AP
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A federal court is extending a deadline for the General Assembly to redraw a congressional district that judges ruled was improperly drawn to make adjacent districts safer for Republican incumbents. The court said Monday that it was pushing back a deadline imposed on lawmakers, from April 1 to Sept. 1, to allow the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in. A panel of federal judges ruled 2-1 last year in favor of two Virginia voters who accused the General Assembly of “racial gerrymandering” by packing African-Americans into state’s 3rd Congressional District. The GOP holds an 8-3 advantage in Virginia’s congressional delegation while all statewide elected offices are held by Democrats.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Leaders in the Virginia House and Senate say they’ve come to an agreement on a proposed state budget that will include small raises for state employees and teachers. Lawmakers announced Monday that the proposed budget will restore $30 million for local governments that had previously been cut. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe did not include across-the-board pay increases for state employees in the budget he proposed in December, but has said he supports them. Virginia’s budget situation has brightened in recent months due to higher-than-projected revenues and other factors, giving lawmakers more money to spend this session. The full General Assembly is expected to vote on the budget as early as Thursday.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Senate has narrowly defeated a measure aimed at forcing the state attorney general to defend state laws when they are challenged. The bill sponsored by Del. Brenda Pogge, a Republican from James City County, was prompted by Attorney General Mark Herring’s decision last year not to defend Virginia’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The amendment was ultimately overturned in federal court, and gay couples have been getting married since October. Herring, a Democrat, determined that the Virginia amendment violated the federal Constitution, angering many Republicans Pogge’s bill passed the House 68-32 earlier this month. It was rejected Monday by the Senate when Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, cast a “no” vote to break a 20-20 tie. One Republican, Sen. John Watkins of Powhatan County, also voted “no.”
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A Virginia Senate committee has narrowly rejected a measure to authorize public prayers at government meetings. Del. Richard Bell, a Staunton Republican, said his bill was intended to clear up confusion among state and local government bodies about whether they can legally open their meetings with prayer. Passed by the House of Delegates 69-30 earlier this month, the measure would have allowed invocations to be given either by a chaplain chosen by the public body or by speakers selected from a list of established religious congregations in the community. The bill was supported by the conservative Family Foundation of Virginia but opposed by Baptist and Jewish groups and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. The Senate General Laws and Technology Committee killed the measure on an 8-7 vote Monday.
Joseph Morrissey
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A Virginia lawmaker charged with forgery and perjury wants authorities to return materials seized from his law office. Del. Joe Morrissey’s motion to have the items returned will be heard Monday in Henrico County Circuit Court. Morrissey says authorities executing a search warrant last month took case files and computers, bringing his law practice to a virtual standstill. The 57-year-old Morrissey is charged with fabricating a document that he presented as evidence in a previous case. In December, Morrissey was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor after prosecutors accused him of having sex with a 17-year-old employee of his law office. He was sentenced to six months in jail and is spending nights locked up and attending General Assembly sessions during the day on work release.
BEDFORD, Va. (AP) _ Police affidavits say a sex offender told investigators he left a Maryland shopping mall with two young sisters who disappeared in 1975, and that he later saw his uncle sexually assaulting one of the girls. Authorities have been searching for the remains of 12-year-old Sheila Lyon and 10-year-old Katharine Lyon on a remote mountain in Bedford County, Virginia, some 200 miles from their Montgomery County, Maryland, home, since September. A Bedford grand jury also is investigating. The Washington Post reports that Montgomery County police declined to say how credible they find 58-year-old Lloyd Welch’s recent statements. Police have named Welch and his uncle, 69-year-old Richard Welch, “persons of interest” in the case, but neither has been charged.
SANDSTONE, Va. (AP) _ Virginia National Guard members are helping authorities in Wise County respond to the latest winter storm.
The National Guard says 10 soldiers from the Cedar Bluff-based 1033rd Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion are on active duty in the county. The soldiers have delivered water to two locations. They also transported a resident who couldn’t be reached by emergency service personnel.
Two soldiers are working in the county emergency operations center.
In Highland County, seven members of the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are on standby in Monterey. They will transport emergency services personnel in rural areas where roads haven’t been cleared.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency on Feb. 16 ahead of the storm.
Bob and Maureen McDonnell
(Associated Press photo)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison in a public corruption case that destroyed her husband’s political career. U.S. District Judge James Spencer sentenced McDonnell on eight counts Friday. Prosecutors asked for an 18-month sentence. Defense attorneys requested probation and 4,000 hours of community service. A jury in September found former Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife guilty of doing favors for a nutritional supplements executive in exchange for $165,000 in gifts and loans. The former Republican governor, once widely considered a possible Mitt Romney running mate, was sentenced last month to two years in prison. That was far less than the 10 years sought by prosecutors.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Potential presidential candidate New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie is set to mingle with some of Virginia’s biggest GOP donors with some help from former U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. An invitation obtained by The Associated Press shows Cantor is co-hosting a meet and greet for Christie at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond on Feb. 26. Other co-hosts are Dominion Resources Inc. CEO Thomas Farrell II, business executive William H. Goodwin Jr., and Bobbie Kilberg, president of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Several potential presidential candidates are making a point to visit swing state Virginia. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush headlined a Richmond fundraiser last week. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is headlining a state Republican party fundraiser two days ahead of Christie’s visit.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) _ Temperatures fell to record levels in several Virginia cities on Thursday as a cold snap maintained its grip on the state. The bitter cold broke a century-old record in Lynchburg. The National Weather Service says the low temperature was 4 degrees on Thursday. The previous record for Feb. 19 was 8 degrees in 1903. In Roanoke, the temperature dropped to a record 5 degrees. The previous record was 7 degrees in 1979. Another record fell in Danville, where the low temperature was 10 degrees. The previous record was 11 degrees in 1973. Blacksburg tied the record for Feb. 19 with minus 2 degrees. Wind chill advisories and warnings remain in effect across Virginia through Friday morning.