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Family Foundation challenges Va. law that bans conversion therapy on minors
A conservative law firm has sued the state of Virginia to challenge the constitutionality of a state statute that bans medical professionals from practicing conversion therapy — seeking to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity — on minors. The lawsuit was filed in Henrico Circuit Court on Thursday by the Richmond-based Founding Freedoms Law Center, a law firm launched in 2020 by the Family Foundation, a conservative advocacy group.
State launches green bank to fund clean energy initiatives months after Youngkin vetoed similar legislation
The Virginia Department of Energy announced the launch of the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank (VCEIB) within the department’s State Energy Office Thursday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed Democratic legislation earlier this year that would have established a similar system, which caused skepticism from clean energy advocates about his intentions. Democrats are questioning his motives and the legality of funding this project, while Youngkin’s administration says it will streamline money into clean energy initiatives.
State senator asks Miyares to investigate possible negligence at Orange County water treatment plant
The state senator who represents Orange County wants to know if the Rapidan Service Authority was negligent. Senator Bryce Reeves (R-28th) has asked Attorney General Jason Miyares for counsel to determine if legal action is needed following the Wilderness water treatment plant issue that impacted thousands of residents and businesses last month. This comes after the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water released its investigative report into the incident.
Friday Read When ‘bear jams’ close the road, this park brigade comes to the rescue
Sunset was nearing when the little black bear, just over a year old, ambled through narrow lodgepole pines toward the RV park. Peter Waite, a retired oral surgeon, called out to it with gentle firmness. “Go on, bear! Go on!” Waite said. The animal swerved behind a small building as Waite and another man followed, herding the yearling like sheepdogs and instructing the smattering of passersby to steer clear. The two wore yellow vests, signs of their membership in a highly unusual and elite American volunteer group: Grand Teton’s Wildlife Brigade.
Northern Virginia counselors challenge Virginia’s ban on conversion therapy
Two counselors from Northern Virginia, backed by lawyers with the conservative group The Family Foundation, are seeking to overturn the commonwealth’s ban on conversion therapy, a practice that attempts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. On Thursday, the Founding Freedoms Law Center, the legal division of the Family Foundation, announced it filed a lawsuit in Henrico County Circuit Court, claiming the state violated their clients’ right to free speech and religious freedom.
Fairfax supervisors press Gov. Youngkin for additional state funding for key public services
Fairfax County leaders want Gov. Glenn Youngkin to boost state funding for critical services, such as schools, transportation and health care. The Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 on Tuesday (Sept. 24) to send a letter to Youngkin arguing that chronic underfunding by the state has forced localities like Fairfax County to lean heavily on local tax revenue to maintain “core services” like public education, public safety and transportation infrastructure, straining local budgets and taxpayers. Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the only Republican on the board, was the lone dissenting vote against sending the letter.
AG Jason Miyares says new Queen of Virginia skill games are still illegal
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares says skill games that don’t accept cash are still illegal gambling devices under state law, rejecting a new legal theory put forward by top skill game company Pace-O-Matic. In a memo sent Thursday to prosecutors, sheriffs and chiefs of police around the state, Miyares said Pace-O-Matic’s revamped Queen of Virginia machines still violate the law. Machines that operate through digital credits instead of cash, he concluded, still rely on the insertion of a “token or similar object” and therefore fall under the state’s ban on skill games.
Charlotte County board chair pleads guilty to five charges, agrees to resign as supervisor
After being charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes for alleged perjury and disclosure violations, Gary Walker, chairman of the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors, pleaded guilty this week to five counts of failing to disclose personal interests in certain property in Charlotte County. Under an agreement reached with prosecutors, Walker entered Alford pleas of guilt to the five misdemeanor charges and received a 60-month suspended jail sentence, 12 months on each charge.
Dollar Tree, Kroger and other retailers are charging Hampton Roads shoppers for cash back
If you’ve ever gotten cash back while checking out at a store, be aware some retailers in Hampton Roads are charging for that convenience. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported in August that three companies collect over $90 million in estimated cash-back fees annually: Chesapeake-based Dollar Tree (including Family Dollar), Cincinnati-based Kroger (including Harris Teeter) and Tennessee-based Dollar General. All three operates stores across the region.
Town hall speakers overwhelmingly oppose Caroline water project
Almost 200 people came out on a dreary Wednesday night to oppose Caroline County’s proposal to extract a maximum of 13.9 million gallons of surface water a day from the Rappahannock River. Farmers in sun-faded baseball caps as well as bow-tie wearing lawyers, representatives from Virginia’s Indian tribes and elected officials up and down the river delivered the same message to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which held the town hall.