AP
Mark Herring
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is still chipping away at campaign debt related to a recount last year after nearly a year in office Herring listed owing more than $365,000 to the law firm Perkins Coie, which helped Herring’s recount effort, on a campaign finance report filed in July. Herring aide Ellen Qualls said the attorney general continues to pay off the debt. Since February, a month after he was sworn in, Herring has spent more than $100,000 on political consultants and staff for his political action committee, campaign finance records show. Qualls said much of that spending has been focused on fundraising to pay off the campaign debt. Herring defeated state Sen. Mark Obenshain last year in the closest statewide race in modern Virginia political history.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Attempts to clamp down on illegal cigarette trafficking by increasing penalties haven’t been entirely successful, so Virginia officials are considering a new strategy. The Virginia State Crime Commission staff has recommended requiring retailers to obtain a state license to sell cigarettes and turning enforcement over to the agency that oversees the state’s liquor monopoly. A staff report says the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department already has extensive experience administering sales permits and investigating fraudulent retail practices. The commission will discuss the proposal at its next meeting Tuesday. The move would require General Assembly approval. A spokeswoman for the ABC says the agency is willing to do whatever legislators ask, but resources must be part of the conversation. The trade association representing Virginia’s 4,600 convenience stores opposes the proposal.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Board of Education will conduct public hearings on revisions to the history and social science Standards of Learning at five historic sites across the state.The standards were last revised in 2008. They prescribe the knowledge and skills students are expected to master in the subject area by the end of each grade or course. Four of the hearings are set for next week, starting Tuesday at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. That will be followed the next day by a hearing at the Edith Bolling Wilson Hotel in Wytheville. Two hearings are set for Thursday, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Colonial Williamsburg. The series wraps up Jan. 6 at Virginia Union University in Richmond. All hearings begin at 7 p.m. Speakers can register starting at 6:30.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) _ The University of Virginia Board of Visitors is focusing on alcohol as a contributing factor in sexual assaults on campus, with one member calling for a ban on underage drinking.Tuesday’s board meeting was held to discuss allegations of sexual assault that have rocked the campus following a widely circulated article. Rolling Stone published the piece describing a woman’s account of a brutal gang rape and what the magazine called a hidden culture of sexual violence. Board member Bobbie Kilberg’s suggestion to ban underage drinking was met with some resistance from student leaders. Tommy Reid, president of the school’s Inter-Fraternity Council, says a ban could push drinking underground. UVa President Teresa Sullivan has asked police to investigate the alleged rape at the Phi Kappa Psi house, and the school has temporarily banned fraternity activities.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) _ Ski and snowboard season is getting underway in West Virginia. Snowshoe Mountain will be first with a Wednesday opening. Winterplace will offer three days of alpine skiing starting Friday, then officially open full time on Dec. 12, along with Timberline. Canaan Valley opens Saturday.West Virginia Ski Areas Association spokesman Joe Stevens says snow already has fallen in the mountains, where temperatures have been cold enough for man-made snowmaking as well. He says that means excellent season-opening conditions. The ski and snowboard season traditionally runs from Thanksgiving through early April.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Powhatan Republican state Sen. John Watkins will not seek another term after his term expires in 2016. The longtime senator said Tuesday that he plans to spend more time with his family. Watkins is a moderate Republican who has clashed with his party’s conservative wing over issues like transportation spending and Medicaid. As chairman of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, Watkins had considerable sway in the Senate. He represents a Richmond area swing district that has favored Democratic candidates in recent statewide elections. Democrats say they will spend heavily to compete in during the 2015 election.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A Virginia elections official is calling for a review of the status of voting equipment in the state. Voting equipment malfunctions were reported in almost a dozen localities during the Nov. 4 general election. Virginia Department of Elections commissioner Edgardo Cortes tells The Richmond Times-Dispatch that there’s no reason to believe the malfunctions were intentional. He says election officials want to conduct a full review so there’s no question. Cortes told the State Board of Elections on Monday that the malfunctions appear to be related to aging equipment. Cortes also told the board that almost 800 provisional ballots were cast in the election because voters didn’t have valid identification under Virginia’s new photo ID law.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is now offering three-year registration renewals at its customer service centers. The DMV announced the move Monday. Previously, customers visiting DMV offices could renew for one or two years. Three-year renewals have been available online for several years, though, and last year more than 71,000 customers chose that option.Three-year renewals aren’t available in northern Virginia localities that require emissions inspections, which are good for only two years.Vehicle owners who renew their registration for two years receive a $2 discount, while those who renew for three years get a $3 break. Online renewals are discounted by an additional $1.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A Virginia elections official is calling for a review of the status of voting equipment in the state. Voting equipment malfunctions were reported in almost a dozen localities during the Nov. 4 general election. Virginia Department of Elections commissioner Edgardo Cortes tells The Richmond Times-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1rnh9iJ ) that there’s no reason to believe the malfunctions were intentional. He says election officials want to conduct a full review so there’s no question. Cortes told the State Board of Elections on Monday that the malfunctions appear to be related to aging equipment. Cortes also told the board that almost 800 provisional ballots were cast in the election because voters didn’t have valid identification under Virginia’s new photo ID law.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control stores will again offer discounts on Black Friday this year. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control says all of its stores will offer 10 percent off any purchases totaling $50 or more before taxes. Lottery and gift cards are excluded from consideration. ABC Chairman Jeff Painter says the discounts allow customers to buy premium brands at reduced prices for gifts and holiday entertaining. Last year, ABC sales on the day after Thanksgiving totaled more than $5 million, down about 15 percent from the same day in 2012. Customers also will be able to register for a special drawing for an $80 gift card in honor of the agency’s 80th anniversary. The drawing will be Dec. 17.