“One of the bills to watch for Virginia’s 2024 legislative session — legislation that would have repealed the 2021 law tying the commonwealth’s vehicle emissions standards to California’s — died in a Senate committee this week,” reports Morgan Sweeney at The Center Square. “Senate Republicans attempted to persuade the committee not only of the infeasibility of California’s electric vehicle laws for Virginia due to EVs’ higher price tags, mechanical flaws and lack of demand, but of the injustice of allowing California’s policies to dictate Virginia’s.”
“A Virginia Senate committee narrowly defeated legislation Wednesday that would expand the circumstances in which a drug dealer could be charged with felony homicide in connection with a user’s death,” reports WTOP-FM. “The bill, a priority of Gov. Glenn Youngkin and fellow Republicans, was pitched as a deterrent to criminals that would save lives amid the rising tide of overdoses deaths, particularly those attributable to fentanyl. But the Democrats on the committee who voted it down voiced skepticism that stiffer penalties, rather than an approach focused on substance abuse treatment, would effectively address the root causes of the issue.”
“The Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee recommends legislation to boost teacher pay, following the committee’s first meeting of the 2024 legislative session,” reports Morgan Sweeney at The Center Square. “SB 104, sponsored by longtime senator and committee member Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, would deeply impact teachers’ livelihoods in the commonwealth and require an ongoing commitment from the state. It seeks to raise Virginia teachers’ salaries to at or above the national average.”
The Center Square: “Former President Donald Trump is far and away the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but new polling digs into why the former president dominates when it comes to the working class.”
“The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll of 2,573 likely voters, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights, shows Trump’s support is highest among Republican voters making less than $50,000 and those without a college degree.”
“As data centers continue to proliferate across Virginia, the General Assembly this winter is poised to take up a host of bills intended to address their impacts, including increased electricity costs and environmental pressures,” reports Charlie Paullin at The Virginia Mercury. “Virginia is home to the greatest concentration of data centers in the world. While the centers can be found around the state, most are in Northern Virginia, which has more than 300. Eastern Loudoun County, where the facilities cover roughly 573 acres, is known as Data Center Alley, and Prince William is increasingly becoming a hot spot after local officials recently approved a campus of 27 centers that would sit on 270 acres.”
“Kicking off the first day of Virginia’s 2024 legislative session, Gov. Glenn Youngkin gave the annual State of the Commonwealth address,” reports Morgan Sweeney at The Center Square.
Virginia DMV: “The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) encourages customers to take advantage of convenient time-saving online services especially when full-service customer service centers are closed. DMV offices will be closed on the following days for state holidays and observances this year:”
- January 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- February 19: George Washington Day
- May 27: Memorial Day
- June 19: Juneteenth
- July 4: Independence Day
- September 2: Labor Day
- October 14: Columbus Day and Yorktown Victory Day
- November 5: Election Day
- November 11: Veterans Day (observed)
“During these closures and anytime, you can renew your tags, update your address, renew or replace your driver’s license or ID card, in addition to dozens of other services available at dmv.virginia.gov. Most transactions take minutes to complete, saving you a trip to a DMV location.”
