Stories tagged: "State Politics"


Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn D- Springfield attends a 4th Congressional District election party for state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Richmond, Va. Virginia voters on Tuesday elected McClellan, a veteran state legislator from Richmond, to fill an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she will make history as the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress.  (AP Photo/John C. Clark)
Portrait of Virginia’s First Woman House Speaker To Be Unveiled at the Capitol

In 2020, Del. Eileen Filler-Corn became the first woman and first Jewish speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. This week, the retiring delegate’s portrait will join those of the many men who previously held the position over its nearly centuries-spanning history.

Virginians Respond to Youngkin’s CNN Education Town Hall With Fact-Checking, Skepticism

Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Virginia’s policies should be a “playbook for education” on a national level, but educators, legislators, activists, and even students in Virginia who watched the town hall didn’t think that was the case.

Del. VanValkenburg: Why Gov. Youngkin’s Administration is Full of “Missed Opportunities” in Education

Education is a hot topic in the commonwealth, so Dogwood sat down with Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg to discuss the issue–not just from a legislator’s perspective, but from an actual teacher’s point of view.

FILE - Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during news conference announcing the Department of Education report on education Thursday May 19, 2022, in Richmond, Va. A GOP sweep of Virginia’s 2021 statewide elections, and particularly Youngkin’s win, appears to have energized the Republican field in two of the country’s most competitive U.S. House races. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
Education Roundup: Youngkin’s “Report Card” on Schools Indicates Less-Than-Stellar Performance

Since Youngkin took office in January 2022 after building his campaign on attacking the state’s public education system, he’s made a multitude of questionable decisions involving schools in Virginia.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, speaks to members of the media after the General Assembly adjourned for the year inside the Rotunda of the State Capitol Building, late Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)
Youngkin’s $201 Million School Funding Error Still Isn’t Fully Fixed

The legislature’s stopgap budget provided just $16.8 million toward fixing the $201 million problem. 

Contributed photo: As part of the Coalition for Virginia Future’s (CVF) lobby day on Jan. 23, teenagers from across the commonwealth came together to speak to their representatives. Abby Garber (second from right), CVF’s co-executive director, said the group talked to about 75 Virginia lawmakers concerning HB 1669 and “many others.”
Minimum Age for Minimum Wage: Virginia Bill Would Pay Workers Under 18 Three Dollars Less Per Hour

“I am still just shining from the power that we had,” said 17-year-old Abby Garber. She and other youth activists helped bring down a bill aiming to pay teens under 18 less than minimum wage. 

UPDATE: Here’s Where Gun Safety Legislation in Virginia Stands

Democrats in the Virginia Senate passed several gun safety bills, while Republicans in the House of Delegates passed their own set of bills aimed at making it easier to obtain and carry firearms.