By the end of this summer, the U.S. Trust Fund that pays a significant share of highway construction and repairs will be insolvent, and authorization for transportation programs will expire soon after that.  New legislation unveiled by the U.S. Transportation Department includes a provision to lift a decades-old ban …and allow all states to implement tolls on federal interstate highways across the U.S. –while also requiring electronic transponders.  But, the new federal tolling proposal is already coming under fire.

We’re officially into the second month of the Virginia General Assembly’s stalemate over Medicaid expansion—and NO two-year budget. While there’s discussion of a possible government shutdown if lawmakers don’t reach a compromise by July first, state business must continue in the interim. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, that means the state’s colleges and universities are now discussing contingency plans.

Major changes are unfolding in how transportation planning takes place in Virginia. Either one-third of the 18-member Commonwealth Transportation Board have had their terms expire or were “transitioned off,” according to Governor McAuliffe.  As Tommie McNeil reports, the Governor says the six new members he’s appointing will greatly contribute to easing congestion on the roads, promoting economic development, and supporting local communities.

While Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban is being challenged, supporters of overturning the ban are optimistic that eventually, gay and lesbian couples will have the freedoms that other married couples do.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, in the meantime, some are calling on the governor, attorney general, and lawmakers to make life easier for those who were married outside of Virginia—and it’s as simple as changing the state tax code.

Spring is the season when Virginia’s local governments put the finishing touches on their own budgets for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1st.  But they’re finding it difficult to craft their spending plans without knowing exactly how many dollars they will receive from the state—which is unknown due to the state budget impasse.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, they’re trying to get the job done, anyway—and in some cases, with consequences to local taxpayers.

 

Representatives of Virginia Clean Cities joined car manufacturers and industry experts at a Richmond Expo to showcase new technologies and vehicles powered by natural gas. They say such vehicles can produce significantly lower levels of emissions than traditional fuel sources….and that switching one waste truck has the pollution-reduction impact of removing 325 cars from the road. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the advocates also say the idea of switching to natural gas for public and private fleets is catching on across the Commonwealth.

The ACLU of Virginia wants to prevent a situation like that in 2012 where 31 protesters were arrested for straying outside a designated area on the state’s Capitol Square. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the organization is now calling on Governor McAuliffe through a letter to completely revise the regulations that limit citizens from expressing their views to lawmakers and other public officials.

Listening to some of the tales of how people obtained copies of their birth certificates is like hearing the hobbit, Frodo Baggins, recount his journey into Mordor. But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, Governor McAuliffe says Virginia is now writing a new chapter—by making those documents accessible through any DMV office.

The Virginia Senate has passed its version of the state budget for the next two fiscal years, which begin on July 1^st.  Senators introduced the spending bill proposed by Governor McAuliffe, then added their own touches—including Marketplace Virginia, the private-insurance alternative to Medicaid expansion. But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, by the end of the day the Senate and the House were no closer to resolving their budget stalemate.

To approve a budget, the same bill must pass both houses of the General Assembly—or one bill must be sent to a conference committee.  House conferees said the Senate needs to take action on the House budget before the process can move forward.

The Senate Finance Committee has rejected the traditional Medicaid expansion in Governor McAuliffe’s proposed budget in favor of its own alternative, “Marketplace Virginia.”  The Senate plan would use federal funds to provide private health insurance for residents who make under 139 percent of the poverty level.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, GOP House leaders are not sold on the idea. 

Many Virginians go into the military hoping to retain skills that will provide career opportunities once they leave the armed forces. But homeless and jobless rates continue to rise because Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are finding it difficult to get certification or college credits for their training to qualify for civilian jobs.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, at least one group studying the issue is developing short-term solutions to this problem.

Slightly more than two months after taking office, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe is responding to questions about ethics reform …as former Governor Bob McDonnell awaits a trial this summer involving gift-giving.  The scandal prompted the General Assembly to pass and send to the Governor new ethics reform legislation, which now awaits his signature, amendments, or veto.  Tommie McNeil reports.

Facing a national transportation budget crisis, some elected leaders are using a Virginia transportation-funding compromise as an example for Congress to take action. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, it’s the Commonwealth’s Lieutenant Governor who’s leading the charge.

The House of Delegates was hard at work Tuesday night…and following lengthy debate, approved a new state budget for the 2015 and 2016 fiscal years. It’s the only budget bill that’s moved forward so far during the Special Session that began on Monday. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, House conferees incorporated some of the items they discussed during initial budget negotiations with their Senate counterparts.

Virginia’s new voter ID law that limits access to the ballot without the proper photo ID will soon go into effect, and the State Board of Elections is tasked with informing the public about the new change before the November elections. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Board’s strategy includes launching a voter outreach, marketing, and public awareness campaign well before then.

Agencies relying on state funding are hoping that when Virginia lawmakers reconvene next week for a Special Session, they’ll be able to set aside their differences and pass a budget.   As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, while Medicaid expansion is a huge sticking point, it’s not the only issue where lawmakers have some philosophical differences.

Critics are attacking Governor Terry McAuliffe today for selling access to his office – offering opportunities to meet with him and other leaders in exchange for payments of up to $100,000.  Sandy Hausman has details.

A federal judge has denied a request by former Governor Bob McDonnell’s defense attorneys to limit the prosecution’s involvement in a separate, CIVIL case filed by shareholders of Star Scientific.  McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, have pleaded “not guilty” to federal charges of improperly promoting the company’s dietary supplement in exchange for gifts from its former CEO, Jonnie Williams … and they maintain that the civil case IS relevant.  Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan has more details from the federal courthouse in Richmond. 

The judge later granted a defense request for subpoenas of documents pertaining to investigations of Star Scientific by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Over the last several weeks, Governor McAuliffe has had the daunting task of reviewing 834 bills that were passed and sent to him by the General Assembly. As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, one stack of legislation on his desk addresses public safety concerns, including creating a new crime for a vindictive act that’s peculiar to the digital age: “revenge porn.”

It appears that while state lawmakers have lots of work to do in hashing out a compromise over Medicaid, they have made some progress with education reforms that relate to the budget.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the General Assembly revised the Standards of Learning assessments, charter school enrollment policy, and the process to measure schools using an A through F grading system.

In less than two weeks, state lawmakers return to Richmond to craft a two-year budget that some hope will include a compromise on Medicaid expansion. But Virginia Education Association leaders say while they’re at it, that will also be the best opportunity to re-evaluate how to fund education. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the VEA says that while Medicaid expansion seems to be the theme of this year’s session, next year it ought to be education, and now’s the time to get a head start on it.

Virginia will have new rules for managing people in a psychiatric crisis under final legislation approved on the last day of the General Assembly session.  The bills extend the length of time that a person in a dangerous state of mind can be held in an emergency and ensure that a secure psychiatric bed will be found. And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, this is only the first step for an initiative that will also evaluate how well the new system works.

While Virginia’s former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife fight a host of charges that they contend broke no ethics laws, Virginia lawmakers have advanced a series of bills that give elected officials and lobbyists a clearer picture of what’s legal and what isn’t.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, state lawmakers sought to close some loopholes in existing law, while not making the requirements so burdensome that honest mistakes would be severely punished.

A Virginia Senate bill that would limit the use of—and eventually phase out—the controversial practice of fox-penning has cleared another legislative hurdle.  The bill, which is now a compromise version, would allow the state’s 36 pens to remain open for 40 years but ban the creation of new ones. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports that the measure would also cap the number of penned foxes statewide to 900—down from an average of 1,200.

The probability that the Virginia General Assembly will not complete its work by its scheduled Saturday adjournment has grown to a near-certainty.  House of Delegates GOP leaders on Tuesday called on the Senate to set aside its version of Medicaid expansion—known as Marketplace Virginia—to speed up passage of what Republicans are calling a “clean budget” without it.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, they also proposed a special session just to consider expanding the Medicaid program.

Boyd Marcus

Board has survived in the state Senate by a single vote.  Republican Boyd Marcus stunned the political establishment when he endorsed McAuliffe for Governor and began paid work for his Democratic gubernatorial campaign two months before the November election.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, following a final Senate vote on the full legislation, the nomination must undergo more scrutiny in the House of Delegates.

Image: Kaiser Health

As the effort continues to press the Virginia House of Delegates to jump on board with Medicaid expansion, mental health advocates are warning of what could happen if those who are uninsured remain so. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, one coalition says that while both chambers have made addressing mental health a priority this session, those who suffer from illnesses will still face many challenges if they do not have the means to pay for critical services.

Young people under the age of 18 would no longer be permitted to buy electronic cigarettes under legislation that’s in its final stage at the General Assembly.  The bill targets the delivery devices—regardless of their shape or size—and the related vapor products that contain nicotine.  Anne Marie Morgan reports.

Virginia’s House of Delegates has postponed a vote to confirm one of Governor McAuliffe’s cabinet nominees … following published reports that he may have broken the law.  Federal investigators are now looking into allegations that Commerce and Trade Secretary-designee Maurice Jones lobbied Congress while he was Deputy Secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development.  Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from Richmond.

NFIB’s Nicole Riley & Speaker Bill Howell

The Commonwealth’s business leaders held dueling news conferences today [Monday] to express opposing views on enrolling hundreds of thousands of additional low-income residents in Medicaid.  The Virginia Chamber of Commerce stressed that it’s against a traditional expansion of Medicaid—but it likes the state Senate’s plan for using private insurance through a new Marketplace Virginia.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the National Federation of Independent Business believes that Medicaid growth will become fiscally unsustainable.

One reason that it’s prudent for lawmakers to review the fine print of amendments offered to the Virginia state budget is because it may contain legislation that might not pass both houses on its own. Such is the case with an amendment approved by the House and attached to its version of the state budget. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, it directs the executive branch on how to proceed in controversial cases, such as the lawsuit challenging Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban.

The state Senate also used this approach by passing a budget amendment to create the “Marketplace Virginia” health insurance exchange that’s not popular with many delegates in the House.

The Virginia House of Delegates is set to vote on a Senate-approved bill that would give pet lovers more assurances that the puppy they bring home becomes a permanent family member … instead of a tragedy or significant financial burden. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Senate bill—also known as “Bailey’s Law” in honor of a sick beagle—updates the state’s pet “lemon law” and holds pet stores more accountable.

If Governor McAuliffe agrees, small farmers could operate agritourism activities under less restrictive regulations … thanks to legislation that has now passed both houses of the General Assembly.  The new law would prohibit local governments from requiring special-use permits and imposing stringent noise regulations unless there’s a substantial impact on public welfare or safety.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, while small farmers embraced this bill, they did not get everything they wanted during the legislative session.

Delegate Scott Surovell is at the podium with members of the new caucus.

A bipartisan group of state senators and delegates has formed the General Assembly’s first-ever “Personal, Privacy Protection Caucus” of lawmakers.  Their goal is to refine the law to prevent state and local governments from large-scale gathering and storage of personal data—especially if it takes place without individual warrants.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the members say they’re also trying to strike the right balance between public safety and Fourth Amendment protections.
The caucus plans to hold hearings and consult law enforcement this year to craft new legislation.

Reaction to federal Judge Arenda Wright Allen’s ruling that struck down Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban was swift—with fervent discussion among Virginia lawmakers, a news conference from the state Attorney General who rallied against the law, and gay couples who try, but fail, on Valentine’s Day to get marriage licenses. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil has more from the State Capitol.

While not all bills to crack down on human trafficking in Virginia have survived the halfway point in the General Assembly, lawmakers believe they’ve made progress in battling what’s now considered one of the fastest—if not the fastest—growing financial crime worldwide. They have agreed that this is not a partisan issue.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, lawmakers were able to work across both chambers and party lines to develop new guidelines to assist victims and law enforcement officials.

Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell and other GOP members of that chamber are characterizing the first half of the General Assembly session as a success. Howell says many of their key initiatives have passed, and they worked well with Democrats. BUT as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, when asked if the House will work with the Senate on passing Medicaid expansion, GOP leaders still say they just don’t see that happening.

The Virginia Senate has approved legislation to repeal the state law passed two years ago that requires women to have an ultrasound before undergoing an abortion.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the measure was initially defeated—then in a dramatic reversal, was revived.

Sen. Creigh Deeds

A person in a mental health crisis may be kept in custody for evaluation for up to 24 hours under legislation that has cleared the Virginia Senate.  The new, 24-hour limit passed over the objections of some in the law enforcement community, who worried that such a lengthy period may divert deputy sheriffs who are detaining the patient from other public safety priorities.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the bill passed unanimously after an impassioned plea from the Senator who was most recently impacted by flaws in the state’s mental health system. 

The Virginia Senate tackled several bills  addressing acts of violence. And, after lengthy debate, Senators likely killed a measure that would have allowed Virginia to use electrocution as a form of execution, if necessary. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Senate also gave preliminary approval to a measure to penalize so-called “celebratory gunfire.”

Virginia’s General Assembly has been caught in a dispute between Japan and Korea—and it’s all over how students and teachers refer to the body of water between the two nations. Throughout the session, Asian media, emissaries, and other interested parties have crowded committee meetings and Capitol hallways … and some have even met with the Governor.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the dispute is over whether the current name of the “Sea of Japan” in textbooks should be referred to in new versions as the “East Sea.”

The Virginia Senate has passed a series of bills to delay or weaken some of the controversial education accountability measures that were enacted in recent years.  One addresses the policy of grading schools using an A through F system that aimed to make school performance more understandable to parents.  As Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, other bills would modify the rules governing when schools would be transferred to oversight of the newly created Opportunity Educational Institute … and cut the number of Standards of Learning assessments.

Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images via NPR

Former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, will be able to talk to family members and friends while they await trial—as long as they don’t discuss any substantive material related to their indictment on federal corruption charges.  That’s the ruling of U.S. District Magistrate Judge David Novak, who also said the former first couple will be allowed to discuss the case with each other. Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports that federal prosecutors agreed—although they initially had wanted to allow contacts only with family members.

Virginia is moving closer to implementing changes to its mental health system under legislation that has advanced in the General Assembly.  The state Senate approved two bills to help clarify how long a person can be held for treatment under a temporary detention order … and to prevent someone who’s thought to be a danger to himself or others from possessing a gun.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, other legislation is still alive and pending.

A number of Virginia school systems are supporting a “year-round” school year despite some resistance to the concept by some groups. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, proponents admit that while it may not work for all school systems, they believe it’s essential to boosting academic achievement, especially in districts with socio-economic challenges.

Credit: Steve Helber, AP, via NPR

A coalition of faith-based groups says its members have been betrayed by Attorney General Mark Herring, who they say has gone against the will of the people by fighting to overturn Virginia’s gay marriage ban approved by voters just eight years ago. As Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the groups want Herring to be impeached, step down, or assign a special attorney to represent the state in the related court case.

The certification of the election of former Delegate Lynwood Lewis to the Virginia Senate ultimately gives Democrats control over that chamber. Although its partisan split is now 20-20, Democratic Lt. Governor Ralph Northam presides over the Senate, giving his caucus the tie-breaking vote to pass whatever rules it chooses. As Tommie McNeil reports, the order of business today was all about Democrats subtly making a statement about control.

House of Delegates GOP leaders have announced that they will not vote to expand Medicaid—if at all—until after a comprehensive, outside audit of the state’s program is conducted.  They say they want to find out why Medicaid has become the most expensive item in the General Fund budget … and why 30 percent of the Commonwealth’s healthcare spending goes to waste, fraud, and inefficiencies.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, they believe it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to find out what’s wrong with Medicaid and fix what’s broken.