GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Russia has vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned its “illegal” referendums in four Ukrainian regions, declared that they have “no validity” and urged all countries not to recognize any “purported annexation” of the territory by Moscow

Russia has vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned its referendums in four Ukrainian regions as illegal, declared that they are invalid and urged all countries not to recognize any annexation of the territory claimed by Moscow.

The world body has proved weak and dysfunctional in solving existential crises.

Speaking at the opening of the General Assembly’s annual high-level meeting, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres told world leaders that nations are “gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction” and aren’t ready or willing to tackle major challenges. (Sept. 20)

The annual meeting comes after pandemic interruptions, including an entirely virtual meeting in 2020 and a hybrid one last year.

A judge in Delaware has deemed voting by mail unconstitutional for the upcoming November midterm election, while upholding same-day voter registration.

Seven states have tax policies on the books that could require them to treat student loans canceled by the federal government as taxable income.

Virginia is expanding eligibility for free meals during the 2022-2023 school year through funding provided by the General Assembly in the state budget. Students with families at or below 185% of the federal poverty level are eligible for free meals. Previously, students from families with an income at or below 130% of the poverty level were eligible for free meals.

The goal of the Pennsylvania Marijuana Pardon Project is to pardon those with non-violent, minor marijuana convictions.

Even in moderate places like Ohio, gerrymandering has let unchecked Republicans pass extremist laws that could never make it through Congress.

Pennsylvania's Democratic governor is suing the Legislature over a package of proposed constitutional amendments.

People are upset and want to see a change to the budget amendment that the General Assembly passed which keeps more than 500 people from getting released.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has tapped four Republican lawmakers to draft new legislation banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy: Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, Delegate Margaret Ransone, plus local lawmakers Delegate Kathy Byron and Senator Steve Newman.

On the ballot this Tuesday is every statewide office, as well as one U.S. Senate seat, two seats on the Illinois Supreme Court, all 17 of Illinois’ representatives in Congress, every state senator and representative in the General Assembly, and scores of county and judicial offices.

The law will take effect immediately.

The Court’s originalist justification for striking down a New York gun law is more than capricious—it relies on a fundamentally anti-democratic historical record that deliberately excludes women and people of color.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed amendments to the state budget have met a mixed fate.

As gas prices continue to soar across the country, Governor Glenn Youngkin is once again pushing for a gas tax holiday to help the wallets of those in Virginia.

At a U.N. Security Council meeting, China and Russia vetoed sanctions against North Korea over the country's recent ballistic missile launches.

China and Russia are defending their vetoes of a strongly backed U

China and Russia have defended their vetoes of a strongly backed U.S. resolution that would have imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea.

The Indiana Supreme Court on Friday threw out a law that gave state legislators increased power to intervene during public health emergencies, agreeing with arguments from Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb that the move violated the state constitution. The court’s unanimous decision settles a legal fight that began more than a year ago when Holcomb sued over a law that was a response to his efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The new law gave legislative leaders authority to call the General Assembly into an “emergency session” if the governor declares a statewide emergency.

The bipartisan $224 Billion total package includes nearly $4 Billion in tax cuts.

A spokesman for the House Republican Caucus said it would be irresponsible to spend the money now.

Here's a look at some of the stories we'll be following today as they make headlines in Southwest Virginia.

Here's a look at some of the stories we'll be following today as they make headlines in Southwest Virginia.

After months of back and forth over the state’s two-year spending budget, Virginia’s General Assembly will vote again Wednesday in Richmond. But the clock is ticking for lawmakers to reach a deal -- with the new fiscal year beginning July 1.

A trade organization that represents gas station owners alleges in a lawsuit that a requirement that businesses display signs advertising a freeze on the state’s gas tax violates their freedom of speech and is unconstitutional.

- A contractor working on a $25 million tunnel that will connect Virginia's Capitol to a nearby legislative office building "inadvertently" poked through the ceiling of a subterranean Capitol extension earlier this year, causing debris to fall into the visitors center cafe, a state official said.

Virginia’s General Assembly reconvened in the Capitol Wednesday, this time to review more than 100 pieces of legislation amended or vetoed by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

The U.S. envoy to the U.N. says the resolution would help address Russia's "shameful pattern of abusing its veto privilege" on the Security Council.

After decades of complaints about vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, some momentum is building behind a proposal to subject any vetoed matter to scrutiny by the world body’s full membership in the General Assembly

After decades of complaints about vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, some momentum is building behind a proposal to subject any vetoed matter to scrutiny by the world body's full membership in the General Assembly.

Two days into Russia's attack on Ukraine, a majority of U.N. Security Council members voted to demand that Moscow withdraw. It was the latest in decades of vetoes — on issues ranging from the Korean War to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to climate change — that at least temporarily stymied the council that was designed to be the U.N.'s most potent component. A round of venting followed over the veto power afforded to just five of its 15 members: China, the United States, Russia, France, and Britain.

On Wednesday, recreational marijuana advocates joined together in Roanoke for the first-ever Cannabis Family Reunion, an expo featuring vendors, informational talks, and medical cannabis resources.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a $46 billion spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1, delivering $1.8 billion in largely temporary tax relief as he seeks a second term.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield has long been mired in political shenanigans, but advocates hope a bill just passed by state legislators will lead to better and more transparent institution.

The Hotel Roanoke is getting honored in a big way.

Legislators in the General Assembly agree with this sentiment and have passed a bill saying anyone over 18 who sends a nude photo to another person over 18 without their consent can be fined $500, NBC 12 reports.

Lawmakers hope to have a deal in the upcoming weeks. They're scheduled to return later this month for a one-day veto session. A deal must be complete by July 1.

The measure comes at a time when the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Maryland lawmakers have overridden GOP Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a measure to expand access to abortion in the state.

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of a measure to expand access to abortion in Maryland was overridden on Saturday by the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats. It creates an abortion care training program and requires $3.5 million in state funding annually. Del. Emily Shetty said she was supporting the measure on the House floor as a mother who had experienced a high-risk pregnancy.

Two Illinois state boards that deal with issues of crime and law enforcement are facing vacancy problems.

The 2022 session of the Georgia General assembly saw some bright moments of bipartisan cooperating, including a mental health overhaul.

The war in Ukraine has put a spotlight on the U.N. Security Council’s failure to stop Russia’s aggression and carry out its mandate to ensure international peace and security.

Virginia lawmakers returned to Richmond Monday for a special session, with the goal of passing a two-year spending budget.

Maryland Gov_ Larry Hogan has approved a new congressional map with more compact districts, after a judge struck down a previous map 10 days ago for being a “product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.”.

Virginia’s General Assembly will reconvene in Richmond on Monday, April 4 for a special session.

Georgia senators are scrapping further big changes in state election law.

A Maryland judge has ruled the state's new congressional map is unconstitutional.

Virginia’s lawmakers are being called back to Richmond by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

The United Nations is facing three resolutions Wednesday on the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine after Russia decided to call for a vote on its Security Council resolution that makes no mention of its attack on its smaller neighbor

France and Mexico are pressing U.N. members to mention Russia’s invasion in a resolution on the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine

At a Security Council meeting, the U.S. said, "President Putin: Stop the killings. Withdraw your forces. Leave Ukraine once and for all."

At a Security Council meeting, the U.S. said, "President Putin: Stop the killings. Withdraw your forces. Leave Ukraine once and for all."

Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have confirmed a businessman to the State Board of Education despite a backlash over his company's online sales of ammunition used in mass shootings.

The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a meeting on Ukraine for Thursday

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday that he wants the divided General Assembly to pass legislation that would suspend the state gas tax for three months, a move he estimated would save drivers 26 cents per gallon at a time when prices have skyrocketed.

Russia has circulated a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution demanding protection for civilians “in vulnerable situations” in Ukraine and safe passage for humanitarian aid and people seeking to leave the country

Virginia lawmakers will return to the State Capitol Saturday to hammer out what’s left for the General Assembly session. More than a dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate serve as negotiators for the two-year spending plan.

The Virginia General Assembly on Wednesday passed a watered-down version of legislation that bans racial discrimination in in admissions policies at Virginia's highly regarded Governor's Schools.

Country after country, from Europe’s economic powerhouse to a tiny Pacific island nation, have lined up to lash out at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urge support for a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate halt to Moscow’s offensive and withdrawal of all Russian troops

From a tiny Pacific island nation to Europe’s economic powerhouse, country after country are lashing out at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urging support for a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate halt to Moscow’s offensive and withdrawal of all Russian troops

Senate Bill 5 passed 96-3 in the chamber last week.

North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn refiled candidacy papers on Monday and will now run for reelection in a district that largely follows the boundaries of the far-mountain district that the first-term Republican currently represents. Cawthorn, 26, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, voted against certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory and has voiced false claims of election fraud. In December, Cawthorn had filed to run for an open seat further east that had been created by the state legislature in November for the once-a-decade redistricting process. It was considered a more pro-GOP district than the district covering where he lives in Henderson County.

Republicans in the Virginia House blocked a measure Monday that would have allowed limited retail sales of recreational marijuana to begin later this year.

Dozens of countries have taken the floor at the United Nations to deplore Russia’s actions toward Ukraine and make eleventh hour pleas for diplomacy as fears of a new war in Europe grow

A panel of trial judges made additional changes to North Carolina's congressional district map Wednesday, declaring that the latest U.S. House redistricting performed by the General Assembly fails to meet standards of partisan fairness set recently by the state Supreme Court. The three trial judges accepted the recommendations of special masters they appointed to assist them with scrutinizing legislative and congressional boundaries that were approved last week by the Republican-controlled legislature. Superior court judges Graham Shirley, Nathaniel Poovey and Dawn Layton did uphold the new General Assembly districts, confirming their experts' recommendation that statistics associated with the lines show them to “meet the test of presumptive constitutionality.”

School mask mandates in Virginia would end on March 1 if the General Assembly adopts amendments made by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to just-passed legislation on the issue.

The Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that would end mask mandates in schools across Virginia.

Masks no longer being mandatory for students in Virginia is taking another step forward.

It's the third state that's been ordered by the courts to redraw its lines.

The governor's office says he will appeal the decision.

• Tuesday, the Bath County School Board accepted the retirement letter for superintendent Sue Hirsh. The board will soon take steps to search for a new superintendent. • New legislation proposed by the General Assembly was listed at the school board meeting: school construction and funding, funding and budget, school meals, FOIA, athletics, board of education, school board elections, governor’s […]

The Central Virginia Training Center opened in 1910 to serve people with mental disabilities and relocated its last patients in 2020.

In a unanimous vote, Henry County’s Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Wednesday night showing their support for new legislation presented in the General Assembly.

Two pieces of legislation being introduced to the General Assembly would allow voters in the City of Martinsville to decide on reversion.

For first the first time in years, Republicans officially have a majority in the House of Delegates.

Iran, Venezuela and Sudan are in arrears on paying dues to the United Nations’ operating budget and are among eight nations that will lose their voting rights in the 193-member General Assembly, the U.N. chief said in a letter circulated Wednesday. Also losing voting rights are Antigua and Barbuda, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the letter to General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid.

Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick will fill Florida's vacant U.S. House seat. Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Republican Jason Mariner during a special election Tuesday. (Jan. 12)

In a matter of days, Virginia will have new republican leadership in the state house and the house of delegates.

Illinois lawmakers are on a fast-track schedule in an election-year session as they attempt to pass a budget and complete other tasks against an early April adjournment date.

As legislators prepare to head to Richmond, the newly-elected Republican majority has proposed several sweeping legislative changes across the Commonwealth.

Economists at Old Dominion University say some of Virginia’s smaller metropolitan areas are being left behind as population growth and economic activity shift to major metropolitan areas.

State Sen. Kimberly Lightford’s husband had a gun and exchanged shots with at least one of the suspects when the couple was hijacked earlier this week.

The information technology agency that serves Virginia's legislature is still working to fix problems caused by a ransomware attack earlier this month, a state official said Tuesday.

Illinois Democrats defend state legislative remap against legal challenges, saying the state exceeds the goals of the federal Voting Rights Act.

Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed a redrawn Maryland congressional map on Thursday, and the General Assembly was scheduled to gather for votes to potentially override his veto later in the day. The Republican governor criticized the map approved this week by the House and Senate, which are both controlled by Democrats. Hogan said the new boundaries for the state's eight U.S. House seats are drawn even more unfairly than they were a decade ago, and he said they will be challenged in both federal and state courts.

The new republic should be wary of swapping the purely symbolic figurehead of the Queen for a deeper servitude to China.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, says the COVID-19 pandemic has diverted scientific and financial resources from the fight against AIDS, seriously impeding global efforts to achieve the U.N. goal of ending AIDS by 2030

Interpol is holding its General Assembly in Istanbul to discuss security threats and to hold a closely watched election for the international policing body's new leadership.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is defending a new law assigning sprawling limits on COVID-19 restrictions, despite his office’s warning that it would violate federal disability law.

Island nations may be the biggest losers of the Glasgow climate summit. They're turning to a new strategy to get major emitters to pay up: Lawsuits.

MONTEREY — Highland County veterans may qualify for a small but meaningful tax reduction. Commissioner of the revenue Yvonne Wimer asked county supervisors last

A U.N. investigator says North Korea has never been more isolated from the international community as a result of its drastic steps to prevent COVID-19

A new bipartisan redistricting commission is looking at two sets of distinctly partisan maps as it sets out to draw new boundaries for Virginia's General Assembly districts.

Despite the still raging COVID-19 pandemic, more than 100 world leaders are heading to New York for the annual high-level U.N. gathering.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s reluctance to get a vaccine is a rarity in his country — and may complicate his plans to attend the U.N.’s General Assembly next week.

Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a spending plan for $4.3 billion in federal coronavirus relief money, including funding for initiatives aimed at helping small businesses, increasing broadband access and replenishing the state's depleted unemployment trust fund.