Hey there, 

The past view days of Virginia politics news demonstrates the old saying that when a door closes, a window opens. 

A handful of Congressional Democrats joined Republicans in passing a funding package that ended the longest government shutdown in history without addressing the expiring subsidies that make health care affordable for millions of Americans. Virginia’s own US Sen. Tim Kaine was among the Democrats who voted in support of such a deal—much to the disappointment of many of his constituents. 

That’s the door that closed. As for the window? 

The end of the shutdown set in motion the release of thousands of documents from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including some that mention President Donald Trump.

That’s not much comfort to the millions of Americans struggling to get by, but if it leads to more clarity—and ultimately accountability—about what Trump’s connections to Epstein were, then that’s a good thing. 

Below, I have the details on a new report on how Virginia can raise more revenue as lawmakers worry over the budget and consider what’s next when it comes to addressing the health care crisis. 

Plus, the Virginia Emmy winner who may be looking to flip a Republican congressional district. 

Members of the Virginia General Assembly inside the Senate chambers in Richmond on October 27, 2025. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)

Here’s a not so fun fact:

The income of a public school teacher in Virginia is currently taxed at the same rate as the income of millionaire business executives. 

Currently, Virginia’s highest income tax rate of 5.75% applies to anyone making more than $17,001—so most Virginia taxpayers. That means the income of the average teacher in Virginia making $70,441 in 2024 is taxed at the same rate as the income of, say, Robert Blue, the CEO of Dominion whose base salary was $1.2 million last year.

Doesn’t seem fair does it? Especially since Virginia’s finances are facing threats on multiple fronts with President Donald Trump’s massive cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Funding (SNAP) on the horizon. 

Enter a new analysis from The Commonwealth Institute of Fiscal Analysis (TCI), a nonpartisan Virginia research and advocacy organization, that proposes several ideas for how lawmakers could raise more tax revenue to address the expected shortfalls while also making the state’s tax code more fair. 

I caught up this morning with the report’s lead author, Megan Davis, a senior policy analyst at TCI who broke down some of the ways lawmakers can address the “upside down structure of our tax code.”

Among the ideas included in TCI’s report is the creation of a 10% tax on income over $1 million that would raise an estimated $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2027.

“We know the money is out there because we’ve been giving it away,” Davis said in reference to Trump’s massive tax cuts for the wealthy. “The wealthy are getting wealthier, and we know the funds exist.” 

• The Richmonder’s Victoria A. Ifatusin reports on the divisive changes to collective bargaining procedures recently approved by the Richmond School Board. 

                                                                                                                                          

• NOTUS reports on how union members rallied to the polls in Virginia and New Jersey earlier this month. 

   

• Trevor Metcalfe at The Virginian-Pilot has a nice piece on the struggles of tenants in Norfolk against landlords who don’t renew their leases.  

A podium is prepared before Democrats hold news conference on the health care funding fight on the steps of the House before votes to end the government shutdown, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

The health care fight took a setback, but it’s not over yet. 

As Sen. Kaine said on MSNBC, he expects there will be a vote next month on extending the Affordable Care Act Subsidies that so many depend on. 

Some feel such thinking is naive given the chicanery we’ve come to expect from Republicans in the Trump era. 

But many Democrats have shown that they are up for a fight like they haven’t been before, which is reason to hope they’ll hold Republicans’ feet to the fire.

Executive producer Beth Macy attends the premiere of the Hulu Original Series “Dopesick” at the Museum of Modern Art on Monday, Oct 4, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

A celebrated author appears set to run for a congressional seat long held by Republicans. 

Beth Macy, the author of Dopesick and most recently a memoir that deals with the rightward shift of her hometown in Ohio, will reportedly seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican US Rep. Ben Cline to represent Virginia’s 6th congressional district. 

Macy also won an Emmy for the TV adaptation of Dopesick. 

Two cheers for writers and former reporters (Macy was a long-time reporter for The Roanoke Times) seeking political office. 

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