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Virginia Lawmakers Eye Laws to Govern Cell Phone Searches
Virginia lawmakers have some serious problems to tackle when they return to Richmond on Jan. 14. With the Jan. 6 sentencing of former Gov. Bob McDonnell fresh in their minds, lawmakers will wade through proposals to tighten rules on disclosure laws, lobbying after leaving the statehouse and gift limits. They also will have to close…Kathryn Watson -
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Why Virginia Has More Traffic Lawyers Than Any Other State
RICHMOND, Va. — In a hurry this holiday? Beware that Virginia ranks as one of the toughest states on speeders, and police are proud of it. Driving 20 mph over the speed limit qualifies as reckless driving in Virginia law. That offense is not a mere traffic citation, but a Class One criminal misdemeanor punishable…Kenric Ward -
- News
Six-Figure State Economic Deal May Net ‘One New Job’ for Virginia County
KING GEORGE, Va. — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe boasts that his administration has closed a record 228 economic-development deals since the Democrat took office last January. But instead of generating new jobs, an agreement the governor announced last week will merely shift workers between two Virginia counties and pit one state-subsidized company against another. Commercial Metals Co….Kenric Ward -
- News
Virginia Lawmakers Consider Enshrining Privacy Protections in State Constitution
With technology outpacing privacy laws, Virginia lawmakers are trying to plan for the unexpected. Democratic state Sen. Chap Petersen of Fairfax and Republican state Del. Richard Anderson of Woodbridge are looking to prohibit state agencies and law enforcement from using any technology — think automatic license plate readers, call databases and drones — to passively…Kathryn Watson