AP
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ State budget woes have sunk a proposal to begin issuing lifetime concealed-handgun permits in Virginia. As lawmakers struggle to close a $2.4 billion revenue gap, the Senate Finance Committee declined Tuesday to advance a bill to establish a system for concealed-carry permits that never expire. Under current law, the permits must be renewed every five years. The proposal from Republican Sen. Richard Black of Loudoun County would have cost an estimated $1.2 million next year and $600,000 each year after that. Much of the money would go to hire additional State Police personnel to perform background checks and process required documentation. Budget considerations also caused the demise of another bill that would have prohibited a person convicted of stalking, domestic assault or sexual battery from possessing a firearm.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Thanks to a tie-breaking vote by Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, the Republican-controlled Virginia Senate has passed a bill prohibiting discrimination in public employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It was the first tie-breaking vote of the 2015 legislative session by Northam, a Democrat. Two Republicans, Sens. Jill Holtzman Vogel of Fauquier County and John Watkins of Powhatan County, joined minority Democrats in support of the bill, resulting in a 19-19 tie. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Donald McEachin, a Henrico County Democrat. Similar measures have passed the Senate in prior sessions but have died in the heavily Republican House of Delegates.
CHATHAM, Va. (AP) _ Police are investigating an unknown drug that has sickened four teenagers in Pittsylvania County. The Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office tells media outlets that it’s working with chemists to identify the powdered substance. The sheriff’s office says the teens, aged 15 to 19, sought emergency treatment in the past week after ingesting capsules containing the substance. Police are seeking the source of the substance and advising anyone who has the capsules to not ingest them. No arrests have been made.
Jesse Matthew, Jr.
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) _ Defense lawyers are seeking to delay a trial scheduled in March for the man who is also charged with abducting University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. A hearing on the request for a continuance in the trial at Fairfax County Circuit Court on charges of attempted murder and sexual assault has been scheduled for Friday. Public defenders representing Jesse Matthew of Charlottesville had hinted previously that they would need more time to prepare. Matthew is accused in Fairfax of grabbing a woman as she walked home from a grocery store in September 2005 and sexually assaulting her. He is charged separately with abducting Graham, who went missing in September and was later found dead. The Fairfax trial is currently scheduled for March 9.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia ranks number 4 in the nation when it comes to “green” buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council released its annual rankings on Wednesday, placing Virginia behind only Illinois, Colorado and Maryland. The rankings are aimed at highlighting states that are making strides in sustainable building design and construction. These buildings use less energy and water resources. The council found that Virginia had 150 projects certified in 2014. They represent 18.6 million square feet. Some of the green buildings cited by the council include the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, primary and elementary schools in Buckingham County and Oak Grove Elementary in Richmond.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Senate has narrowly defeated a proposal to allow concealed handguns on school property. The Republican-controlled chamber rejected Sen. Thomas Garrett’s measure on a 20-18 vote Monday. Three Republicans _ Majority Leader Tommy Norment of James City County, Walter Stosch of Henrico County and John Watkins of Powhatan County_ voted with minority Democrats to defeat the bill. The measure would have allowed concealed-handgun permit holders to bring their guns onto school grounds outside normal school hours when no school-sponsored activities are taking place. Garrett, a Buckingham County Republican, said his bill would allow legally armed citizens to avert gun tragedies by confronting shooters bent on violence. Opponents said the measure would sow confusion because schools serve as community centers and it’s hard to know which activities are school-sponsored.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the Republican-controlled General Assembly appear to agree they need to toughen Virginia’s public ethics laws, but they disagree on how tough they should be. Lawmakers have introduced dozens of ethics bills in the wake of former Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell’s conviction on corruption charges last year. The first public airing of those proposals came Monday at a meeting of a House ethics subcommittee. The key sticking point appears to be McAuliffe’s proposal for an independent ethics review commission that would investigate alleged violations and, if warranted, refer them for prosecution. The governor’s proposal is carried by Democratic Del. Jennifer McClellan of Richmond. A rival measure from Republican Del. Todd Gilbert of Shenandoah County proposes an advisory ethics council that would not have such sweeping powers.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A Virginia woman has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about supporting the Islamic State militant group. Heather Elizabeth Coffman entered her plea to the single charge Monday in U.S. District Court in Richmond. She remains in federal custody and faces up to eight years in prison when she is sentenced May 11. Coffman, wearing leg shackles, answered a series of yes-or-no questions and said nothing else at the 35-minute plea hearing. An FBI agent’s affidavit says the 29-year-old Coffman is suspected of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the militant group known as Islamic State. Coffman allegedly promoted the extremist organization on Facebook and offered to use her contacts to help an undercover FBI agent and his fictitious friend travel to Syria to join the group.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Civil liberties lawyers are applauding Virginia’s registrar of vital records for outlining new procedures to ensure the children of same-sex married couples are properly recorded by hospitals. Registrar Janet M. Rainey outlined the procedures in a late January letter. The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said the change is important to ensure that the children of same-sex married couples have the same legal protections as all married couples. In her letter, Rainey instructs hospitals that the children of two women who are married to each other should have both parents listed on their birth certificates. The ACLU says it’s essential to have a birth certificate with both parents’ names to allow each parent the same legal rights to interact with schools, doctors and others.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Real estate agents are being alerted to a man who calls female agents to show him properties in remote places, at night or in areas the agents do not cover. The Virginia Association of Realtors says the man has called agents in southern and central Virginia. Agents say he refuses to meet them during the day, in their office or in a public location. The calls also did not identify the caller. The association’s president, Deborah Baisden, says this type of call sets off “our alarm bell.” She said the association wanted to spread to word on the caller to alert them of any suspicious behavior.