Opinion

UVa workers deserve a seat at the table and a chance to negotiate for fair working hours and workplace protections. Unfortunately, state employees are barred from engaging in collective bargaining.

This referendum is not a technical matter. It goes to the heart of whether voters or politicians will shape Virginia’s future. And it carries particular weight for Southwest, Southside Virginia and the Valley where communities that already feel overlooked by Richmond are being told “sit back and take it” while disenfranchising their voice.

We witness politicians aligned with President Donald Trump attempting to redraw congressional maps mid-decade — not in response to community needs or census requirements, but to manipulate political outcomes. This tactic, driven by self-interest, threatens the very foundation of our democracy. 

The bill would have clarified Virginia law so that corrections officers, when killed in the line of duty, would be recognized with the same legal protections as other law enforcement officers under Virginia’s aggravated murder statute. It passed the House but not the Senate.

The Virginia Supreme Court this week cleared the way for the special election but has said it will rule after the votes are counted April 21 whether this was a lawful referendum.

Here’s an update on some bills that haven’t gotten much, or any attention, so far.

A mandatory statewide system does not recognize existing agreements, local experimentation or good-faith efforts already underway. It replaces collaboration with compulsion.

The House and Senate are at odds over whether to do away with the state’s tax abatement for data centers.

Many people may not be familiar with these games — they’re certainly not household names like FanDuel and DraftKings that have blanketed the airwaves for years — but for 300,000 Virginia adults who love these games, they are a safe and fun outlet for free and low-cost online entertainment.