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Virginia congressional redistricting blocked again
An injunction and promise to appeal have already come out of the second lawsuit attempting to stop Virginia's constitutional amendment special election scheduled for April 21 on congressional redistricting. Sixth District Rep. Ben Cline, the Republican National Committee and other Republicans filed a lawsuit in the Tazewell County Circuit Court on Feb. 18 to halt a Democratic attempt at redrawing the map. The complaint asked the court to: Enter an injunction requiring the state to prevent early voting in the election beginning March 6 and instead push it to at least April 16. ...
Former Tea Partier running for Congress makes case to Nelson County voters
Rob Tracinski, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Virginia's 5th Congressional District, told Nelson County voters on Feb. 6 that he will be dedicated to restoring the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch if elected in November. Tracinski was the first Democratic candidate for the 5th District to speak at a town hall organized by the Nelson County Democratic Committee.
Virginia bill would ban noncompete clauses for health care professionals
A proposal moving through the Virginia General Assembly would ban noncompete agreements for doctors, nurses and other licensed health care professionals, a change supporters said could help keep clinicians in communities that are already facing shortages. Noncompete clauses that limit where a clinician can work after leaving a job, particularly preventing them from going to work for local competitors, have become routine language in many health care contracts. Under the measure, employers could no longer enforce noncompete clauses with health care professionals licensed, registered or certified by state regulatory boards.
Virginia Gov. Spanberger to deliver Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the official Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week, congressional leaders announced Thursday, elevating the first-term governor to one of her party’s most prominent national platforms. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Spanberger will give the rebuttal Tuesday, Feb. 24. They also announced that U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California will deliver the Spanish-language response. “We are at a defining moment in our nation’s history,” Spanberger said in a statement Thursday.
Latest congressional map would move 63,000 Chesapeake residents to new district
The Senate voted Thursday to pass an amended version of the proposed redistricting map. The changes would modify two congressional districts in Hampton Roads from the original plan. The original proposed map would keep the 2nd District, currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, visually similar to the existing lines but with some new areas of Chesapeake pulled from the heavily Democratic 3rd District.
Court halts April 21 redistricting vote, siding with RNC and GOP lawmakers
A Tazewell County Circuit Court judge on Thursday granted an emergency injunction blocking what Republicans call an unlawful April 21 redistricting referendum while the case is heard in court. Chief Judge Jack Hurley issued a temporary restraining order barring state and local election officials from moving forward with the planned vote. The move handed the plaintiffs in the case — the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and U.S. Reps. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt County, and Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, — a brief reprieve in a high-stakes fight that could reshape Virginia’s congressional map ahead of the midterms.
Arlington loses Boeing’s defense HQ to St. Louis
Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security headquarters is leaving Crystal City after nine years. The aerospace and defense company announced the move Wednesday, citing a desire to be “present and engaged with teammates who are designing, producing and delivering vital defense and space products and capabilities.” The St. Louis region is home to about 18,000 Boeing employees. The company did not say how many employees, if any, would relocate from here. According to Defense One, Boeing plans to keep its global headquarters in Arlington, where it has been based since 2022.
Kaigler: Why public guardianships need to be expanded in Virginia
What responsibility do we have to our fellow Virginians? What about our neighbors who no longer have agency or were never able to fully care for themselves? One answer is that we, collectively as a society, have a duty to care for those who cannot care for themselves. The concept that society is defined by how we treat the least among us is a popular moral and political maxim expressed by many, including Thomas Jefferson and Mahatma Gandhi.
Yancey: Study shows economic impact of Tech biomedical operations in Roanoke more than doubled in 8 years
In 2018, when the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine was named the university’s ninth college, a study found that Tech’s biomedical complex in Roanoke accounted for $214 million worth of economic impact. Further, that report — prepared by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia — predicted that its economic impact would more than double in eight years to $465 million. That seemed a pretty heady goal back then. Those eight years have now passed. A new study, this one by a Kansas City-based consultant, finds that Tech’s Roanoke Valley operations have met that target — and exceeded it.
Hanover planning commission defers vote on 430-acre data center project
A data center project that would rise on Mountain Road in Hanover has hit a speed bump as it moves through the county’s zoning approval process. The Hanover County Planning Commission on Thursday deferred its vote on a proposal by Denver-based developer Tract to rezone nearly 430 acres for a data center campus at 13074 Mountain Road and 12517 Winns Church Road. Dubbed the Mountain Road Technology Park, the master-planned park would accommodate “multiple data centers and supporting uses, including substations,” according to a Hanover staff report. It is anticipated to be a 900-megawatt project.