Virginia Public Radio

In the latest public discussion on regulating the ownership of dangerous, exotic animals in Virginia, it seems snakes top the list of what people don’t want in their neighborhoods.  But Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports that many members of the state work group studying this measure side with the snakes, and say the Commonwealth may need less regulation and more education.

Occasionally there are reports of a food recall as a result of a salmonella, listeria, or e-coli outbreak, and the agencies and policies that regulate food in the U.S. help to contain the spread of such problems.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, a growing number of rogue businesses are becoming more elusive and making it harder for regulators to do their job—and it could result in more contaminated food recalls than we’ve seen in recent years.

On November 6th, Virginia’s election ballot will feature two proposed amendments to the state Constitution.   The first ballot question involves much-debated limits on eminent domain—and  we have several reports  coming up  on that  issue in the coming days, leading up to the election.

The second ballot question is one that did not generate any controversy during the two General Assembly sessions when it was approved.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, its objective is to respect the ‘free exercise of religion’ during the lawmaking process.

When the Southern Environmental Law Center recently announced that an Internet security breach exposed highly confidential information, it was a reminder that there may be few safeguards to protect the most sensitive information.  But as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, a Joint Commission on Technology and Science panel has been investigating how to create more layers of protection to make it more difficult to access information—starting with forms of identification.

Once again there’s a convergence of minds in Richmond to tackle the issue of improving education and taking students to the next academic level.  In an interview with Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil, Governor McDonnell discusses how before this and future generations can move forward, they must first master knowledge and skills that have been left behind in the classroom.

Virginia lawmakers are recognizing the growing body of evidence that connects oral health to overall health and well-being.  The Joint Commission on Health Care has begun a two-year study to determine the fiscal impact and other consequences of untreated dental disease in the Commonwealth.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, they’re finding that the cost of prevention may be far less than doing nothing.

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.