Textile technology company FyberX will invest $17.5 million into locating its headquarters in Mecklenberg County. The company develops technology to create textile fiber out of industrial hemp.
That’s a product that Virginia and North Carolina farmers who are seeking new crops are already suited to grow CEO Ben Young told The Virginia Star.
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The Virginia NAACP says it is paying $20,000 for a FOIA request into Attorney General Jason Miyares’ Unit of Election Integrity. On Monday, the organization issued a press release suggesting that the unit is unnecessary and that the high price for the requested information is meant to protect the unit from scrutiny. The organization followed up Tuesday with a press conference at the Virginia Capitol. “There is simply no legitimate justification for the creation of this Unit, except to pander to the election deniers and conspiracy theorists whose own rhetoric and actions are the real force undermining public confidence in our elections,” Virginia NAACP President Robert Barnette said in the Monday release. “For the Attorney General to invoke the concept of ‘purity’ in elections in announcing this Unit is particularly alarming to Black Virginians, who have for generations endured racial discrimination, intimidation, and violence intended to prevent them from participating equally in our democracy.” Miyares’ spokesperson Victoria LaCivita responded in a statement, “It is an absolute insult to the Attorney General to falsely claim that he, as the first Hispanic ever elected to statewide office in Virginia, is trying to intimidate and prevent Virginians of any color or background from…
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Site Selection Magazine says Virginia is the top state in its business climate ranking, beating out Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and Arizona for the top spot. Although the commonwealth only ranked 11th in a survey of executives, one of the indicators in the index, it performed well in the other indicators, including data on corporate expansion and rankings in other lists like the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private corporations, CNBC’s Top States for Business, and the amount of bipartisan infrastructure bills and funding in each state. “Governor Glenn Youngkin has only been in office since January, but he wasted no time getting to work on tasks that collectively contribute to Virginia’s desirability as a location for business and industry,” Site Selection said, featuring an interview with Governor Youngkin. Youngkin said he’s focused on a business-friendly tax and regulatory environment, workforce development through education, safe communities, and efficient government. Additionally, he said Virginia needs to help companies make investment choices through elements including sites, utilities, and permitting confidence. “Third is to bring people together and to sometimes be the lead project manager, which is a role I’m comfortable stepping into occasionally to make sure we are delivering on the…
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With a little over a week until Election Day, 589,627 voters had voted early as of October 29 in Virginia’s ongoing election, according to a graphic from The Virginia Public Access Project. That’s down from 2021, which saw over one million votes by election day, but which also had statewide elections and house races. In Virginia this year, only VA-02, VA-07, and VA-10 are competitive; the other congressional races are safe Republican or Democrat.
That’s not quite reflected in VPAP’s breakdown of early votes by district. VA-01 has the most early votes with 74,377, followed by VA-02 with 64,338, VA-05 with 59,987, VA-10 with 58,793, and VA-07 with 57,931.
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At the Virginia Governor’s Transportation Conference, Governor Glenn Youngkin touted a mix of federal and state investment in Virginia’s transportation infrastructure in ports, roads, rail, and air infrastructure, and said he’d defend Virginia’s right-to-work laws.
“This year we will have a record level of support for our Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Transportation Fund. That $9 billion includes $3.5 billion in surface transportation capital construction projects. $3.3 billion in keeping and maintaining our highways and our bridges and our tunnels at best-in-class standards. $1.1 billion in keeping rail and transit moving forward. $1 billion in allocation of funds for the regional transportation needs,” he said Thursday.
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The Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) is investigating a contract for a $268,000 Virginia Tourism Authority (VTA) ad featuring Governor Glenn Youngkin made by Poolhouse, a firm used heavily by Youngkin. Democratic leaders in the General Assembly requested the investigation in a letter earlier in October, hinting that through the contract, Youngkin may have used tax funds to buy the equivalent of a campaign ad.
“The chosen vendor has no history of working with the state or the VTA,” Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) and House Minority Leader Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) wrote in the letter obtained by The Richmond Times-Dispatch. “The Authority has never featured a Governor in advertising of this type in prior campaigns. It is well-known that the Governor is conducting a preliminary campaign for the Republican Nomination for President and has opened two federal campaign accounts – ‘Spirit of Virginia’ and ‘America’s Spirit’ – to support his activities and federal candidates in anticipation of his Presidential run and such an ad would confer taxpayer benefits on him while he builds his name identification and familiarity with persons outside of Virginia in anticipation of his run.”
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Public comment has ended on the Youngkin administration’s draft transgender model policies, but they won’t go into effect until November 26 at the soonest, and may take longer, according to Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Director of Communications Charles Pyle. “The department’s timeline for finalizing the guidance and model policies document will be determined by the law (Section 2.2-4002.1.) and the amount of time required to review comments submitted by the public and make any edits to the document warranted by the comments. The guidance and model policies won’t become final until the review is complete and a final version is approved by the state superintendent,” Pyle told The Virginia Star. The 2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools will replace the 2021 Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools. Law passed in 2020 requires school boards to enact policies consistent with the model policy guidance documents created by the VDOE, and the law includes requirements over what the policies contain. During the 30-day comment period, the model policies received 71,298 public comments on Virginia’s regulatory review site, and although the board of education…
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The Virginia Board of Social Work has changed licensing regulations making it easier for social workers licensed in other states to get licensed in Virginia.
“There is a critical shortage in Virginia of mental health professionals, and this is a significant step by the Board of Social Work to help address this shortage,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a Wednesday press release. “A priority of my administration is to reduce state regulations and regulatory barriers, and this action shows how regulations can be streamlined to remove barriers to practice with the goal of bringing more mental health professionals to the Commonwealth.”
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Governor Glenn Youngkin is campaigning heavily for Virginia’s congressional candidates, with a focus on VA-02, VA-07, and VA-10, but he’s also stopping in other areas. On Wednesday morning, he attended a get-out-the-vote rally for Representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) and Ben Cline (R-VA-06), and by Wednesday evening, he was in Wisconsin supporting GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels.
Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC, which has reported $4.75 million in contributions in 2022, announced his “Rally for Virginia Early Voting GOTV Tour” last week. The tour has 21 stops through November 7, including six stops supporting state Senator Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) for VA-02, seven stops for Yesli Vega in VA-07, and four stops for Hung Cao in VA-10. Youngkin’s also spending money to support the candidates; his Empowering Virginia Parents PAC has spent $414,147 in the three districts, according to The Virginia Public Access Project.
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Governor Glenn Youngkin said the administration will not be rushed in its review of new history and social science standards, criticizing the previous Democratic administration for lowering the bar in the draft Youngkin’s administration is now changing.
In a press gaggle after a Monday release of National Assessment of Educational Progress scores that show declining performance on reading and math in fourth and eighth grades, Youngkin said, “In the context of what we’ve seen today, I’m glad we’re taking more time, because the standards that have been set by the previous administration who wrote those history standards has shown itself in the results that our kids have demonstrated over testing that has reflected bad decisions over a long period of time.”
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RICHMOND, Virginia — Virginia’s scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are “catastrophic,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a press conference Monday morning, hours after the NAEP scores were released. Nationally, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release the scores are “appalling.” Virginia’s Republican education administration blamed the Commonwealth’s scores on Democratic policy under previous administrations predating COVID-19, while Cardona said the national results are “a reminder of the impact that this pandemic has had on our learners.”
“Today’s data release is a clear and heart-wrenching statement that Virginia is failing her students,” Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera said at the conference, and said the results are not a surprise. “Recent date from the ACT, SOLs [Standards of Learning], from the PALS data, and today’s catastrophic decline in Virginia’s NAEP scores are a predictable outcome of the decade-long systemic dismantling of a foundational commitment to excellence in education.”
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Representative Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) and state Senator Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) are tied at 45 percent in among likely voters in the race for Virginia’s second congressional district, according to a new poll from Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center that found that the district’s Democratic voters are most concerned about abortion and Republican voters are most concerned about inflation.
“Virginia’s second Congressional District has been known to switch back and forth between the major parties and it appears the seat is still highly competitive, despite new district lines that bring in more Republican voters,” said Dr. Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, Research Director of the Wason Center. “If this were a typical midterm election year, this district would likely favor the Republican candidate, especially given an unpopular sitting Democratic President and high inflation. Abortion and concern over threats to democracy appear to have energized Democrats and bolstered support for incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria.”
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Governor Glenn Youngkin has restored the rights of 800 more Virginians, approving the restorations last week, in time to vote in the upcoming election.
“Second chances are essential to ensuring Virginians who have made mistakes are able to move forward toward a successful future. I am proud of the efforts made by these formerly incarcerated Virginians to regain their civil rights,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in the Friday announcement. “I applaud those who have committed to starting fresh with renewed values and a will to positively contribute to our society.”
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The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) is now providing tradesman and contractor applications and licensing exams in Spanish, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.
“This is a big step towards addressing a critical need and creating opportunities for Spanish speaking Virginian’s to enter the workforce and start their own business,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said. “DPOR’s efforts will better serve the Hispanic and Latino community, which represents a large, diverse and vital part of the Commonwealth.”
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RICHMOND, Virginia – Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow said the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs more time to prepare updated drafts for review of new Historical and Social Sciences Standards and accompanying curriculum frameworks. That’s another delay in approval and implementation of the standards after Balow first asked for more time in August.
“Since the September Board meeting, new board members have raised important concerns and questions about the draft standards. Additionally, we sought reviews by individuals and entities, whose voices had not yet been heard. Meanwhile, VDOE staff has worked diligently, to correct errors, remove repetition, reorder guidance, and edit language so that parents, educators, and students can understand and use the standards document,” Balow said in a Monday memo to the board.
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Virginia’s tax code is now more progressive than most states, meaning that taxes impact higher income brackets more than lower income brackets, after the General Assembly increased the standard income tax deduction from $4,500 to $8,000 for individuals, and made the Virginia Earned Income Tax Credit 75 percent refundable.
“Taken together, these changes will make Virginia’s income tax 45 percent more progressive than in 2021 (as measured by change in the ‘Suits’ progressivity index, which measures the progressivity of taxes on all income groups), and more progressive than most other states’ income tax,” a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report states.
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Governor Glenn Youngkin called for increased funding to support law enforcement and partnerships with localities as part of the administration’s Monday announcement of Operation Bold Blue Line. The proposals were the result of his violent crime task force, which he said found Virginia lacks law enforcement officers, prosecutors, programs for at-risk youth, and support for witnesses and victims.
“It’s often said that our law enforcement heroes represent a thin blue line,” he said in a speech outside a City of Norfolk Library alongside Attorney General Jason Miyares and Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.
“Friends, with nearly 40 percent law enforcement vacancy rates in some cities, with too few prosecutors actually prosecuting, with diminished community engagement and witnesses and victims less willing to come forward, that thin blue line is getting far too thin.”
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Virginia’s September General Fund tax revenues hit nearly $1.9 billion, less than last year’s September revenues of $2.6 billion, but the governor’s office emphasized that the decrease was expected as a result of tax policy changes. Adjusted for those changes, tax revenues were up 10.7 percent year over year.
“Adjusted for the impacts of planned policy actions, including the historic tax rebates of nearly $900 million recently delivered to Virginians, September revenue collection increased more than 10 percent compared to a year ago,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a Friday press release. “September is a typically strong month for revenues, and this year was consistent with that precedent. At the same time, economic data remains mixed, the job market shows stability but the persistent inflation from misguided efforts in Washington continues to be the silent thief stealing more and more from the paychecks of hardworking Virginians.”
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Governor Glenn Youngkin and Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) announced eight new projects in southwest Virginia that will be recommended for grant funding from the Virginia Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. The projects include an outdoor recreation area, a shooting range, industrial sites, and a housing development.
“These projects selected support our goals of immediate job creation and the development of new business-ready sites that will be the fuel that drives new business investment in these southwest Virginia communities,” Youngkin said in a Friday announcement.
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Delegate Elizabeth Guzman (D-Prince William) is working to introduce legislation that could make it child abuse or neglect for parents to not affirm their child’s sexual identity or gender orientation, according to a Thursday report from WJLA. That proposal triggered widespread criticism on Friday, and Guzman later criticized WJLA’s reporting. “My bill will state in the Code of Virginia that bullying a child from the LGBTQ community, and this includes mental or physical abuse, to be abused for their sexual orientation or gender identity, that would be considered a Child Protective Services charge,” Guzman said in a video of the WJLA interview. Guzman said that’s a reaction to the Youngkin administration’s draft model policies governing school transgender policies, which would require parental involvement in situations including if a child wanted to change their name or pronouns. Guzman said her bill would expand the definitions of child neglect and abuse. Virginia law requires certain people to report child abuse, including medical professionals, law enforcement, public and private school teachers, and religious leaders like ministers, priests, and imams. “If the child shares with those mandated reporters, what they are going through, we are talking about not only physical abuse or mental abuse,…
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Governor Glenn Youngkin has a 50 percent job approval rating but Democrats are slightly ahead on the generic ballot in a new poll released by Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center.
“When asked about the direction of the Commonwealth, 42 percent say Virginia is headed in the right direction, while 40 percent say the wrong direction. 50 percent of Virginians approve of the job Governor Youngkin is doing while 40 percent disapprove and nine percent indicate they don’t know,” the center reported Wednesday
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Representative Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) and challenger Virginia Senator Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) faced off in a Wednesday debate hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. While many of the debate questions were more business-focused, the two candidates took repeated swings at their opponents’ weak points. Kiggans attacked Luria for aligning with Democrats and cited the economic impacts of their policy, and Luria warned that if elected, Kiggans would take a hard line on abortion and other reproductive issues.
The moderator asked Luria how she felt about the end of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and what the district should expect from Luria on energy. She responded by emphasizing the importance of nuclear power and added, “What they can expect from me: offshore wind development. You know, we’re not going to wake up tomorrow and stop using oil and natural gas. Of course we need adequate transmission of oil and natural gas to support our industry in the area.”
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In an upset, Holly Seibold is the Democratic nominee for the House District 35 special election despite endorsements for Fairfax School Board Member Karl Frisch from many top Fairfax Democrats including former Speaker of the House of Delegates Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax), Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Virginia Senate Finance Chair Janet Howell (D-Fairfax), Delegate Marcus Simon (D-Fairfax), Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, several county supervisors, and several school board members.
“I cannot thank the Democrats of District 35 enough for this tremendous honor. I promise to make you proud in Richmond and fight for the Virginia values of equality, justice, and freedom,” Seibold said on Facebook. “And thank you to Karl Frisch for his kind words and for making me a better candidate. Democrats stand strong together, and I look forward to us all uniting to keep this seat blue on January 10th.”
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Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin) is representing former race car driver Hermie Sadler in a lawsuit over skill games against Governor Glenn Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and the Virginia ABC. In an August update to the lawsuit first filed against the previous administration, Sadler criticizes top finance legislators for modifying Virginia’s skill games ban through the budget and says the ban still violates free speech and due process rights.
“[A] select group of budget conferees, including Senator Howell and Delegate Barry Knight schemed to sneak into the delayed budget bill a purported amendment to the enjoined Skill Games Ban,” the updated lawsuit complaint states.
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The International Economic Development Council gave the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development excellence awards for three of the department’s economic development programs: the Community Business Launch, Industrial Revitalization Fund and Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia).
“Virginia’s IEDC awards are well-deserved recognition for the ongoing and innovative programs that are supporting our economic development efforts across Virginia,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a release.
Youngkin’s office regularly highlights grants and other economic development projects across Virginia.
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The Virginia Department of the Treasury has launched a new program and web-based search for Virginians to claim unclaimed money owed them by businesses.
“One in four Virginians has unclaimed property so we encourage all Virginians to search our free website for their unclaimed property,” Virginia Treasurer David Richardson said in a press release.
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Virginia has 15,338 state employees teleworking at least one day a week, according to a September 30 report from the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM). That’s up from pre-pandemic 5,664 employees in 2019; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration said the increase is good.
“As of September 7, 2022, 42 percent of classified executive branch employees were eligible for telework. Of those, 66 percent have approved telework agreements in place. This is significantly higher than employees eligible (26 percent) and approved for telework (37 percent) in 2019,” the report states.
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A group of conservative organizations and think tanks announced that they’re exploring litigation related to Virginia’s Offshore Wind Project over concerns that the project could harm endangered North Atlantic right whales.
“Unless BOEM [Bureau of Ocean Energy Management] requires extensive, effective, unprecedented protection measures for the North Atlantic right whale immediately, this species is almost certainly headed toward extinction,” American Coalition for Ocean Protection [ACOP] President David Stevenson said in a press release from the Heartland Institute. “With only a little more than 300 individual right whales alive today, this endangered species is in dire need of protection, and the Virginia Wind Project lies directly in their annual migration path. The project will require extensive daily maintenance by multiple service ships, and the potential for whale fatalities due to ship strikes is indisputable.”
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Spotsylvania middle school English-as-second language [ESL] teacher Fabiana Parker is the 2023 Virginia Teacher of the Year, making her Virginia’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year.
“Teachers play a critical role in the success of every learner and child in Virginia and Fabiana is the best of the best,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a Virginia Department of Education press release. “Growing up as an ESL student, Fabiana knows firsthand the challenges her students face. She began her career as an educator as a girl teaching her grandmother to read. She has helped hundreds of students find a path to success by equipping them with the English skills necessary to prosper academically and in life.”
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George Mason University’s (GMU) Board of Visitors voted Thursday to refund a three percent tuition increase charged to undergraduates for the 2022-2023 academic year. GMU was the last holdout among Virginia’s public colleges and universities resisting Governor Glenn Youngkin’s call for a tuition freeze.
“Today, George Mason University joined the 14 other public college and university boards, which serve more than a quarter-million undergraduate college students in Virginia, by pledging to keep tuition flat for in-state students,” Youngkin said in a Thursday press release.
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Governor Glenn Youngkin has issued a state of emergency, triggering Virginia’s price-gouging laws ahead of heavy rain and gusty winds, remnants of Hurricane Ian, expected to hit Virginia beginning on Friday.
“In addition to making smart decisions and keeping up with news developments during a statewide emergency declaration, Virginians must also support each other during this potentially hazardous time,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a Thursday press release. “Any violations of Virginia’s Anti-Price Gouging Act or exploitation of Virginians’ wallets will be thoroughly prosecuted through the Virginia Consumer Protection Act by my office. Bad actors will be held accountable.”
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Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) is highlighting how “radical” Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) by citing the recent incident where Spanberger cursed at him at the Virginia congressional delegation meeting with Governor Glenn Youngkin last week.
Good said on The John Fredericks Show that while the congressmen were presenting feedback to Youngkin, “two members of the delegation decided to take that time to attack the governor for his common-sense, parents first, children first policies.”
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The Virginia Department of Education’s new draft transgender policies received over 20,000 comments on Monday and Tuesday, the first two days of the 30-day public comment period.
Comments on the Model Policies on the Privacy Dignity and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools include both support and opposition, and often show strong feeling about the policies.
“We support this policy! God bless Governor Youngkin,” commenter Heather West wrote. “As a parent of six school aged children, I am grateful that Gov Youngkin has chosen to go to bat for us. It is brave to stand up against the tyranny of the rainbow crowd. Onward with more policies that promote REAL education and not social indoctrination. God bless us all as we work to restore truth to our educational institutions.”
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In an interview before a live audience at the Texas Tribune Festival Friday, Governor Glenn Youngkin answered questions about a potential 2024 presidential run, Donald Trump, campaigning for Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, pro-life policy, and education policy. Most of Youngkin’s answers sounded similar to other speeches he’s made in Virginia, although there was more criticism of the U.S.’ border policy and of President Joe Biden’s leadership.
As part of a series of questions sounding Youngkin out about national political ambitions, Washington Examiner Senior Correspondent David Drucker asked Youngkin what Trump did right, and what he did wrong. Youngkin said that the former president successfully addressed kitchen-table economic concerns, supported law enforcement, and focuses on parents and high expectations in education.
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Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that he will donate his third-quarter salary to G3 Community services, a non-profit which provides coaching and mentoring in Stafford County public schools. The organization’s site says its mission is to “restore, inspire, and empower the family unit”.
“I love the mission,” Youngkin said at a Monday ceremony. “This mission about restoring and inspiring and empowering the family unit to improve lives and strengthen communities, a vision to inspire change through people — through people, this is how we in fact see great transformation, is when we work through people in our communities focusing on the mission rather than self.”
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RapidFlight, a new unmanned aircraft manufacturer backed by venture capital, will establish a base in Manassas, according to a Friday announcement.
RapidFlight’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jay Gundlach praised Virginia in the announcement: “Thanks to its central location on the East Coast, we can readily work face-to-face with our government customers while also leveraging Virginia’s Unmanned Systems’ infrastructure to conduct operations and test our systems, rapidly delivering new capabilities to our nation.”
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The Virginia Department of Education released the first accreditation data for schools since COVID-19 began, and 89 percent of Virginia’s districts are fully accredited for the 2022 through 2023 year, three percent less than 92 percent in the 2019 through 2020 period. But Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration isn’t celebrating the relatively small decrease; instead officials say that shows that accreditation standards don’t capture the reality of COVID-19 learning losses.
“These ratings call into question the effectiveness of our accreditation standards in identifying schools where students are struggling to achieve grade-level proficiency,” Superintendent of Public Education Jillian Balow said in a press release announcing the accreditation rate.
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The monthly Virginia congressional delegation lunch with Governor Glenn Youngkin became contentious on Monday when conversation turned to the Virginia Department of Education’s new model policies to replace current transgender policies, eventually leading to Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) defending the policies. Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) cursed at Good, according to reports.
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Some school districts are already signaling resistance to new draft model policies from the Virginia Department of Education that will repeal current model policies controlling school district transgender policy.
“We want to assure you that Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) will continue its commitment to both implement and develop gender affirming policies for all ACPS students. As a School Board and division, we are concerned with these ‘model policies’ that do not align with our mission, vision and core values to support all students and staff, in particular our core value of ensuring that we provide a welcoming environment for everyone in our school community,” Alexandria City Public Schools said in a letter to students, staff and families.
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Governor Glenn Youngkin will attend a meet and greet in Kansas Thursday with gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Derek Schmidt, stop in Texas Friday for an appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival, and then headline an event for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on September 27. Republican governors campaigning for other Republicans are a normal feature of an election year with a number of high-profile races, but Youngkin’s national appearances have also raised questions about Youngkin’s aspirations for higher office, which Youngkin himself has largely brushed off.
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Over a dozen school districts across Virginia were targeted by hoax reports of active shootings or other violence on Monday and Tuesday. That’s part of a broader wave of similar hoax calls targeting schools across the U.S.
“On Monday, Virginia State Police personnel responded to assist numerous local police and sheriff’s offices with reports of active shooters on school campuses,” Virginia State Police Public Relations Director Corinne Geller told The Virginia Star. “None of the threats were deemed valid, and the state police, through collaboration with the Virginia Fusion Center, is now working with those same local law enforcement agencies to investigate the source of the threats and to determine if there is any evidence to connect them.”
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Four projects focused on business development and jobs growth won the 2022 Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant awards totaling $1.2 million.
“GO Virginia allows us to invest in key projects that will enhance our economic growth by fostering workforce development and stimulating new business opportunities,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a Tuesday announcement. “These projects exemplify the innovative partnerships that GO Virginia grants were designed to promote, driving regional advancement and strengthening our Commonwealth.”
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Industrial and residential lighting controls manufacturer Lutron Electronics will invest $28.3 million to expand its presence in Hanover County, according to a Thursday announcement of a plan to build a 145,000 square foot manufacturing facility.
“Lutron has been a fixture here in Hanover County, Virginia for many years. It is exciting to see them invest in a manufacturing facility in our industrial park along Lakeridge Parkway and to have quality jobs created for the citizens of Hanover County and the Greater Richmond Region,” Hanover County Supervisor Faye Prichard said in a press release from the governor’s office.
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The Virginia Department of Education posted a new draft of model policies to replace the Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students. The draft policies published Friday include an emphasis on parental rights as a major shift away from a current emphasis on protecting students’ gender identity from people, including family, who may not be understanding.
The first point under the Guiding Principles section of the draft states, “Parents have the right to make decisions with respect to their children: Policies shall be drafted to safeguard parents’ rights with respect to their child, and to facilitate the exercise of those rights.”
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Plenty Unlimited, Inc., announced plans to invest $300 million to construct the world’s largest indoor vertical farming campus, which will be located in Chesterfield and is expected to have a strawberry farm completed in late 2023 or early 2024.
“At Plenty, we’re on a mission to sustainably grow fresh food for everyone, everywhere,” Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai said in a press release from the governor’s office. “This campus will raise the bar on what indoor vertical farming can deliver. The scale and sophistication of what we’re building here in Virginia will make it possible to economically grow a variety of produce with superior quality and flavor. We look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with the government of Virginia as we endeavor to rewrite the rules of agriculture.”
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August General Fund tax revenues rose about 5.4 percent compared to August 2021 when adjusted for an extra deposit day this year. That’s a good sign but Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings told legislators September’s data will be more significant for analysts and legislators who are trying to figure out what fiscal year 2023’s finances will look like.
“August collections exceeded projections, driven by employment and wage growth year-over-year,” Cummings said in a press release from the governor’s office.
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The Ronald Reagan Institute held a round table hosted by Governor Glenn Youngkin and Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), and attended by others including Representative Elaine Luria (D-VA-02). The Monday event held at Mount Vernon is part of the organization’s national effort to dialogue with business leaders and elected officials about a report from its Task Force on Manufacturing Competitiveness.
On Monday evening Youngkin said in a statement, “The Commonwealth of Virginia holds a vital role in bolstering U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and it’s a key priority of my administration. I want to thank the officials and legislators who worked on the Reagan Task Force report and convened today to address our workforce shortages, industrial capacity, supply chain resilience, address any deficiencies and brainstorm solutions for the betterment of the Commonwealth. Virginia is home to important defense contractors and more have moved their headquarters to the Commonwealth in the last year. Together, we can grow the Commonwealth’s defense economy and enhance Virginia’s defense manufacturing capabilities.”
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Virginia’s advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing (APM) cluster will receive $52.9 million in grants as one of 21 winners in the federal Build Back Regional Challenge, according to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).
“After meeting with the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership and pushing the Department of Commerce to support this project, I am thrilled to see the Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Cluster Growth Hub named one of the American Rescue Plan Build Back Better Regional Challenge winners,” Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) said in a September 2 press release. “This support will continue to strengthen the foundation and accelerate the growth of pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States. As a proud supporter of the American Rescue plan, I am glad to see that Virginia continues to reap the benefits through job creation and economic growth.”
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First Lady Suzanne Youngkin presented the Spirit of Virginia Award to An Achievable Dream, an organization that partners with the Newport News, Virginia Beach, and Henrico school districts to operate six schools serving 2,000 students in total.
“Education is a critical component of opportunity for all and An Achievable Dream’s approach to caring for the whole student, supporting families, and setting high standards is unparalleled,” Youngkin said in a Wednesday press release. “When we honor Virginians who are changing lives for the better, we need look no further than the administrators and teachers in these schools.”
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Attorney General Jason Miyares has created a 20-member Election Integrity Unit within the Office of the Attorney General [OAG]; the unit will investigate and prosecute violations of election law, provide legal guidance, and work with law enforcement to protect election purity.
“I pledged during the 2021 campaign to work to increase transparency and strengthen confidence in our state elections. It should be easy to vote, and hard to cheat. The Election Integrity Unit will work to help to restore confidence in our democratic process in the Commonwealth,” Miyares said in a press release.
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