Virginia General Assembly – Page 2

Decision put off on VA bill calling for free inmate communications

31Jan

By watchfuleyeNo Comments

News, Popular

Decision put off on VA bill calling for free inmate communications

Virginia inmates will not get free telephone call, video calls, or messages this year if Senate Bill 378 has to deliver it. SB 378, presented by Senator Jennifer Boysko of Herndon, called for the Department of Corrections to provide telephone systems and web-based or electronic communications systems free of charge. And the bill barred DOC from receiving any commission from telephone systems, “so prisons don’t profit from the calls or videos,” Boysko told members of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. With Boysko’s bill, each inmate would have been allowed to have at least 20 phone numbers of their approved call list. SB 378 also required correctional facilities to have at least one phone for every 10 inmates in a housing unit. Senator Boysko presents the cas...

VA Senate bill calls for penalty if handgun left in sight in a car

31Jan

By watchfuleyeNo Comments

News, Trending

VA Senate bill calls for penalty if handgun left in sight in a car

The Virginia Senate passed a bill, SB 447, that will allow gun owners to be charged a $500 civil penalty for leaving a handgun in view in an unattended vehicle that’s parked on public property. Further, the offense allows the police to deem the vehicle illegally parked, allowing it to be towed when there’s a visible handgun. “This is a minimalist approach to dealing with a huge problem,” said Senator David Marsden, who represents a portion of Fairfax. Marsden explains the 'epidemic' Guns being stolen from cars is “an epidemic,” Marsden said when presenting the bill in the Courts of Justice committee. “It's happening pretty much everywhere,” he said, claiming the situation of unattended guns being stolen from cars is “aisle 6 at Walmart.” “One of the current trends seems to b...

VA General Assembly update: HB 721, an anti-rent gouging bill, moves forward

25Jan

By watchfuleyeNo Comments

Biz & Life, Business, News

VA General Assembly update: HB 721, an anti-rent gouging bill, moves forward

HB 721 “aims to protect Virginians against rent gouging practices,” said Delegate Nadarius Clark, who introduced the bill. If passed, HB 721 will give localities the ability to adopt anti-rent gouging provisions and an anti-rent gouging board. Notice would have to be provided and a public hearing held before a locality adopted its measures. The bill also requires landlords to provide at least two months written notice of a rent increase. Additionally, a rent increase couldn’t exceed the locality calculated allowance. And the allowance would be set at equal to the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index or 7%, whichever is less. An allowance would remain in place for a 12-month period. “Changing economies, inflation, and gentrified neighborhoods have provided the environment...

VA bill proposes Civilian Cyber Corps priced at $550k a year

23Jan

By watchfuleyeNo Comments

Biz & Life, News

VA bill proposes Civilian Cyber Corps priced at $550k a year

A Virginia House bill to create and oversee a corps of cyber security experts who would help public and private entities tackle cyber security threats moved forward this week. HB 651, patroned by Delegate Micheal Feggans, creates an advisory board within the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) that will establish the roles and duties of a Civilian Cyber Corps. That corps would consist of vetted, volunteer cyber experts "who would expand the state’s ability to assist public and private entities and defend and recover their systems," said Feggans. The bill, which is modeled after a similar initiative in Michigan, provides the framework for VITA to outline the responsibilities for the Corps and procedures on background checks as well as the granting of immunity to certain...

Virginia bill to allowing concealed carry with protective order killed by House subcommittee

19Jan

By watchfuleyeNo Comments

Biz & Life, News, Popular

Virginia bill to allowing concealed carry with protective order killed by House subcommittee

The House of Delegates’ Firearms Subcommittee shut down HB 390, a bill that offered concealed carry rights to individuals with a valid projective order. The bill, introduced by Delegate Tim Griffin of Bedford County, would have allowed anyone who was 21 years or older, who could legally have a gun, and who had an unexpired protective order to carry a concealed handgun for 45 days after the protective order was issued. If a person applied for a concealed carry permit during that initial 45 days, that person would be allowed to carry concealed for 45 more days. During that second 45-day period, the person would have carry and produce the concealed carry application if law enforcement requested it. Otherwise, there would be a $25 civil penalty. Public weighs in During public te...