Supreme Court honors legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
March 17, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose death ahead of the 2020 election led to a conservative shift on the Supreme Court, was remembered Friday during ceremonies at the high court as a legendary champion for women's rights.
Filler-Corn, Lewis join Virginia General Assembly exodus
March 8, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Two more Virginia state legislators, one of them a former House speaker, announced plans Tuesday to step down after their current terms end, bringing to at least 20 the number of lawmakers retiring rather than seeking re-election under new electoral maps.
McClellan becomes 1st Black woman for Virginia in Congress
March 8, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Jennifer McClellan, holding the receipt for a poll tax her father once had to pay tucked into the pages of a family Bible, was sworn into the U.S.
Virginia lawmaker Matt Fariss charged in alleged hit-and-run
March 7, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia state lawmaker charged in what authorities are calling a hit-and-run swerved his SUV toward a woman after they argued, striking her and leaving her with minor injuries, according to police and allegations outlined in court documents.
Paid express lanes grow more popular in once-reluctant South
March 4, 2023 GMTTrucker Tim Chelette has been making the same twice-daily drive for 16 years hauling empty whiskey barrels from Louisville, Kentucky, to the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee, yet his workday keeps getting longer due to time lost in Nashville traffic.
Abortion clinics crossing state borders not always welcome
March 3, 2023 GMTBRISTOL, Va. (AP) — The pastors smiled as they held the doors open, grabbing the hands of those who walked by and urging many to keep praying and to keep showing up. Some responded with a hug. A few grimaced as they squeezed past.
Virginia Senate finance co-chair Howell joins those retiring
February 28, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Janet Howell, the veteran Democratic Virginia state senator who co-chairs her chamber's finance committee, announced Tuesday she will not seek re-election.
“After serving 32 years and accomplishing most of my legislative goals, I am stepping aside.
Maryland campus tries to get ahead of sports betting’s lure
February 28, 2023 GMTTOWSON, Md. (AP) — When Towson University students pick up their phones on campus and open a designated app, they may see an ad seeking to teach them about responsible gambling.
The in-app banner ad, sent at random, advises them to “PAWS”: “Plan ahead, Always know your limits, Wait to play again/wager again, Stop while you’re ahead.”
Bagby wins Democratic primary for blue-leaning Senate seat
February 27, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Del. Lamont Bagby defeated two opponents in a firehouse primary Sunday to advance to a March special general election for the blue-leaning, Richmond-based 9th Senate District of Virginia against GOP nominee Stephen Imholt.
Some Democratic-led states seek to bolster voter protections
February 25, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers in several Democratic-controlled states are advocating sweeping voter protections this year, reacting to what they view as a broad undermining of voting rights by the Supreme Court and Republican-led states as well as a failed effort in Congress to bolster access to the polls.
Virginia passes law to crack down on organized retail theft
February 24, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — It's a scene that's gone viral over and over, with social media videos showing groups of thieves brazenly stealing bags of merchandise from stores around the country.
Organized retail theft is a financial problem for businesses and a crime trend that police and lawmakers want to stop.
McClellan makes history, becomes Virginia’s first Black congresswoman
February 22, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia voters on Tuesday elected Democrat Jennifer McClellan, a veteran state legislator from Richmond, to fill an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she will make history as the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress.
Supreme Court won’t revive lawsuit over NSA surveillance
February 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to revive an ACLU lawsuit challenging a portion of the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance of Americans’ international email and phone communications.
Bid for localities to add surcharge to build schools fails
February 20, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, VA. (AP) — A bill that would have given Virginia cities and counties the option to ask local voters to approve a sales tax surcharge to finance school construction has died in the General Assembly.
White House criticizes Youngkin over menstrual tracking bill
February 18, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The White House rebuked Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week for supporting state lawmakers' rejection of a bill that that would have prohibited police from issuing search warrants for digitized data about women’s menstrual cycles.
Senate panel defeats two bills restricting trans students
February 16, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Senate Democrats defeated two bills Thursday that would have restricted transgender students' participation in school athletics and required officials to notify parents if their child identifies as trans in school, measures that faced strenuous objections from LGBTQ advocacy groups.
IRS urges special refund recipients to delay filing taxes
February 7, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service is recommending that taxpayers hold off on filing their tax returns for 2022 if they received a special tax refund or payment from their state last year.
Grandmother indicted after boy, 9, fatally shoots teen girl
February 2, 2023 GMTBALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore grandmother faces criminal charges for failing to secure the gun that her 9-year-old grandson was carrying when he fatally shot a teenage girl last summer, officials announced Thursday, saying the indictment should serve as a warning about the importance of safe firearm storage.
Virginia AG opposes prosecuting women seeking abortions
February 1, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Speaking at an annual anti-abortion rally and march in Richmond, Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said Wednesday that he opposes the idea that women should be prosecuted for seeking abortions.
Senate OKs bill tightening Virginia tourism spending rules
January 31, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would tighten the purchasing rules the state's tourism agency must follow.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Jeremy McPike, has said he filed the measure in response to a controversy last year involving the Virginia Tourism Corp.'s use of Gov.
Virginia Democrats defeat bills limiting abortion access
January 27, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — In a series of key votes Thursday, Virginia Senate Democrats defeated several bills that would have restricted abortion access in the state, including a proposed 15-week ban with exceptions that was a priority for Republican Gov.
AG: Ex-parole board chair violated law; too late for charges
January 26, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A former Virginia Parole Board chair violated state policy and law in her handling of cases at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and could have faced criminal charges if not for the statute of limitations, the state's attorney general said Wednesday.
Senate panel advances long-stalled campaign finance reform
January 24, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia Senate committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would prohibit lawmakers from using campaign funds for personal expenses like a mortgage or country club membership — a change lawmakers have long resisted adopting.
Lawmakers seek to bar insurrectionists from holding office
January 22, 2023 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers in a handful of states are trying to send a message two years after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol: Those who engage in an attempted overthrow of the government shouldn’t be allowed to run it.
Bill calls for parental notification of trans students
January 19, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Republican lawmaker touted a bill Thursday that would require Virginia school officials to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender in school, one of several proposals lawmakers are expected to debate this session that could significantly affect transgender people.
Va. Senate Democrats kill effort to repeal electric car rule
January 18, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Senate Democrats on Tuesday defeated several Republican efforts to repeal a so-called “clean cars” law that aims to reduce carbon pollution through the adoption of California’s stringent rules for vehicle emissions.
Fight over guns center of annual Virginia lobbying day
January 17, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gun-control and gun-rights proponents rallied Monday at the Virginia Capitol during an annual day of advocacy, as lawmakers from both parties offered a tempered assessment about what's possible on the issue during this year's legislative session.
Taxes, abortion on agenda as Virginia lawmakers back at work
January 11, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia General Assembly kicked off its annual legislative session Wednesday with a hefty agenda that includes taxes, abortion and energy policy, but there are low expectations for how much work will actually get done during an election year.
Trial set for Black soldier suing police over violent stop
January 7, 2023 GMTNORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A U.S. Army lieutenant who was pepper sprayed, struck and handcuffed by police in rural Virginia, but never arrested, will argue to a jury that he was assaulted and falsely imprisoned and that his vehicle was illegally searched.
States target transgender health care in first bills of 2023
January 7, 2023 GMTAfter a midterm election and record flow of anti-transgender legislation last year, Republican state lawmakers this year are zeroing in on questions of bodily autonomy with new proposals to limit gender-affirming health care and abortion access.
Virginia community college system gets new chancellor
January 4, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — An experienced higher education executive from Arizona has been tapped to lead Virginia's system of 23 community colleges after a lengthy search.
Virginia delegate not guilty of assaulting GOP colleague
January 4, 2023 GMTWYTHEVILLE, Va. (AP) — A Republican member of the House of Delegates was found not guilty Wednesday of physically assaulting a fellow state lawmaker during a GOP gathering last year.
Del. Wren Williams of Patrick County was acquitted of the misdemeanor charge brought against him by Del.
Lawmaker: Laptop of 2019 mass shooter is found
January 3, 2023 GMTNORFOLK, Va. (AP) — In the three-plus years since a city engineer killed 12 people at a Virginia Beach municipal building, investigators say they never recovered a personal computer that belonged to him and could possibly shed light on his motives.
Youngkin sets special election to fill Rep. McEachin’s seat
December 13, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin set a special election for Feb. 21 to fill the 4th Congressional District seat of the late Democratic Rep. A. Donald McEachin, as the field of candidates seeking the post grew on Monday.
Free ride: DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit
December 12, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare for the District of Columbia and other major cities that public transit was a lifeline for essential workers and that even modest fares could be a burden to them.
Numbers on panel examining Va. Beach mass shooting dwindle
December 11, 2022 GMTVIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Several members of a state commission tasked with conducting an independent investigation of a 2019 mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, have stepped down in recent months -- raising doubts among some whether the panel can perform its job.
Confederate monument set to be removed from Virginia capital
December 11, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va, (AP) — Work to relocate Richmond’s final city-owned Confederate monument should start this week after a judge refused a request to delay the removal of the statue of Gen. A.P. Hill from its prominent spot in Virginia's capital, an official said.
Virginia watchdog agency: Tourism video contract was proper
December 10, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s state government watchdog agency has cleared the state’s tourism office of wrongdoing when it gave Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political ad-maker a state contract to produce a tourism video featuring the governor.
2 lawyers and a former US attorney will probe UVA shooting
December 9, 2022 GMTCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Two lawyers and a former U.S. attorney have been chosen to conduct an external review of the shooting that killed three University of Virginia students and wounded two others on campus last month, state Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Thursday.
Virginia’s top court reinstates prosecutor removed by judge
December 8, 2022 GMTFALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Supreme Court reinstated a progressive prosecutor on a criminal burglary case Thursday after a judge removed her when he was dissatisfied with a plea deal her office reached.
Interracial marriages to get added protection under new law
December 8, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — One day in the 1970s, Paul Fleisher and his wife were walking through a department store parking lot when they noticed a group of people looking at them. Fleisher, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, were used to “the look.” But this time it was more intense.
Q&A: How Ted Henifin plans to fix Jackson’s water system
December 8, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The manager appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice to help fix the long-troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital has an expansive list of reforms on his plate. Over one year, Ted Henifin intends to make substantial progress on all of them.
AP WAS THERE: Supreme Court legalizes interracial marriage
December 8, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — EDITOR’S NOTE: On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court was wrapping up the final orders for the term. Among the cases before them was that of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who had been sentenced to a year in jail for violating Virginia’s ban on marriage between people of different races.
Interracial marriages to get added protection under new law
December 7, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — One day in the 1970s, Paul Fleisher and his wife were walking through a department store parking lot when they noticed a group of people looking at them. Fleisher, who is white, and his wife, who is Black, were used to “the look.” But this time it was more intense.
Youngkin ends shutdown penalties, wants some reimbursed
December 7, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced that he will direct state agencies to stop further enforcement and penalties for violations of COVID-19 shutdown violations and ask legislators and agencies to reimburse some fines and fees.
Virginia House Democrats aim to protect their majority
October 27, 2021 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic control of Virginia state government over the past two years has allowed lawmakers to dramatically reshape public policy with legislation reforming the criminal justice system, loosening abortion restrictions and expanding voting access.
Virginia tax coffers continue to overflow; surplus expected
June 12, 2021 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia state government continues to bring in more revenue than expected, with a new report showing the state has brought in more than 98 percent of its anticipated annual revenue with a full month remaining in the fiscal year.