Tag: Chap Petersen

State Senators Dunnavant, Petersen Call for Education Reserve Corps to Address Looming School Staffing Shortage in Virginia

Eric Burk

Citing school staffing shortages, Senators Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) and Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico) are proposing the creation of an Education Reserve Corps in Virginia.

“As we’ve known, other than getting people vaccinated and keeping them alive, the most important issue, and we’ve been consistent about this, is reopening schools,” Petersen said on the Senate floor on Monday. He pointed to staffing parallels in the medical field.

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Virginia General Assembly Pushes Forward with Taxes on Forgiven PPP Loan Revenue

Eric Burk

The Virginia General Assembly is moving forward with legislation that would effectively make employers who received Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans liable for state taxes. Bills that would practically exempt all income from the forgiven loans have been replaced with legislation that caps how much of the loan is exempt. Business advocates warn that the taxes could surprise the struggling businesses that the PPP loans were meant to help.

The bills bring Virginia’s tax code into conformity with the IRS; Virginia’s tax law doesn’t automatically change to match federal law, so state legislators pass tax conformity bills.

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Fairfax, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano Says His Office Will Not Seek Cash Bail

Eric Burk

  Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano (D) announced Monday that he would not be seeking cash bail for non-violent offenders, formalizing a policy he and his prosecutors have been practicing since Descano took office in January 2020. “I’ve long said that the laws on the books should match the values in our hearts. Cash bail is unjust, racially biased, and doesn’t make our community safer,” Descano said in a Twitter announcement. “That’s why my office won’t request it and why I call on the legislature to end it.” In a Washington Post op-ed Descano said, “Simply put, cash bail creates a two-tiered justice system: one for rich people and one for everyone else. People who sit in jail risk losing their jobs for nonattendance, which, in short order, could lead to the loss of their housing, and in some cases the loss of custody of their children. Facing these rippling consequences, many people simply opt to plead guilty in exchange for their immediate release, often plunging them into a cycle of increased contact with the criminal justice system.” Descano is part of a growing list of Virginia prosecutors who are moving away from cash bail. Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Greg Underwood…

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Virginia Legislators Expect to Legalize Marijuana in 2021, but Massive Changes Needed Might Slow the Process

Eric Burk

It’s not quite a nonpartisan issue, but Virginia legislators expect an effort to legalize marijuana will receive enough bipartisan support to pass in the 2021 regular session. The biggest hurdle to the plan is the massive legislative changes that are required. Legislators have to choose how the cannabis business will interact with many sectors of business and government including banking, law enforcement, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Taxation, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

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