Dogwood Weekly: What happened this week

Happy Sunday, Virginia.

ICYMI: 5 things that happened this week… 

1. Judge stops removal of Confederate statues
   A Charlottesville Circuit Court judge issued a permanent injunction blocking the removal of two Confederate city statues last week, deciding that they do not send a racially discriminatory message. The Charlottesville City Council previously voted to remove the statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, but a group of city residents filed a lawsuit against the council, saying the proposal violated a state law barring the removal of war memorials. -Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
2. GOP censures Riggleman after he officiated gay wedding
   The Rappahannock County Republican Party in Virginia officially voted to censure Rep. Denver Riggleman, accusing him of “abandoning party principles.” Riggleman’s office, however, said the censure was payback for his decision to officiate a same-sex wedding in July. While it did not explicitly mention the wedding, the censure did question Riggleman’s “support for traditional family values, and other conservative principles.” -The Hill
   
3. Virginia Democrats lead Republicans in cash reserves
   With 44 days remaining in the race for control of the General Assembly, Virginia Democrats lead Republicans in total fundraising numbers, but it’s close. State and national donors are going all-in on the Nov. 5, 2019, elections, when all 140 General Assembly seats up for grabs and the House and Senate majorities are on the line. Democratic candidates for the House of Delegates reported $8.6 million in cash versus Republican House candidates’ $7.7 million. In the Senate race, however, the Republicans $5.3 million in cash reserves bests the Democrats’ $5 million. -The Washington Post
   
4. Renewable energy companies get green light in VA
   Two renewable energy companies, Direct Energy and Calpine, got the go-ahead to operate in Virginia by the State Corporation Commission on Wednesday. Dominion Energy had sought to prevent the companies from expanding into the Commonwealth, saying that the companies didn’t meet specific strict standards Dominion itself had come up with. The court acknowledged it was treading into uncharted territory and that the ruling was the first of its kind in the state. A lawyer for Direct Energy called the decision, “the best order customers could have hoped for.” -Virginia Mercury
   
5. Virginia Democrats won’t accept Dominion donations
   In an interview with the blog Blue Virginia, Democratic Party of Virginia Chairwoman Susan Swecker announced that her party would no longer accept political donations from Dominion Energy. She called Dominion’s contributions a “very contentious issue,” as some believe the energy monopoly’s large donations have given it too much power over Virginia’s General Assembly. -The Roanoke Times