Lawmakers in Richmond are considering lifting restrictions on who is able to work in substance abuse counselor positions or mental health treatment programs.

Michael Pope reports.

Lawmakers are considering a way for people who are incarcerated to get a second chance.

Michael Pope reports.

A Virginia Senator is hoping to expand existing free school meal programs across the commonwealth.

But the bill’s eye popping price tag has already caused a hiccup in the House.

Brad Kutner has more. 

Bills that would impact the LGBTQ community in Virginia are moving their way through the state’s legislature.

While a Democratic majority is blocking bills that would reduce rights, some bipartisan votes highlight a possibly changing Commonwealth.

Brad Kutner has more. 

While Republicans and Democrats are finding common ground in college admissions, they’re not seeing eye to eye on a tax issue.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg came to Richmond Thursday to help Democrats advocate for new firearm laws.

Brad Kutner has more from the capitol. 

Virginia may soon be the second state to get rid of legacy admissions for state colleges and universities.

Michael Pope tells us the legislation has broad support.

Legislative efforts to prevent gun violence often end in partisan disagreement.

But Michael Pope has this story about a bipartisan effort.

Lawmakers in Richmond are considering a bill aimed at preventing abuse of animals.

Michael Pope has the story.

Six years ago, the FDA approved a new treatment for the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, using focused sound waves to destroy tissue at a very specific spot in the brain.  

Today doctors are experimenting with focused ultrasound to treat many other conditions, and the Focused Ultrasound Foundation in Charlottesville hopes to accelerate that work.  

Sandy Hausman has an update on the promise of this medical breakthrough.

They say George Washington hunted with hounds in Virginia when the nation was founded.

But as the Commonwealth’s largest farms get cut into smaller parcels, modern hound hunting is running headlong into property rights advocates who say they’ve had enough.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

Twelve states and the District of Columbia have paid family medical leave programs for employees, but not Virginia.

Democrats in the House and Senate are hoping to change that.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

With more people renting whole houses or apartments through online services like Airbnb, communities are imposing lodging taxes on them. 

Virginia requires those services to report monthly on revenues for each property, but the biggest player in the business has refused to comply as Sandy Hausman reports.

Rivers have played a central part in human history – meandering through communities carrying people and goods, replenishing soil for farming and sometimes forcing residents to leave flooded homes and businesses. 

At the University of Virginia, two scholars from very different disciplines, are hoping to better understand why rivers move the way they do – then interpreting data in a whole new way. 

Sandy Hausman has that story.

There’s new polling to digest as the Presidential election draws near and the next governor’s election takes shape.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

Roanoke College will start a new program spanning science, business and public policy.

David Seidel has more on the new Cannabis Studies major.

It’s been a cold week in Virginia, but the legislative action at the General Assembly has been heating up.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

Members of the Virginia General Assembly have already legalized possession of marijuana.

Now, as Michael Pope tells us, lawmakers are trying to figure out a way to have a marketplace.

The latest special exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts features never-before-seen work from famous photographer Dawoud Bey.

It’s called Elegy and is described as a poem to the ancestors.

Mallory Noe-Payne has more. 

Governor Glenn Younkin has a number of tax-related requests in his budget proposal.

But his pitch is already facing pushback from legislators and independent analysts.

Brad Kutner has more.

The new year brings new activity at the state capitol.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the first days of the 2024 General Assembly session.

Governor Glenn Youngkin delivered his State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday afternoon.

The annual speech highlighted the Republican governor’s hopes for the 2024 legislative session largely run by Drmocrats.

Brad Kutner and Michael Pope have more on the speech and reaction from legislators.

There are some 8.7 million people in Virginia.  Each one has a story—about their life, their heroes, their hometown.

Each month in 2024, we’ll meet one of these Virginians and hear their story.

Christine Kueter introduces us to a barber from Lynchburg.

Nobody wants to get a ticket for speeding, let alone one that comes from a speed camera.

But one Virginia legislator says some cities are out of options because of shrinking police departments and increasing pedestrian fatalities.

Brad Kutner has more. 

The General Assembly is about to kick into high gear for the 2024 session.  And there’s a continuing legal effort to keep Donald Trump off Virginia’s ballot.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

A new year means a change in the way Virginia oversees its Medical Cannabis program.

It’s now the sole responsibility of a single stage agency, rather than one with a number of duties.

Jeff Bossert reports:

This week, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe marked a historic first for Virginia.

It became the first of the state’s seven federally-recognized Tribes to form a justice system, as Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin wants to create a new tax on your Netflix subscription.

Michael Pope reports some analysts say it just makes sense in our modern economy.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s budget proposal this week included some surprises.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in state government and politics.

The fight over access to reproductive health is not just a policy issue.

As Michael Pope points out, it’s also a budget issue.

The word ‘lobbyist’ can have some pretty negative connotations.

But in Virginia, where a part time legislature leaves little time for elected officials to dive deep into complex subjects, they serve an important role.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond.

Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is entering the last half of his time in office by unveiling a budget proposal aimed at cutting taxes.

Michael Pope reports.

Virginia Democrats got a first look at Governor Glenn Youngkin’s budget Wednesday morning.  But they’re already expressing concerns.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

A theater professor at Radford University recently launched a podcast, called Staying Me, While Being You. It’s about mental health, specifically for actors and theater students. But the lessons are universal. 

A recent episode features a Radford graduate, who says being true to herself was important for her mental health.

Roxy Todd reports.

Legal services can cost hundreds of dollars per hour, but courts are supposed to assign lower-income defendants a lawyer at no charge.  At least that’s what you might think. 

In fact, a new study from the Legal Aid Justice Center shows poor people are being billed for a public defender.

Sandy Hausman has that story.

There are many ways we celebrate during the holidays, and shopping for gifts and food is on most people’s to-do lists.

It can be a whirlwind to pack it all in. A sustainability expert says it’s worth considering what all this abundance of buying does to our air and water?

Roxy Todd got some tips on how we can keep the holiday spirit and be gentler on the planet.

The governor is hoping his proposals for a big arena development and his upcoming budget will be slam dunks.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

There will be a lot of new faces in new General Assembly session.  But some familiar characters are staying put.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

A multi-state, bipartisan effort is in the works to bring more seasonal workers from other countries to process seafood.

Pamela D’Angelo has more on how that will impact Virginia.

2023 is drawing to a close and a lot of political eyes are already looking ahead to 2024.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

For the first time in its 200-year history, the Library of Virginia is collaborating with state and federally-recognized Tribes to present historic documents alongside interviews with tribal members and items loaned by Tribes.

Pamela D’Angelo has this preview.

Next month, Governor Glenn Youngkin will send a proposed budget to the General Assembly.

Michael Pope has this preview.

Congresswoman Jennifer McLellan was promoting the state’s new healthcare exchange this/Monday afternoon.

It’s designed to increase coverage and reduce costs as a replacement for the federal Obamacare-era marketplace, as Brad Kutner reports. 

With Democrats in control of the legislature and a Republican in the governor’s mansion, what can we expect to see from Virginia’s government?

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope look ahead to the 2024 General Assembly session.

There’s new leadership in the General Assembly.  So how will that impact Governor Glenn Youngkin and his upcoming budget plan?

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

Republicans are preparing for a General Assembly session where they will be in the minority.

Michael Pope reports they’ll still have the potential to wield power.

The Virginia Commission on Youth is considering recommending changes to the state’s foster care system.

Some of their suggestions include more support for social service workers, as well as educational resources to help more foster care youth graduate from 4-year-institutions.

Roxy Todd explains.

The votes have been cast and counted.  So what can we expect from the new General Assembly?

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

In 2021, Virginia redrew its congressional and state legislative maps.

And while Governor Glenn Youngkin’s “parent’s matter” slogan may not have won him the majorities he wanted, political analysts are saying it’s those new district lines that really matter.

Brad Kutner explains. 

There was a time when many boys in this country aspired to be firemen.  Today, young women also want the job, but overall far fewer people are applying.  Here in Virginia, departments are changing to attract enough applicants. 

Sandy Hausman reports on how they’re appealing to potential recruits.

Governor Glenn Youngkin held his first news conference after the state’s Republican party lost control of both the House and Senate Tuesday night.

Brad Kutner was at the capitol steps where Youngkin spoke.