Gov. Ralph Northam endorses Jay Jones over incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring
(AP Photo/Steve Helber) RIGHT: Jay Jones picture from his campaign websiteOn Thursday morning, rather than the man heโs served beside for four years, Gov. Ralph Northam endorsed the Democrat looking to halt two-term Attorney General Mark Herringโs reelection campaign, Jay Jones. Simply put, Ralph Northam is the most consequential governor in the history of this Commonwealth.โAdIf elected, Jones would be Virginiaโs first Black attorney general. Jonesโ opponent, Mark Herring won the 2017 race for attorney general, beating Republican John Donley Adams by 175,850 votes, with 53.3% of all votes cast. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (WSLS)In the election prior, 2013, Herring only defeated his Republican challenger, Mark Dudley Obenshain, by 165 votes.
Attorney General Mark Herring creates Virginiaโs first worker protection unit
RICHMOND, Va. โ Attorney General Mark Herring announced Wednesday the designation of the Virginia Attorney Generalโs first Worker Protection Unit, a multidisciplinary team of prosecutors and attorneys within the Office of Attorney General. It will be led by a dedicated criminal prosecutor, that will focus on investigating, stopping and prosecuting individuals and businesses who unlawfully engage in worker exploitation, in addition to educating Virginia workers on their rights. AdโMisclassification, payroll fraud, and wage theft are somewhat complicated terms, but at their simplest they are all instances of business owners and managers stealing from their hardworking employees,โ said Herring. โFor way too long, Virginiaโs weak worker protection laws have made it way too easy for business managers, owners, and labor brokers to cheat their workers and cheat the Commonwealth. The Unit will also engage, as needed, with state agencies that have enforcement and oversight authority around worker protection laws including the Virginia Department of Taxation, Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, and Office of Inspector General.
โItโs a really important stepโ: Virginia Attorney General touts win in defense of mask mandate
RICHMOND, Va. โ Wearing a mask in public buildings will continue to be mandatory in Virginia. A lawsuit filed in the stateโs 20th Judicial Circuit challenging Governor Northamโs mandate issued last month lost in court Monday. The state attorney general's office argued in defense of the mandate. Attorney General Mark Herring said masks help keep people safe and show others you care about them. This is the tenth case the attorney generalโs office has won in defense of the stateโs coronavirus regulations.