This time of year, there is a ton of news about the Virginia general assembly. Bills being proposed, bills being passed through committee, and soon, crossover! If this has you spelunking into the depths of your high school civics class, we are here to give you a refresh! We’ll talk about the history of the General Assembly, how a bill becomes a law, and give you some tips for processing legislative news.

Sources: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/the-constitution-of-virginia-1776/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virginia_state_legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/full-and-part-time-legislatures
https://virginiamercury.com/2024/02/23/senate-bill-on-personal-use-of-campaign-cash-heads-to-house-panel-that-killed-it-before/ https://virginiamercury.com/2024/04/17/virginia-legislature-will-consider-reworked-state-budget-in-may-13-special-session/ https://www.wvtf.org/news/2024-05-13/virginia-house-and-senate-pass-youngkin-signs-budget-in-special-session https://www.wvtf.org/news/2024-05-20/the-general-assembly-is-technically-still-in-session
https://dpb.virginia.gov/about/history.cfm

Every state in the US regulates alcohol and liquor in a different way. Their right to do so is even enshrined in the US Constitution! So how did Virginia’s Alcohol and Beverage Control Authority come about? Why is liquor only sold in ABC stores? And is it true that Virginia doesn’t have any bars? Resources: 90 Years of VABC magazine article: https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/2024-Q1-Spirited-VA/index.php#/p/16

Titos is Virginia’s Favorite Spirit: https://www.abc.virginia.gov/about/media-room/2024/20241122-titos-continues-reign-as-virginians-favorite-spirit Americans buy more liquor in December: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/03/10-facts-about-americans-and-alcohol-as-dry-january-begins/ DC Grocery Story liquor sales: https://abca.dc.gov/page/full-service-grocery-store#gsc.tab=0

Why is liquor sold in different stores? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/31/nyregion/liquor-law-wine-supermarkets.html

A history of Prohibition in VA https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/culture-features/2023/11/14/drinking-in-history-a-look-back-at-virginias-past-90-years-post-prohibition/ VABC Underage Buyer Program: https://www.abc.virginia.gov/enforcement/uab-program

Virginia Restaurant law: https://virginiamercury.com/2018/10/02/where-did-virginias-food-to-liquor-ratio-come-from-and-does-it-still-serve-a-purpose/ VABC Hearing outcomes: https://www.abc.virginia.gov/enforcement/hearings-and-appeals/final-decisions

44% of all renters in Virginia pay more than 30% of their income in rent and the average rent in the US has gone up 19% since 2019. So what is Virginia doing about it? What’s the role of state government in affordable housing policy? The Democrat-controlled General Assembly and the Republican Youngkin administration have managed to pass some affordable housing legislation over the past 3 years. Has affordable housing become a bipartisan issue in Virginia? To answer these questions, I have a couple experts on the podcast, Christie Marra is the Director of Housing Advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Overton McGehee, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Virginia. Read more: December 2021 “Affordable Housing in Virginia” Report by the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission https://jlarc.virginia.gov/landing-2021-affordable-housing-in-virginia.asp

More than 4 million people voted in Virginia and on this episode we break down those results from the top of the ticket down to the upcoming General Assembly special elections. We also discuss the controversial purge of voters days before the election, other voting access issues and the end of gerrymandering in Virginia. Our guests are Nathan Moore, former host of Bold Dominion and local and state government nerd. He’s joined by Michael Pope, a journalist who’s been covering Virginia and Virginia politics for over 15 years and the host of Virginia politics podcast, Pod Virginia. Never heard of Pod Virginia? Check it out! https://podvirginia.com/ This episode was recorded on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

Check out Virginia Outdoor Adventures! https://virginiaoutdooradventures.com/

US Senator Tim Kaine has covered 1,222 miles of Virginia’s trails, rivers and scenic roadways as part of what he calls “The Virginia Triathlon.” The Virginia Triathlon is a challenge to hike the Appalachian trail from the northern border of Virginia to the southern border, to cycle the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive and to paddle the James River from it’s origin at Clifton Forge all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. Hear about his journey and how his outdoor endeavors have informed his career in politics and public service on this episode of Virginia Outdoor Adventures. Episode Notes

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Solar has been getting a lot of attention in the past couple years and counties across Virginia have been passing stringent regulations on new solar developments. This week we spoke with Dr. Lee Daniels, Professor Emeritus of Land Rehabilitation and Dr. Ryan D. Stewart, Professor of Soil Physics & Hydrology, both at Virginia Tech about the effects of solar farms on the land and soil. And in the second half of the episode, Nathan Moore is back to talk about some other solar farm considerations. Read the white paper: Soil-Site Management Protocols & Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Utility Scale Solar Site (USS) Development and Management in Virginia https://www.deq.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24050/638531957239470000

In 2020, Virginia started on a path to incrementally increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. But this year the governor vetoed the annual increase. In this episode, we talk with Levi Goren, Director of Research & Education Policy at the Commonwealth Institute, about what the minimum wage is, how it is related to inflation, and who is impacted by its stagnation. Read Levi’s article: https://thecommonwealthinstitute.org/research/12-is-not-enough-virginia-policymakers-must-act-on-the-minimum-wage/