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Proposed energy reforms heading to Northam; some lawmakers concerned about cost to ratepayers
March 16, 2020News ClipA sweeping package of energy reforms meant to usher Virginia toward renewable energy is headed to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk, even as concerns over the cost to ratepayers linger.
State lawmakers cleared the Virginia Clean Economy Act on Friday, which requires that by 2045, all of the energy sold by the state’s electric utilities comes from renewable sources like wind and solar. The measure is Senate Bill 851.
Read moreArlington centenarian wins accolades for her zest for life
March 16, 2020News Clip
Before wrapping up its 2020 session, the House of Delegates lauded a century of achievement from an Arlington resident.
The lower house of the legislature saluted Hattie Jones, who turned 100 years old last September and, for the past four decades, has been an institution at Army Navy Country Club, where she works as a greeter and coatroom attendant.
Read moreVirginia lawmakers pass major renewable energy legislation
March 13, 2020News ClipRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia House and Senate passed sweeping energy legislation Tuesday that would overhaul how Virginia’s utilities generate electricity and, supporters say, move the state from the back of the pack to the forefront of renewable energy policy in the United States.
Critics, though, warned that the legislation, drafted privately by a group that included industry representatives and environmental advocates, strips state regulators of some oversight and leaves ratepayers on the hook for what could be excessive costs.
Read moreVirginia becomes the first state in the South to target 100% clean power
March 13, 2020News ClipThe state’s Democratic majority is doing what Democratic majorities do.
Over the last decade or so, Virginia has gradually transitioned from a purple to blue state. Now it will embark on another transition, from fossil fuels to clean, carbon-free electricity.
After voting for Republican presidents going back to Richard Nixon in 1972, Virginians began consistently voting for Democrats for president in 2008. And they have a long tradition of Democratic governors, the latest being pediatric neurologist and Army veteran Ralph Northam, elected in 2017.
Read moreVirginia Senate committee advances slew of conformed gun-control bills
March 13, 2020News ClipSeveral House-passed gun-control bills advanced out the Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, including red-flag laws, expanded background checks and restrictions on minors having access to weapons.
Both chambers passed their own versions of red-flag laws and expanded background-check laws, but the Judiciary Committee advanced substitute versions of these bills that conform them to substitute versions that advanced out of the House Public Safety Committee last week, making the language consistent in both chambers.
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