The Federal Election Commission sent a letter to Eugene Vindman’s campaign last month asking for clarifications on his finance report about many unitemized donations, reports Virginia Scope Political Newsletter.

Vindman is a Dale City resident and has raised more cash than any other Democrat seeking the party nomination to run in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District to replace Abigail Spanberger, who is running for governor. A Primary Election will be held on June 18, 2024.

By Morgan Sweeney

(The Center Square) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed 100 bills into law on Tuesday and vetoed four, bringing his tally so far this session to over 360 bills signed and a record 132 vetoed.

In addition to his vetoes, this batch included more Democrat-sponsored legislation, several health care bills, and an anti-discrimination bill lauded by the governor.

With the Democratic majority in the General Assembly, the percentage of Democratic legislation the governor signs in each round of bill action will likely continue to grow. Youngkin is almost halfway through the legislation sent to him by the body, but both the House of Delegates and the Senate passed substantially more legislation patroned by Democrats than Republicans.

Thus far, signed Democratic legislation hadn’t drastically outpaced signed Republican legislation, but on Tuesday, the governor signed 62 more Democratic bills than Republican. All of the governor’s vetoes, however, have been Democratic legislation.

One of the health care bills responded to recommendations made by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which conducts reviews on the effectiveness of state agencies and policies.

In December, the Commission released a report on Virginia’s state psychiatric hospitals, revealing turnover rates much higher than those for most state government employers. This was due to staff feeling unsafe at work, as well as some uncompetitive pay. House Bill 806, introduced by Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, partially addresses the problem by requiring nursing staff and psychiatric technicians who work at least 36 hours per week to be designated as full-time employees. The bill also attempts to add some employee pay and benefits protections.

HB 503, patroned by Laura Cohen, D-Fairfax, dictates that licensed behavior analysts be included in the commonwealth’s definition of “credentialed addiction treatment professionals,” to help meet the demand for addiction treatment. No organizations or individuals testified against the bill when it was presented to the committee or subcommittee.

House Bills 314 and 515 both concern state hospitals’ discharging practices.

Several others aim to improve Virginia’s health insurance landscape, updating reporting requirements and penalties for noncompliance for pharmacy benefit managers, prioritizing premium reduction targets for the Commonwealth Health Reinsurance Program, and regulating insurance companies’ interference with patients’ prescription drug coverage.

HB 1085, also patroned by Rasoul, establishes a PFAS Expert Advisory Committee to aid the state in reporting and containment of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or “forever chemicals.”

In the press release from his office regarding his latest signing session, the governor celebrated signing HB 18 and Senate Bill 7, companion hate-crime and discrimination bills, tying them into his efforts to combat anti-semitism.

“As one of my first executive orders, I formed the Commission to Combat Antisemitism, which issued a recommendation that Virginia revise its laws to ensure Jewish Virginians are protected from hate crimes, along with Muslims, Sikhs and other ethnic and religious groups. Today, after two years of hard work, I’m pleased to sign SB7 and HB18 which codify that recommendation,” Youngkin said.

The bills were sponsored by Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Orange, in the Senate and Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, in the House.

Youngkin vetoed bills requiring the state Board of Education to create and adopt model policies on climate change curriculum and enforcing penalties for retail sellers of unmarked invasive plant species, as well as a bill from Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, enabling academic research on aggregated district court case data.

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch

(The Center Square) — Virginia is beginning to experience some of the impacts from the cargo ship crash that brought down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, closing a vital shipping lane leading to one of the eastern seaboard’s busiest ports.

Shortly after, on Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin offered to assist neighboring Maryland. Within hours, the commonwealth’s ports were already preparing to absorb some of the diverted shipping traffic.

In 2023, the Port of Baltimore handled nearly 850,000 automobiles and light trucks, the most in the U.S. The port also ranks second in the nation for exporting coal, and sixth for importing coffee. The port leads the nation for roll-on/roll-off cargo. With most of its ports inaccessible, some ships are being diverted to other eastern ports.

Joe Harris, senior director of media relations for the Port of Virginia, told The Center Square within hours of the accident, one of the terminals at the Virginia International Gateway processed a rerouted container ship, saying they “anticipate these diverted volumes to increase.”

Harris doesn’t anticipate the increased cargo traffic will create any delays, saying the port has plenty of space to take on the extra loads. However, he acknowledged there is still a lot of “unknown” about how many ships they can expect.

“We have ample capacity in terms of container yards and berth space” for container vessels, Harris said. “Right now it’s unclear how many additional vessel calls/corresponding cargo volumes to expect here; one of the primary factors behind this ‘unknown’ is that we do not know how long the Port of Baltimore will remain closed to vessel traffic.”

In addition to the increased volume of cargo traffic, Harris is confident the Port of Virginia will be able to keep up with manpower.

“One thing of which we are certain is that we will maintain our service levels,” Harris said. “This is a modern, 21st-century port that has a significant amount of experience in handling surges of import and export cargo. Workforce size is not an issue.”

The Port of Baltimore is a bustling cargo and host port to two major cruise lines, Carnival and Royal Caribbean. One of Carnival’s cruise ships was scheduled to return to Baltimore on Sunday but will be rerouted to Norfolk.

“While rescue and remediation efforts continue in Baltimore Harbor following the collapse of the Key Bridge, it will temporarily move Carnival Legend’s Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia,” the cruise line released in a statement.

They added that guests will be provided with bus service back to Baltimore, and next week’s scheduled cruise will operate from and return to Norfolk.

The Center Square reached out to Royal Caribbean requesting information on future cruises originating out of the Port of Baltimore but has yet to receive a response before publication.

One thing that remains uncertain is how the extra volume of truck and train traffic will impact the I-95 corridor, which is already one of the busiest and most congested in the nation.

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

• Peyton Davitch of Manassas at James Madison University, Aaron Drew of Woodbridge at University of Maryland Global Campus, Stephanie Evers of Gainesville at Marymount University, Ashley Skinner of Woodbridge at University of North Florida and Jack Stang of Dumfries at University of Maryland Global Campus.
• Albright College students are competing as members of the Lions’ NCAA Division III varsity athletic teams this spring.
• Caelainn Morrison of Woodbridge is a member of the women’s lacrosse team at Albright College this spring. A graduate of Forest Park Senior High School, Morrison is studying Business Administration at Albright.
• McKenna Morrison of Woodbridge is a women’s lacrosse team member at Albright College this spring. A graduate of Charles J Colgan Sr High School, Morrison is studying Biology at Albright.

Making moves in school or local business? Email us the info and a photo, and we’ll share them with the Potomac Local community.

By Sarah-Roderick Fitch

(The Center Square) – Following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is offering assistance to the state of Maryland.

The bridge spans over the Patapsco River and supports part of I-695, one of the major arteries around Baltimore.

Youngkin says he has been in contact with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who declared a state of emergency.

In a social media post, the Virginia Republican wrote, “I have spoken with Gov. Wes Moore this morning, and Virginia stands ready to assist and support our neighbor Maryland. Our prayers are with the families affected and the courageous rescue efforts underway following the tragic incident at Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

A Singapore-based container ship rammed one of the support pillars, plunging the bridge into the frigid water below. Baltimore County Fire Chief James Wallace briefed reporters, saying two people have been rescued, with as many as seven people remain missing.

The tragic incident will likely have a mammoth impact on the region, including the Northeast corridor. The bridge carries traffic to and from the nation’s capital and Virginia.

With the container ship and remnants of the bridge blocking access to Baltimore’s harbor, one of the county’s major commercial shipping ports, there is no word yet where cargo intended for Baltimore will be routed.

It is possible ports in and around the Hampton Roads region may play a pivotal role until Baltimore’s harbor can be cleared.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said he is in contact with Moore regarding the incident and is offering federal assistance.

In a social media post, Buttigieg wrote, “I’ve spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT’s support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response.”

The Virginia State Police (VSP) has unveiled a pioneering initiative to address the recruitment challenges law enforcement agencies face across the state.

The “Pathway to Trooper” program targets young adults aged 18 to 20 who aspire to become State Troopers but are currently ineligible due to age restrictions.

Applicants must be 21 years old by the time they graduate from the Academy. The statewide agency tells Potomac Local that the “Pathway to Trooper” program recognizes the potential of younger candidates and offers a solution by providing employment opportunities within the department while these individuals await eligibility for trooper training.

Under this program, young adults can join the VSP as Emergency Dispatchers stationed at one of the department’s seven Emergency Communications Dispatch Centers. In exchange for their service, the VSP will reserve a spot for these individuals in an upcoming Academy session, contingent upon completing all required stages of the State Trooper hiring process.

Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, expressed enthusiasm for the program, stating, “We are always looking at ways to get more interested, deserving applicants into the Department. ‘Pathway to Trooper’ allows young adults…to get their foot in the door early and learn about the Department while waiting for their chance to attend the Academy.”

In Northern Virginia, troopers in the academy make a $70,640 annual starting salary.

Participants in the “Pathway to Trooper” program stand to benefit from a $5,000 hiring bonus upon joining as Emergency Dispatchers. Moreover, this full-time, salaried position offers state health and retirement benefits and paid vacation leave.

Upon acceptance to the VSP Academy, program participants will be eligible for further incentives, including a 10% salary increase upon completion of initial training and a $5,000 retention bonus following basic training.

The program comes as VSP has increased recruitment measures. The agency has roughly 300 sworn vacancies statewide.

“The vacancies are being felt across all regions of the Department. To minimize the impact, we do our best to assign academy graduates to those Area Offices experiencing the greatest need,” said Geller.

“[We wanted to allow] those kids who grew up and had a dream to be a police officer,” State Senator Jeremy McPike (D) WFTF Radio. “And what happened was the governor just crushed those kids’ dreams.”

“Peter Newsham, Chief of Police for Prince William County, also advocated for McPike’s bill. He said his jurisdiction is the most diverse part of the state and having Spanish speakers, let alone DACA recipients, on staff can help reach communities that are afraid to speak to cops.”

“As passed, the budget doesn’t just remove Youngkin’s income tax rate reductions while keeping an expanded sales tax on certain digital transactions, it ups the ante. Their budget expands the sales tax to include business-to-business transactions which are typically untaxed because taxing them only results in “pyramiding” — piling on costs at every stage of completing the final consumer product, with those costs passed on to consumers,” writes Chris Braunlich at The Jefferson Journal.

Virginia’s 11th-largest jurisdiction, Henrico, near Richmond, will limit the types of calls to which its police are dispatched.

Henrico County police modified its response to specific service calls and how they are dispatched.

“In the past, our patrol officers have routinely been put in positions or responded to calls for service where they have no legal authority. At times, this has prevented our officers from responding to other priority calls in a timely and efficient manner while also leading to a lack of units available to respond to any given call,” said Henrico Police Chief Eric English in a YouTube video.

Call types where you will see changes include:

• Animal calls (all animal calls placed overnight will be handled the next morning)
• Loud parties or noise complaints (only calls that appear to be violating the county’s noise ordinance will be dispatched)
• Medical emergencies (only if police are needed)
• Service calls (calls about people standing in a street median or homeless people who “appear to be OK”).
• Shoplifting (past-occurred crimes or reports with no evidence to support the allegation)
• Abandoned vehicles
• Marijuana use (calls for marijuana use inside someone’s home)
• Juvenile problems (not crime-related, such as calling a police officer to scold a child)
• Panhandling

The changes have come as police departments across the U.S. have struggled to fill vacant police officer positions since 2020. We asked police agencies in our area if they anticipate making similar changes.

“We offer residents an online or telephone option to file a report, which we can refer people to if needed,” said Prince William police 1st Sgt. Jonathan Perok. The agency patrols Virginia’s second-largest county. He declined to comment on Henrico County’s new policy.

“Rest assured, we do not anticipate changing how we respond to calls anytime soon,” added Fredericksburg Police spokeswoman Sarah Morris. The agency services the independent city of nearly 28,000 people between Stafford and Spotsylvania counties.