In a nod to the political reality that the Virginia General Assembly is unlikely to legalize retail sales of marijuana this session, a Republican lawmaker encouraged his colleagues to just ask the state’s Cannabis Control Authority to start drawing up rules for a retail marketplace that legislators could look at next year.
Even if the bills pass the Democratic Senate, they appear doomed to failure based on recent no votes in Republican-controlled committees in the House of Delegates.
The current law lists 16 categories of workers not subject to the state increases, including those under the age of 16 and those younger than 18 who are enrolled in school full-time while working less than 20 hours per week.
Ahead of the start of the 2023 Virginia General Assembly, state lawmakers are pitching their bills to the public, and hoping for support across the aisle.
The Virginia Department of Education says the proposed History and Social Science Standard of Learning tells "a more complete story" about the past and how it shaped the commonwealth.
Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears argues that the recently introduce HB1508 which would redirect federal dollars from public schools to parents, would give parents more freedom and funding to decide what's best for their child's education.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited western Virginia Thursday, touting his plans for additional tax relief and pitching other priorities for the General Assembly session that starts on Wednesday.
Advocates for marijuana reform are hoping legislation introduced this week will win support from Democrats, Republicans and ultimately Governor Glenn Youngkin.