Virginia Politics & News

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

Virginia farmer Martha Boneta’s desire to have an environmental conservation group replaced as overseer of her property has moved a step closer to reality. Officials of the Piedmont Environmental Council have agreed to a meeting Friday to talk about ending a bitter standoff with Boneta by handing off enforcement duties for a conservation easement on…

More than a year after it was reported the IRS sent thousands of refunds to the tiny town of Parksley, Va., a woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud. Linda Avila admitted to obtaining more than $7.2 million in refunds by exploiting the federal government’s child tax credit program. Avila filed more than…

A Virginia Republican’s forthcoming retirement after three-and-a-half decades in the General Assembly could give Democrats a better shot at regaining control of the state Senate next year. Earlier this year, Republicans took control of the Virginia Senate and halted hopes of Medicaid expansion when Democratic state Sen. Phil Puckett abruptly resigned. Now, moderate Republican state Sen. John Watkins has announced…

A Virginia woman has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group ISIS. Heather Coffman, 29, began exchanging messages with an undercover FBI official in July. Coffman allegedly believed the undercover agent was a fellow ISIS sympathizer and offered to put him in touch with her contacts, according to an affidavit…

On Tuesday, Saira Blair of West Virginia became the youngest state lawmaker-elect in the nation. Blair is an 18-year-old freshman at West Virginia University. According to the Wall Street Journal, she is an economics major and “hopes to become a financial planner.” She ran as a Republican on what she calls a “fiscally conservative platform,”…