By Adrianna Lawrence, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia localities will soon have a streamlined ability to offer incentives that aid the development of urban green spaces, like city parks or sport fields.

Del. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond, introduced House Bill 1510 to give localities regulatory flexibility. The General Assembly passed the bill with a House vote of 72-27 and a Senate vote of 32-8.

Urban green space is defined as a piece of land covered with grass, trees, shrubs or other vegetation and located around a populated area, according to the bill. The proposed area must help reduce higher temperatures sometimes associated with urban development or aid the mitigation of stormwater in order to qualify for incentives, and can be public or private projects. 

The incentives would not be available in rural areas and areas of low population density.

The incentives may include a reduction in project permit fees or a streamlined permit approval process, according to the bill. The type of available permits would be up to localities, but could include permits such as building, Adams stated. 

"The process for obtaining permits is both costly and lengthy; ideally, this legislation could help speed up that process for developments incorporating [urban green space]," Adams stated. 

The incentives received will depend on how much green space is implemented on a building site.

The bill gives cities the flexibility to opt in, Adams told a House Finance subcommittee.

"The bill does not mandate localities do anything, but rather gives those that currently have resources a tool to incentivize or accelerate urban green space development and there is no fiscal impact for the state," Adams said.

Lee Francis, deputy director for the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, said he sees the bill as an opportunity to serve communities that don't have access to green spaces.

"It gives localities a tool to expand green spaces into underserved communities and kind of even the playing field a little bit," Francis said.

Jeremy Hoffman, chief scientist at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, believes that more green spaces in urban communities, such as Richmond, are beneficial to various aspects of the environment.

"They lower air temperatures, they soak up stormwater that falls on them as rain and they clean the air of harmful pollutants," Hoffman said.

Hoffman describes urban green spaces as "natural air conditioning for cities," while being the "environmental clean up crew."

Building more green spaces can reduce a phenomenon called urban heat island effect. It is when air temperatures rise in a city from man-made infrastructures, such as dark paved roads, compared to rural areas, according to Hoffman.

"Those [paved roads] absorb more of the sun's energy throughout the day and then re-emit it back into the air as heat throughout the afternoon and overnight, basically raising the temperatures in those landscapes," Hoffman said.

Scientists can quickly attain heat island results and use air thermometers or before and after thermal heat photos taken from the ground or by satellite, according to Hoffman.

"We trimmed up some trees, planted some new plants and were able to show between the morning and the afternoon the impact of improving that green space," Hoffman said while talking about Rosemoore Pocket Park in the Scott's Addition neighborhood in Richmond.

Green spaces can lower temperatures by 10 degrees to 20 degrees on hot days, according to Shelly Barrick Parsons, executive director for Capital Trees.

Capital Trees is a Richmond-based nonprofit organization that works to implement green spaces in the community through partnerships with the city, corporations and other nonprofits.

Barrick Parsons sees the potential in the bill and what it could do for urban cities.

"I think it has opportunity to increase the development of green space if municipalities take advantage of the opportunity," Barrick Parsons said.

The incentives can help accelerate a development timeline, but also have financial impacts.

"Permitting fees can be just a few thousand dollars, but that $2,000 can make a lot of difference to a nonprofit," Barrick Parsons said.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin approved the bill on March 23, and the measure will become effective on July 1. 

By Chloe Hawkins, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. – There are still some spots remaining in a new academic program that aims to support Virginia public school students after the impact of COVID-19 on education, although a majority have been filled. 

The Virginia Department of Education and Graduation Alliance launched "ENGAGE Virginia'' last month. ENGAGE Virginia will help students with learning and attendance issues after the effects of the pandemic, according to a VDOE press release. It will "supplement efforts already underway in schools to meet the needs of students still struggling with academic, attendance and mental health issues," stated Jillian Balow in a press release. Balow was the state superintendent of Public Instruction but recently resigned. 

The program is state-funded and free to the public, according to ENGAGE Virginia's website. Families who sign up will be assigned an academic success coach, according to its website. The coaches will help students in ways like to focus on their schoolwork, create resumes and refer students to local social-emotional support nonprofits. 

The VDOE Office of School Quality is in charge of overseeing ENGAGE Virginia, according to Aurelia Ortiz, director of School Quality. This office "helps schools with school improvement," Ortiz said. 

The General Assembly designated $3.5 million for academic assistance to the VDOE during the 2022 session, according to Ortiz. After the pandemic, the VDOE had many concerns around student displacement, Ortiz said. 

"After the pandemic we knew that divisions had concerns, which we were aware of, with student engagement, with chronic absenteeism, students that had fallen off the roster, students that they could not locate," Ortiz said. "Students can't be successful if they aren't in school."

Forty-two school divisions reached out to ENGAGE Virginia to sign students up, while 30 school divisions officially partnered with ENGAGE Virginia, according to Ortiz. Over 11,000 program spots have been filled out of the allotted 15,000, Ortiz said. 

These spots are "tentatively taken" by the school divisions, which means each division's needs vary depending on its size, Ortiz said. Parents can also reach out to their child's school to ask for academic help. 

"As long as there are seats available — which as of right now you can see by the numbers there are seats available — then they [families] would be eligible for the program as well," Ortiz said.

ENGAGE Virginia offers a human resource in schools where those resources are lacking, whether that be through a social worker or school counselor, according to Ortiz. 

"A social worker would make a referral for community services, the counselor would offer mental health support, a teacher would provide homework assistance," Ortiz said. "ENGAGE Virginia will do all of those things wrapped into one to meet the needs of the families."

The impact of the program should be multilayered, through mental and academic support and the link to community resources, she said. 

COVID-19 created the largest disruption of education systems in history, according to a United Nations policy brief released in August 2020. 

Parent Courtney Dean's family had a hard time adjusting to the pandemic, according to Dean. Dean's two children, 11th grader Carter and eighth grader Stella, are enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools, according to Dean. 

The pandemic was "challenging" for Dean's children, she said. It was tough for them academically, but they also missed out on a lot of "lasts," Dean said. Her two children's fifth and eighth grade school years were cut short by the pandemic, and they missed out on end-of-year events.

"She [Stella] was doing fine as far as learning in the virtual world at first," Dean said. "But she had a really hard time focusing and paying attention to virtual because it's so much more interesting to look around your bedroom and, you know, mess with things ... many times I would find her asleep because she could."

Stella also had issues with her Spanish class once she transferred back to in-person classes, Dean said. 

 Stella advanced to the next level Spanish class, but is retaking it because she needed a better foundation, Dean said. 

"She started that when she was virtual and then it went back to a hybrid thing where the teacher was trying to teach both the kids that were there in person, like my daughter, as well as the kids who were at home," Dean said. "For my daughter, it just didn't work ... to no fault of the teacher; it was brand new for everybody and she was doing her best."

Dean's son, Carter, dealt with more of an "emotional struggle," she said. He worked over 12 hours a day on homework, from 7 a.m. to midnight, once things went virtual, according to Dean. 

"He got to the point where he was just so exhausted from it," Dean said.

Dean was not aware of the ENGAGE Virginia relief program, but said it seems like it will be "so helpful" for students who had a hard time adjusting to virtual or hybrid learning environments.

"You can't stop the flow of learning for everybody," Dean said, but some students might need more help outside of the class. 

Parents can start the registration process through ENGAGE Virginia, here.

By Adrianna Lawrence, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia firefighters will be required to complete a training program starting next year, about the risk of electric vehicle fires.

Del. Israel O'Quinn, R-Washington, proposed House Bill 2451 to require the executive director of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs to develop a training program for electric vehicle fires. The program must be developed and available by July, 1 2024, according to the bill. All firefighters, including volunteer firefighters, must complete the training by Dec. 1, 2025.

The bill unanimously passed committees and both chambers. Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, asked for one clarification in the Senate General Laws and Technology committee, about whether the program would be offered both in-person and virtual.

"I heard from some of my fire folks, and they were concerned that this is more time away," Reeves said.

A lot of the annual firefighter training is done online, according to Reeves.

Spencer Willett, government affairs manager for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, assured the Senate committee the training would be offered in multiple modalities.

"The agency's plan would be to offer an online version for departments and then also offer an in-person version for those that would be willing to want to take that training," Willett said.

The number of electric vehicles on Virginia's roadways is set to increase with the soon-to-be implemented Clean Car law. The law states 35% of all new cars and trucks sold in Virginia with a 2026 model year must be electric. Then 100% of new models on the market must be electric by 2035, according to the law, which is based on California's final regulation order.

Del. Mike Cherry, R-Colonial Heights, a co-patron of the bill, said it is important to implement mandated training statewide, even for areas like Southwest Virginia where electric vehicles aren't prominent.

"Anytime a fire department deals with something new and unique, they will then figure out a protocol to deal with it again in the future," Cherry said.

There is currently no mandated electric vehicle training for Virginia firefighters, according to William Boger, District 5 vice president and communications director for the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters.

However, departments can currently seek out training from car manufacturers like Tesla or Toyota, he said.

The future training program will greatly help firefighters better understand electric vehicle fires and the best ways to extinguish them, according to Boger.

Firefighters use approximately 50 gallons to 100 gallons of water to extinguish a regular internal combustion engine, or gasoline, vehicle fire while electric vehicles require about 10,000 gallons of water, according to Boger.

"They are very stubborn and very difficult to extinguish," he said.

Most electric vehicles carry large lithium-ion battery packs underneath the vehicle, where they are not very accessible. These batteries can overheat, which leads to a reaction called thermal runaway and requires thousands of gallons of water, according to Boger.

Firefighters also need to be aware that the battery is not necessarily finished burning just because the fire is finally put out, according to Boger. 

"The problem with these cars is you have to put the fire out, then you have to continuously cool the battery," Boger said.

Some electric vehicle batteries will reignite on the way to a junkyard if the battery is not properly cooled down and observed after the fire is put out, according to Boger.

Some batteries can even catch fire two to three days later, according to Doug Reynolds, battalion chief of the Henrico County Division of Fire.

"You may have to have several tankers bringing you water, so it's not the easy, you know, fire that it used to be," Reynolds said.

Dry chemicals and fire blankets have been used, but are not considered as effective as water, according to Boger.

Andrew Klock, senior manager of education and development with the National Fire Protection Association, said the best recommendation is still water.

"It's the most effective to date and if it's placed in the proper location, it can put out the fire and drain the heat from the battery pack," Klock said.

Electric vehicle fires are not more threatening than gasoline vehicle fires, which occur every three minutes, Klock said.

"But I do think that the risk and the inherent problem is that firefighters have had a 100 years to figure out and perfect how to put out an internal combustion engine vehicle [fire]," Klock said. "But it's not so with this new technology or newer technology of hybrid and electric vehicles."

Reynolds' department looks forward to seeing the curriculum and learning everything they can about this unique type of vehicle fire, he said.

"It affects every firefighter, you know from paid to volunteer, big departments, small departments, you know, the car fires are out there every day," Reynolds said. "So it's just better to protect us to learn how to fight those fires because it's important."

The Virginia Department of Fire Programs will develop the training program, utilizing fire experts and industry representatives, according to Will Merritt, VDFP marketing and communications manager. 

A workgroup will create the curriculum in concert with VDFP staff, Merritt stated via email. The curriculum is then "piloted, finalized and posted for registration in VDFP's learning management system, Cornerstone OnDemand," he stated.

"As electric vehicles become more popular, it is important that Virginia's fire service be adequately trained to fight electric-vehicle fires," Merritt stated.

By Mackenzie Meleski, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly did not pass legislation this session to ensure paid sick days for employees, despite strong public support. 

A 2021 study by Christopher Newport University found almost 90% of people surveyed support paid sick leave. Both House and Senate versions of the bill updated the current law that state employers only have to provide paid sick leave to certain home health workers. 

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, introduced Senate Bill 886, with chief co-patron Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath. Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, introduced the similar House Bill 2087.

The bills also would have removed current regulations that require grocery store employees and health care providers to work at least 20 hours each week or 90 hours per month to be eligible for paid sick days. The Department of Labor and Industry would also have developed guidelines for grocery store employers to provide sick leave by Dec. 1.

The employees can accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, according to the bills. The earned paid sick leave can be carried over to the following year, but an employee cannot accrue or use more than 40 hours of paid sick leave in a year, unless the employer chooses a higher limit.

The Senate bill passed on a 22-18 party-line vote. Once the bill went to the House, it was killed in the Commerce and Energy subcommittee. The House bill failed to advance from the same committee.

Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William, served as co-patron of Mundon King's bill. Guzman also sponsored HB 1988, to allow all employees of private employers and state and local governments to accrue paid sick leave. The bill allowed an employee to transfer accrued sick leave to the following year. An employee could also donate accrued sick leave to another employee, with certain restrictions, according to the bill. The bill died in the same House committee as the others.

Guzman has advocated for paid sick leave since 2018. The General Assembly passed an amended version of Guzman's legislation in 2021 that mandated paid sick leave for some in-home health care workers. The legislative attempts this session expanded on that work.

"The reason why we couldn't, you know, leave COVID behind us is because people need to pay their bills and they continue to go back to work being sick," Guzman said.

The bill failed to pass the House because it lacked Republican support, Guzman said.

Virginia law does not require employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees. The employer can determine how much sick leave an employee receives, according to Guzman.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy advocated for Guzman's bill in 2021. The bill provided five paid sick days per year for 30,000 home health care workers in Virginia, according to the VICPP website.

VICPP conducted a study in 2015 that reported 1.2 million workers in Virginia have no paid sick leave, according to Jase Hatcher, VICPP economic justice program manager. This totals to 41% of private sector workers in Virginia, according to Hatcher. Taking just 3.5 unpaid sick days can result in an average family losing a month's worth of groceries, Hatcher said.

"That means that workers are choosing between taking care of themselves and their family member, or paying their bills," Hatcher said. "That is not how we should do that."

The VICPP study stated that 83% of registered Virginia voters supported a paid sick day standard, according to the VICPP website. Home health care providers need paid sick leave to tend to their health and also to help prevent further outbreaks of illness, VICPP stated. A 2020 study by Health Affairs found that paid sick leave reduced the spread of the coronavirus.

The VICPP believed the bill failed due to the "issues around its impact" on small businesses, Hatcher said. The Senate version of the bill added that a grocery store worker did not include any employee of a business that employs fewer than 25 employees. 

"What it comes down to is there are a lot of folks who just don't believe that there should be mandates or any mandates on paper, but as the data shows, without that mandate, 1.2 million workers go without," Hatcher said.

The VICPP will continue to advocate for a paid sick leave bill during the next session, because it is one of the most important issues for workers, according to Hatcher.

"The U.S. is one of the very, very few countries in the world which does not have a national paid sick leave policy," Hatcher said. "So making sure that we're filling the gaps at the local and state level is really essential before we can get that nationally."

By Zahra Ndirangu. Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia students are returning to K-12 public schools — although enrollment has not returned to pre-pandemic levels — but there are fewer teachers due to an increase in teacher vacancies. 

The rebound comes after an enrollment decline the previous two years.

FALL MEMBERSHIP DATA

Enrollment numbers increased by more than 11,300 students from fall 2021 to fall 2022, according to data from the Virginia Department of Education.

VDOE annually collects statistics on the number of students enrolled in public school on Sept. 30. This report, known as "Fall Membership," is submitted by each school in Virginia that officially enrolls students.

Virginia K-12 enrollment sits just over 1.26 million full and part-time students combined. Part-time students are nonpublic school students who take one or more classes in a public school, according to VDOE. 

 The numbers show schools haven't reached the 2019-20, pre-pandemic levels of almost 1.3 million students.

The number of current part-time students decreased by over 100 students since the last school year. There was a significant increase of over 500 part-time students in the 2020-21 school year, while numbers fluctuated in prior years with no apparent trend.

The number of home-schooled students, including religious exemptions, decreased for the current school year, down 8% at almost 57,000 students. The previous two school years saw a spike in total home-schooled students, reaching over 65,500 home-schooled students in the 2020-21 school year. 

The category with the most home-schooled and religious exempt students is K-5, accounting for almost half of the total. 

TEACHER VACANCIES

There was a 25% increase in teacher vacancies throughout Virginia from the 2021 fall report to the 2022 fall VDOE report. The number of vacancies increased from just over 2,800 to over 3,500, according to the data, which does not include personnel or transportation positions. The numbers may have changed, as they pertain to a snapshot of data from fall 2022, because school divisions do not report daily, weekly or monthly data on unfilled positions, according to the VDOE.

There was a 12% increase in teachers leaving the workforce in the 2021-22 school year, when compared to the pre-pandemic yearly average, according to a Nov. 2022 report published by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, or JLARC. At the same time, there was a 15% decrease in newly licensed teachers, according to JLARC. 

As more teachers leave the profession, fewer teachers are being licensed, according to the JLARC report. Nearly all divisions surveyed for the report indicated that finding "fully qualified applicants" was among their biggest challenges when it came to staffing. 

The Richmond Education Association and other organizations have lobbied for better education funding and met with state lawmakers to provide support for educators, according to REA president Katina Harris.

There are a few changes that will help increase enrollment, according to Harris, and lawmakers need to commit necessary funding. Students will receive a better education with smaller classroom sizes, more available counselors and more teacher support for remedial learning programs, Harris said.

"At minimum, $1.3 billion is needed to fully fund our [Richmond City] schools right now," Harris said. "That shouldn't be that hard to ask because the children are literally the future."

Richmond City allotted just over $200 million in general funds for education in the 2023 fiscal year, according to the city's budget. The city has also budgeted $200 million in capital improvement funds for school modernization and improvement for the upcoming 2024 fiscal year.

HOME-SCHOOLER APPEAL

The pandemic contributed to the increase of home-schooled students, according to Yvonne Bunn, the director of homeschool support and government affairs for the Home Educators Association of Virginia. 

There was an almost 56% increase in total home-schooled students in the 2020-21 school year. The amount of K-5 home-schooled students doubled that year.

Many parents have chosen to continue home schooling even since schools reopened. Parents can tailor their children's education to their needs, according to Bunn. 

The home environment is safer for children who deal with bullying or harassment in public schools, Bunn said.

"It takes them out of that where they can be in their home, they can be more secure in their home," Bunn said. 

Home schooling in Virginia allows parents to meet their children where they are, rather than children struggling to keep up in schools, according to Bunn. 

"If they got average or below average, we'd go back over it to see how they could understand the material better," Bunn said. "So that's the key to home schooling, one-on-one tutoring, that's really the key."

Virginia Commonwealth University student Celia Donnelly is a senior studying graphic design. Home schooling allowed her time to pursue her interests, which eventually led to her current studies, she said. Donnelly was home-schooled from K-12 in North Carolina, she said.

Parents can provide resources, such as curriculums that adapt to specific learning styles, that are not readily available in public school, or are not as standardized, according to Donnelly. 

"It's all standardized, you have a lot of people who need a lot of things, so just inherently there's going to be a lot of gaps ... and home schooling can help with that," she said. 

Donnelly's mother valued and through home-school taught her the ability to "question everything and stay curious" about the world around her, she said. 

LEGISLATION AND FUNDING

Virginia lawmakers allotted $3.2 billion in direct aid for state education in the 2022-24 biennium budget. The budget also included reforms for a 10% teacher pay raise split over two years. Funds from the American Rescue Plan act directed $125 million to fund a one-time, $1,000 bonus to educators last December.

Lawmakers have introduced proposals during the current General Assembly session to tackle the deficit of teachers, as well as the increasing number of home-schooled students. 

Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, introduced House Bill 1566, which would require the state to pay educators a rate equal to or above the national average salary for teachers. The bill reported from a House committee but did not advance from the Appropriations committee.

Del. John McGuire III, R-Goochland, proposed HB 1454. The bill would have eliminated the four criteria needed for parents and guardians to home-school their children. 

Virginia laws currently require that homeschooling educators must hold a high school diploma, be qualified by the Board of Education, provide children with a program that can be delivered through distance learning or provide evidence that they have an ability to provide adequate education. A House education subcommittee killed the measure.

Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, proposed HB 1475, which would prohibit schools from joining interscholastic organizations that would not allow home-schooled students. Similar versions of the bill to allow home-schooled students to play sports have been introduced for years. The bill passed an education subcommittee but was defeated in committee.

State budget amendments currently under debate by lawmakers also proposed an increase in education spending, according to a report by VPM. Additionally, House and Senate versions include a 2% salary increase that would extend to K-12 educators. 

By Faith Redd, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. -- Creativity should be valued as an important part of the Virginia economy, said the state lawmaker behind legislation to create the Virginia Creative Economy Grant Program.

Del. Jackie Glass, D-Norfolk, introduced House Bill 2376 to establish a dedicated funding source for grant awards no more than $20,000 each to independent content creators and creative entrepreneurs. 

The program would be managed by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority. VEDP collaborates with local and regional partners to encourage expansion and diversification of Virginia's economy, according to its website.

A creative worker is considered anyone that produces and distributes creativity and arts-based goods and services, according to a handout from Glass.

Virginia's creative workers produce film, art, music, software, video games, television and radio, according to the bill.

The U.S. creative economy annually generates over $900 billion, according to Glass. Almost $18 billion of that is generated in Virginia. The creative economy businesses in Virginia lost at least $2.6 billion in revenue in 2020, according to Glass. 

Noah "Noah-O" Oddo is a local entrepreneur. Oddo owns Charged Up ENT, a record label that has been around since 2002. He opened the flagship store of Charged up ENT in Richmond's downtown Art's District.

Oddo would put the money directly into his business if there was grant funding, he said. 

 "We can't exist without the people's support," Oddo said. "If you would like to see more of this and Virginia to continue to grow in this direction, that's what's needed, support in the form of dollars."

The bill did not have enough support to make it through the House General Laws subcommittee, where it was tabled on a 4-2 vote. However, there was support for the idea, Glass said.

Glass said people from the other side of the aisle approached her to discuss further action, including Del. James Morefield, R-Tazewell.

Glass and Morefield will work alongside the VEDP after the General Assembly session ends, to try and secure funding, Glass said.

"It's not dead, I mean, it's dead as far as a piece of legislation, but it's not dead administratively," Glass said.

There is also the Virginia Commission for the Arts, a state agency that offers creative grants. The VCA invests in arts leaders, arts educators, and arts practitioners, according to its website.

The creative industry is among the most impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic drain on nonprofits and other funding sources, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Brent Royal is a Richmond entrepreneur who owns the Good Money Counting Kit clothing brand. He sells products through social media and his website. Royal said he was discouraged to hear that the bill failed. He thinks the bill could have helped small businesses struggling from inflation and the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Royal worked two jobs to start his businesses, he said. He also launched the nonprofit Good Money Give Back and he puts 10% of his profits into it, to help the community. For example, Royal gave flowers to teachers for Valentine's Day, has held clothing and backpack drives for children, and is working on a mentoring program for young men.

Royal previously received grant funding and would apply for potential VEDP funding if the process moved forward. He would reinvest in the community by opening a clothing store, creating jobs for locals and using profits to reinvest in his nonprofit, he said.

The main focus for his brand is to inspire entrepreneurship, according to Royal. The state could do a better job at maintaining relationships with entrepreneurs, he said.

"It's kind of hard to be an entrepreneur in Virginia, just because there's so many different tax things you have to deal with federally, locally," Royal said.

Glass introduced the bill because she is a creative entrepreneur herself, she said. She has a podcast called "Your Neighbor's Hood," where she discusses uncomfortable cultural conversations with content creator Christina Kimbrough, according to the website. Glass monetized the venture, she said.

Creative entrepreneurs have the heart to create work but struggle to make a living out of what they do, Glass said.

"We don't have that creative infrastructure here," Glass said. 

The funding for creatives is considered sustainable, because 83 cents of every $1 invested in a creative worker is reinvested locally, according to a handout from Glass. The creative sector also increases travel and tourism to improve the economy.

"This is another industry of economics that can drive and bring dollars to the commonwealth," Glass said.

Oddo visited the state Capitol with Creatives for Virginia on Jan. 24 to lobby for the bill. 

"I'm trying to let people know in our generation these are the things that matter," Oddo said. "If you don't organize, if you don't speak out in order to change these things, there's not going to be the things you want to see done in our society and you'll just constantly be in the state of reaction toward what's going on." 

By Adrianna Lawrence, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia lawmakers this week shot down the last bill of seven introduced to reverse the adopted California standard on electric vehicles Tuesday afternoon.

Del. Tony Wilt, R-Rockingham, proposed House Bill 1378 to repeal the 2021 law allowing the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board to implement emission standards for vehicles with a 2025 or later model year.

The current Clean Car law, adopted from California and soon to be implemented in Virginia, states 35% of all new cars and trucks sold in Virginia with a 2025 model year must be electric. By 2035, 100% of new models on the market must be electric, according to California's final regulation order.

Wilt introduced the bill for several reasons, he said. He questioned whether Virginia's infrastructure can withstand 100% electrical powered cars in 12 years, Wilt said.

"In such a short period of time, we start putting these demands on electric grids of having the capabilities to keep up with electric generation," Wilt said. 

The bill passed in the House with a party-line vote of 52-48. 

Ahead of the final House vote, Wilt expressed concern over the cost of electric vehicles and said "they still cost significantly more upfront." 

"Which can make them unattainable," Wilt said.

Wilt's bill died in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources committee on a party-line 8-7 vote to pass by indefinitely. Other similar measures introduced in the Senate were incorporated into one bill that met the same outcome in the same committee.

Virginia residents will look to surrounding states to buy combustion engine vehicles because of the decrease of those available cars and the expensive costs of electric vehicles, according to Wilt. 

"And so we're actually taking the revenues out of the state of Virginia," Wilt said.

Wilt believes in a renewable energy future but said it should be done incrementally. 

"Instead of these heavy-handed governmental mandates to meet these deadlines and so forth, let the free market dictate that," Wilt said.

Natural consumer demand for electric vehicles is what should drive the market to go green, according to Wilt.

Virginia needs to "decouple" from California and establish standards unique to Virginia, according to Wilt and other Republicans who have spoken against the measure. 

Trip Pollard, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, said it is not legally possible to create a Virginia-specific standard.

States either accept the required Clean Air Act federal regulation or choose the more protective standard introduced by California. 

"The General Assembly decided in '21 that we want to choose the more protective option," Pollard said. "We can't set our own standards."

The reasoning behind this is simple, Pollard said: Car manufacturers cannot meet 50 different state regulations. 

"The manufacturers got that written into the Clean Air Act decades ago because they don't want to have to produce 50 different models of vehicles for different states," Pollard said.

California sought a waiver from the EPA to create its own standards, which now allows states to also choose California's stricter standards. 

So far, 17 other states have adopted California's clean car standards, according to the California Air Resources Board.

Many advocates for the Clean Car law, including Pollard, point out these next few years in the General Assembly are crucial for prepping the state's infrastructure for electric cars. 

Along with legislative action, Virginia has already begun receiving incremental funding that will be over $100 million through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, according to Pollard. Private companies, such as Tesla, are distributing electric car chargers as well, he said.

Even with these initiatives, some legislators are already giving up on the law before it has even taken effect, according to Pollard. 

"To me it makes no sense to repeal these standards now, when they offer such enormous health and environmental benefits," Pollard said.

Lawmakers can ditch the adopted California standard and go back to the less protective federal one if the Clean Car law does not work out, according to Pollard.

Environmental organizations, like the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, strongly believe in keeping the Clean Car law in place due to the harm combustion engine vehicles bring to Virginia's air quality.

"Transportation emissions are Virginia's largest driver of climate change," said VLCV deputy director Lee Francis. "They make up about half of our total carbon pollution."

Electric vehicles are popular right now and there is a fast growing shift toward electric vehicles, according to Francis. 

"A lot of it is driven by the auto manufacturers themselves," Francis said.

General Motors, Ford, BMW and Honda are just some of the car manufacturers shifting toward zero emission vehicles, according to Forbes.

Lawmakers, lobbyists and Gov. Glenn Youngkin have attempted to repeal the Clean Car law since 2021. Citizens question what the state's future of electric vehicles will look like by 2026.

The effort to overturn the Clean Car law could be a factor in the upcoming November election, according to Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington and a political science professor.

All seats are up for reelection in the currently Republican-majority House and the Democratic-majority Senate. 

Candidates will compete for Senate and House seats in new districts recently redrawn to keep up with population changes. The redistricting could favor Democrats more since the population changes across Virginia put more districts in Democratic-leaning areas, Farnsworth said.

House Republicans will use the Clean Car law as a part of their campaign to be reelected, he said.

"Republicans often run on issues of individual freedoms and a bill that comes out of California and shapes public preferences in a liberal direction is a useful thing for Republican candidates to talk about," Farnsworth said.

The Air Pollution Control Board will implement the standard shortly after Jan. 1, 2024 and auto manufacturers will have to abide by it to sell their vehicles in Virginia, according to the board's vehicle standards.

By Ryan Nadeau, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Rev. Mark Jefferson looked out into the auditorium. Students gathered around almost every table, stacks of fact sheets and folders of notes spread out before them. Their time together was nearly at an end. Jefferson spoke with a calm determination.

  "I'm here as your fellow brother on the way," Jefferson said. "I'm here to remind you that because you live, and because you gather in this place, the world has the potential to be better."

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy hosted its first in-person Student Day of Action on the first Friday of February, to help students learn to engage with legislators. VICPP is an advocacy organization focused on social and economic policy. The group works with multi denominational congregations throughout the state.

An estimated 150 people attended the event, said organizer Terri Erwin. Attendees came from 18 different schools: 13 four-year institutions, two seminaries and three community colleges. 

"There's nothing that can replace the experience of ... seeing a bunch of young people, and realizing how human a process lawmaking really is," Erwin said. "It's people. And any person who chooses to can be a part of it."

Ethan Hemmings, a Shenandoah University Conservatory student, felt empowered to meet with lawmakers. 

"At the end of the day, these senators and delegates are just people, just like you and I," he said. 

Hemmings spoke to lawmakers about measures to end solitary confinement and cap some prison fees. 

"I feel that using my voice in a positive and constructive manner not only changes my life, but it can also change the lives of others," he said.

Erwin said she witnessed a "transformative effect" after the meetings, and the students were "so pumped up." 

Attendees participated in a total of 77 legislative visits, according to Erwin.

Students met at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Richmond before and after holding their scheduled visits. The groups reflected on their experiences.

Gabriela Leija-Hernandez represented the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement. Her group met with Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham. 

"He [Obenshain] kept on saying, 'it'll be a future thing,' and we just kept on pressing," she said. "The future could be right now, so let's do it."

Keisha Walker, VICPP administrative and finance director, said there were leaders in the group. 

"They all exist, and we wanna bring them together so they will become familiar with one another and the issues that are important to everyone," Walker said.

Shenandoah University student Scott Goodrich wants to be a state senator. He came prepared with several pages of notes and a desire to be heard. 

"There is definitely a place for emotions in politics, as it's a very emotional subject," he said. "Politics is in every part of our lives."

Goodrich is motivated by a quote from a blog post he once read: "The anger in your heart warms you now, but will leave you cold in your grave." This mindset could lead to more effective legislative work, he said.

The main thing Goodrich wants to see from leaders? "I want them to grow a backbone," he said.

King Salim Khalfani, VICPP's criminal justice reform organizer, told students this is only the beginning. 

"In Virginia, you must be as consistent as the raindrops," Khalfani said. 

Young people are fully capable, Erwin said. 

"It's impossible not to feel hopeful after what we saw," Erwin said.

The event has a deeper meaning than just a singular day of action, Erwin told the group. 

"The fact that we showed up, and put young Virginians on their radar screen — really, really matters," Erwin said. 

All 140 seats in the General Assembly are up for election this November. Erwin said this "shuffling of the deck" provides an opportunity for young voters to participate in their legislature in a substantial way.

"What I found in all that travel, is not that young people don't care," Jefferson said to the group near the end of his keynote address. "What I found is that the stories people tell about you are often not true."

By Anna Chen, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. – Lawmakers crossed the midpoint of the General Assembly session earlier this week. 

Almost 600 bills in the House and over 500 in the Senate advanced, and only one bill passed both chambers by Feb. 7.

Stephen Farnsworth, director of the University of Mary Washington Center for Leadership and Media Studies, said there will be a delay in the passage of controversial measures.

"Even things that passed in one house that are contentious will face problems in the other house, given divided government," Farnsworth said. 

"Hot-button issues" are unlikely to reach the governor's desk, Farnsworth said, due to the Democratic-majority Senate and Republican-majority House.

"The Senate won't accept abortion restrictions and the House won't accept gun control," Farnsworth said. "Key issues are going to be delayed until one party ends up controlling both chambers and the governor's office."

The Senate passed a higher percentage of bills than the House. Almost 52% of proposed House bills advanced, and the Senate had an almost 66% success rate. The statistics don't reflect resolutions, or bills carried over from last session.

Gianni Snidle, communications director for the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, said he thinks a lot less legislation will advance this session. 

"If they're [House of Delegates] sending bills over that's ripping freedoms away from LGBTQ people, from women, from Virginians, we're going to kill those bills here," Snidle said. 

Lawmakers are debating key issues such as reproductive freedoms, gun control, rate regulation and more, Snidle said.

"It's just a flurry of common sense gun control legislation that has gotten out of the Senate and other bills helping Virginia families be able to craft and achieve their American Dream," Snidle said.

Jeff Ryer, press secretary for the Senate Republican Caucus, said top issues in the second half of the session include crime—courts and penalties—as well as consolidation of workforce development programs. A high profile crime bill addresses organized retail theft, with versions in the House and Senate, Ryer said. 

"There's been a lot of agency bills that have passed out of both chambers, meaning things that that individual government agencies have requested to have passed," Ryer said. 

Lawmakers amend the state budget in odd numbered years. The budget is a top priority, including tax cuts and spending initiatives, according to Ryer. 

The two chambers will have more time to work on the budget now, as there are fewer bills to pick up after crossover day, Farnsworth said. 

"That may involve tax cuts, it may involve additional resources devoted to schools," Farnsworth said. "We'll have to see where there's going to be areas of agreement."

General Assembly 2023 stats

The legislative scorecard of bills passed is not the only measure of a lawmaker's effectiveness, according to Farnsworth.

"The contents of the legislation usually matter more than the won-loss ranking," he stated. "A bill that has a tangible, direct benefit to the district or is strongly desired by a key segment of the electorate in the district is the gold standard of legislative effectiveness." 

Capital News Service analyzed some bill stats from the midpoint, using the Legislative Information System spreadsheet. 

In the House, 31 legislators introduced 15 bills—the most allowed.

Del. Robert Bloxom Jr., R-Accomack, advanced the most bills in the House—with 14 of his 15 bills moving to the Senate. 

Del. Les Adams, R-Pittsylvania, had all of his 13 measures move to the other chamber.

Nine delegates were unable to advance any measures, including Dels. Marie March, R-Floyd, and Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, who each introduced 15 bills and saw none advance. 

Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, introduced 32 bills, with an 84% pass rate. Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, had the most bills pass out of the Senate; he advanced 28 of his 30 bills.

The newly-elected Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, was the only senator with a 100% passage rate. He advanced all six bills to the House. Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, passed 18 of her 19 bills. 

Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, was the only senator who advanced no bills. She introduced 17 bills.

The session is slated to adjourn on Feb. 25 and reconvene for unfinished business on April 12. After that, election season begins in earnest. All 140 General Assembly seats will be up for grabs in November. 

Ending emergency SNAP benefits will impact food security, organizers say

By Hollyann Purvis
Capital News Service 

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia residents will soon lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program COVID-19 emergency allotments, something community organizers say will impact food security for thousands. Enrollment increased from 330,000 state participants when the program launched in March 2020, to 470,000 current participants, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

SNAP is a federal nutrition assistance program that provides benefits to qualifying low-income individuals and families, according to the government. The final issuance of emergency allotments will take place on Feb. 16.

Qualified households saw an increase to the maximum allotment if they did not already receive full benefits, according to the initial approval for the SNAP increase. 

The USDA grants waivers that allow select states to issue emergency allotments of benefits, according to the agency. These waivers are based on a public health emergency declaration by the Department of Health and Human Services and are applicable when a state declares an emergency or disaster, such as the pandemic.

The decrease in benefits comes after Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which ended the additional allotments.

The Neighborhood Resource Center of Greater Fulton is a nonprofit organization that provides nutritional, financial and educational support to low-income individuals across Richmond, according to the center. 

Breanne Armbrust, executive director of the NRC, said she has seen firsthand how increased SNAP benefits impact the community.

When benefits increase, there are less people who need food pantry bags, according to Armbrust. 

"It allows them to have some flexibility with their funds to be able to do other things that are just as essential as eating," Armbrust said.

The impact of reduced SNAP benefits is going to be "catastrophic," in part due to the rising cost of food, according to Armbrust.

"With the inflation that's happening that's based on corporations raising prices of food, like the grocery stores raising prices, I just don't know what people are supposed to do," Armbrust said. 

It takes approximately six months for a person in economic struggle to be able to adjust their finances to offset the rising cost of expenses, according to Armbrust. 

"This notification is so last minute that I don't believe it's going to allow people to adjust their budgets to be able to prepare for that," Armbrust said. 

Virginia's SNAP emergency allotments have been extended 34 times since the initial two-month request, according to the USDA. 

Virginia residents have experienced much lower food insecurity over the course of the pandemic because of increased SNAP benefits, according to Eddie Oliver, the executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. 

The Federation of Virginia Food Banks is a nonprofit state association that works with the seven regional food banks in Virginia to improve nutrition security, according to Oliver. 

"We know the second they end and they go back to their previous levels, then we know we're going to see that in our pantry lines that we're going to be affected for sure," Oliver said. 

Oliver said that while food insecurity is not a new problem, the pandemic has put the issue in the spotlight. The "stronger safety net" for food insecurity present during the pandemic worked well, according to Oliver. 

"We know the expiration of emergency allotments will create a hunger cliff in Virginia for our 900,000 neighbors who rely on SNAP to keep food on the table," Oliver stated in an email. 

Virginia's seven regional food banks are preparing for a "surge in demand" for food assistance, according to Oliver.

John Jones, food insecurity researcher and assistant professor in Virginia Commonwealth University's Center for Environmental Studies, advocated for expanded SNAP benefits in Virginia. Increased benefits are a "powerful" way to mitigate the worst effects of poverty, Jones said.

"When you're expanding the amount of money that people are receiving or expanding the number of people that can receive this, that's going to positively impact food security and negatively impact food insecurity," Jones said. 

Virginians can find local food bank information on the Virginia Food Bank Locator, a service provided by the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. 

By Anna Chen, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. – Elected officials serving in the Virginia General Assembly have a short amount of time to potentially discuss thousands of proposed measures that are either defeated or signed into law. 

Over 1,900 bills were introduced this session, in addition to joint resolutions and legislation carried over from last year. So far, over 100 bills have failed to advance in the House and over 300 in the Senate. There are over 1,000 bills pending in the House and over 500 in the Senate, with the session midpoint approaching. 

Here are a few of the bills that failed to advance this session. 

Senate Bill 1288: Petition for defendant to pay child support due to wrongful death of child's guardian resulting from driving under the influence

The measure introduced by Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, would allow the court to consider child support payment in an instance of wrongful death of a child's parent or legal guardian that was caused by driving under the influence. 

The legislation was passed by indefinitely with a 14-0 vote in the Senate Judiciary committee and is likely dead for the session. 

Committee members felt the bill did not add additional value to the current scenarios in wrongful death civil cases. 

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, questioned the legislation because it is not "a policy solution to a specific problem."

"It's not clear to me why we would say 'you pay child support if somebody dies by drunk driving instead of murder,'" Surovell said during the committee.

Senate Bill 880: In-person absentee voting period shortened to week prior to any elections

The measure, introduced by Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, would shorten the in-person absentee voting period to seven days prior to the election. Currently, absentee voting in person begins 45 days before the election. 

The bill would create a burden at high-volume localities, Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, said during the committee hearing.

"They would need hundreds of people [staff] to get those people not having to wait for hours and hours in line," Ebbin said 

The legislation was passed by indefinitely with a 10-4 vote in the Senate Privileges and Elections committee.

House Bill 1720: Eliminates one-year divorce waiting period due to cruelty, bodily hurt

Del. Nadarius Clark, D-Portsmouth, introduced a measure to eliminate the one-year period spouses wait to be pronounced divorced and legally separated. A separation or divorce would be granted before the one-year period in cases of spousal abuse such as cruelty, reasonable apprehension of bodily harm, abandonment or desertion and more by either party. The bill would have applied to divorce filings on or after July 1. 

A divorce is currently permitted if the parties lived apart without interruption for one year, or entered into a separation agreement and have no minor-aged children born or adopted, and lived apart without interruption for six months. 

An anti-human trafficking advocate and victim of spousal abuse offered testimony on behalf of the bill. 

"Right now, this does not solve the problem that Del. Clarke wants to solve," said Richard Garriott, with the Virginia Family Law Coalition, in opposition to the bill. "We have a solution for that, it is called an emergency and permanent protective order."

The House of Delegates Courts of Justice subcommittee defeated the bill with a 5-3 vote.

House Bill 2003: Enforcement of sexual harassment and workplace discrimination training and education 

Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, introduced a bill to require employers with 50 or more employees to provide annual interactive sexual harassment and workplace discrimination training and education. Employees in a supervisory role would be required to complete at least two hours of training. Other employees would be required to complete one hour. 

A provision in the bill called for migrant and seasonal agricultural workers to have the one-hour training, to start Jan. 1, 2024.

Employees would receive a certificate of completion.

A House Commerce and Energy subcommittee recommended the bill not advance, with a 5-3 vote. Still to come

There will be plenty of other failed bills this session. In fact, gridlock is to be expected when "voters put one party in charge of one chamber and the other party in charge of the other," according to Stephen Farnsworth, director of the University of Mary Washington Center for Leadership and Media Studies and a political science professor.

"From guns to abortion to taxes to schools, Republicans and Democrats in Richmond demonstrate over and over again that there is little interest in compromise in these polarized times," Farnsworth stated in an email. 

The session is approaching the midpoint with "crossover day" on Feb. 7, which is when a bill must have passed its respective chamber in order to advance, or it will be left behind.

By Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. -- Two Virginia General Assembly bills seeking to strengthen the state's Freedom of Information Act will advance to the House calendar. 

Virginia FOIA laws, also known as sunshine laws, require public institutions to disclose public records, and provide access to government meetings unless an exemption applies. 

Del. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, introduced House Bill 2006 and HB 2007, which reported out of a committee on Thursday.

Government agencies can charge to provide public records. HB 2006 asks for such charges to have an electronic payment option. HB 2007 proposes that a public body state on its website how it assesses fees.

"I am for better or worse — and God, it seems like worse sometimes — absolutely hellbent on being the voice, if there can be no other, who is going to strongly, passionately support an accessible, strong Freedom of Information Act, as opposed to a restricted one that has so many exemptions," Roem said.

Roem encountered FOIAs in her more than 10 years as a journalist before going into public office. She recalled several deterrents to access public records requests. A constituent drove 40 minutes across the county to deliver a physical check to have a request fulfilled, Roem said.

"The current version more resembles a block of legislative Swiss cheese, than it does the law of the code of Virginia," Roem said.

Roem introduced FOIA legislation in prior sessions that did not advance, such as proposals to create a FOIA ombudsman — a designated authority — in the attorney general's office, establish a cap on hourly billing charges to fulfill records requests and to allow some free FOIA requests, with conditions.

"The point of the Freedom of Information Act is for the public to find out what the hell is going on with its government," Roem said. "For reporters to be able to perform their most essential duties, which is watchdog of the government."

Fewer people are using traditional forms of payment, so the proposed bills are a "step forward with the times," Megan Rhyne, the executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, stated in an email interview.

"If local governments are already using electronic means for various public transactions, like paying taxes via an electronic check or paying a recycling invoice by credit card, then they should use those systems to accept payment for FOIA requests," Rhyne stated.

This will help citizens who are "often blindsided" by the costs associated with sunshine laws, according to Rhyne.

"I support both of these bills, both of which are trying to chip away at the way in which the increasing costs of FOIA requests are putting government information out of the reach of the taxpayer," Rhyne stated. 

The methods of getting information are "crucially important in this time." There is less media coverage on the government in some parts of the state, according to Dina Weinstein, president of the Virginia Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

"We need to know this information and making it inaccessible is not democratic," Weinstein said.

A fee used to be an exception for a FOIA requester, but it is increasingly becoming the rule, said Tom Nash, the Virginia proxy for the nonprofit MuckRock. The organization aims to make government more transparent and helps file FOIA requests, according to its website.

"It's important for people to keep in mind that when government agencies ask us to pay for FOIA requests, essentially, we are paying for the same information twice," Nash said. "Because we've already been paying government officials to do the work that they do, and part of that work is making documents."

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University's Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

New tool shows Virginia localities estimated money from opioid settlements 

By Natalie Barr, Capital News Service

Embeddable maps shows rate and total overdose deaths from 2007-2021 (link to map here: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/zvvlc/5/

)

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia localities can now get a look at the estimated money they will receive from multibillion-dollar national opioid settlements, to help with prevention and treatment in the ongoing opioid crisis. The recently established Opioid Abatement Authority released on Dec. 7 a lookup tool for localities to search the projected settlement funds estimated through fiscal year 2039.

Anthony McDowell is the executive director of the Opioid Abatement Authority. His team reviews funding requests and distributes money from the abatement fund to provide treatment for communities most affected by opioid misuse and overdoses, McDowell said. 

The authority is in its early stages, and only just beginning to distribute money and notify localities of funding, McDowell said. Funding is based on factors including if the settlement originated from that locality and other conditions identified in the settlements. The organization also will review requests from localities.

Settlements, according to the authority, are with the manufacturer Janssen; distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson and Walmart; and the marketing company McKinsey & Co.

Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, introduced Senate Bill 1469 in the 2021 General Assembly session to establish the Opioid Abatement Authority. The measure will be effective in creating long-term change to help counteract the opioid crisis, Barker said. 

“I think we were very responsible and responsive to the people who have been dealing with these issues for years in helping to get funding to come in as part of some of these settlements and to be able to address it from both the public safety and the health care standpoints,” Barker said.

The funds can be used for “anything” targeting prevention and treatment, and supporting people in recovery from opioid misuse, according to McDowell.

“Every dollar has to be spent on efforts to abate the opioid epidemic, and the definition of the law under the settlement is pretty broad,” McDowell said. 

There will be multiple public listening sessions in coming months to help determine funding priorities. State leaders are dedicated to helping those affected from opioid misuse, McDowell said. 

“I know what motivates them is the passion to save lives and to help communities and families heal from the harm that has come about from the prescription opioid crisis,” McDowell said.

The five localities that will receive the highest percentage of opioid settlement money are Fairfax County, Virginia Beach, Henrico County, Richmond City and Chesterfield County, respectively, according to data from the state attorney general’s office.

The Virginia areas with the most opioid overdose deaths in 2021 are Petersburg, Richmond, Hopewell and Portsmouth cities and Henry County, respectively, according to a VDH forensic epidemiologist.

Fatal overdoses still projected to be higher than pre-pandemic

Fatal drug overdoses continue to be the leading cause of unnatural death in Virginia since 2013, followed by gun and motor vehicle-related deaths, according to recent VDH data.

Opioids, especially fentanyl, continue to drive a nearly decade-long spike in fatal overdoses. Fentanyl, prescription and illicit, contributed to over 76% of all fatal overdoses in 2021, according to VDH. 

There have been 966 fentanyl-related overdoses this year from January through June, compared to 1,034 during the same period last year, according to VDH data. That is a 6.6% decline. 

Almost 1,300 total overdoses occurred from January through the end of June, and all but 238 were opioid-related, according to analysis of the most recent VDH data. However, for the first time in roughly a 10-year period, the projected overdose deaths for the year showed a decrease.

Despite a slight decrease in projected fatal overdoses for 2022, the total deaths are over 57% higher than pre-pandemic totals.

Fatal cocaine and methamphetamine overdoses increased in recent years, according to VDH. Last year, fatal overdoses involving methamphetamine and cocaine escalated by 42% and 24%, respectively.

Fentanyl, often unknown to the buyer, is mixed with other drugs as a way to increase potency. Fentanyl was found in over 84% of the 801 fatal cocaine overdoses in 2021, according to VDH. Fentanyl was found in almost 66% of fatal methamphetamine overdoses in 2021.

Pharmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid approved for treating severe pain. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most fentanyl connected to overdoses is illegally made. For perspective, the amount of fentanyl that can prove fatal could fit on the tip of a pencil, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

More funding and services needed

Christopher Ronquest is the assistant director of operations at McShin Recovery Resource Foundation, a Henrico County-based organization that provides recovery services. Opioid misuse numbers continue to rise in the state, Ronquest said, and more services and more funding are needed. 

There are 1,029 beds available for people seeking recovery in Virginia, Ronquest said. McShin provides 145 beds, he said. There were roughly 10,000 emergency room visits across the state for opioid misuse in 2021, Ronquest said, but McShin only served 498 participants. Almost 400 were new participants, according to data from McShin.

“A whole lot of people out there need recovery and might not know about it,” Ronquest said. 

McShin was the first certified recovery community organization in Virginia when it was founded in 2004 and one of the first in the nation, Ronquest said. A distinction from a traditional rehabilitation center is the McShin peer-based recovery program format. There are 15 resident houses, with the majority located in Henrico County. 

McShin has two 28-day intensive residential program houses, one located in Henrico County for males and females, and a women’s recovery house in Chesterfield County, Ronquest said. The foundation does not require insurance, and funding assistance is available for individuals who cannot pay for their recovery, he said.

“The whole idea is to teach people how to get off drugs and alcohol, and then show them a life that is attractive enough to stay off drugs and alcohol,” Ronquest said.

“It’s everywhere”

Elizabeth Powell has been sober for 22 years and is a certified peer recovery specialist with Richmond City Health District. Powell formerly used crack cocaine, she said. Powell works directly with individuals and communities to provide information about available recovery options. She gets alerts when overdoses occur and responds to the scene to provide support and distributes Narcan. 

“They can contact someone like me that has a lived experience,” Powell said. 

The number of individuals affected by opioid misuse is startling, Powell said, and many have limited access to recovery facilities to treat opioid addiction. A good way for individuals to learn about recovery is first “just knowing it exists,” she said

“I honestly believe in starting with first responders and working with the hospitals, so they can give that information out to these individuals when they do have overdoses, and go out into the community,” Powell said. “I guess just getting out there with outreach is the best way.”

The drug doesn't discriminate and addiction is “everywhere,” she said.

“It’s out in the country,” Powell said. “It’s in the city. It’s in neighborhoods.

By Meghan McIntyre, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — State and federal officials are concerned Virginia will not meet its 2025 overall commitment to reduce polluted runoff into the Chesapeake Bay; 90% of which must come from the agriculture industry, according to environmental advocates. 

However, farmers and landowners can access a record $235 million next year in state funds to help pay for an array of practices aimed at protecting the nation’s largest estuary. The funding is available through the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program.

Progress in wastewater treatment plants are the main reason why Virginia is on track to meet its overall 2025 deadline, but more work needs to be done to address pollution runoff from agriculture, as well as suburban and urban areas, show reports from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Environmental Protection Agency.

The Chesapeake Bay Executive Council, which guides the policy agenda and conservation and restoration goals for the Chesapeake Bay Program, met Tuesday with state leaders in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to discuss reevaluating the 2025 deadline. 

Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during the meeting that it was a “difficult recognition” when he took office in January that Virginia was not on track to meet its 2025 goals.

“I think we have a clear commitment to meet those goals,” Youngkin said. “It’s not a matter of hitting them, it's a matter of when.”

Agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry by far and is the most significant source of nutrient and sediment pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 

Cattle can erode stream banks, causing runoff from fertilizer and sediment to flow into waterways, said Peggy Sanner, Virginia executive director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Cattle waste further reduces water quality, and can lead to algae blooms which are harmful towards aquatic life, Sanner said.

The cost-share program has its roots from back in the Great Depression era, Sanner said. People began to understand the need to improve farm practices to increase productivity, but also to protect the soil so that it wouldn't wash off in times of rain.

The program’s funding has nearly quadrupled since 2020, according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, or DCR.

Nearly 23,000 participants have enrolled in the cost-share program since 1998, according to the DCR. There are approximately 54,000 farmers in Virginia.

Bobby Whitescarver and his wife Jeanne Hoffman enrolled in the program in 2020, after buying a farm in Augusta County. They received thousands of dollars from the state after projects were installed through a contract with the Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District to improve the water quality around the 100-acre plus farm.

Approximately a mile of fencing along streams was installed to keep cattle out of the water, along with internal fencing for rotational grazing. Around a mile of new underground pipeline delivers water to six cattle watering stations. Native hardwood trees were also planted along the streams to create a forest buffer, which helps absorb runoff containing pollutants from fertilizer, and other sources, from entering the water. 

Whitescarver was reimbursed 100% of the costs of installing the practices within a month of completion, he said, and received incentive payments for the acreage along the streams that were fenced off from the cows. The payments are given to farmers to install certain practices under the promise they will be maintained for a certain number of years outlined in their contracts. 

“The process was incredibly streamlined,” Whitescarver said. “We were really pleased with how everything worked.”

Farmers can get partial or full funding for installing best management practices such as rotational grazing, wetlands preservation and planting cover crops. There are more than 70 practices offered through the program.

“It’s a program by which the state basically pays farmers to help them do the practices that achieve both of those goals of conservation of soil and water, while helping the farmers economically,” Sanner said.

The state Water Quality Improvement Fund received $313 million from last year’s surplus, much of which was allocated to the program overseen by the DCR. 

The increased public awareness of the record funding increases means there’s also an increased awareness of the needs for the best management practices, DCR stated in an email.

Reception of the program has been very positive, DCR stated. Many districts are reporting that they are seeing record levels of participation this year. 

A farmer can be reimbursed up to $300,000 per year for implementing the practices. State income tax credits are also available to farmers for the purchase and use of certain conservation equipment for installing practices specified by local soil and water districts. 

“Farmers want clean water, they want to produce a safe product,” said Martha Moore, senior vice president of governmental relations for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

Conservation practices help farmers save money because less fertilizer and soil is wasted through runoff, according to the DCR. When farmers can provide cleaner water sources through watering stations, livestock are better protected from possible injuries that occur from streams and rivers, according to DCR. Overall herd health is also improved.

“Cost-share pays financially now — but the practices can also benefit farms for years to come,” DCR stated.

A farmer or landowner interested in taking part in the program can contact their local soil and conservation district to start the process.

The program is “the best tool that helps farmers help themselves and help the environment at the same time,” Sanner said.

‘Rush is never worth the risk,’ says mother of daughter struck and killed by truck

By Darlene Johnson, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. – October is National Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month. September was Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Month in Virginia. Fatal accidents and injuries involving road users increased last year, according to traffic crash facts from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Cyclist Natalie Rainer was struck in mid-August by a driver who was charged with driving under the influence.

“I have damage to my organs,” Rainer said. “I have a lot of road rash on my skin.”

Rainer was cycling with C. Jonah Holland on a popular bike route in east Henrico County when they were hit. Holland died at the scene and Rainer was badly injured. Her pelvis, ribs and collarbone were broken. Rainer was in the intensive care unit for a week, then placed in the trauma unit for two weeks, she said.

Rainer called the crash a “random occurrence,” where she and Holland were at the “wrong place at the wrong time.”

Jeffery Brooks, 18, awaits trial on felony involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor DUI charges.

“One of the scariest things that you can do is operate a car badly, because you put so many people at risk,” Rainer said.

Crashes involving a vehicle increased by 12.2% from 2020-21, according to the DMV’s traffic crash facts. Crashes that involved a vehicle and a pedestrian increased 12.6% in the same time period. The number of pedestrians injured in such crashes increased 11.7%. The number of pedestrian fatalities rose 9.7%.

There was a 100% increase in fatal crashes that involved a cyclist; rising from eight to 16 cyclists killed.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, became an advocate of safer streets after he cycled cross country and had several close calls, he said. There should be more driver education and awareness, he said, along with improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. That will help minimize risk to vulnerable road users, he said. For example, roads given high speed limits years ago would need updates to accommodate further developments.

Lack of law enforcement is another big issue, Surovell said. The General Assembly passed the Hands-Free law in 2020, banning cellphone use while driving, but Surovell said he does not see enough enforcement.

Distracted driving crashes increased by over 11% from 2020-21, according to the DMV.

“Put your phone down, take a deep breath,” Surovell said. “Be more attentive, be more courteous. Slow down.”

Rainer echoed that.

“There is no need for speed in our city streets,” she said.

Traffic crashes where speed was a factor increased by 9.5% last year, according to the DMV.

Rainer urged cyclists to be vigilant and wear protective gear, bright colors and have blinking tail lights. She suggested riding where people expect cyclists. Street markings and signs alerting drivers to cyclists would help, she said.

Rainer “will ride a bike again,” she said, although it will take a while before she is physically able. She will likely ease into it by riding with large groups and near home.

“I’ll never stop loving the sport,” Rainer said.

Pedestrian and bicycle safety advocates said there are a host of efforts needed to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries.

More people have been walking and cycling since the pandemic began, according to Doug Allen.

Allen is an avid cyclist and sits on the board of directors for the Virginia Bicycling Federation. Less traffic on roads at the start of the pandemic led to more reckless driving, Allen said. Vehicles are bigger, heavier and faster which is a “bad equation” when there are more reckless drivers and more people sharing the roads.

“People will drive as fast as they feel comfortable driving,” Allen said.

Allen believes infrastructure design should be the primary focus of making streets safer.

“Using enforcement as a hammer to try and make safer streets is not a great idea,” he said. Design changes could help reduce the need for police interaction, and help avoid a potentially “dangerous situation.”

Allen recommended that all road users be aware of their surroundings and limit distractions when traveling. There should be more frequent driver education testing to refresh people and familiarize them with new laws, Allen said. Driver education courses should teach how to interact with pedestrians and cyclists, he said.

October is a hard time of year for Khrystal Bethea-Artis. Her 16-year-old daughter Aajah Rosemond died while walking to the store along Jahnke Road in the early evening in October 2020. Rosemond was killed when two vehicles crashed and one struck her, according to Bethea-Artis.

Bethea-Artis believes her daughter died in part due to bad driver behavior that cannot be unlearned. This includes people speeding, driving under the influence and having road rage, she said.

“The rush is never worth the risk,” Bethea-Artis said.

Surovell hopes learned behavior can be changed.

“It took a while, but we got people to put on seat belts,” he said, as an example.

Bethea-Artis offered testimony earlier this year on behalf of legislation that created stiffer penalties for careless driving that injures or kills a road user. The driver of the vehicle that caused the accident that led to her daughter’s death was only penalized $200 and charged with reckless driving, Bethea-Artis told a legislative subcommittee in January.

Bethea-Artis hopes her advocacy will help ensure other parents do not experience such loss.

“If it’s one voice, it’s like an echo in a hallway,” she said.

If the community works together, she said it could create the change needed to decrease traffic fatalities.

Rosemond’s family will be at the corner of Jahnke and German School roads on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 1-5 p.m. People are encouraged to join and commemorate the loss of their loved ones to traffic fatalities.

“We will not let that day just pass,” Bethea-Artis said.

By Adrianna Lawrence,Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. – Rail workers in a union with Virginia members reached a second tentative agreement with railroad corporations days ahead of another planned strike, though some members said they are still not happy with the new terms.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 19, or IAM District 19, rejected the initial tentative agreement made between President Joe Biden’s administration, labor unions and top railroad corporations including CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern. 

The initial agreement included pay raises, better health care and an additional personal day of leave, according to an IAM District 19 press release. The negotiations helped stop a mid-September rail strike that would have shut down passenger and freight rail. 

The new tentative agreement outlines additional benefits like health care cost caps, travel reimbursement and single room occupancy, and a study on overtime pay, according to IAM District 19.

 IAM District 19 represents 92 chapter unions across the U.S. and Canada, including one in Richmond, according to the union’s website. 

Collectively, 12 unions represent about 125,000 rail workers and the National Carriers’ Conference Committee represents more than 30 railroads in the U.S., according to a statistic from the National Railway Labor Conference.

IAM District 19 members will still need to vote on the most recent agreement, which also includes the terms negotiated earlier this month, according to Eric Peters, a member of the union and a CSX roadway mechanic.

Some workers are still upset that this recent round of negotiations did not resolve the lack of sick days and days off, the request to accrue vacation time faster, and the overall feeling of not being recognized as hard workers, according to Peters.

Some of the terms in the new agreement have already existed, like the solo hotel room occupancy during travel, just not in writing, Peters said. “Mechanics have had that for 20 years for CSX.”

Rail workers are still pushing for more time off, although the agreements would mean “a healthy pay raise,” according to Peters. Workers would see a 24% general wage increase with a $5,000 service recognition bonus, according to the IAM District 19 press release. This includes retroactive pay up to almost $12,000 within 60 days of the agreement ratification date.

Train conductors get about one day off a month where they aren’t on call, according to Peters. 

“The rest of the time they’re on a two-hour recall,” Peters said. “If they don’t make it, they get in trouble and that’s not a positive way to live.”

Rail workers receive about three weeks of paid vacation and senior workers receive about 5 weeks on average, according to the Association of American Railroads, or AAR. Sick time policies and routine medical care are pressing issues but additional sick time was not implemented during the union negotiations.

Rail carriers offer a “federal sickness benefit program” to workers under existing agreements, while the new agreements recognize time-off for routine and preventative medical care, according to the National Railway Labor Conference, or NRLC, which represents railroads.

“I have no sick days at all,” Peters said, who said he has worked for the company for approximately 12 years.

Peters feels like the new tentative agreement still does not address these concerns.

Rail companies need to catch up to the rest of society and offer better benefits, Peters said.

IAM District 19 originally planned to strike on Sept. 29 if additional negotiations were not met, according to Peters. Workers are now in a “cooling off” period that expires Dec. 9. They cannot strike until that date. Some members are not happy leadership agreed to the additional cooling off period, Peters said.

“The members feel like they voted to strike, they waited their time, and they should have been given the opportunity to strike and to use their voice,” Peters said.

Workers have waited three years to strike, he said.

“We were prepared and ready and have been waiting a long time for our voices to be heard,” Peters said.

Once the member’s votes are finalized, it will dictate whether IAM District 19 accepts or rejects the new terms, Peters said. 

National rail companies are being blamed for the poor working conditions that push workers to the extremes of organized strikes, according to Madison Butler, communications manager for Rail Passengers Association. The association advocates for more rail services and quicker rides for passengers, according to their mission statement.

“There are fundamental rights that these workers should have and given the profit margins that these companies take home, there’s no reason to not return that to the workers,” Butler said. 

Cliff Dunn is co-chair of Virginians for High Speed Rail and a frequent train rider. Corporations cutting jobs by the thousands has led to the decrease in working conditions, Dunn said.

“In some ways the bad working conditions themselves are a symptom of the head-count [attendance] problem,” Dunn said.

The Railway Labor Act was drafted in 1926 to allow workers to collectively bargain to fix labor issues and help ensure the continued transport of goods, according to the Federal Railroad Administration, the overseeing agency.

Freight railroads across the country started to shut down a day ahead of the planned Sept. 16 strike, according to Dunn.

“If everybody goes on a strike, they don’t want to have a bunch of freight trains going dead in the middle of nowhere,” Dunn said.

Amtrak, a national passenger railroad company that shares freight rail tracks along some routes, preemptively canceled all long distance passenger trips prior to the tentative agreement, according to a media statement from Amtrak media spokesperson Kimberly Woods.

The Sept. 16 strike could have affected over 19 million rail travelers, Butler said.

The first tentative agreement was nearly three years in the making and involved two major unions in the country: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and SMART Transportation Division.

All unions are expected to ratify or reject the negotiated terms in the next few months, according to the NRLC. 

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University's Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

By Natalie Barr, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia voters can cast their ballots for the November election starting Friday, Sept. 23. 

Voters can submit absentee ballots by mail or in person at their local registrar’s office, commonly referred to as early voting. No application or reason is necessary to vote early. Some jurisdictions may have additional satellite locations, according to a press release from the Virginia Department of Elections. 

Early in-person voting will also be held the two Saturdays preceding Election Day. In-person early voting ends on Nov. 5, the Saturday before the election.

New this year is the ability to register to vote up to and on Election Day. Any voters who register after the Oct. 17 deadline will be given a provisional ballot. Legislators have passed voting reform measures in recent years that expand access to the polls. 

VCU Votes, a student-led coalition at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, educates students on the importance of voting, according to the organization's mission statement. The coalition recently held a student voter registration event on National Voter Registration Day.

Cameron Hart, director of partnerships for VCU Votes, said the group also promotes the importance of elections. Students need the space to educate themselves and develop their own thoughts and make their own decisions, Hart said.

“It’s very important to vote and use your voice and exercise that civic duty,” Hart said.

Many students who came to the event were already registered to vote, Hart said. Hart wants people to view voting as important for all elections, not just presidential races.

“I feel like it’s important to vote in any election, but also stressing the importance of voting locally,” Hart said. “This election is directly affecting us. If you feel a certain way about a law, voting can help express your voice in order to maybe reverse that law.”

The upcoming election will be the first time voting for physical therapy student Nikolett Kormos. Kormos, a freshman, said she registered to vote at the event. 

“I think it’s super important to vote, and for young people to vote,” Kormos said. “It keeps us educated.”

Absentee ballots will be mailed starting Sept. 23 to military and overseas voters, and to anyone who has applied to receive one, according to a state Department of Elections press release. 

Voters can request a mail-in absentee ballot through the Department of Elections site until Oct. 28. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 8 and received by the registrar no later than noon on the third day following the election, according to the Department of Elections. Mailed ballots also require a witness signature. Ballots can be dropped off at the registrar’s office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. 

Voters can direct questions to their general registrar’s office or the Department of Elections, where they can also see what types of identification are accepted. 

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University's Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.