Virginia’s General Fund revenues rose in August … bringing the total year-to-date increase in tax collections to 8.8 %.  That’s ahead of the annual forecast of 3.7%  growth.  But state officials are nevertheless urging fiscal caution as lawmakers begin planning for the new biennial budget.

Finance Secretary Ric Brown’s testimony before the House Appropriations panel could be summed up in one sentence.
“Let me say that the news I bring to you for the first couple of months is good, but I would like to see it continue, I’m not sure that it will.”

Brown said the recent revenue increase was driven mainly by individual income taxes—which provide two-thirds of general fund revenue.

Receipts in recordation taxes also rose, but declined in other major sources.  For example, corporate income tax collections were down  $2.8 million for the fiscal year—compared to $8.4 million last year.  But Brown said he hoped sales tax receipts that were below the forecast did not signal a tipping point.

 “The concern here is that normally you would see weakness in sales tax before you see it in withholding— weakness in demand. And then as employers start to layoff or cut back in the face of weaker demand, you see some tail-off on withholding,” he said.

Brown also said national indicators suggest a slowdown in economic growth … with now a 40%  probability of a double-dip recession.

–Anne Marie Morgan

Virginia now has some of the toughest abortion clinic regulations in the country after the State Board of Health voted Thursday on new emergency rules.

Their goal is to improve health and safety conditions during and after abortion procedures. But opponents say it’s a step backwards in providing services by low-cost facilities, and the price tag could force the state’s 22 abortion clinics to close. The new Emergency Regulations require facilities that perform five or more first-trimester abortions to obtain licenses under hospital guidelines and they require annual inspections. Former state Health Department Director Bill Nelson said clinics already have stringent rules, and called the charge that they’re dangerous unfounded:

“The idea that you can’t find data that it’s dangerous and then to hear a voice say you need to find out what’s going on in those clinics represents a very serious threat to the privacy and the safety of abortion providers and more importantly to the women of Virginia who come to those clinics.”

Nelson says records should be redacted, not removed from clinics for review as proposed. Family Foundation spokesman Chris Freund countered that the many other services which facilities provide will NOT be jeopardized:

“All of the medical services that have been mentioned today as services in these facilities can continue. The clinic will have to make a choose of either improving their standards to continue to provide abortion or stop providing abortion to continue the other services.”

One board member offered amendments, including exempting clinics that use a pill for the procedure and facilities deemed compliant after the year 2000. Those measures were rejected.

By Tommie McNeil

In honor of Constitution Week, Virginia’s rare copy of the U.S. Bill of Rights was on public display today at the Library of Virginia.  The story behind it reveals that the Commonwealth played a pivotal role in its adoption as part of the supreme law of the land.

The document is the actual Bill of Rights sent by Congress to the General Assembly.  The Library’s Director of Special Collections, Tom Camden, notes that in 1791, Virginia was the final state needed for ratification. “It’s designed solely to protect personal liberties and states’ rights.  There was a lot of concern that the federal Constitution had too much power concentrated in the federal arena,” says Camden.

Virginia’s copy has the original 12 amendments, including two on the number of Congressmen and their compensation, that were ratified by the House of Delegates but not the Senate.  It is made of sheep or goat skin and is worth at least $40 million

-by Anne Marie Morgan

The Virginia Board of Health will vote Thursday on emergency regulations regulating the Commonwealth’s 22 abortion clinics.

The regulations are in response to a bill signed into law by Governor McDonnell earlier this year.  It requires the state to draft emergency regulations to treat abortion clinics as hospitals. If approved, the regulations would go into effect December 31st and would be in place until permanent regulations are enacted. It’s an effort to make the clinics safer, says Chris Freund of the Family Foundation of Virginia.

“The regulations cover a lot of ground, including licensing, including inspections of the facilities, including record keeping, sanitation, a lot of areas for health and safety.”

However, the regulations getting the most attention are architectural guidelines.  For instance, a clinic would be required to have 5 foot wide hallways.

“If you have an emergency situation and paramedics need to get a gurney into a facility to get to someone who, say is hemorrhaging or in cardiac arrest, then you want a hallway that’s wide enough for emergency personnel to get in there.”

Jill Abbey runs the Richmond Women’s Medical Center, which operates clinics in Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, and Newport News.

“The cost of the procedures will go up to women because when you add costs, that’s what has to happen.”

Abortion clinics in Virginia currently fall under the same regulations as doctor’s offices and are not inspected by the state health department.  But the department would be charged with inspecting the clinics and enforcing the new rules if the regulations are approved Thursday.

— by Beverly Amsler

More than 1000 people assembled at the Richmond Convention Center for an event featuring Texas Governor and GOP Presidential hopeful Rick Perry.

The luncheon was scheduled to raise funds for November’s General Assembly elections.  But the focus quickly turned to national politics and the Commonwealth’s role as a pivotal battleground state. The attendees included Christopher Raymond, who drove from Connecticut to assess both Perry and Governor McDonnell.

“It’s worth the drive to see potentially the next President of the United States and to be honest, potentially the next Vice President—because I think Bob McDonnell is going to be at the top of that list, with Marco Rubio and the Governor of Nevada, who just endorsed Governor Perry.”

The speakers stressed that Virginia is the path to victory next year.  McDonnell agreed, but did not endorse Perry and reminded the crowd to work to impact the fall elections.  He also praised Perry’s record, saying 40% of U.S. jobs created in the last two years were in Texas.  Perry received a standing ovation, pledged to follow those same job-creating principles if elected President, and said the country is in trouble.

“This administration called food stamps an economic stimulus.  I think food stamps are a symptom of the problem—they’re not the solution.  The problem is too many Americans cannot find work, Mr. President.  That’s the problem.”

Perry later told reporters that it was thinking too far ahead to say whether McDonnell could be his running mate.

Former Governor Tim Kaine’s Democratic U.S. Senate campaign sent out an e-mail saying, “It’s no surprise that Governor Perry wants to help folks who would support his extreme right-wing views if he becomes President.”

-by Anne Marie Morgan

Virginia Democrats are pressing Governor McDonnell to clarify his stance on Social Security … a day before Texas Governor and Presidential candidate Rick Perry is scheduled to attend a Richmond event with the Governor.  Perry has claimed that the current Social Security system is flawed and is a “Ponzi” scheme that must rely on new donors to pay out benefits to previous contributors.

Leading the charge is former DNC Chair Tim Kaine, who is also running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Jim Webb.  Kaine spoke to a group of elderly residents in the Richmond neighborhood where he resides …and called one Republican proposal to privatize Social Security a scare tactic. Kaine said the current system has worked just fine and will continue to do so.

“The way the program works is you contribute that six-point-four percent and the employer contributes the same out of the paycheck, that goes into the trust fund, and the trust fund is then used to pay the retirements of the retirees at the time, and then by doing that, there’s an expectation that, hey, when I’m a retiree, people will be doing the same for me,” he said.

Kaine says Social Security is often the only source of income for the elderly, and to privatize it would mean possibly risking their money in the stock market. Democratic leaders in Virginia have asked Governor McDonnell in a letter to explain whether his luncheon with Perry Wednesday is an endorsement of Perry’s controversial plan to change the current system.

–Tommie McNeil

Despite achieving most state and federal benchmarks, Virginia’s students have a problem. Many of them are not reading on the levels that they should by third grade. Students who have not caught up by then will often all behind in other courses, and are likely to never catch up.

The state’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission is weighing recommendations to enhance third grade reading performance statewide. Commission members acknowledged that some of the proposals will be expensive.

Delegate Johnny Joannou found it hard to support English as A Second Language program development and funding additional staff.  He said his immigrant background had socio-economic challenges and many children of his generation overcame those challenges without programs.  He asked JLARC project leader Kimberly Sarte, why is there such a disparity in learning between older and current generations.

“I think that some kids aren’t getting the support they need at home, and perhaps if they’re not getting… you know, if they’re English language learners, if there’s other reasons outside of the school that they may come in kind of deficient, they’re going to have—a lot of kids— not all, a lot of kids are going to have difficulty. And so if you can kinda raise the classroom program—the level of the classroom program with some of the strategies that we’ll discuss, that’s obviously going to help these kids. If they come in and there’s maybe a classroom program that’s not as strong or there’s not as many resources available to kind of assist them, it’s hard for them to catch up,” said Sarte.

The proposals include providing more engaging reading materials, book rooms with those works, and using new digital technology.

— Tommie McNeil

While President Obama was in Richmond promoting his new jobs bill within the district of one of his toughest critics on policy … that same official, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, was preparing to promote his own jobs plan nearby.  Some say that both visits were preliminary campaign stumps for next year’s Presidential election.

President Obama’s speech at the University of Richmond on the jobs bill was much like a confident healthcare reform speech he gave in Virginia a few years ago.  One supporter and occasional commentator on Mr. Obama was there—and was asked if the speech was relevant for Virginians.  Former Governor Doug Wilder said yes, and that the President has gone back to basics.

“To say,’ hey wait a minute, I’ve been in office a couple of years. I didn’t do all the things I promised that I wanted to do, I’m not saying I was right or wrong, however, this is where I am today,’ and I think to the extent that he continues that, to let people know,’ I have not forgotten, I know what to do, I know how to do it, I need your help, let’s get it done,'” said  former Governor Wilder.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said there IS room for compromise.  “The President did talk about some measures that will provide some tax relief for small business people, and as we know in Richmond, and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, and the country, they’re the jobs engine. So hopefully we can get some progress on that very quickly, and I intend to try and do that.”

He does say that the President’s plan does not pay for itself, and GOP leaders will remain adamant about not adding to the current massive federal debt.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed two lawsuits that challenged the constitutionality of the federal health care law.

The judges had heard an appeal of a U.S. District Court ruling declaring that the federal mandate for most Americans to buy health insurance or pay a penalty is unconstitutional.

During oral arguments in May, Virginia and Liberty University had urged the 4th Circuit to uphold Judge Henry Hudson’s ruling striking down the mandate.

The three-judge panel did not address the mandate’s constitutionality, but ruled that both do not have standing to bring the lawsuit … and said allowing such lawsuits made the states “roving constitutional watchdogs.”

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli had argued that the Commonwealth does have that right because of its state law establishing that Virginians cannot be compelled to buy health insurance.  The Attorney General has said that rather than asking the full 4th Circuit to hear the case, he will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Two other Appeals Courts have also handed down decisions.  The Sixth Circuit upheld the federal law, while the 11th Circuit struck down the individual mandate in a lawsuit representing 26 states.

–Anne Marie Morgan

This weekend is the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, and one activity that Governor McDonnell would like Virginians to do in commemoration is to help those who can’t help themselves. His administration, along with the AARP of Virginia, the Central Virginia Food Bank, and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, have coordinated a statewide effort to help the hungry, especially the elderly population.

Gordon will not only take part in a NASCAR race in Richmond, but also the Drive to End Hunger, which has already donated $10,000 to the Central Virginia Food Bank. But Gordon also issued a challenge to racing fans and others—to text the word “Hunger” to 50555.

“Every contribution is a $10 donation when you text that and for every one that happens, I’m going to match it myself personally.”

Gordon says he’s so passionate about these types of initiatives because the U.S. is a rich country, but millions describe themselves as being food insecure or not having money for food.

The Governor says as many as 16% of Virginians fit that description.  “That’s tough–we’re the eighth most prosperous state in terms of income per capita in America and yet we’ve got that, so I am very much committed to helping the food banks, the Ruritan club, the AARP, Americorps, all these other great groups that are working on this.”

They’ve also coordinated a community food drive September 9th and 10th in which 150 collection sites will accept food donations statewide.

–Tommie McNeil

Recently, we took an in-depth look at human trafficking and how it impacts many within this country, especially immigrants and children. Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has some  new initiatives that aim to combat the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world.

He agrees with the groups fighting human trafficking, who say that the perpetrators of the crime will not be stopped and prosecuted if law enforcement agencies don’t recognize it in all its forms—or know how to act when they do.  One challenge is stopping online traffickers who solicit through such Websites as Craigslist and Backpage.com.  The Attorney General says Craigslist has been cooperative in removing ads and links that may be underground prostitution rings.

“But even within Craigslist, the bad guys come up with new ways to advertise themselves, so there’s this continual cat and mouse game, but that’s where it’s most obviously different from …you know, prostitution rings and other things like that.”

So far, Backpage.com has not complied with requests by the Attorney General and his state counterparts to remove similar ads.  To proactively address online and other trafficking, Cuccinelli recently hosted a first-of-its-kind training seminar–with the Justice Department, law enforcement, and prosecutors.
— Tommy McNeil

Virginia students who are home-schooled may be granted an opportunity to play on public school sports teams under legislation being considered by a special House of Delegates education panel.  Home-schooled students have at least some access to public school sports in 22 states.

Several students told lawmakers that they don’t want quotas but a chance to try out.  Bill sponsor Delegate Rob Bell agreed that the public schools should offer equal access and opportunity.

“Sports teaches teamwork, fitness, and leadership.  High school sports, in particular, can be an avenue to college.  It can provide scholarships to students who are athletes.  In rural areas, it is literally the only game in town,” he said.

The Virginia High School League sets general rules for sports eligibility.  Both the League and Delegate Jennifer McClellan said the bill does not guarantee that home-schooled students would adhere to the same behavioral and academic qualifications:

“You keep talking about a level playing field.  And we want a level playing field, too.  But we want a level playing field where the home-school student doesn’t have an advantage over the public school student because they’re not held to the same standard,” she said.

For example, home-schooled students cannot take the Standards of Learning tests.  But Bell said the state has approved other accredited tests for the students, so they should not be penalized.

–Anne Marie Morgan

Periodically, the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission meets to discuss how best to use the state’s portion of the national master tobacco settlement.  Some regions of the Commonwealth still rely heavily on the tobacco industry to sustain communities, which is why large portions of the settlement are allocated to promote economic vitality that can supplement the slowly dying industry.

It’s no secret that  Southside Virginia residents and farmers are in desperate need of new jobs.  Delegate Kathy Byron says the way to boost the local economy is through the development of technology-based businesses that are not only beneficial to the region—but also to the state and nation.  She says developing alternative and renewable energies has been among the panel’s top priorities.

“We are looking at other ways that people can use their farmland—to be able to grow things that will produce things that are being used in research today.  I talked to someone this morning that’s using the protein in potatoes to be able to use for stem cell research and for different types of medical research.”

Byron says they do assume some risk by investing in research centers that are developing newer, unproven technologies.  Tobacco growers have been awarded more than 288-million dollars in indemnification payments—and regions more than $793-million in grants to promote economic development in tobacco-dependent communities.

A Virginia gubernatorial panel that’s been working to streamline state government says it is targeting more than the low-hanging fruit in its latest efforts.  Last year, its legislative achievements included consolidating or getting rid of 49 boards and commissions … and creating one-stop portals for business start-ups.  And this year’s goals could result in real restructuring within agencies and programs, with many proposed reforms on the table.

Many proposed reforms are on the table.  Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel said as a federal mandate requires states to expand Medicaid coverage, Virginia must change how it handles 1.1 million applications per year.

“We have about a 16%  error rate on Medicaid applications.  Unacceptable.  Some people get Medicaid that shouldn’t, others don’t get it who should.  But we have this error rate.”

Other plans include consolidating social services data across agencies to coordinate the flood of new requests.  The panel is still pursuing goals of 4-day work weeks for some state employees to save costs.  But Human Resource Management Director Sarah Wilson told the members that funding the unused leave of state workers is problematic:

“This is an unfunded liability for the agencies.  And if everyone in my agency that’s eligible to retire today retired, I don’t have the money to cover it,” she said.

Also under discussion is an inventory of surplus state property and buildings to gauge if they should be used or sold.

–Anne Marie Morgan

Although state Democratic leaders disagree …Virginia Senate Republicans believe the dynamics of state politics are about to change dramatically for the first time since 2007.  They believe they have the candidates in place to retake the state Senate and control both chambers.

But Lt. Governor Bill Bolling says the GOP has the numbers to propel the Republicans in the Senate to a minimum of 21.

“I can’t ever remember a year where we have fielded 36 Republican candidates out of 40 districts. That is an amazing accomplishment—and good candidates. You know candidates as Ryan said who are business leaders, some who have had prior political experience, either on the local level or the state level. It’s not just the number of candidates that we’re fielding–it’s the quality of the candidates that we’re fielding.”
 
Democrats are fielding nominees in only 28 of 40 Senate districts.  Bolling says some races will be challenging, but he believes this year, Democrats will be on the defensive.  The GOP senators also think they have more diverse candidates—from moderate to conservative—but that they’re more united on issues than their Democratic counterparts.

— Tommie McNeil

The sound of chain saws and generators still pierced are piercing the air in many parts of Virginia as residents dig out from under the debris that remains in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

Power outages continued to affect hundreds of thousands of customers, while crews worked to clear the remaining impassable roads– both private and public-sector officials say conditions statewide are improving.

Most of the 218 road closures were caused by downed power lines and trees.  Dominion Virginia Power said initial outages to more than 1.2 million customers were the second-largest ever—behind Hurricane Isabel.  6000 personnel from eight states have been working to restore power …and the company says 75% of customers should have service by Wednesday and 90 – 95% by Friday.  Governor McDonnell has been touring impacted areas and briefed reporters on a telephone conference call from Tidewater.  He cautioned Virginians to be careful even though the hurricane is gone.

“One of the lessons of Isabel was that half of the people who died related to that storm died after the storm had passed in doing recovery and clean-up operations –from either hitting standing water on roads, touching live wires, having heart attacks from overexertion, or related activities. So it is still a time to be vigilant, ” he said.

Officials are now assessing damage statewide to determine Virginia’s eligibility for state and federal aid. 

–Anne Marie Morgan

Job creation has been the focus of some political back-and-forth in Virginia over the past couple of weeks.  So Virginia Public Radio’s Fred Echols called on PolitiFactVirginia.com to put things in perspective.

State agencies are closed, many coastal localities have ordered mandatory evacuations, and emergency service personnel have been mobilized—all in preparation for Hurricane Irene.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, Governor McDonnell anticipates that Irene could be as bad—if not worse—than Hurricane Isabel eight years ago.

In a week that saw fires in the Great Dismal Swamp, an earthquake originating in Mineral, Virginia, and now an upcoming hurricane which could hit the Commonwealth over the weekend, Governor McDonnell is talking about disasters.

He says in terms of Hurricane Irene, state emergency operations officials will prepare for a worst-case scenario, meaning the storm’s path could track some of the state’s major interstates and significantly damage coastal and low-lying areas.  But he says residents, too, need to be prepared.

“Know where the shelters are, look out for their neighbor, have a plan for their pets, stock up on food and batteries and water now, have a generator if they have a significantly electrical… all those common sense things, today, tomorrow, Friday, that’s the time to be doing these things. We’ll do our part. We’ll put out the appropriate but prudent warnings that are necessary depending on the storm track,”  he said.

Additionally, the Governor is announcing major donations to the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund, which he established in April to encourage private companies and citizens to give to communities impacted by tornadoes. He also ordered that the fund be made a permanent part of Virginia’s disaster relief tools.

For the first time ever, the largest source of debt for Americans last year was not credit cards, but student loans.

Now a state advisory committee formed by the Governor is working on proposals to make higher education less costly for Virginia students.  One method is through student aid and similar programs, which officials worry could be more complicated  than it sounds.

The law now requires plans for need-based financial aid for low- and middle-income students.  Federal poverty measures define low-income.  But the panel said middle class is harder to define—and it plans to propose models that go beyond income to show actual need.  They also use factors such as the number of college students or disabled siblings in the family, or whether parents are older.  Work-study programs are another form of aid.

Secretary of Education Laura Fornash said research shows these students earn higher grades–but they’re underfunded. “The federal government provides a work-study program and each institution has a certain allocation of those resources.  And I think what you heard today was interest from the presidents of the public institutions, and I think the privates would agree, that more resources in that area really is a more meaningful way to help students with their need,” she says.

Some colleges use tuition to fund aid.  But lawmakers say their constituents object to that while they struggle to pay tuition—only to see their dollars given to others.

— by Anne Marie Morgan

They may not be at the top of everyone’s to-do list for summer activities, but Virginia primaries for a number of General Assembly and local offices are taking place Tuesday, August 23. This year’s primaries were scheduled later than normal due to redistricting, and as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, many voters may find they need to familiarize themselves with their new district boundaries.

The cash-strapped federal government had loaned money to the states to help pay for long extensions in unemployment benefits.  But it will not waive the interest that states owe … and expects to collect $20 million  in interest payments from the Commonwealth.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie

Bond rating agencies are considering reducing Virginia’s AAA status because of its close ties to the U. S. government.  Governor McDonnell has proposed creating a Federal Action Contingency Trust fund to help offset some of the potential federal spending cuts to the Commonwealth. The Governor also announced a $544 million budget surplus.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, he wants to deposit $30 million of that into the new fund.

It has been nearly three decades since the Virginia General Assembly made major changes to state laws governing timeshares. But in those decades, reports of problems with timeshare arrangements have accumulated. As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, state lawmakers say it may be time for an overhaul.

Some Virginia lawmakers are poised to introduce legislation that would lift a 30 year ban on uranium mining.  But a coalition of anti-uranium mining groups says the risks associated with the practice far outweigh the potential benefits.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the coalition has launched a campaign to educate residents of the potential dangers.

State legislators say technological advances and the ways that people use them are developing so rapidly that the laws can’t always keep up. The latest example is how people deploy GPS systems to track other people– frequently without their knowledge. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the General Assembly’s technology experts are considering a new law that would shorten the list of those who many legally do so.

Former Virginia Delegate Phil Hamilton has been sentenced to nine and a half years in federal prison on extortion and bribery convictions—for his role in securing a job at Old Dominion University in exchange for state funding. But during the sentencing, the judge presiding over the case said it’s the most difficult decision he’s ever made. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil provides insight on the courtroom proceedings.

The State Corporation Commission is using the date 8-11 to urge residents to dial 811 to contact the state’s “Miss Utility” line before performing ANY digging—as required by state law.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the SCC says too many incidents arise where an activity as simple as gardening in the backyard has caused major problems within a region.

Soon an influx of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans will return home…and many of them will head to Virginia, with medical injuries and job placement needs.  But already bogged down with requests for assistance from vets of wars past, a state Board of Veterans Services is asking the Governor to help beef up staffing and funding to accommodate the new requests.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.

A Newsweek survey earlier this year was merely the latest in a long line of studies indicating that knowledge of U.S. history and government is on the decline among Americans.  Here in the Commonwealth, the General Assembly has revived a legislative commission to recommend ways to bolster civics education in the public schools … and as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the panel’s goal is to galvanize Social Studies.

Many Virginians may be surprised to learn that it’s not illegal in the Commonwealth for someone to try to lure or entice a minor child to enter a car.  State lawmakers are weighing the idea of making it a crime … but as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, they also want to make sure there are no unintended consequences.

Publicly, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinnelli has been busy with two high-profile federal cases:  lawsuits over the healthcare mandate and greenhouse gas emissions.  His critics charge that he’s pursing a personal agenda.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Attorney General maintains that the litigation is in the public interest … and many of his other projects do not get enough attention.   

A new coalition of business leaders, educators, and health care providers is calling on the McDonnell administration and the General Assembly to take a different approach to balancing the budget.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, that includes allocating revenues to ensure that essential services receive the funding they need.

Although proper disposal of mobile devices is an example of good environmental stewardship, one communications giant says that for more than 10 years, the revenue generated from recycling these devices has been a funding source for domestic violence prevention initiatives.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports from the Capitol.

With millions, even billions, of dollars in Medicaid and Medicare fraud committed each year, state and federal officials have set ambitious goals to find and prosecute more financial crimes.  But investigators say they need tougher law enforcement tools to effectively and safely do their job.

Randall Clouse, Section Chief for the Attorney General, says perpetrators are becoming more sophisticated and dangerous. “Last year, we convicted a nontypical organized crime ring which was Russians that came over to this country and set up an in-home health care company—and fraudulently billed to the tune of about $7-million. We convicted them in federal court.”

The  medical fraud control unit must ask law enforcement officers to serve subpoenas and warrents, and seize evidence, but Clouse says investigators are seeking law enforcement authority, which would include carrying arms and badges, because suspects may have drugs or guns.

The Virginia Crime Commission will make a recommendation to lawmakers later this year.

Consumers, companies, healthcare providers, and governments are increasingly conducting business and exchanging information on-line instead of face-to-face.  That’s why many of them have begun using digital credentials to guard against fraud and identity thieves.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Morgan reports, a state panel is grappling with the question of who should be liable for costs or damages if those credentials fall into the wrong hands—or are misused.

State lawmakers returned to Richmond and elected both Elizabeth McClanahan and Cleo Powell  to the Virginia Supreme Court.  It makes Powell the first African American to sit on the court. But lawmakers remained deadlocked on another issue…..Congressional redistricting.  And, as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, although they have until the end of December to hash out a deal, some are not ruling out Justice Department intervention.

Fewer Virginians are taking up farming … leaving the state’s number one industry in trouble.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, state officials hope that a series of Farm Transition Workshops will pique the interest of a new generation of agriculturalists.

A state work group addressing Domestic Violence has finalized recommendations that now head to Governor McDonnell.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the issue has not been at the forefront of the Commonwealth’s agenda, but state officials say the administration is very serious about raising awareness and addressing the problem.

The Virginia Employment Commission estimates that nearly two-thirds of all jobs will require post-secondary training within seven years.  Businesses already say they can’t find the qualified workers they need—in spite of the high unemployment rate.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, those pressing needs prompted a legislative study to find out how the Commonwealth can substantially improve the readiness of its workforce.

Members of the Virginia State Crime Commission say the Commonwealth should move forward in enacting a version of “Caylee’s Law,” which was named after a Florida toddler whose disappearance wasn’t reported to police until a month after she vanished. The law is being considered in more than two dozen states. As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, it would require parents or guardians to notify the authorities quickly when a child is missing.

Rather than complain about the closure of military installations in Virginia and proposed reassignment of a carrier group to Florida, a state Commission on Military and National Security Facilities is seeking to do some wise planning.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the panel is examining how other states, such as Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, attract and retain their military installations.

Recent events in the Middle East and the strained relationship between U. S. and Israeli leaders might given the impression that strengthening business ties between the two countries is out of the question.  But the head of the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board says that coudn’t be further from the truth.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, Israeli business leaders are even more eager to set up shop in the U. S. and say Virginia is an ideal location.

As Virginia’s U.S. Senator Mark Warner and the other “Gang of Six” members continue negotiations in Washington to resolve the federal debt standoff, in Richmond the Commonwealth Transportation Board has also been affected by the federal gridlock.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Board is pondering whether a federal proposal to cut transportation revenue will significantly impact road projects—and if so, when.

The “Cap, Cut and Balance” Act on the floor of the U-S House of Representatives is only the first part of that chamber’s two-step plan to shave the federal debt.  It cuts the federal budget and sets spending caps… but it also raises the debt limit IF Congress passes a Constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget.  That amendment is sponsored by a Virginia Congressman … but as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, some of the Commonwealth’s elected officials have very different ideas about its wisdom.

A special state advisory panel is weighing whether Virginia’s open-government laws should require public disclosure of emergency 9-1-1 calls, criminal incident and arrest information, and other records of police investigations.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the members have found that protecting both the public’s right to know and sensitive, crime-related information is not as simple as it sounds.

Social Security was never meant to be the primary source of income for most Americans upon retirement … but more than half of retirees rely on those benefits to make ends meet in their senior years.  Although the AARP encourages Americans to develop additional retirement plans, it now has a tool on its website that not only provides alternatives for retirement, but helps people decide the best time to retire in order to maximize Social Security benefits.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports from the State Capitol.

Those who have fallen behind on their mortgage have about a week to apply for a HUD- sponsored emergency homeowners program that gives unemployed and underemployed Virginians an opportunity to receive interest-free, forgivable loans.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more details from the State Capitol.

Virginia follows a national trend in which minority youth are disproportionately represented in the Juvenile Justice System.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, a special work group of the Criminal Justice Services Board has been tasked with assessing why—and then developing a plan to address the problem.

Governor McDonnell has issued an executive order that will eventually transition many of Virginia’s state-owned vehicles to alternative fuels. As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the goals are to promote energy independence, decrease polluting emissions, and even stimulate entrepreneurship.