Dogwood Daily: Regulators prevent Dominion's rate hike

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…

Happy Friday! If you’re starting to get ready for Thanksgiving this weekend be prepared to pay a little more than last year. The price for the big feast has increased 23% in the state.

Five things you need to know today …

1. Regulators prevent Dominion’s rate hike– State regulators stopped Dominion Energy’s attempt to raise rates in Virginia this week, saying the increase would cost customers an additional $1.4 billion over 25 years. Dominion wanted to raise their rate of return on equity from 9.2% to 10.75%, which regulators said was unreasonable and didn’t represent the “actual cost of the marketplace.” -Richmond Times-Dispatch 
   
2. Judge Beasley withdraws application– 11th District Judge Robert Beasley Jr. has withdrawn his application to be elected to a second term. Beasley faced increased opposition after the public release of an inquiry into his misconduct several years ago, when he was removed from the bench for two months and placed under supervision. Several clerks in his district contacted legislators expressing opposition to his re-appointment, saying he had sexually harassed them and created a hostile work environment for other employees. -Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
3. VCU Health denies guardianship article– VCU Health refuted the claims made by the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an exposé on the hospital’s guardianship practices. The piece reported that VCU Health had taken hundreds of patients to court since 2009 to strip them of their rights to make medical decisions and to save money. VCU Health said the article lacked context and the system “has no role and has never participated in the process to determine who is appointed to be the patient’s guardian.” The Richmond Times-Dispatch is standing by its story, saying they analyzed more than 250 cases before writing the piece. –The Commonwealth Times
   
4. Republicans pick Norment– Virginia Republican senators selected Sen. Thomas Norment (R-James City) to be minority leader in the Senate. This will be Norment’s fourth term leading Virginia Republicans, who will lose their majority when the new General Assembly begins in January. Republicans also re-elected Sen. Ryan McDougle (R- Hanover) as chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus and Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Rockingham) as co-chairman of the caucus. –The Roanoke Times
   
5. Northam requests federal intervention with fishery— Gov. Northam asked the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to shutter Virginia’s Menhaden fishery. The request comes after the fishery’s leading participant, Omega Protein, said it would exceed the federal catch limits of the fish. In a letter, Northam said he was asking for the intervention to ensure “responsible management” of the fishery. –WTOP