Dogwood Daily: Marijuana might be key ingredient in upcoming elections

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…

The Bureau of Land Management will offer wild horses and burros from public rangeland in Western states for adoption and sale in Virginia. The animals will be available at Meadowood Special Recreation Area at 10406 Gunston Road in Lorton on Nov. 1-2. The event is free to the public.

Five things you need to know today…

1. Why marijuana might be a key ingredient in upcoming Virginia elections: With a new survey revealing record support for legalizing marijuana and revived calls for a new approach from Virginia’s top lawyer, marijuana policy is on the ballot in the 2019 state legislature elections. “Virginians know we can do better. It’s time to move toward legal, regulated adult use,” Attorney General Mark Herring said in his retweet of a study that revealed more than half of Virginians agree with his position on the topic. UMW political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said he believed legalization is several years away, but the timeline could change if a Democratic majority is elected in November. -Capital News Service
   
   
2. Virginia awarded $5.6 million grant to protect families from lead, other home health hazards: Virginia has been awarded $5.6 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Wednesday. The grant, provided through the federal Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program and Healthy Homes Production Grant Program, will be used to protect families from lead-based paint and home health hazards. -13News Now
   
   
3. Democrats target rural Virginia House race for surprise pickup: In the 2019 General Assembly elections, Democrats are engaged in more competitive races than in decades. But few of those races are happening in rural Virginia districts, most of which still remain solidly in GOP camps. There’s at least one exception, however: House District 100. There, Democratic candidate Phil Hernandez is getting an influx of cash and bringing in Democratic heavyweights like U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and Arizona gun reform activist and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords to rally volunteers. The district could be a chance for Democrats to pick up one more seat in the November elections, where control of the House could hinge on just a few races. -Virginia Mercury
   
   
4. Virginia kicks off annual campaign for state employee giving: Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday announced the start of the “Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign,” the 22nd annual campaign to encourage state employee workforce giving. Last year, the campaign raised $2.7 million in donations and benefited more than 1,000 participating charities. Over the years, donations from state workers have helped children, adults and veterans, as well as programs that help animals and protect the environment. -Associated Press
   
   
5. Most public defenders in Richmond make less than a secretary in the prosecutor’s office. They want a raise: Lawyer’s in Richmond’s public defender’s office are campaigning for higher pay. They say they’re paid so much less than the prosecutors they face in court that it raises questions about whether low-income defendants are getting a fair shake at justice. “If you’re going to fund one side of the courtroom, then you have to fund the other,” said Richmond Deputy Public Defender Lauren Whitley. -Virginia Mercury

A chart before you go…

Yesterday’s heat in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. was the hottest ever in October: