Politics

Here’s how some of the legislators from Southwest and Southside view the session so far.

Scenes from this year’s session, captured by the legendary Richmond photographer.

Here’s the status of some key legislation.

Legislation that supporters say would help Appalachian Power customers facing continually increasing monthly bills has cleared both the House of Delegates and Senate, with some differences between the two versions.

A solar-energy bill by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, that sparked an hourlong debate among more than a dozen senators on Monday was passed by on Tuesday, essentially killing it for the year.

When then-Sen. Frank Ruff was diagnosed with cancer, he persuaded Mulchi to run to fill the Southside Virginia seat.

After an approximately hourlong debate on the Senate floor, a bill from Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, was killed, but that vote was later set aside to reconsider the bill. Deeds noted that he had “never brought a bill that caused so much consternation for this body.”

The House and Senate both proposed $25 million for Helene recovery — down from Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s $127 million. The legislature also proposes to redirect money from lab schools to other priorities.

The bill was requested by Bristol officials searching for a way to deal with the blighted campus of the former Virginia Intermont College, much of which was destroyed in a December fire.

If the federal government’s share of funding Medicaid expansion in Virginia is cut from 90% to 50%, that would leave the state to make up for a new $2.5 billion cost annually, Sen. Creigh Deeds said.