Politics

Senate Democrats killed three bills that would have restricted abortion, including a 15-week abortion ban that was one of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s key legislative priorities for this year.

Move announced Thursday by chair, who says Democrats can’t connect to rural voters because they don’t understand importance of guns to voters.

Gov. Youngkin has been working with Republican legislators to draft an abortion bill that could pass a divided legislature since Roe v. Wade fell. Senate Democrats, who hold a 22-18 majority, say all restrictions to abortion will be a non-starter for them.

This week in the General Assembly, Virginia Democrats refused to eliminate the grocery tax, and a House committee rejected a proposal to make Giles County, Pulaski County and Petersburg eligible for tobacco revitalization funds.

Two Democrats and two Republicans are now running for the seat, which has no incumbent.

The new Opioid Abatement Authority is extending an incentive for localities to follow “Gold Standard” restrictions that would require localities to exclusively fund evidence-based efforts that treat, prevent, or reduce opioid use.

Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority starts accepting applications from localities for the first round of settlement money it controls on Thursday. The authority was created by the General Assembly in 2021 to administer money from settlements relating to selling or distributing opioids.

As Democrats roll out a slate of gun safety measures, Republicans appear unwilling to even consider compromise.

The General Assembly hasn’t changed what court-appointed lawyers are paid in 23 years. That translates to poor representation and support for parents, particularly in rural areas.

The lawsuit, filed Friday, seeks a civil penalty of $32,500 per day for each violation of the state’s environmental laws and regulations.