Politics

The House Appropriations Committee heard testimony yesterday from lawyers representing the General Assembly that the state will not have a mechanism to pay state employees should the General Assembly fail to pass a budget by July 1st. The lawyers told committee members that the Governor does not have the authority, as he has previously suggested, to spend state dollars in the absence of a budget.

Advocates for “smart growth” and local archaeological experts are expressing concerns with Mayor Jones' plan to relocate the Richmond Squirrels to a new stadium in Shockoe Bottom. The Partnership for Smarter Growth has sent a letter to the Jones administration asking them to restart the debate on Shockoe Stadium. They want to see greater transparency and public input on the project.

Republican Delegate Bob Marshall of Prince William has introduced two resolutions of inquiry into the impeachment of Attorney General Mark Herring. Marshall says Herring had no authority to offer in state tuition to children of illegal immigrants with defferred action status and is thwarting the will of the people by arguing against Virginia’s same sex marriage ban and pushing to change the tax code to allow joint filing for same sex couples married in other states.

Governor Terry McAuliffe has taken executive action on several women’s health issues, including instructing the State Board of Health to review controversial new regulations of clinics who provide abortions. The regulations require that such clinics meet the same structural standards as hospitals.