Politics

The Virginia General Assembly has passed a budget that includes Delegate Elizabeth Guzman’s amendment to allow undocumented women access to pre-natal care through FAMIS.

“Health care is a human right, and I am so happy that Virginia will allow women to access pre-natal care regardless of immigration status,” said Delegate Guzman, who is the first Latina immigrant elected to the General Assembly. “Many of these women are essential workers who have kept this country running throughout the pandemic. I want them to know they are seen and valued and that they should get medical care before giving birth. Furthermore, this budget amendment will actually save the Commonwealth money, so it is a commonsense move. I thank the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee for including this measure in their budgets. I am also grateful to Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy for working with our office on this issue over multiple legislative sessions.”

Virginians could soon see more electric cars out on the roads. However, Republicans say the way Democrats are trying to make that happen is a bad thing.

Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Saturday to a bill that will legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, but not until 2024, when retail sales of the drug would also begin.

The General Assembly has endorsed several improvements to the state’s unemployment system as the coronavirus pandemic continues to exacerbate its flaws.

A Virginia law that will ban all restaurants and food vendors from using polystyrene food containers by July 2025 is on its way to the governor.

Virginia lawmakers demanded answers Wednesday from Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration and the state’s government watchdog agency following a news report that raised new questions about the state parole board’s handling of the case of a man convicted of killing a Richmond police officer.