Jay Jones
- Attorney General Jay Jones Asks Regulators to Reset Clock on Dominion-NextEra Merger
Jones says September supplemental filings — including four-year residential bill credits — create a different $67 billion deal requiring a fresh 180-day State Corporation Commission review period.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wittman and Taylor Clash in VA-01 as National Spotlight Hits Virginia Midterms
Healthcare votes, H.R. 1 fallout and data-center costs define a district Trump won in 2024 but Spanberger carried in 2025.
- Attorney General Jones Says DHS May Have Violated Virginia Election Law
Letter to Homeland Security demands written confirmation and preservation of voter-lookup access logs after a whistleblower report.
- With United States House control hanging in the balance, Wittman faces Taylor in contentious Virginia-01 race
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, left, is running for reelection in Virginia's 1st Congressional District, as Democratic challenger Shannon Taylor aims to unseat him.
- New guidance limits voting disqualifications to murder, manslaughter convictions
Among Virginians who are no longer incarcerated, only those convicted of murder and voluntary or involuntary manslaughter remain disqualified from voting under new guidance from the Virginia Department of Elections.
- Want to weigh in on the Dominion-NextEra merger? Here’s where public hearings will be held.
Virginia State Corporation Commission members hear testimony concerning Dominion Energy's proposed rate increase and plan to create a new rate class for data centers on September 2, 2025 in Richmond.
- Clean Virginia: NextEra’s utility takeover attempts, alleged political moves relevant to merger case
A protester displays a sign opposing the Dominion-NextEra merger outside the Virginia General Assembly on Aug. 18, 2026.
- Jones Asks SCC to Restart Clock on Dominion-NextEra Merger After New Commitments
Attorney general says expanded bill credits, job protections and a Richmond tower create a different deal that needs fresh notice and discovery.
- Attorney General Jay Jones Asks Regulators to Reset Clock on Dominion-NextEra Merger
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones says the companies’ Sept. 14 supplemental filing is a different deal that should restart the SCC’s 180-day review, potentially pushing a decision into March 2027.
- Elections Department Limits Felony Voting Bars to Murder and Manslaughter
New guidance follows a federal Readmission Act ruling and arrives days before early voting for the Nov. 3 midterms.
- Attorney General Announces 353 Million for Virginia in Meta Child Safety Settlement
The multistate deal requires Instagram and Facebook time limits, nighttime blocks and stronger age checks pending federal court approval.
- Judge John Gibney Upholds Ruling That Virginia Cannot Automatically Strip Felons of Voting Rights
On Monday, a federal court reaffirmed a January ruling that found that Virginia’s current practice of disenfranchising all people with felony convictions violates post-Civil War laws that required former Confederate states to guarantee voting rights for newly emancipated Black re
- Brace yourself for brutal, expensive campaigns in Virginia congressional swing districts this fall
If you live in or near the media markets serving Hampton Roads, the Peninsula up to the Northern Neck and Richmond and its suburbs, prepare for the most acrid, expensive and desperate congressional campaigns you’ve ever endured. Depending on how rancid the winds of current events blowing in from across the Potomac become, you could […]
- Judge affirms ruling in favor of former felons in voting rights lawsuit
Despite winning a lawsuit earlier this year that found that certain Virginians with felony convictions should not have lost their voting rights, some Virginians missed their chance to vote in congressional primary elections earlier this month. But a new ruling from U.S. District Court Judge John Gibney means that they will be able to vote […]
- Hemp businesses ask federal judge to block Virginia’s new THC cap
Seven Virginia hemp businesses are asking a federal judge to block new restrictions on consumable hemp products, arguing the changes will wipe out much of their inventory, trigger layoffs and force some companies to close when they take effect on Aug. 15. The lawsuit, filed July 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Western […]
- Hampton Roads tenants describe landlord’s abuse, retaliation after landmark fair housing settlement
A new settlement with Hampton Roads landlord David Merryman — who is currently serving a 17-year sentence for defrauding the federal government — means several of his former tenants will receive a piece of $2.5 million in financial compensation over the next year. Merryman must sell his Virginia properties, numbering over 60, and can never […]
- Virginia’s Ballooning Budget: Across-the-Board Salary Hikes Threaten Taxpayers
The 2026-2028 biennium budget finalized by Governor Abigail Spanberger and Democratic lawmakers features massive 3.5% annual across-the-board pay raises for state employees. This sweeping compensation package shifts away from previous fiscally conservative proposals and places a heavier, permanent financial burden on Virginia taxpayers. The aggressive spending plan impacts all state agencies and s
- Virginia launches new unit targeting illegal vapes and intoxicants
Virginia is creating an enforcement unit to oversee the rapidly expanding market for vaping products, hemp-derived intoxicants, THC and kratom, consolidating several regulatory responsibilities within the attorney general’s office. Attorney General Jay Jones announced the Regulated Products Enforcement Unit on Thursday, saying it will handle civil enforcement, retail compliance, product directori
- Officials push for transparency on testing around Shoosmith Landfill
Local, state, and federal officials held a closed-door meeting on July 1 to discuss the next steps for managing Shoosmith Landfill in Chesterfield, which is leaking 50,000 gallons a day of toxic leachate and is poised to spur an “environmental catastrophe,” Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, said. Sen. Mike Jones, D-Richmond, on Wednesday stated on Twitter […]
- Virginia joins 21 states in opposing USPS gun mailing proposal
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones on Tuesday joined 21 other states in opposing a proposed United States Postal Service rule that would allow certain firearms to be sent through the mail, warning the change could undermine state gun laws and make it easier for prohibited individuals to obtain weapons. In a multi-state comment letter, the […]
- Virginia joins lawsuit to block EPA rollback of emission standards
Attorney General Jay Jones has joined 13 other attorneys general in a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its proposal to repeal emissions standards for ethylene oxide, or EtO — a chemical often used by commercial sterilization facilities for medical supplies and considered one of the most toxic chemicals regulated under the Clean […]
- Is Dominion’s plan to merge with NextEra good or bad for Virginians?
Man, even the Pope doesn’t like data centers. In his new encyclical on artificial intelligence, Pope Leo XIV laid out the dangers of the mad rush to replace humans with AI. Amid the concerns for the dignity and future of humanity, he took a moment to mention the environmental damage involved: Current AI systems require […]
- Thousands of Virginians will regain the right to vote next month
Virginia resident Tati King, a former felon who helped lead a major lawsuit to win back his and others’ voting rights, stands outside of Virginia’s Capitol. (Photo courtesy of Phuong Tran/ACLU of Virginia) Tati Abu King, who was formerly incarcerated for a felony, has been waiting years to be able to vote again. A court […]
- US Supreme Court decision ends Virginia’s redistricting fight, reshapes 2026 races
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision late Friday to reject Virginia Democrats’ emergency appeal over congressional redistricting effectively ended any remaining effort to revive the state’s redistricting referendum, triggering a wave of Democratic campaign suspensions over the weekend and forcing both parties to quickly regroup ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Several Democrats who launched campa
- Virginia Democrats File Typo-Riddled Motion Seeking U.S. Supreme Court Review After State Court Strikes Down Redistricting Amendment
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Democrats have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a high-stakes redistricting dispute after the Virginia Supreme Court nullified a voter-approved constitutional amendment on procedural grounds, a development that preserves the state’s current congressional maps for the 2026 midterm elections. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on May 8, 2026, […]
- Supreme Court of Virginia strikes down redistricting amendment, keeps current maps in place
The Supreme Court of Virginia in Richmond on April 27, 2026. (Photo by Samantha Willis/Virginia Mercury) The Supreme Court of Virginia on Friday struck down the voter-approved redistricting amendment, upholding a lower court ruling that had declared the measure unconstitutional less than 24 hours after last week’s special election and briefly halted its implementation. The […]
- GOP’s hope to undo Virginia’s new redistricting power grows after judge halts maps
Supreme Court of Virginia in Richmond, Va. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for The Virginia Mercury) After losing Tuesday’s closely watched redistricting referendum, Virginia Republicans are now shifting their focus to the courts, arguing the legal fight — not the ballot box — will ultimately determine whether the measure stands. That legal fight escalated late Wednesday, […]
- Tazewell Circuit Court Blocks Certification of Virginia’s Redistricting Referendum, Ruling Process Unconstitutional
TAZEWELL, Va. — In a dramatic late-day ruling issued Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Tazewell Circuit Court blocked certification of results from Tuesday’s special election on a controversial constitutional amendment aimed at allowing the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts before the next federal census. Chief Judge Jack Hurley reaffirmed earlier findings that both…
- Virginia set to rejoin RGGI as utilities prepare to pass the cost back to ratepayers
A natural gas-fired power plant. (Photo by Getty Images) Virginia is poised to reenter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative this summer, a move that could again add a monthly charge to electricity customers’ bills as utilities resume buying carbon credits. State officials expect the commonwealth to participate in the program’s September auction once regulations to […]
- Virginia Democrats’ 10-1 map proposal heads to Gov. Spanberger’s desk
Virginia’s General Assembly approved a proposal to redraw the congressional map, which favors Democratic candidates for 10 of 11 commonwealth districts. Next stop for the prototype redistricting is the Democratic Governor. Abigail Spanberger’s desk. The governor can sign the entire bill, veto a specific item, amend the legislation, or choose not to act at all. […]
- Jay Jones’s Attorney General Election Could Lead to Virginia Police Exodus, Law Enforcement Leaders Say
Virginia law enforcement leaders fear the election of Jay Jones—who once fantasized about putting “two bullets” in the head of a GOP lawmaker and mused whether more cop-killings would stop officers from shooting people—could harm public safety and may lead to a police exodus across the state. “Some people are going to leave the profession,” […]
- The Political Pendulum Swung Left
The political pendulum swings back and forth and Tuesday it swung hard infavor of the Democrat party. Democrats swept all three top spots inVirginia, aligning with a historical pattern dating back to 1976, where theCommonwealth votes for the opposition party to the party in the White House.This year was no exception but we take comfort […]
- Bar complaints pile up against Jay Jones over violent texts sent to GOP lawmakers
A government watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Virginia State Bar on Tuesday, claiming that Jay Jones (D.), candidate for Virginia attorney general, should lose his license to practice. This is the third petition filed by the group since the release of texts showing Jones fantasizing and wishing the death of a GOP […]
- John Reid’s unconventional campaign
John Reid, Republican candidate for Governor, visited the Roanoke valley last week, and did what few other candidates would do.
- Election 2025: Character Matters Over Party
The Stakes of this Election If the race for Virginia’s next attorney general hasn’t already been decided, what more must a candidate do to disqualify himself. The recent revelations about Democratic nominee Jay Jones are the case in point. His past text messages — violent, crude, and deeply unbecoming of anyone aspiring to be the […]
- Earle-Sears and Spanberger spar over Jones’ text in their one debate
Gubernatorial hopefuls Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears and Abigail Spanberger, former Congresswoman, appeared on stage in person for the first time and probably only time during this election. They answered questions for one hour that ranged from the hated car tax to Jay Jones text messages to the Trump Administration and the ongoing shutdown of the federal government.
- Dominion Electricity Provider Spends More Dollars on Politicians
Dominion Energy Virginia contributed an additional $1 million to Virginia state level politicians as large, late donations for the pre-primary elections.
- Virginia AG candidate Jay Jones puts children in danger of sexual abuse
Jay Jones, the Virginia Democrat candidate for Attorney General, took a stand in public against protecting children who are vulnerable. Jones, as a Virginia Delegate for 2020, voted against some mandatory reporting laws pertaining to sex crimes committed against minors. Jones voted for House bill 257, which removed the requirement that school principals report misdemeanor crime to law enforcement.
- Former Virginia delegate Jay Jones launches second bid for attorney general
Jay Jones, a Democratic former state delegate from Norfolk, on Tuesday announced his bid for Virginia attorney general at two separate events in Norfolk and Richmond. For Jones, who represented the 89th District in the House of Delegates from 2019 to 2021, it marks his second run for his party’s nomination for attorney general. In […]