Dogwood Daily: News-to-Go

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all the Virginia news that’s been happening coming right up.

But First…

Amazon posted the first job listings for its new Arlington County location on Monday, while fellow big tech giant Microsoft announced it will open a 15,000-square-foot high-tech community space in Halifax County as part of its efforts to address the rural technology divide in Southern Virginia.

5 things you need to know today…

1. Gov. Northam vetoes redistricting and election bills — On Monday, Gov. Northam vetoed legislation that would have expanded the state Board of Elections and handed the Board power to appoint the state’s elections chief. He also blocked one redistricting bill that he said didn’t properly protect the voting power of people of color, and another that would have allowed the General Assembly to redraw legislative districts outside of the redistricting process in the year after the census.
2. Richmond City Council balances budget without tax hike — After contentious negotiations and the threat of legal action, the Richmond City Council and Mayor Levar Stoney finally came to an agreement, balancing the $757 million budget without cutting education funding or raising taxes.
3. Judge rules that confederate statues are protected by state law — A Charlottesville judge has ruled that statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson are war monuments that are protected by state law and cannot be removed by the city without permission from the state.
4. Long-term insurance providers seek to raise rates — Most of Virginia’s long-term-care insurers are asking the State Corporation Commission to approve rate increases, despite having already won approval for double-digit increases in recent years. If the commission approves the company’s requests, policyholders, who are already struggling to pay their premiums, could see double or triple digit percentage increases in their premiums.
5. NoVA school systems declare support for transgender rights — The school boards in Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax and Arlington counties are taking a stand in support of Gavin Grimm, a transgender teen who sued the Gloucester County School Board after he was barred from using the boys’ restroom. Their declaration comes before Grimm’s case heads to trial this July in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.