Elizabeth Beyer

The background checks, which had been halted since October by a Lynchburg judge's injunction, restarted last month to comply with a new state law. A judge said Wednesday that the injunction still stands.

Plus: A fiscal reforecasting renders a boon, and hurricane season has begun as Southwest Virginians still haven’t fully recovered from recent severe weather.

The scholarship programs were created to bolster the state’s healthcare workforce, particularly in rural areas where staffing shortages have been most severe.

John Rocovich is asking for the court to find the governor's actions out of compliance with state code and the constitution and is seeking for the court to order that he be reinstated on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

Welcome to Notes from the Square, a weekly roundup of state politics and policy news.

The House proposal does not include ending data center tax exemptions early. Gov. Spanberger has issued her support of the proposal.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger and two key legislators have come to an agreement to legalize recreational cannabis sales.

The state Senate had insisted on ending data center tax exemptions in 2027, eight years earlier than their scheduled expiration. That issue had become a sticking point between the state Senate and the House of Delegates in biennial budget talks.

Plus: Early voting for the Aug. 4 primary elections began in most localities on Thursday. And what's agrivoltaics?

The spending bill will now head to Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who will have line-item veto authority over the legislation.