State and National Government
Our representatives in Washington from both parties are sounding relieved that the partial government shutdown is over — at least until February 15th. But that is where the agreement between President Trump and congressional leaders ends for now, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth McClanahan has announced her plans to retire later this year.The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that McClanahan notified Chief Justice Donald Lemons that she will retire effective Sept. 1.McClanahan’s departure will give Republicans who control the state legislature the opportunity to choose her successor on the seven-member high court. The justices serve 12-year terms.The newspaper reports that state Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, is urging fellow Republicans who control judicial appointments to install his sister on the high court. Judge Teresa Chafin currently services on the Virginia Court of Appeals.The 59-year-old McClanahan was sworn in on the high court in 2011 as the fourth female justice in the court’s 232-year history. She previously served two terms on the Virginia Court of Appeals.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A proposal to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia is all but dead. A Republican-controlled committee in the House of Delegates voted down the gender-equality measure Friday. Proponents had hoped the measure still had chance of passage after a subcommittee defeated the measure Tuesday. Friday’s vote means the measure has almost no chance of passage this year. ERA proponents had hoped Virginia will become the 38th state to approve the amendment. It would then have met the threshold for ratification in the U.S. Constitution. But even if it’s ratified, court battles would likely ensue over a long-passed 1982 deadline set by Congress.
Virginia DMV
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Senate has approved legislation to end the suspension of driver’s licenses of people with unpaid court fines and costs. The measured passed Friday with broad bipartisan support but may stall in the GOP-controlled House. Virginia collects about $10 million a year from people paying to reinstate their licenses after they have been suspended for unpaid court courts and fees. Advocates who have pushed for a change in the law say it unfairly punishes poor people. Opponents of the legislation said it would reward criminals. The Legal Aid Justice Center of Virginia has sued over the practice. The group argues that the law violates due process and is unconstitutional.
The Virginia Senate has approved legislation that would make it easier to bring a gun to a place of worship. The bill would repeal a law that prohibits people in most cases from bringing guns and knives to a place of worship during a religious service. Even if the bill passes the House of Delegates, Governor Northam is likely to veto it. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
With electronic cigarettes becoming increasingly popular, especially among teens, Virginia lawmakers are considering a proposal to establish a state tax on them, much like tobacco products. But because any taxation falls under the budget umbrella, the General Assembly may postpone any action on it for a year. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A panel of federal judges has chosen a redistricting map for Virginia’s House of Delegates that could shift some districts toward Democrats and help the party regain control in this year’s election. The judges ordered a new map after ruling that lawmakers had racially gerrymandered 11 House districts by packing black voters into them. On Tuesday, the judges chose a proposal submitted by a special master. They gave all sides until Feb. 1 to file objections. An analysis by the Virginia Public Access Project says the plan could shift six Republican-held districts toward Democrats, including the district of House Speaker Kirk Cox. He called it “legally indefensible” and said it attempts to “give Democrats an advantage at every turn.” Republicans now hold a slim House majority.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A proposal to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia has once again failed to make it out of a committee in the state’s House of Delegates. A subcommittee for the Republican-controlled Privileges and Elections Committee voted down the gender-equality measure Tuesday. That means the resolution is unlikely to get a full House vote this session. The Senate approved the measure last week. ERA proponents hoped Virginia would become the 38th state to approve the amendment so it could meet the threshold for ratification in the U.S. Constitution. But even if 38 states ratify the amendment, court battles would likely ensue over whether the original ERA can be revived. Congress approved the amendment for ratification by the states in 1972. But only 35 had ratified it by a 1982 deadline.