Latest
- Loudoun Democrats Re-Approve Aspen Substation — Sell It as Oxygen-Machine Reliability After Data-Center Boom
After briefly rescinding approval, the Democrat-majority board restores Aspen amid talk of 95 existing or proposed substations; Umstattd and Randall frame wires as life-safety while critics say homes had power before 200 data centers.
- Virginia Lawmakers Advance Home Health Care Authority Bill for Collective Bargaining
House Bill 1263 would create a state authority enabling collective bargaining for home health workers and certain public employees while setting startup costs and regulatory conditions.
- Few Va. universities have studied food insecurity among students, though 80% say it’s an issue
Most of Virginia’s public universities and colleges are aware of student food insecurity at their institutions, according to a November survey conducted by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
- Governor Spanberger Announces $23 Million in Grants for Community Development Across the Commonwealth
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced $22.7 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) that will fund 17 community projects across Virginia.
- Loudoun County Board to Review Grant Initiative for Broad Run Farms Water Connections
Loudoun County, Virginia, is governed by a nine-member Board of Supervisors consisting of Chair At-Large Phyllis Randall, Vice Chair Michael Turner of the Ashburn District, Juli Briskman of the Algonkian District, Sylvia Glass of the Broad Run District, Caleb Kershner of the Catoctin District, Matthew Letourneau of the Dulles District, Kristen Umstattd of the Leesburg District, Laura TeKrony of the Little River District, and Koran Saines of the Sterling District.
- Virginia Republicans urge Spanberger to call special session for fuel-tax holiday
Republican lawmakers are urging Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session to suspend Virginia’s gasoline and diesel taxes for 90 days to ease fuel costs for families and businesses.
- Franklin Officials Weigh Closed Street Transfer and Tax Revenue
City of Franklin leaders debate whether conveying a closed street segment to an adjacent owner would generate taxes or create an unwanted free-property precedent.
- Attorney General Jones Permanently Blocks Federal SNAP Penalties Targeting Virginia
A federal judge in Oregon made a multi-state injunction permanent, shielding Virginia from steep SNAP fines and clarifying food aid for certain lawful permanent residents.
- Virginia House Bill 1372 Advances Prevailing Wage Rules for Solar Projects
Legislation would require prevailing wages and apprenticeships on solar facility developments while projecting a $2.9 million cost for state oversight.
- Franklin City School Board Examines Textbook Budget Stability
Members of the Franklin City School Board reviewed textbook funding patterns and resource implications during their July meeting.
- Virginia Senate Amendment Targets Faster Absentee Ballot Handling on Election Day
Senator Rome advances a change to Senate Bill 350 permitting local registrars to process absentee and early ballots during voting hours to ease worker burdens and support timely results.
- Average Residential Bills Toward $315 by 2039 as Data-Center Load Dominates
Unconstrained Demand cites Dominion figures taking typical residential bills from about $142.77 now to $315.25 by 2039 — primarily on data-center sector energy needs — while JLARC separately pegs $14–$37 monthly generation and transmission cost pressure by 2040.
- Workforce training program earns another No.1 ranking for Virginia
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership oversees the Talent Accelerator Program, which provides customized recruitment and training services at no cost to qualifying employers.
- Feds suggest parts of Bath and Highland counties as a critical habitat for the rusty-patched bumblebee
The little Bumblebee is considered a keystone specie because it helps the environment by pollinating.
- Bristol building owners continue to fight legal battle against abortion clinic
The landlords of Bristol who tried for two years to get the abortion clinic out of their building have appealed the dismissal their lawsuit against clinic owner.
- Falls Church Mayor Backs Limits on Land Use Lawsuit Standing
Mayor Ladi Hardy tells a Virginia subcommittee that restricting standing in zoning challenges would protect local housing reforms from costly delays.
- Lawmakers Eye Fix for 1% School Construction Sales Tax as 47 Localities Head to Voters
Newport News officials warn the 20-year sunset may not line up with bond issuance; Simonds and Rasoul open to more flexibility.
- Loudoun County School Board Updates Discipline Policy on Criminal Charges
Loudoun County School Board adds a provision allowing 10-day suspensions and reassignment recommendations for students charged with specified offenses involving intentional injury.
- Virginia Education Press Needs intense Support
You can forget about any humility you might have expected after the Virginia education media falsely claimed for months that 70+ Virginia
- Virginia Senate Bill 369 Creates Case Designation for Million-Dollar Business Disputes
Amended legislation lets business litigants request specialized judges for high-value cases while shifting costs to the state court system.
- Virginia Senate Bill 169 Sets Earlier Deadlines for Election Signature Challenges
A Virginia Senate measure advances rules on timing for candidate petition challenges in general elections and primaries after a Fairfax County case.
- Seven Rural Virginia Community Colleges Share $5.93 Million to Train Nurses and Behavioral Health Workers
Germanna, Laurel Ridge, Mountain Gateway, Patrick & Henry, Paul D. Camp, Rappahannock, and Virginia Highlands win Rural Health Transformation Fund awards.
- Virginia Lawmakers Weigh Election Spending Caps Tied to Federal Rulings
State Sen. Scott Surovell details proposed limits on political committee spending and corporate donations during a Privileges and Elections discussion.
- Virginia Bill Advances to Make Landlord-Supplied Air Conditioning an Essential Service
House Bill 519 would add air conditioning supplied by landlords to essential services under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act after a subcommittee vote.
- Fairfax County Weighs Childcare Access Against Neighborhood Noise Concerns
Fairfax County officials examine how to support home-based childcare while addressing resident complaints about noise and administrative requirements.
- From Marye’s Transmission Study to the 2013 Amendment — Utilities Still Take Land for Data Center Load
RICHMOND — Virginia’s modern property-rights constitution did not begin with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 Kelo decision.
- West Piedmont Planning District Commission Awarded Funding Through Virginia Housing Workforce Housing Investment Program
The West Piedmont Planning District Commission learned back in December that it was awarded $1,000,000 in funding through the Virginia Workforce Housing Investment Program.
- UCS: Data-Center Grid Hookups Put $4.3B on PJM Customers in 2024 — Virginia Alone Near $2B
Union of Concerned Scientists brief says transmission-level campus taps are socialized through FERC and state rates; Virginia’s 60 tracked projects total about $1.988 billion under the rules Democrat-era load growth exploited.
- Loudoun’s Turning Point: First 5–4 Data-Center Denial in 2024, Scaled 6–3 Pass, Then March 18 End of Open By-Right
Turner’s timeline traces Democrat-board politics from the first major denial of a 2.9M sq ft project, to a 1.3M by-right comeback, to the 7–2 March 18, 2025 vote ending open by-right — with grandfathering still attached.
- James Morefield House Bill 62 Eases Tazewell Town Manager Residency Rule
RICHMOND — In a move underscoring the value of local decision-making and practical governance, the Virginia General Assembly has sent House Bill 62 to the governor’s desk, amending the charter of the Town of Tazewell to ease residency requirements for its town manager.
- Loudoun: 55% of Cited Data Centers Sit Within 200 Feet of Homes
Unconstrained Demand’s Fairfax proximity stats — 55% within 200 feet, 70% within 500 feet — show how Democrat land-use permissions put industrial campuses into residential buffers statewide.
- State regulators to allow part of NextEra’s political past to be examined in Dominion merger case
Virginia State Corporation Commission allows new documents in the Dominion-NextEra merger case.
- Survey Finds Majority of Virginia Families With Children Face Food Insecurity
State-commissioned poll fills gap left by ended USDA hunger survey; food banks report rising demand and thinner donations.
- Early voting begins in Virginia, as Trump mail-ballot restrictions remain blocked
Early voting for the Nov. 3 midterm elections begins Friday, with a U.S. Senate race, all 11 congressional seats, three proposed constitutional amendments and numerous local referendums on ballots across the commonwealth.
- Virginia House Bill 1181 Broadens Special Event Rules for Nonprofit Alcohol Sales
A Virginia measure to expand the definition of special events under alcoholic beverage control for nonprofit concession operators advances to carry-over status for the 2027 session.
- Central Virginia Lined Up for 290+ Data Centers — Spreading Loudoun’s Fight Down the I-95 Corridor
Unconstrained Demand says Central Virginia expects 290-plus campuses that would rival Northern Virginia’s hubs, with statewide tallies near 1,300 facilities and 390 million square feet as Democrat recruitment goes statewide.
- Fairfax County Waste Reserves Near Depletion Ahead of Projected Deficit
Fairfax County public works officials report that reserve funds cushioning trash disposal tip fees are exhausting, creating an estimated six-million-dollar shortfall in fiscal 2028 that is expected to widen.
- Delegate Questions Nitrous Oxide as Third-Ranked Misused Substance
Virginia Delegate Williams pressed a bill patron in Criminal Subcommittee on claims that nitrous oxide ranks third in misuse behind marijuana and cocaine.
- Virginia Delegate Cites Housing Crisis in Subcommittee Push to Advance Measure
Delegate Keys-Gamarra signals willingness to move a housing-related proposal while insisting court access must be preserved.
- Virginia’s Data-Center Boom Runs on Water and Diesel: Loudoun’s Billion Gallons and 8,910 Generators
Unconstrained Demand tallies Loudoun data centers above 1 billion gallons of water in 2023, statewide use above 2.1 billion, and 8,910 mostly Tier 2 diesel generators permitted for up to 500 hours a year.
- Senate Bill Seeks to Add Fairfax County to Virginia Casino-Eligible Localities
Legislation would permit Fairfax County to pursue a casino through local referendum with authority expiring in 2029 if unused.
- Virginia Lawmakers Advance Rebuttable Presumption for Trafficking Victims in Criminal Cases
Criminal subcommittee considers amendment easing proof burden for human trafficking survivors with official documentation.
- Virginia Civil Subcommittee Weighs Broader Digital Replica Protections
Lawmakers examine two complementary bills on AI-generated voice and likeness replicas, with one measure extending civil liability and post-mortem rights further than the other.
- Governor Spanberger Celebrates Virginia Wine Month, Invites Virginians to Support Local Growers
RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today is celebrating the start of Virginia Wine Month and inviting Virginians to support the growers, winemakers, and small businesses that make the industry an important part of local economies and communities across the Commonwealth.
- Abigail Spanberger Signs Executive Order 22 on Data Center Accountability and AI Task Force
Governor Abigail Spanberger’s Executive Order 22 and 2027 legislative slate target NDAs, local approval for large loads, noise and backup power, and an AI task force—without a statewide moratorium.
- Dinwiddie Residents Grill Haven Oak Data-Center Developers on Water, Power, and Battlefield Land
Tract’s ~1,000-acre campus proposal draws sharp Q&A at VSU as the company pivots to closed-loop cooling and drops buildings over a Civil War battlefield core.
- Virginia Warned in 1999 That Power-Line Easements Leave Landowners Paying for Residue Damage
RICHMOND — Long before Data Center Alley turned Northern Virginia into a magnet for 500 kV and 765 kV corridors, the General Assembly already knew what transmission easements do to private land.
- Meeting Unconstrained Virginia Data-Center Power Demand Will Be “Very Difficult” — Households Face Rising System Costs
December 2024 JLARC Report 598 finds unconstrained demand could double Virginia power need in a decade, new build rates look unachievable, and Dominion residential customers could see $14–$37 more per month in generation and transmission costs by 2040.
- Democrat CA Called Laken Riley Act a “Heinous Bill,” Said Murder Had Nothing to Do With Immigration
House Judiciary report: Parisa Dehghani-Tafti stood by calling the bipartisan Laken Riley Act “heinous” and said Laken’s murder was unrelated to immigration — while the killer was an illegal alien released in sanctuary jurisdictions.
- Loudoun’s Substation Swarm: 95 Existing or Proposed, 30–40 More Coming — Every Data-Center Vote Becomes a Wires Vote
County presentations tied to Aspen put Loudoun near a hundred substations with dozens more planned; Democrat supervisors admit approving a campus means approving the substation and line that follow.