Following the Money from High-Interest Lenders to Virginia Lawmakers
Campaign cash helps undermine efforts to create consumer protections.
Recent years have seen increased scrutiny of high-interest lenders, businesses that offer a variety of loans at interest rates that often exceed 300 percent. Now campaign finance disclosures show the industry is spreading its influence across the political spectrum with about $800,000 in political contributions this election cycle according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.
On the Ballot
A look at statewide candidates and where they get their money.
Voters across Virginia will be headed to the polls Tuesday Nov. 7. Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot.
Shifting Political Battlefield for Virginia General Assembly
Solid blue urban areas separated by political beltway from solid red exurbs.
Northern Virginia has more competitive seats than any other part of the commonwealth, a ring of districts that forms a beltway of sorts separating the inner solid blue in Arlington and Alexandria from the solid red in rural and exurban seats in Loudoun and Prince William. That puts Fairfax County squarely in the driver’s seat this November, when Democrats hope to pick up seats in an election that has balanced local issues like schools and roads with the ongoing reaction to President Donald Trump.
House District 40 Shows Republicans Still Competitive in Clinton Districts
Democratic newcomer Donte Tanner faces uphill climb against incumbent Tim Hugo.
Democrats are energized, and they’re targeting Republican-held House districts that Hillary Clinton won last year. But House District 40 shows what an uphill climb this year will be for them.
Rorschach Politics
Candidates for governor present inkblots on everything from the economy to Confederate statues.
The campaign for governor is a bit like a Rorschach test as the candidates close in on the final stretch toward Election Day. Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie are presenting a series of inkblots to voters about everything from the health of the economy to the value of Confederate statues.
Democratic-Endorsed School Board Candidate Wins
Keys-Gamarra overcomes Republican-advantage in low-turnout August.
Guardian ad litem and Fairfax County Planning Commission member Karen Keys-Gamarra swamped Republican Chris Grisafe and two other candidates in a special election this week, one that Democrats say is a sign of strength for their party heading into the fall.
Era of the Iron Fist: How Did Democrats Rule the House of Delegates?
Democrats complain about Republican heavy-handedness, but were they any better?
Democrats complain that Republicans are sidelining their bills without much consideration. But were Democrats any better when they had control of the House of Delegates?
Angry Birds on the Road: Lawmakers to Crack Down on On-the-Road Screen Time
Texting while driving is already illegal, but what about all the other screen time?
Lawmakers in Richmond are a bunch of angry birds, frustrated at existing law they believe does not solve the problem of drivers devoting their attention to their handheld screen instead of the road.
Angry Birds on the Road: Lawmakers Want to Crack Down on Screen Time
Texting while driving is already illegal, but what about Facebook and Twitter?
Lawmakers in Richmond are a bunch of angry birds, frustrated at existing law they believe does not solve the problem of drivers devoting their attention to their handheld screen instead of the road.
RA Divided On Lake Anne Dock Revitalization
Lake Anne Dock Revitalization Debated
The Reston Association needs to replace its aging dock at Lake Anne Village Center, but its Board of Directors were divided on how to move forward with the work during its last meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.
Victims of Tribe-For-Rent Scam to Get $15 Million Payout in Settlement Agreement
15,000 Virginia victims get $6 million worth of predatory loans absolved, $9 million in cash awards.
The commercial features images of teepees and a tribal drumbeat. The company billed itself as having ties to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. But Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring says that was nothing more than a fraud, a scheme he calls rent-a-tribe.
Fairfax: Board Approves 2018-2022 Capital Improvement Program
Five-year plan includes three new elementary schools and one new high school.
This year, Fairfax County Public Schools experienced one of the smallest annual enrollment increases in nearly a decade: 1,368 students, compared to the average of 2,400 since the 2008-09 school year, bringing the total to 187,202.
Anti-Immigration Ban Rallies Held at Dulles
Demonstrators, volunteer attorneys and elected officials welcome travelers, extend help detainees.
Demonstrations sprang up at airports around the United States over the weekend, following an Executive Order by President Donald Trump that blocks travelers from seven largely Muslim countries — Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia — in the interests of more significant vetting and preventing would-be terrorists from entering the country.
Bipartisan Agreement Forged in House Panel on Reducing Suspended Driver’s Licenses
Republicans work with Cabinet officials to craft changes to let more people keep drivers licenses.
After Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe called on lawmakers to find a way to restore driver's licenses to people charged with crimes that had nothing to do with driving, Republicans responded. Now both sides are crafting a compromise that could end up being a hallmark of the 2017 session.
Party-Line Vote Protects Child Labor at Tobacco Farms in Virginia
Republican-led House panel kills effort to craft new protections for kids in unrecorded vote.
In an unrecorded party-line vote, House Republicans killed a bill that would have cracked down on child labor at tobacco farms in Virginia.