Dogwood Daily: NoVa wants 'no part' in Trump's parent/child separation policy

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. 

But First…

Virginia Republicans are in an awkward spot. Just one month after shutting down a special session on gun control without taking any action on firearm safety, Republicans in Washington signaled a willingness to make concessions on red flag laws and background checks. With strong public support for such proposals, Democratic strategist Ben Tribbett told WVTF that Virginia Republicans from suburban districts may need to come to the table too in 2020.

5 Things you need to know today

1. Chesterfield County official says school system’s cleaning towers will be clear of Legionella bacteria by start of school year – Following reports that HVAC systems in three Chesterfield County Schools — Greenfield Elementary School, Falling Creek Middle School and Midlothian Middle School — tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, a school system official told the school board that everything will be cleaned and tested by the start of the school year. School officials said they had been unable to hire contractors last year to properly maintain the systems as tight budgets did not allow them to offer workers competitive salaries. – Richmond-Times Dispatch
   
2. Virginia Beach shooting victims’ families and city residents want the site of the mass shooting to be torn down – Four of the mass shooting victims’ families said that the site of the May 31 massacre, a public municipal building, should be torn down. Sarah Gayle, whose mother was among the victims, said “I think it is unfair to give the building a facelift when my mother was murdered inside of it.” In an online survey, the public agreed that tearing the building was the best choice. – The Virginian-Pilot
   
3. Top Democrats in Northern Virginia want no part in Trump’s child separation practices – Elected officials in Northern Virginia, which is home to a large Latinx immigrant community, are opposing the Trump administration’s proposal to build a childcare facility for immigrant children who were separated from their parents at the southern border. “I am extremely concerned about your administration’s policy of separating children from their families,” Sharon Bulova, a Democrat who is chair of Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors, wrote in a letter. “Fairfax County wants no part in this heartless practice.” – Houston Chronicle
   
4. Virginia Attorney General says no one deserves to live in fear of discrimination – With hate crimes on the rise across the Commonwealth, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office has, over the past few years, proposed several bills that aim to protect Virginians from hate crimes. Attorney General Mark Herring told WUSA9 this bills his office has proposed have died in the Republican-led General Assembly, many without a hearing. WUSA9
   
5. Mountain Valley Pipeline project up against endangered species lawsuit  – Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline have filed another legal challenge to the project. The petition asks a federal appeals court to reexamine its earlier opinion that a pipe that crosses pristine waterways and undeveloped mountain slopes will not significantly impact threatened fish, bats and other animals that live there. – Roanoke Times

From the Gram