Both presidential campaigns are ramping up their efforts to get new voters signed up before the voter registration deadline in Virginia. Matt Laslo reports.

Virginia revenues declined for the month of September … resulting in tax collections for the first quarter of the fiscal year that are below the forecast used to craft the two-year state spending plan.  Finance Secretary Ric Brown told the House Appropriations Committee  that there’s no need to rush to lower the revenue forecast or cut the state budget just yet.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, he also said the uncertainty of federal fiscal policies may be a drag on economic activity.

Virginia’s Executive Mansion was the backdrop for the roll-out of a new, illustrated book about the 200-year-old house itself.  Joined by best-selling author David Baldacci, First Lady Maureen McDonnell and other dignitaries unveiled “First House,” which traces the history of the building and the stories of the 54 families who have lived there.   And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the legacy of the oldest Governor’s house still used as a residence is now preserved for posterity.

A new study by the General Assembly’s watchdog agency suggests that year-round Virginia schools have significantly improved SOL scores for specific student subgroups.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, when lawmakers return to work in January, they will need to decide whether or not it’s worth investing more money into programs that do not benefit the majority of students.

Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner is hosting a retreat this week for a bipartisan group of senators to discuss ways to divert massive budget cuts slated for the nation. Partisan wrangling over raising the nation’s debt ceiling not only led to the U.S. credit rating being downgraded, it also set up sequestration: a mechanism to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from the federal budget if lawmakers don not hammer out a deal. That hatchet is slated to fall in January.

Senator Warner says even in the midst of this year’s elections it is important for him and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to try to divert those cuts.  “What I fear the most is going through the kind of kabuki dance that leads us to the eleventh hour where you then end up with a product that looks like the debt ceiling product.”

Warner and the others are being closed-lipped on the deal they are discussing behind closed-doors, but he is offering at least one hint. “And if there’s a memo to us going forward: don’t set up a default mechanism that you can’t live with.”

Warner and the others are not disclosing where the retreat will be located, and they are not expected to unveil any product until after this year’s elections.

-by Matt Laslo

Those who advocate for the victims of child sexual abuse and pornography have been tracking the outcomes of civil suits filed by the victims nationwide. They say it’s evident that without tough laws such as the one passed in Virginia last year, convicted offenders would have more protections than the children they prey upon.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the trends also call into question whether or not the Commonwealth’s prosecutors are using the law that requires offenders to pay restitution—or if victims even know they have the right to demand it.

“Energy Capitol of the East Coast” …that phrase has been tossed around by the McDonnell administration since Governor McDonnell took office– but some are questioning whether Virginia can actually achieve that status, if it doesn’t start tapping into alternative energy resources soon. During the Governor’s third annual Conference on Energy, stakeholders said they do believe there are steps the Commonwealth can take to position itself better than other states.  Tommie McNeil has more.

The Library of Virginia and League of Women Voters are a few of the organizations hoping that recounting some history will awaken the state’s voters.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, they particularly want to target the women who aren’t the fervent ballot-casting activists they used to be.

State forensic lab technicians have been working at a frenetic pace to keep up with the demand for testimony at criminal trials and also to test the chemicals used by purveyors of intoxicating drugs to skirt Virginia laws.   State officials say juggling schedules, installing new equipment, and revising statutes have all helped.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, they don’t expect the pace to slow down anytime soon.

Green jobs proponents say Virginia is missing out on an opportunity to capitalize on an alternative fuel source that would help reduce toxic emissions and fuel costs, while providing a boost to the farming industry. Bio-diesel producers say the technology is here to manufacture a much better grade of fuel that can be used on both commercial and consumer vehicles, and none of it has to be imported to the Commonwealth. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.

93% of Virginia’s public schools are fully accredited based on the state’s Standards of Learning.   That’s according to data released Wednesday by the Department of Education.  The number of schools earning full accreditation is down slightly from the previous school year, but some individual categories showed improvements.  All but 122 of public schools are now fully accredited.  Among high schools, 90% earned the highest rating—compared to 86% last year.  And 96% of elementary and 88% of middle schools earned full accreditation.  In 2011, 30 schools earned a “provisional” status, but this year only 6 fall into that category and must undergo an academic review.  But compared to 30 schools last year, 100 schools in 2012 are accredited with warning, which means pass rates are below the standards and they must adopt school improvement plans.  Nine are conditionally accredited new schools, and the status of five schools has yet to be determined.  Peabody Middle School in Petersburg and Lafayette-Wynona Middle School in Norfolk are the only two schools denied accreditation.  State education officials say the 3% decline in the total number of fully accredited schools is due, in part, to implementation of more rigorous college and career-ready mathematics tests. The same can be expected next year when new English and Science standards are implemented.

— Tommie McNeil

Four years ago, 13.5 % of the Commonwealth’s voters cast absentee ballots in the presidential election.  Last Friday, in-person absentee voting opened in all 134 Virginia localities, and some registrars have already reported a heavy turnout.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, state officials say voters who want to exercise this option need to check the rules and submit their applications—to guarantee they can cast their ballots without going to the polls on election day.

Independent and third-party candidates in Virginia have completed the verification process that determines their eligibility to run for various offices, and the list of candidates on November’s general election ballot has now been finalized.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the ballots will provide voters with a choice of candidates who have very diverse views across the political spectrum.
Complete lists of candidates for each locality can be found on the State Board of Elections website at:  sbe.virginia.gov .

The Latino community is the largest minority group on college campuses.  But many challenges prevent the current Latino population from gaining more ground or enrolling additional students into colleges and universities.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, a roundtable discussion held in the Richmond area sought ideas and proposals to help change that.

The U-S credit rating is once again in danger of being knocked a notch lower, which could threaten the credit rating of Virginia.

Last year it was Standard and Poor’s who angered federal officials by taking away the top credit rating for the U-S for the first time in history. This time Moody’s is putting the government on notice for its bloated debt. Virginia Republican Morgan Griffith says he’s not surprised.

“We need to get our financial house in order and that’s what they’re trying to tell us…and it doesn’t seem at this point that the Democrats are serious about getting the spending under control,” says Griffith.

If the U-S credit rating is lowered Virginia could also see its credit rating go down, which could make borrowing more expensive. Northern Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly says Republicans in the state ought to start contemplating tax increases instead of focusing merely on slashing programs.

“But you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say you want smaller government, you want to slash federal spending and, frankly, represent the Commonwealth of Virginia with a serious face. A third of the entire economy of our state is directly tied to federal investments, federal employment, federal spending,” says Connolly.

Instead of trying to address the looming problem, after this week lawmakers plan to hit the campaign trail through Election Day.

–Matt Laslo

Some believe that society has tossed aside a segment of our population.  It’s the portion of qualified doctors, lawyers, counselors, teachers, and other professionals who are quite capable of working and contributing to their communities—yet because they suffer from a disability that limits their mobility, they’re forced to relinquish their independence.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, a state Disability Commission Work Group hopes that the upcoming General Assembly session will re-institute policies to expand mobility services statewide.

As Virginia moves forward with closing four of its five training centers for people with developmental disabilities, the state is learning that the Department of Justice will not compromise much beyond the settlement agreement reached in the beginning of the year.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, although the state avoided a very costly court battle over its violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Virginia will be closely monitored to see if it complies with the terms of the settlement.

State officials have begun exploring the feasibility of turning the production and distribution of bio-jet fuel into a major economic development initiative for Virginia.  And since fuel accounts for about 40% of the airlines’ operating costs, they would like to ensure more stable prices and supplies. Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports that as worldwide demand for jet fuel with a smaller carbon footprint grows, the question now is not whether it can be done, but if it’s commercially viable.  

In a stunning turnaround, Virginia’s Board of Health has voted to impose new requirements on clinics – rules critics say are unnecessary but expensive.  Sandy Hausman was in Richmond for today’s hearing.

There are at least two sides in the development of wind energy off Virginia’s coast. One side argues that readily available resources such as coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear should be used since the development of wind energy is costly and will take time. The other side says the long-term benefits are well worth the effort since wind energy is much cleaner and has an unlimited supply. But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil explains, proponents also contend in a new report that the state may miss an opportunity to capitalize on wind development if Congress does not extend the Production and Investment Tax Credits by year’s end.

With 45% of economic development taking place in Northern Virginia, that part of the state is the Commonwealth’s economic engine. But Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, who doubles as the state’s Chief Jobs Creation Officer, says through the development of targeted shopping centers, the rest of the Commonwealth can start holding its own.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil, that’s not without some challenges.

Governor McDonnell marked the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks with a quiet tribute at the Virginia National Guard’s Joint Operations Center.  Joined by Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell, he praised the citizen-soldiers and airmen-many of whom have served in multiple deployments to fight terrorism overseas.    As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the Governor said the Commonwealth owes these unsung heroes a special debt of gratitude.

About 15% of Virginia’s total acreage has been conserved and is permanently protected from future development.  Much of that is due to the Land Preservation Tax Credit, which provides financial incentives to individuals for conserving their property.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, members of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission are exploring whether other long-term funding sources might be viable options to achieve additional goals.

Millions of Virginians live in areas prone to natural disasters and prepare themselves for wind, flood, or fire damage seasonally.  Rather than submit to Mother Nature and brace for the worst, the Institute for Business and Home Safety is recommending that Virginians significantly reduce the odds of having to rebuild and start over completely by earning a FORTIFIED designation.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil explains.

A joint legislative subcommittee on block grants is hearing more from the recipients who are served by them.  While there are specific programs related to job training, housing, and welfare, the testimony of some who receive services suggests that the block grants have been successfully providing funding to those in need when other programs cannot.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the Capitol.