For the last two years, Democrats have controlled Virginia’s state Senate and House of Delegates, and a Democrat has served as governor. The party has used those majorities to reshape the state’s laws. The Dems abolished the death penalty and legalized marijuana. They made it easier to vote in a variety of ways, including repealing […]
For the last two years, Democrats have controlled Virginia’s state Senate and House of Delegates, and a Democrat has served as governor. The party has used those majorities to reshape the state’s laws. The Dems abolished the death penalty and legalized marijuana. They made it easier to vote in a variety of ways, including repealing […]
By Kristin O’Donoghue Virginia’s House of Delegates plays a vital role in the state’s lawmaking—the chamber’s 100 representatives are responsible for both originating legislation and voting on the state Senate’s bills. In 2019, Democrats took control of the House for the first time since 1998. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the House 55 to 45. Four […]
Three candidates—Democrats Brian Pinkston and Juandiego Wade, and independent Yas Washington—are running for two open seats on Charlottesville’s City Council. Current mayor Nikuyah Walker initially announced a run for reelection, but dropped out in September. Wade is a transportation planner and career counselor by trade who has served on the Charlottesville City School Board for […]
A few leafy green hemp plants sit on the second-floor windowsills in the Charlottesville Cannabis Club’s lounge. A puffy, white sectional couch fills the center of the room. The high-ceilinged space is a little brighter than the tapestry-draped basement you might expect at a members-only marijuana club, though there’s plenty of evidence that stoners dwell […]
By Kristin O’Donoghue UVA’s police force has beefed up its presence on the Corner. The establishment of a new unit—the Community Oriented Policing Squad, COPS for short—comes after a year in which violent incidents around the university have increased. Four COPS officers will patrol the Corner and surrounding areas between the hours of 7pm and […]
More than a month after the firing of Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney, city leadership continues to argue over the decision-making process that led to her dismissal. At Monday’s council meeting, after grilling from city councilors, City Manager Chip Boyles once again offered an explanation for his decision that left some councilors unsatisfied. Though Boyles […]
Last summer, hundreds of people took to the streets of downtown Charlottesville, demanding justice for Black people murdered by police across the country. Many protesters urged the city to drastically reduce the Charlottesville Police Department’s $18 million budget, and reallocate those funds toward community services, including mental health treatment. Thanks to new legislation, a mental […]
Botanical garden plans move forward City Council unanimously approved the lease of city park land to the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont at Monday’s meeting, a significant step forward in the decade-long endeavor to establish a garden in McIntire Park. Formerly called the McIntire Botanical Garden, the garden’s name was changed by the board […]
Call to action Two years ago, Charlottesville City Council committed to cutting the city’s greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half by 2030, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Yet to many local climate activists, the city has done very little so far to meet these goals. To push the city government to take immediate, concrete […]
Two distinct factions have emerged in the heated discussion around Charlottesville’s zoning laws. Some city residents say the latest proposed land use map goes too far, and that the construction of apartment buildings and shops would have deleterious effects on what are currently single-family neighborhoods. Others say the map doesn’t do enough to open up […]