Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks with reporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats on Thursday began coalescing behind Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to provide assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan through a series of three bills, though far-right members of his own party grew increasingly frustrated with the Louisianan’s bipartisan streak. Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is leading an effort to remove Johnson as speaker, told report ..read more

A row of backpacks at a Virginia school. (Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury) Two Virginia school divisions are slated to launch a pilot program intended to help reduce youth involvement in gangs and violent behaviors with guns but it’s unclear if the initiative will be fully funded, as lawmakers go back to the drawing board to work up a new state spending plan. On April 2, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed legislation to create the Community Builders Pilot Program that will start with Roanoke and Petersburg City Public Schools students entering the eighth grade.  Pupils in both districts face hi ..read more

File cabinets. (Getty) One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in practice take the opposite stance, acting as if records are by default private and the public must prove they should be handled otherwise. In this feature, we aim to highlight the frequency with which officials aroun ..read more

The state Capitol. (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • “Virginia lawmakers call on USPS to address mail delivery issues ahead of 2024 election.”—WRIC • “STD-riddled ‘zombie’ cicadas are coming to Virginia.”—Axios Richmond • “More insurance companies predicted to drop Va. & N.C. customers, experts say.”—WTKR • “Virginia man ousted from militia charged with making deadly toxin.”—Washington Post • “In segregated Roanoke, Black and white churchgoers gather to study the Bible — and find ways to improve the city.”—Roanoke Rambler The post Zombie cicadas coming to Virginia and more state headlines a ..read more

PFAS are showing up in water systems across the U.S. (Peter Cade/Getty Images) Chemists invented PFAS in the 1930s to make life easier: Nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant carpet were all made possible by PFAS. But in recent years, the growing number of health risks found to be connected to these chemicals has become increasingly alarming. PFAS — perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are now either suspected or known to contribute to thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, liver damage and cancer, among other health issues. They ca ..read more

Malek Hajar, senior project manager at the Vanbarton Group, shows a bathroom inside a model apartment while touring a New York City high-rise undergoing conversion from commercial to residential apartments in April 2023. States are stepping in with tax breaks and zoning changes to help cities and suburbs replace vacant office space with much-needed housing. (Bebeto Matthews/The Associated Press) Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the country are trying to create more affordable housing. HERNDON, Va. — Juan Ramirez, watching his dog play in Chandon Park here ..read more

Gov. Glenn Youngkin was joined by Democratic and Republican leaders from both chambers in the Capitol’s rotunda on April 17. (Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury) Gov. Glenn Youngkin and lawmakers have agreed to work together on the biennium budget, after clashing for weeks over two distinctly different spending plans. A special session will be held on May 13, Youngkin and lawmakers in both chambers announced Wednesday, to consider the revamped budget and prevent a shutdown ahead of July 1, when the current budget expires. On Wednesday, the House of Delegates voted to reject all 233 of the gover ..read more

Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, spoke to reporters at the Capitol while surrounded by skill game supporters who back the legalization bill he's sponsoring. (Graham Moomaw/Virginia Mercury) The fate of slots-like skill games in Virginia convenience stores and truck stops remained in limbo Wednesday as the state Senate voted to reject Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s sweeping changes to a proposal to legalize and tax the gambling machines. The Senate voted 34-6 to reject the governor’s tougher amendments to the bill, sending the legislation back to Youngkin in its original form. Virginia lawmakers re ..read more

The state Capitol. (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • “Virginia to require a doctor on-site at all hospitals with emergency rooms by 2025.”—WRIC • “Amazon HQ2 was supposed to add jobs last year. It shed them instead.”—Washington Post • “Affordable housing advocates rally outside Alexandria City Hall.”—ALXnow • “The Virginia Tech community gathers to remember the 32 victims of 2007 shooting.”—WDBJ • “Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel celebrates 60 years since opening to traffic”—WAVY GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUBSCRIBE The post Hospital emergency rooms must have on-site do ..read more

The Virginia Capitol (Graham Moomaw/Virginia Mercury) The debate over how high taxes need to be to properly fund core government services is a more normal topic than many of the hyperpartisan culture war issues that now dominate politics. But the budget battle playing out between Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Democratic-led General Assembly is anything but routine. One day before state lawmakers were set to return to Richmond to take up Youngkin’s amendments and vetoes, House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, posted a campaign-style video accusing Youngkin of standing in the way of a bipartisan ..read more