The Virginia House of Delegates voted Thursday to pass a budget for fiscal years 2015 and 2016. The budget, outlined in House Bills 29 and 30 was passed, by a 74 to 25 vote.
A Virginia House of Delegates committee voted against a bill Thursday which would have raised the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.25 by 2015. Initially proposed by Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Centreville, the legislation cleared the state Senate the previous Tuesday.
Ten cumulative inches of snow fell on Charlottesville between Wednesday and Thursday last week. Plow crews and workers were still working to clear the roads and deal with the piled up snow on Friday.
Federal Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen ruled the Virginia prohibition of same-sex marriage was unconstitutional Thursday evening. The case, Bostic v. Rainey, challenged the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
The Higher Education Equity Act, HB 747, would grant eligibility for alien children if he or she has attended a high school in Virginia for at least three years, graduated from a Virginia high school or received a General Education Development certificate in Virginia, enrolled in a Virginia college or University, has been approved for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by the U.S.
The Virginia House of Delegates passed two bills on Monday changing current laws regarding human trafficking.
The Virginia State Senate passed a bill Tuesday to repeal a law requiring women seeking an abortion to receive a transabdominal ultrasound before undergoing the procedure. The bill is expected to fail in the House of Delegates.
The Albemarle County School Board voted 6-1 last Tuesday to proceed with Superintendent Pam Moran’s $164.28 million funding request. Board members convened to determine if the budget request needed adjustments before sending the proposal to the Board of Supervisors for approval, ultimately deciding to pass Moran’s request in its initial form.
The Virginia Senate passed an ethics reform bill in a 39-1 vote Monday. The bill will limit donations and increase oversight of lobbyists and special interest groups. The bill comes in the wake of a national scandal surrounding former Gov. Bob McDonnell, who was indicted on federal corruption charges Jan. 21.
Charlottesville City Council adopted a “complete streets” resolution earlier this month to ensure future roads will accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and tree-lined roadways. “[The new policy will] ensure that transportation infrastructure investments support the making of an attractive, healthy, and safe, walkable and bike-able Charlottesville,” according to Council’s agenda.
The Virginia Senate unanimously passed a bill titled SB 260 Monday which will reform the mental health system in Virginia. The bill was introduced last month by Senator Creigh Deeds following the tragic incident in which his son, Gus Deeds, attacked and stabbed the senator, before taking his own life.
Third-year College student Elizabeth Minneman, the former chair of the University College Republicans, was elected state chair of the College Republican Federation of Virginia at a convention last Saturday.
The Virginia state senate voted 21 to 19 this week to table a bill allowing electrocution to be used for executions in the event that lethal injection is not available.
Charlottesville Fire Department Spokesperson Richard Jones said the Department responded to a call about a fire in Little Johns on The Corner at 2:18 PM on Friday.
HackCville, a Charlottesville-based entrepreneurial “clubhouse,” launched a new student-run online publication Monday called HackCville Media.
Several pieces of legislation aimed at scaling back Standards of Learning test requirements for Virginia public schools have been gaining traction in Richmond recently.
Charlottesville public defender James Hingeley appeared before City Council this week to advocate for local subsidies to the salaries of public defenders, who earn significantly less than their state prosecutor counterparts.
City Council discussed a contentious proposal to adopt a Strategic Investment Area plan Monday night. The body voted 4-1 to adopt the plan, which outlines goals to redevelop a large plot of land just south of the Downtown Mall.
Neoantigenics LLC, an oncology biotechnology company established in 2012 and grown out of University research partners, has secured patents on technology to better target and eliminate certain types of cancer using natural human proteins.
Monday marked the deadline for second-year College students to apply for the Commerce School’s undergraduate program. The McIntire Undergraduate Admissions Committee will consider applications and expects to notify students of their decision sometime in mid-March.
