The conversation centered around the effects of an ongoing pilot program restricting phone use during instructional time. The board considered two potential paths: maintaining the current guidelines with limited phone access or adopting a stricter “bell-to-bell” policy.
The board first implemented a cell phone pilot program at the start of the 2024–25 school year, following Gov. Glenn Youngkin's order to schools to develop and implement plans for cell phone-free learning by 2025. Prince William County Public Schools' current policy requires that cell phones be turned off and put away during class periods, with high school students allowed access during lunch and passing periods. The goal is to foster a more engaging classroom environment with increased face-to-face student interactions.
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Derrick Anderson (R), who is running for Virginia's 7th Congressional District, held a rally in Spotsylvania with Governor Glenn Youngkin and Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The speakers focused on getting out to vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, and encouraging friends and family to ensure they also vote.
One volunteer, Marie, who reportedly wrote thousands of postcards supporting Anderson, fainted during the rally. According to other attendees, both Youngkin and Johnson hopped down from the stage to assist her.
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Press release:
Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that Granules Consumer Health, a subsidiary of Granules India and a manufacturer of over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals, will invest $1.5 million to expand its operations in Prince William County. The company will install new manufacturing lines at its existing facility, creating 99 new jobs.
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From The Center Square:
Republican leaders are praising Wednesday's 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow Virginia to keep “noncitizens” off the voter rolls.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who led the appeal in the highest court, calls the ruling a “win for election integrity and the rule of law.” Although pleased with the outcome, he expressed concern with the Biden-Harris administration’s attempt to “execute” his lawsuit.
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From The Center Square:
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced late Sunday the commonwealth will file an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to block the return of more than 1,500 noncitizens to voter rolls.
The appeal follows a unanimous panel ruling Sunday from the Fourth Circuit of Appeals rejecting Virginia’s request to stop an order from a lower court to reinstate noncitizens removed from voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) will invest $54.7 million to expand its campus in Prince William County with a new biomanufacturing facility focused on global health. The expansion will create 75 new jobs and further ATCC’s mission to provide scientists with essential biomaterials for critical life science research. Virginia successfully competed against Maryland to secure the project. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, alongside Prince William County, facilitated the deal, with Governor Glenn Youngkin approving an $800,000 grant to support the project. ATCC’s expansion highlights the continued growth of Virginia’s life sciences sector, a vital industry for global health and national security.
Press release:
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Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has announced her candidacy for governor. She aims to continue the work of the Youngkin-Sears administration.
If elected, she would become the first Black woman to serve as Virginia’s governor and the first Black woman in U.S. history to hold such a position. Earle-Sears, an immigrant from Jamaica and former U.S. Marine, highlighted the administration's achievements in improving community safety, boosting the economy, cutting taxes, and expanding educational choices for parents.
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Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that the Virginia Lottery’s fiscal year 2024 profits exceeded $934 million, the highest in its 36-year history. All profits from the Lottery go towards supporting K-12 public education in the Commonwealth.
Since 1999, Virginia Lottery profits have generated over $12 billion for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. 10% of the Virginia K-12 education budget comes from the Lottery. The record profits in FY24 were driven by over $5.5 billion in sales, the highest ever. Tickets were purchased at over 5,300 businesses and online, and retailers earned $142 million in commissions and bonuses. Of that $5.5 billion, players received $4.2 billion in prizes, with 77 cents returned for every dollar spent. The Lottery also recorded a low administrative cost rate of 3.8%, which will be finalized after a standard audit by the Auditor of Public Accounts.
The Virginia Lottery website has unofficial reports of the amounts received by each locality in FY24. The distribution is determined by the approved state budget, and based on factors like student enrollment and prioritized programs.
Fredericksburg City Schools   $2.6 million
Stafford County Schools      $18.4 million,
Prince William County Schools  $64.7 million
Manassas City Schools   $8.8 million
Spotsylvania County Schools  $16 million.
Virginians voted for a state-operated lottery in 1987, with the use of lottery proceeds to be determined by the General Assembly. The use of the proceeds has changed over time. In 1989, Lottery proceeds were dedicated to capital-construction projects, then 1990 to 1998, they were transferred to the state’s General Fund. In 1999, a state budget amendment sent Lottery proceeds to local public-school divisions to be used solely for educational purposes.
In 2000, more than 80% of Virginia voters said yes to the creation of the State Lottery Proceeds Fund, which is now a permanent part of the state constitution directing all Lottery profits to be used solely for education purposes.
Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 35, codifying his administration’s election security procedures, which include stringent ballot security, thorough counting machine testing, and rigorous voter list maintenance.
Press release:
Governor Glenn Youngkin today issued Executive Order 35, which codifies the election security procedures put into place during his administration, including stringent ballot security, complete and thorough counting machine testing, and best-in-the-nation voter list maintenance.
“The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s an American and Virginian issue. Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines. In Virginia, we don’t play games and our model for election security is working,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.
“We use 100% paper ballots with a strict chain of custody. We use counting machines, not voting machines, that are tested prior to every election and never connected to the internet. We do not mass mail ballots. We monitor our drop boxes 24/7. We verify the legal presence and identity of voters using DMV data and other trusted data sources to update our voter rolls daily, not only adding new voters, but scrubbing the lists to remove those that should not be on it, like the deceased, individuals that have moved, and non-citizens that have accidentally or maliciously attempted to register,” Governor Glenn Youngkin continued.
The EO codifies improvements to election security made during the Governor’s administration by directing the Commissioner of the Department of Elections to certify in writing annually that these improvements are in place. The EO also outlines the procedures in place for non-citizens who attempt to violate the law and register to vote, which includes referral to the local Commonwealth’s attorney and the Office of Attorney General, which has concurrent jurisdiction.
