Virginia spans coastal wetlands, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and dense urban corridors — making it a place where environmental, civic, and community progress takes many forms. This archive collects positive developments from across the commonwealth, from conservation wins to public health advances and beyond.
Under the new policy, Virginia joins Maine, Vermont, and Washington, D.C who all maintain voting rights for felons and even protect the right to vote for individuals during their prison time.
Marine scientists and volunteers spread more than 70 million eelgrass seeds off Virginia’s shores. Led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and with help from The Nature Conservancy, the project has grown to over 8,896 acres.
According to The Guardian, “Seven in 10 voters support government action to address climate change, with three-quarters wanting the US to generate all of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind within 15 years.
Duke Energy Corp. and Dominion Energy Inc. are abandoning the proposed $8 billion pipeline—which aimed to carry natural gas 600 miles through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina and underneath the Appalachian Trail
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation on Thursday that decriminalizes marijuana possession, joining a majority of states that have ceased treating the drug as a criminal offense.
Gov. Northam signed the Virginia Values Act, making it the first in the South and the 21st across the United States to pass anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community.
The Washington Post reports that the Clean Economy Act will create many new employment opportunities in wind and solar industries as the state’s utility companies are now mandated to use only carbon-free electricity by 2050.
On Monday, Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill that made Virginia the 20th state to ban the practice for minors.
The Empire State’s law, which was reportedly written in 2015, says mental health is “an integral part of our overall health and should be an integral part of health education in New York schools.”
Police in Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampton, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach had already created the position. Local law enforcement agencies are taking proactive steps to foster a relationship with the LGBT community and establish an ongoing dialogue to better serve the community.
