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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- News
Abortion Clinic Drops Suit Against West Virginia’s Unborn Child Protection Law
A West Virginia abortion clinic on Monday dropped its lawsuit against the state’s pro-life law. In a federal district court filing, the clinic cited unavailability on the part of its two abortion doctors in seeking a “voluntary dismissal” of the case. The lawsuit was filed on Feb. 1 challenging the Unborn Child Protection Act, a law…Michael Ippolito -
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Youngkin Signs Bill Ensuring Equal Status for Virginia Churches
On March 26, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, signed HB 2171 into law. This new statute ensures that houses of worship are not subject to unequal restrictions compared to those placed on other businesses, organizations, and activities in the commonwealth of Virginia. In sharp contrast to the limit of 10 people imposed on “nonessential” gatherings such as churches by…John Kebles -
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Violent Antifa Agitators and Transgender Activists Shut Down Students for Life Event at Virginia University
Violent transgender activists and Antifa agitators interrupted the final Students for Life “Lies Pro-Choicers Believe” Tour at Virginia Commonwealth University on Wednesday and shut the event down. Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins’ and student ambassador Isabel Brown’s speaking tour concluded at the Richmond, Virginia, public university in violence as police arrested protesters…Michael Ippolito -
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EXCLUSIVE: Virginia School District Boots 14 Sexually Explicit Books to County Libraries
A Virginia school district’s new superintendent decided Wednesday to remove 14 sexually explicit books from school libraries and donate them to the county government’s public library system. The 14 “young adult” novels to be removed from libraries in Spotsylvania County Public Schools by order of Superintendent Mark Taylor, on the job since Nov. 1, include:…Tony Kinnett -
- Opinion
Did Southern Poverty Law Center and James Madison Museum Team Up to Put ‘Anti-racist’ Curriculum in Virginia Schools?
The Albemarle County school district in Virginia has been subjected to two lawsuits related to its implementation of an “anti-racist” curriculum, which one parent said was “incubating a culture rooted in grievance, discord, and victimhood.” But parents in the school district near Charlottesville may be alarmed to discover that it is not just the school…Brenda Hafera -
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‘Grave Misuse of Taxpayer Funds’: Education Advocates Slam Virginia County for ‘Transfer of Wealth’ to Nikole Hannah-Jones
Education advocates slammed public institutions in Fairfax County, Virginia, for spending more than $30,000 to bring The New York Times Magazine’s Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of “The 1619 Project,” to speak at a Black History Month event. During the Feb. 19 speech at the McLean Community Center, Hannah-Jones promoted her book and the New York Times…Tyler O’Neil -
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‘Democrats Should Be Ashamed:’ Youngkin Condemns Removal of Parent From Virginia Education Board
Virginia Democrats who voted to remove concerned parent Suparna Dutta from the state’s Board of Education on Tuesday should be “ashamed,” according to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office. “In an appalling show of partisanship, Senate Democrats said the quiet part out loud: Parents aren’t qualified to advise on education in Virginia,” Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
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Gov. Youngkin Condemns Black Lives Matter at School Push in Virginia Teachers Union: ‘This Will Not Be Tolerated’
Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office said the Black Lives Matter at School toolkit released by a Virginia teachers union “will not be tolerated.” The Virginia Education Association’s Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action toolkit champions BLM’s 13 principles in the classroom. It uses kindergarten through 12th grade lesson plans made by the education…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin Aims to Save Virginia From California-Style Energy Policies
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, is drawing a sharp contrast between his energy initiatives and those of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, saying he remains committed to withdrawing Virginia from a multistate climate pact and pulling away from California’s vehicle emission goals. Youngkin’s executive order calling on Virginia to “reevaluate” its participation in…Kevin Mooney -
- Opinion
West Virginia Wins Day on Fairness in Women’s Sports but Plot Thickens on Title IX
The game’s afoot on the legal definition of “sex.” What was once a commonsense understanding of “sex” as meaning the biological distinctions between male and female has—under recent leftist claims that sex includes “gender identity”—become a flashpoint for the culture wars and clogged the federal courts. Parents, legislators, and educators across the country are navigating…Sarah Parshall Perry -
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BREAKING: Virginia AG Launches Investigation of Fairfax School Caught Withholding Students’ Merit Awards
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Wednesday that prosecutors will investigate one of the state's richest school districts and its celebrated science and tech school for “unlawful discrimination" in violation of state law. The move from Miyares, a Republican, follows concerns that Fairfax County Public Schools and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology…Tony Kinnett -
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Virginia Parents: Complicit School Board Members ‘All Need to Resign Now’
School board members in Loudoun County, Virginia, took a beating from parents Tuesday night during an especially fiery public meeting. The meeting was parents’ first opportunity to express their displeasure since a 92-page special grand jury report, released Dec. 5, described how Loudoun County Public Schools egregiously mishandled two cases of sexual assault that threatened to disrupt…Joshua Arnold -
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Virginia Restaurant Kicks Out Family Foundation Over Abortion, Traditional Marriage
A Virginia restaurant told the Family Foundation that it was no longer welcome to dine at the establishment because of the organization’s views on abortion and traditional marriage. The Daily Signal spoke with Family Foundation President Victoria Cobb on Monday morning outside the Supreme Court as the justices heard oral arguments in 303 Creative v….Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Ruling in West Virginia v. EPA Scores Win for Representative Government
Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress possesses federal lawmaking power. But anyone familiar with the massive administrative state might question whether that’s true in practice. After all, federal agencies make a habit of acting as though there’s a special lawmaking power just for bureaucrats. On June 30, though, there was some good news on the…Daren Bakst -
- Opinion
Supreme Court’s Ruling in West Virginia v. EPA Delivers Win for Self-Government, Affordable Energy
It’s been an eventful month for decisions from the Supreme Court. Monumental decisions on issues of life, the Second Amendment, and religious freedom have now been followed up by West Virginia v. EPA, a decision that has major implications for checking runaway regulators and for the economy. In short, the Supreme Court shut down the…Katie Tubb -
- Opinion
If Garland, Local Prosecutor Won’t Protect Justices, Virginia Governor and State AG Must Act
With U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Fairfax County, Virginia, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano refusing to enforce federal and state laws against the pro-abortion protesters who are intimidating and threatening Supreme Court justices and their families who live in Virginia, it’s time for Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state Attorney General Jason Miyares to step in…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Youngkin Wants to Close Wide ‘Honesty Gap’ in Virginia Schools
Virginia is home to the largest education “honesty gap” in the country, according to a new report released by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 4-month-old administration. The report, “Our Commitment to Virginians: High Expectations and Excellence for All Students,” details what it calls “a clear and sobering lesson on the consequences for students when state leaders lower…Lindsey Burke -
- News
Virginia Mom Sues School Over ‘Anti-Racism’ Policy
A Virginia mother is suing her son’s school district over its implementation of a critical race theory curriculum that she says radically changed his outlook on race and his own identity, Fox News reported. Melissa Riley is suing the Albemarle County School Board over its “anti-racism” policy that she believes completely shifted her biracial son’s…Kendall Tietz -
- Opinion
Using ‘Wrong’ Pronouns Could Lead to Suspensions in Virginia Public Schools
Living as a Christian could get a student suspended from public school in Fairfax County, Virginia. Earlier this month, the school board conducted an annual review of its Regulation 2601, proposing edits to a 70-page-long document on “Student Rights and Responsibilities,” and parents noticed something shocking. According to a short provision buried deep in the document, students could face suspension…Joshua Arnold -
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Pro-Abortion Graffiti Mars Pro-Life Pregnancy Center in Virginia
A vandal or vandals painted pro-abortion graffiti on a pro-life pregnancy center over the weekend in Northern Virginia, about 32 miles from the nation’s capital. Employees of First Care Women’s Health in Manassas discovered the graffiti as they entered the building Monday morning, Becky Sheetz, CEO of the nonprofit Christian ministry Life First, which operates…Fred Lucas