RICHMOND — Two delegates, both former journalists, introduced legislation Monday to protect student journalists from censorship and shield reporters from having to disclose confidential sources.
Dels. Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery, and Danica Roem, D-Prince William, urged the General Assembly to pass such legislation.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY — Hazardous construction from the “Transform I-66” project has citizens frustrated, but the Virginia Department of Transportation is working to fix unsafe conditions, according to a quarterly mobility report presented to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors meeting on January 8.
Windshields broken by debris, poorly painted lines and other road issues on I-66 are plaguing drivers, Jeanine Lawson of Brentsville District said during the meeting.
STAFFORD — Rock Hill Supervisor Wendy Maurer will not be seeking re-election for her seat come November.
Maurer, currently serving her first term on the Board of Supervisors announced her decision during the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 8 meeting.
RICHMOND — Delegate Elizabeth Guzman (D-31 Fauquier, Prince William) filed legislation last week that would increase the age Virginians could smoke or use nicotine products with minors in motor vehicles. The proposed bill would raise the current age from eight to 16 years old.
“As a mother, it was of great surprise to me to learn that children over the age of eight can be exposed to second-hand smoke in vehicles,” Guzman said in a press. “Virginia needs to update its code to reflect the evidence-based results of medical studies.”
RICHMOND — The Family Foundation and other groups that oppose abortion are urging Virginia legislators to oppose ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They say the ERA, which is currently before the full Senate, is anti-women, anti-American and “a smokescreen for abortion.”
Conservative activists held a news conference and met with legislators this week to voice concerns about the ERA, which they refer to as the “Everything Related to Abortion Act.” They said the proposed constitutional amendment uses women as pawns to push forward an abortion-rights agenda.
RICHMOND — Del. Karrie Delaney (D-Fairfax) and 14 other members of the Virginia General Assembly sent a letter Friday to state Transportation Secretary Shannon Valentine and other officials requesting toll relief for federal workers commuting without pay during the federal government’s shutdown.
“These residents are still going to work every day to ensure our nation’s operations continue, but they are not receiving a paycheck,” Delaney said. “They are trying to figure out how they are going to make ends meet, and here we have an opportunity to provide some relief from the tolls they incur during their commute.”
STAFFORD — Stafford leaders nearly a year ago caused an uproar in the building trades when they tossed out all applications from developers that wanted to build “cluster” subdivisions in the county.
That move not only sparked lawsuits but also trigged an order from the Board of Supervisors to the county Planning Commission to redraw the map that shows where such clusters (where homes are built tightly together in an effort to preserve open space) would be permitted in the county. It was also tasked making new rules for clusters.
