Tag: state government
New Virginia laws took effect July 1
The following laws passed by the General Assembly this year took effect July 1 unless otherwise stated. For more information about these and other bills enacted in 2023, visit the Virginia Division of Legislative Services. Criminal offenses House Bill 1682, Senate Bill 1188 – A mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl is … Continued
FCPS objects to subpoena by Virginia attorney general on delayed notifications
Fairfax County Public Schools is refusing to hand over additional documents to Attorney General Jason Miyares about the delay in notifying students designated as Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. This winter, FCPS contracted with the Sands Anderson law firm to conduct an investigation of the delay. The report concluded that the delayed … Continued
Candidates for the state senate clash on corporate campaign contributions
Heidi Drauschak, a candidate for the 35th District in the Virginia Senate, told the audience at a forum May 16 that one of her top priorities is campaign finance reform and that she won’t accept money from Dominion Energy or other corporations. She is challenging Sen. Dave Marsden in the Democratic Primary on June 20. The 35th … Continued
Sen. Saslaw will not run for re-election
Longtime Virginia state Sen. Dick Saslaw has confirmed the rumors about his retirement. Saslaw, currently the Senate Majority Leader, announced Feb. 23 on the Senate floor that he will not run for re-election in November. The 83-year-old Democratic leader was first elected to the General Assembly in 1980. Saslaw will retire when his term is … Continued
VA Senate candidate Heidi Drauschak focuses on campaign finance reform
Heidi Drauschak, a candidate for the Virginia Senate in the 35th District, is focusing on the need for campaign finance reform. She will be on the ballot in the Democratic Primary on June 20. The redrawn 35th District encompasses Annandale, Springfield, West Springfield, and adjacent areas. Due to redistricting, the 35th District incorporates areas currently … Continued
BoS urges state to prevent schools from hiring offenders
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed on Oct. 11 to urge the state to strengthen its policies on how the arrests of public school employees are reported. This action comes in the wake of the discovery of a convicted sexual predator working as a counselor at Glasgow Middle School. County and school officials were … Continued
Prosecutors won’t enforce abortion ban
If Virginia enacts a law banning abortions, the commonwealth’s attorneys for Fairfax and Arlington counties will not enforce it. That’s the message Steve Descano, the chief prosecutor for Fairfax County, and Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who has that role for Arlington County and Falls Church City, brought to a fundraiser for Repro Rising Sept. 22 in Mason … Continued
Frisch and Siebold running for the General Assembly
Fairfax County School Board member Karl Frisch (Providence) and Holly Seibold, an advocate for women’s issues, are seeking the Democratic nomination for the House of Delegates in the 35th district. That seat has been held by Mark Keam since 2010. On Sept. 4, Keam announced his departure from the General Assembly to take a position … Continued
Youngkin attacks public schools
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other Republican state leaders came down hard against public education at a back-to-school rally for GOP congressional candidates Aug. 31 at Mason District Park in Annandale. The key message at the event is that parents, not school administrators, teacher unions, or “radical politicians,” should have control over their children’s education. … Continued
New Virginia laws take effect
Here are a few of the newly enacted Virginia laws that took effect July 1: Public education Senate Bill 656 – The Department of Education is directed to develop model policies on sexually explicit content in instructional material by July 30. School boards must adopt policies by Jan. 1, 2023, for ensuring parental notification of … Continued
Police can now pull over loud cars
Under a Virginia law that takes effect July 1, police officers can stop a vehicle for having an excessively noisy exhaust system. Officers can enforce this law as a primary offense, meaning there is reasonable suspicion to make a traffic stop. Up to now, state law considered loud exhaust systems a secondary offense. Officers were … Continued
FCPS sets metrics for ending mask mandate
Fairfax County Public Schools will begin to roll back its mask requirements when the county reaches “moderate transmission rates” and remains there for seven consecutive days, the school system announced. Meanwhile, both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate have passed bills allowing parents to have their children opt out of school mask mandates. Gov. … Continued
Youngkin pursues right-wing agenda
Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin’s legislative priorities call for diverting funds from public schools to charter schools, banning critical race theory, restricting voting, and promoting massive tax cuts. The following bills and budget amendments introduced in the General Assembly are part of Youngkin’s “Day One Agenda.” Education The Board of Education or a local school board … Continued
Youngkin selects former school board member Elizabeth Schultz for state office
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has selected former Fairfax County School Board member Elizabeth Schultz as assistant superintendent of public instruction. As a school board member, Schultz opposed including gender identity and sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies and was an outspoken advocate against efforts to support transgender students. Her Twitter account ThinkSchultz – which has been … Continued
Candidates for governor – McAuliffe and Youngkin – in a dead heat, according to latest poll
McAuliffe speaks to voters. The two candidates in the race to become the next government of Virginia – Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin – is a virtual dead heat. Forty percent of likely voters plan to vote for McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, on Nov. 2, and 37 percent favor Youngkin, the Republican candidate, according to … Continued