Virginia
Food prices are high. To help, states are cutting the grocery tax.
The number of states that still tax groceries is shrinking. Voters in two states will decide in November whether to join a movement away from the sales tax.
Amid increases in evictions, cities are turning to right-to-counsel programs
Richmond, Virginia, is the latest city to try providing lawyers for tenants facing eviction if they can't afford one. The approach has shown success in keeping people in their homes.
Ballot questions tackle high property taxes that come with rising home values
Colorado’s new cap on property tax revenue isn’t enough for some activists. Conservatives elsewhere agree.
So your school wants to ban cellphones. Now what?
Whether they use Yondr to secure devices or send students to their lockers, educators are finding that setting policy is easy. Enforcement is hard.
New bans on panhandling in medians spark debate over free speech rights
The efforts to pass pans have grown amid a nationwide homelessness crisis, with more people visibly soliciting money in the streets, and higher pedestrian deaths compared with before the pandemic.
Data centers demand a massive amount of energy. Here’s how some states are tackling the industry’s impact.
As the draw on the grid from these computer warehouses undergoes explosive growth, states that offer tax exemptions to support the industry are considering whether their approach still makes sense.
Efforts to release prisoners from long sentences draw new interest
As America’s prison population both ages and increases, the “second look” movement has gained interest as a way to reduce overcrowding and potentially save money. But some say the laws could retraumatize crime victims and further burden a strained court system.
The fuzzy line between sports betting and fantasy games
Several states have already clamped down on fantasy apps for getting too close to sports betting. Virginia could be next.
The surging demand for data is guzzling Virginia’s water
The commonwealth is home to the data center capital of the world. Can it handle AI's thirst?
Data for dementia: State’s brain health registry helps prep for an aging population
The Virginia Memory Project will catalog dementia cases and caregiving needs to inform policy and programming for aging adults.
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Virginia's 'tech tax' ignites debate on business taxes
Many states are extending sales tax to digital services, but the Virginia Senate’s attempt to expand it to cover business-to-business transactions raised eyebrows.
Is the US privacy policy good enough?
COMMENTARY | A disjointed approach plagued by compromises is making American data privacy policy more complicated and less effective in delivering the protections people desperately want and need to see.
Without good data, government AI tools will just be 'garbage in, garbage out'
Virginia’s chief data officer recently shared what his state is doing to ensure quality data and warned that artificial intelligence is only as good as the information it has to work with.
What to watch for in Tuesday’s high-stakes elections
Abortion rights are playing a pivotal role in elections in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
A Richmond program to reduce gun violence has had rare success. Now it’s expanding.
Research shows that 76% of its nearly 2,000 participants were less likely to be readmitted to the hospital for gun violence.
Rethinking engagement to support a rapidly growing older adult population
COMMENTARY | Having a reliable, evidence-based planning process can significantly impact how state governments address the immediate needs of their aging residents while planning for the future.
Are tax incentives boons or boondoggles?
Though there’s lots of evidence that the economic development tool may not be effective, it is still in wide use. Fortunately, there are ways to control the potential waste of taxpayer dollars.
Virginia Gives Its Transit Agencies Access to Planning Software
The software helps agencies find gaps in their transportation networks and understand where service can be added or refined. It can also analyze demographic data to ensure that service is as equitable as possible.
Officials Tout Data Centers’ Economic Benefits
Amazon said its facilities in Virginia paid more than $300 million in taxes last year alone, and local leaders said the campuses contribute to economic development.
Shared Power Used to be the Norm in Statehouses. Now It’s Nearly Extinct
State government control is split between the parties in only 10 states—the fewest since 1952.
