This week's three interesting bills: xylazine penalties, requiring reports on the deaths of people in custody, removing the term ‘alien’ from state code virginiamercury.com/2024/03/01/thr…

And a reminder that FOIA doesn’t allow officials to withhold documents just because they are embarrassing

Richmond’s noncompliance with FOIA has gotten the city into a $250k lawsuit. The former FOIA officer alleges City Hall intentionally prevents the release of information that rightfully belongs to the public— when she raised concerns, she got fired. WTVR CBS 6 Richmond wtvr.com/news/local-new…

NEW: Virginia's Medicaid agency halted new caregiver regulations only hours before they were set to take effect. What were the regulations, what's happening now and how has this impacted families? Check out the story: For VPM and Report for America. vpm.org/news/2024-03-0…

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is reviewing legislation sent to him by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly that would require health insurers to fully cover contraceptives in Virginia. virginiamercury.com/briefs/contrac…

The final Three Interesting Virginia Bills: declawing cats, sewage regulations and on-duty physicians virginiamercury.com/2024/03/08/thr…

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is signing HB174, the bill protecting marriage equality in Virginia, according to a release from his office virginiamercury.com/2024/02/21/bil…

Proposed budget amendments mandating Virginia contract with a sole pharmacy benefit manager to oversee the state’s Medicaid prescription benefits died in conference. virginiamercury.com/2024/03/14/ame…

A Virginia Commonwealth University-led project cataloging dementia cases and other neurodegenerative diseases across the state is poised to be codified into law. Via Meghan McIntyre The Virginia Mercury. virginiamercury.com/2024/03/19/vir…

A Virginia ABC employee who reported millions of dollars in missing liquor inventory last year says workplace retaliation against her is ongoing. She claims she’s now under investigation for attending a happy hour gathering, among other allegations virginiamercury.com/2024/03/19/vir…

The Appalachians on fire tonight. Luray, VA. 3/20

Flavored vape products lacking Food and Drug Administration approval could be pulled from Virginia shelves, if Gov. Youngkin signs a pair of identical bills. virginiamercury.com/2024/04/01/fla…

Here's why some legislators are pushing for a prescription drug affordability board and how it would work: virginiamercury.com/2024/04/04/law…

SB274 creating the Prescription Dug Affordability Board has been vetoed!

Richmond has no plan to reimagine Monument Avenue, years after the removal of statues. “I’m not sure I can even put into words what I see other than disappointment. There's nothing there that has any meaning or purpose.” WTVR CBS 6 Richmond wtvr.com/news/local-new…

The reckoning has begun for the Callery pear tree virginiamercury.com/2024/04/23/sta…

Listening to my tape, after VCU police arrived on the scene, they warned protestors they would arrest them for trespassing, waited three minutes, made another warning, and then moved in. All in all it took about 12 minutes between police's arrival and their use of force.

A new VCU study shows that opioid use disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated among formerly incarcerated Virginians enrolled in Medicaid. virginiamercury.com/2024/05/07/stu…

Paul Williams is out as ABC’s Chief Information Officer, the fourth executive officer to leave in less than a year. virginiamercury.com/2024/05/15/vir…

A former Va. ABC employee is suing the authority, claiming his termination last year was in retaliation for reporting alleged harassment and discrimination due to his sexual orientation Virginia Business virginiabusiness.com/former-va-abc-…