David Sherfinski

McDonnell’s budget amendments defeated

Virginia lawmakers handed Gov. Bob McDonnell a series of defeats on Monday, rejecting budget amendments made by the governor that some argued would delay the state's contribution to Phase 2 of the Dulles rail project and would have made it more difficult for state employees to receive one-time 3 percent bonuses.

May 14, 2012

Court: Va. museum must pay hurt staffer’s gym membership

The Virginia Court of Appeals has ruled that a museum must pay for an employee's YMCA membership - as well as mileage to and from the gym - as part of a workers' compensation package.

May 13, 2012

Court revives Muslim inmate’s lawsuit over beard

A federal appeals panel has reversed a lower court's ruling that a Sunni Muslim incarcerated in a Virginia prison could not grow a beard as dictated by his religion because it runs counter to the state Department of Corrections' grooming policy.

May 11, 2012

Activists seek to undo Va. abortion-clinic regulations

Pro-choice activists in Virginia have begun a last-ditch campaign to undo restrictive regulations governing abortion clinics ahead of a required vote by the state's Board of Health to make the rules permanent.

May 10, 2012

Allen wins endorsement of key conservative group

U.S. Senate candidate George Allen picked up a key endorsement Wednesday, winning the backing of the American Conservative Union PAC ahead of the second GOP primary date scheduled for Friday.

May 9, 2012

N. Va. income gap wider despite relative prosperity

Northern Virginia, despite a median household income ranked among the highest in the country and an enviably low unemployment rate, has endured growing income inequality and a heightened need for public benefits compared with the rest of the state during the economic downturn, a new report shows.

May 8, 2012

Virginia wants to review local road projects

Arlington County and other Virginia jurisdictions that own and maintain their roads would have to "pre-clear" their local transportation plans with the state under a budget amendment proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, a move now drawing heat from county officials.

May 8, 2012

Cuccinelli announces $1.5B penalty in drug misbranding case

A health care company that illegally misbranded a drug approved to treat seizures, mania and migraines as one that would control aggression in elderly patients and treat schizophrenia will pay $1.5 billion in civil and criminal penalties, federal officials and Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II announced Monday.

May 7, 2012

Officer left gun in bathroom, fell asleep, but kept her job

A Virginia corrections officer who left her gun and ammunition in a bathroom and then six months later fell asleep while on the job with a group of prisoners remained a state employee for more than a year after the second offense, according to a Department of Corrections inspector general report.

May 6, 2012

Romney wins Bachmann backing on Va. swing

Former presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann — who said before dropping out of the Republican primary race that Mitt Romney could not beat President Obama — endorsed the former Massachusetts governor Thursday as the GOP continues to slowly coalesce around its presumptive nominee.

May 3, 2012

Virginia’s $1B suit against N.Y. bank tossed out

A Fairfax County judge this week dismissed a nearly $1 billion lawsuit filed last year by Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II alleging the Bank of New York Mellon defrauded state and local pensions in Virginia of more than $40 million.

May 2, 2012

Kaine and Allen tied in new Va. Senate poll

Another poll, another virtual tie between Tim Kaine and George Allen.

May 2, 2012

Visitors can carry guns openly in Virginia parks

A long-standing prohibition on openly carrying guns in Virginia state parks is set to officially end Monday, a victory for gun rights advocates after a protracted political battle that spanned four administrations.

May 1, 2012

Obama leads Romney in Va. with or without McDonnell on ticket, poll says

President Obama has a healthy 51 to 43 percent lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the crucial battleground state of Virginia - with or without Gov. Bob McDonnell on the ticket, according to a new poll.

May 1, 2012

Virginia considers 2 jail firms with sketchy pasts

Virginia is considering privatizing its sole facility fully devoted to treating sexually violent predators, but the two companies in the running have a history of multimillion-dollar legal settlements and illicit behavior that includes a charge of "deliberate indifference" to sexual misconduct between staff and youths at a facility.

April 30, 2012

Allen absorbs jabs from rivals in Va. GOP senatorial debate

Former Sen. George Allen stuck to a mostly positive message of economic growth, energy independence and individual freedom Saturday, largely ignoring jabs from his GOP rivals in the first debate featuring all four Republican candidates running for Virginia's U.S. Senate seat.

April 28, 2012

Three debates slated for Senate hopefuls in Virginia

All four Virginia Republican U.S. Senate candidates will square off Saturday afternoon in Roanoke in the first of three debates organized by the state party — none of which are being televised or held at times that will likely draw significant attention from either the media or the electorate.

April 26, 2012