McDonnell Proclaims Disabilities Awareness Month
Region: Virginia
Samantha Morgan Capital News Service RICHMOND – Twenty-six years ago, then-President Ronald Reagan issued a national proclamation naming March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This year, Gov. Bob McDonnell made a similar declaration in Virginia. “As people with developmental disabilities successfully engage in these aspects of society and live more productive, fuller lives in their ... more
Views: 669Bill Would Make Parental Rights ‘Fundamental’
Region: VirginiaBy Shelby Mertens Capital News Service RICHMOND – A divided House of Delegates this week passed a bill formally declaring that parents have “a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control” of their children. The House approved the bill 70-30, with Republicans overwhelmingly for it and Democrats generally against it. The Senate previously split along party li... more
Views: 577Senate OK’s Letting Governor Serve 2 Terms
Region: VirginiaBy Shelby Mertens Capital News Service RICHMOND – Starting in 2017, Virginia voters could have the opportunity to re-elect the governor to a second consecutive term if the House joins the Senate in seeking to amend the state’s Constitution. The Senate this week approved a proposed constitutional amendment to allow governors to serve two terms in a row. The vote was 25-15. Sen. Thomas Garre... more
Views: 485I-64 May Get Millions to Ease Congestion
Region: VirginiaBy Shelby Mertens Capital News Service RICHMOND – Gov. Bob McDonnell’s transportation budget would provide millions of dollars for road and rail projects along Interstate 64 from Newport News to Richmond to ease traffic congestion. According to McDonnell’s office, his transportation budget would allocate $64 million for reconstructive paving and $85 million for capacity impr... more
Views: 739Biden Invites VCU into National Discussion
Region: Virginia
By Mechelle Hankerson Capital News Service RICHMOND – While Virginia Commonwealth University isn’t the center of the gun debate triggered by December’s school shootings in Connecticut, Vice President Joe Biden got VCU’s help Friday in continuing the national dialogue on the matter. In the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Biden assembled a panel of White... more
Views: 844In Gun Debate, Legislators Target Mental Health
Region: VirginiaBy Alix Hines Capital News Service RICHMOND – Virginia’s General Assembly is focused on preventing campus shootings like the one at Virginia Tech, but gun control is only one segment of the issue. Before the Tech shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, purchased a gun, he was a mental health outpatient. He was able to obtain the weapon only because he had not been admitted into a mental health insti... more
Views: 661Vice President Biden Discusses Guns at VCU
Region: Virginia
By Katherine Johnson Capital News Service RICHMOND – Vice President Joe Biden held a round-table discussion about gun violence Friday at Virginia Commonwealth University, saying “we cannot remain silent” on the issue. The discussion was closed to the public, but in his closing remarks, Biden said the panel discussed universal background checks, gun safety, gun trafficking and the ... more
Views: 831National Day of Service ‘Not Just This One Day’
Region: Virginia
By Alix Hines and Katherine Johnson Capital News Service RICHMOND – When Ashley Pelli decided to teach to her home-schooled daughter the importance of citizenship, she found the best way to do it was by example. Pelli chose to start by helping homeless and transient people. “You could hand them some change, but they’re still out on the street the next day,” she said. So Pelli ... more
Views: 732Gubernatorial Candidates Even in Fundraising
Region: VirginiaBy Katherine Johnson Capital News Service RICHMOND – Less than $150,000 separates Virginia’s two candidates for governor, according to campaign finance reports filed by Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli and his Democratic challenger, Terry McAuliffe. Cuccinelli ended the year with $1.2 million in his campaign war chest, while McAuliffe had a little over $1 million, according to finance reports posted b... more
Views: 400Shakespeare Festival May Get Boost from State
Region: Virginia
By Shelby Mertens Capital News Service RICHMOND – A bill introduced by Sen. Thomas Norment, R-Williamsburg, would designate the Virginia Shakespeare Festival in Williamsburg as the official Shakespeare Festival of Virginia, in hopes of increasing tourism to the area. The bill comes as the festival prepares to mark its 35th anniversary this summer. Over the years, more than 300,000 people have att... more
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