Dogwood Daily: Year of The Women

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.

But first…

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday! Virginia is one of 14 states voting on the Democratic presidential nominee, so don’t forget to head to the polls tomorrow. Don’t know where you vote? We help you find that info and anything else you need for Super Tuesday here.

Five things you need to know today …

1. McAuliffe Backs Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar Drop Out – Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe officially endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president on Saturday. He said he hoped other Democratic presidential candidates who “do not have a pathway” to the nomination would drop out of the race before Virginia votes tomorrow. And two candidates did just that: Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) left the race by Monday afternoon. –Richmond Times Dispatch and WTOP
   
   
2. Virginia’s “Year of the Woman” – 2020 is already making its mark in her-story. This Washington Post’s Robert McCartney takes a close look at this year’s General Assembly, which has a record breaking 41 female legislators. Eileen Filler-Corn, Virginia’s first female Speaker of the House, and her fellow lawmakers introduced an ambitious package of progressive legislation they are very close to getting to the finish line. The package includes raising the minimum wage to ensuring students who owe lunch debt can still get hot meals. –The Washington Post
   
   
3. General Assembly Set to Approve Sports Gambling as Soon as This Week – The legalization of sports gambling in Virginia is just a few handshakes away from becoming reality. Companion bills to bring sports betting to the Commonwealth have cleared the House and Senate, and as soon as this week, a conference committee will meet to sort out the differences between the two bills and send a final measure the to Governor’s desk for approval. The legislation is expected to bring online and in-person sports betting to the state around this fall. –Richmond Times-Dispatch
   
   
4. Democrats Face Questions On Dominion – Virginia Democrats have faced criticism for taking campaign contributions from Dominion Energy, despite the party’s push for more environmentally-conscious legislation. Sen. Richard L. Saslaw’s (D-Fairfax) committee has killed bills that aimed to loosen Dominion’s energy monopoly in the state and expand the renewable energy market. Saslaw said that allowing other retailers to buy electricity elsewhere would’ve made a smaller amount of customers for Dominion as the company makes the switch to renewable energy. –Washington Post
   
   
5. Charlottesville Will Not Mark Jefferson’s Birthday – For the first time since World War II, Charlottesville will not be honoring former President Thomas Jefferson’s birthday this spring. Instead, they’ll be opting to celebrate the demise of slavery on March 3, according to the Washington Post. The holiday is known as Liberation and Freedom Day, and commemorates when Union soldiers liberated slaves in March 1865. –NBC 12