On Thursday Virginia Democrats launched a website claiming that Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate for Virginia Senate, has been inconsistent in his stance on the Affordable Care Act.
Virginia Organizing, a liberal advocacy group, held a rally in nearby Waynesboro Friday encouraging the Virginia state legislature to pass a large expansion of the Medicaid program.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe exercised his right to veto a state bill for the first time Wednesday on House Bill 962. The bill would have clarified existing legislation about guns stored in motor vehicles when the owner does not have a concealed weapons permit. It stipulated that the guns must be in “secured” containers, such as glove compartments or consoles, but not necessarily locked containers. McAuliffe’s objection to the bill was that not requiring the containers be locked was a public safety risk.
The $200 million plan to create the Western Bypass on Route 29 through Charlottesville has been shelved, said incoming Chair of the Route 29 Advisory Board Philip Shucet.
Several environmental representatives held a conference call Thursday to discuss Charlottesville’s carbon footprint-reduction programs. Charlottesville has made great strides in recent years to reduce carbon emissions which contribute to climate change.
Charlottesville City Council held a budget forum Wednesday night to present their proposed city budget for the fiscal year 2015 to the Charlottesville community.
Charlottesville City Council met Monday evening to discuss the proposal for the city’s budget for the fiscal year of 2015. The proposed $150 million budget is 1.65% higher than last year’s, and includes $16.5 million toward the city’s Capital Improvement Program. City Manager Maurice Jones, who presented the budget at the meeting, attributes the proposed increase to a decrease in state funding of city schools.
A new Charlottesville charity plans to build the first long-term shelter for human trafficking survivors in the city by next January.
Following the November tragedy in which Gus Deeds, son of Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, stabbed his father before committing suicide, both the House and the Senate have proposed bills to prevent future incidents. The measures garnered broad, bipartisan support in a series of votes before the legislature left for recess earlier this month.
The Democratic National Committee launched a new campaign against voter ID laws last Tuesday. While the campaign focused on North Carolina, Florida and Pennsylvania, Democratic officials expressed concern with Virginia’s 2013 voter ID law. Northam, however, does not think the state legislature will pass changes to the law before the Fall 2014 elections.
The fight about Medicaid expansion in Virginia got more heated on Wednesday. Republicans and several local leaders called on Democrats to pass a budget and consider Medicaid expansion afterward, while Democrats said Republicans were ignoring a good business case for giving more Virginians health insurance.
Charlottesville City Council heard the results of a student housing survey conducted in 2013 Wednesday night. Gay Perez, associate dean of students and executive director of Housing and Residence Life, presented the results.
The fake ID ring saga that led to the guilty pleas from three Charlottesville residents last year continued this past Wednesday with the guilty plea of a fourth person involved in the case.
As University students and faculty enjoyed a third snow day, Charlottesville’s homeless population and the organizations that serve them faced a difficult situation.
Charlottesville mother and photographer Kim Kelley-Wagner has attracted international attention after posting pictures of her adopted daughters on Facebook, holding signs bearing offensive comments directed at them about their adoptions.
An AMBER Alert reached students across Grounds last Wednesday, Feb. 19, as part of an effort to recover five-year-old Amiyah Monet Dallas. She was found alive later that day.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed into law last week a repeal of the $64 tax on hybrid cars in Virginia, first enacted last year. McAuliffe repealed the bill during an appearance on WTOP radio’s “Ask the Governor” program. The revised mandate will go into effect July 1, 2014 and affect approximately 75,000 hybrid vehicle owners in the state.
Republican Robert S. Bloxom Jr. defeated Democrat Willie Randall with 60.3% of the vote in a special election for the 100th House District on Tuesday night.
A proposed budget amendment which sought to reshape spending on Charlottesville and Albemarle schools failed to gain traction in Richmond for the third time earlier this month.
A bill drafted by a group of University students that would require schools to better disclose mental health resources passed the Virginia House of Delegates with unanimous consent earlier in the month.
