David Sherfinski

McDonnell endorses Romney; will head to S.C. to campaign

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Friday endorsed Mitt Romney for president and will head to South Carolina to campaign for the former Massachusetts governor ahead of Saturday's Palmetto State primary.

January 20, 2012

McDonnell backs closer look at uranium mining

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Thursday that the General Assembly should delay any action on lifting the state's 30-year ban on uranium mining during the 2012 session. He instead directed state agencies to analyze the matter and report back before next year.

January 19, 2012

Quick-fix airport authority bill fails to pass Va. House

An emergency bill to overhaul the makeup of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees the Washington region's two airports and the Dulles Metrorail project, failed Thursday to garner the four-fifths vote necessary to clear the Virginia House.

January 19, 2012

Bill to reconfigure MWAA advances in Va. House

A bill that would bring Virginia law in line with recently-enacted federal legislation changing the makeup of the embattled Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) advanced in the Virginia House of Delegates Wednesday, over objections that the measure was being rushed.

January 18, 2012

Va. groups ask assembly to take no action on uranium mining

A coalition of legislators, business leaders and advocates from southside Virginia on Wednesday asked the legislature not to act this session on lifting Virginia's 30-year moratorium on mining uranium, and instead to study the issue further.

January 18, 2012

Email: Virginia GOP to drop ‘loyalty oath’

The Republican Party of Virginia will not require voters to sign a pledge of intent to support the party's nominee in the general election before being allowed to vote in the March 6 primary, according to an e-mail from the state Board of Elections obtained by The Washington Times.

January 17, 2012

Bill would add Virginia to health care opponents

A Virginia lawmaker is pushing legislation to add the state to an interstate compact that would exempt members from President Obama's health care overhaul — a budding movement that's providing states across the country with another constitutional weapon to combat the landmark law.

January 17, 2012

Quick path continues for Va. redistricting plan

The Republican-led Senate Privileges and Elections Committee advanced a House-drawn congressional redistricting map Tuesday on a party-line 8-7 vote, continuing the bill's speedy path through the state legislature over objections that it is unconstitutional and dilutes the vote of minorities.

January 17, 2012

Appeals court rejects Perry’s bid to get on Va. ballot

The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday denied four Republican candidates' appeal to appear on Virginia's presidential primary ballot, leaving former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul as the only candidates to qualify for the election.

January 17, 2012

Gun issue factions rally to make their point in Richmond

Emboldened by a new Republican majority in Richmond, some 200 people rallied on Capitol Square Monday to push gun-friendly legislation, hours before a crowd occupied the same space to commemorate victims of gun violence.

January 16, 2012

Perry appeals judge’s ballot ban in Virginia

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry has appealed a federal judge's ruling that bars him and three other GOP contenders from appearing on Virginia's March 6 primary ballot.

January 15, 2012

Four GOP candidates blocked on Va. ballot bid

A judge has rejected a last-ditch bid by four Republican presidential candidates to get on Virginia's GOP primary ballot, leaving the March 6 contest only to front-runner Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

January 13, 2012

McDonnell seeks retirement funding

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell wants new state workers to pay more into their retirement plans and is pushing an optional mixed 401(k)-style plan as part of his proposed overhaul to Virginia's depleted retirement fund.

January 12, 2012

Virginia court hears Cuccinelli’s defense of climate suit

A deputy for state Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II argued before Virginia's highest court Thursday that his office has a right to investigate whether a climate scientist defrauded the state in seeking taxpayer-funded grants for his research.

January 12, 2012

McDonnell pitches rest-of-term goals

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell laid out a sweeping vision for the final two years of his tenure Wednesday evening, asking the General Assembly to help him create jobs, invest in education and transportation, and shore up the state's depleted retirement system.

January 11, 2012

GOP takes reins of Virginia Senate, but not without objection

Republicans, as they promised they would, took control of the Virginia Senate on Wednesday with the help of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's tie-breaking vote and over the objections of Democrats that the move was both unjust and unconstitutional.

January 11, 2012

GOP candidates take step toward landing on Virginia ballot

There is a "strong likelihood" that part of Virginia's ballot access requirements will be ruled unconstitutional, a federal judge said Tuesday, handing a preliminary victory to Republican presidential candidates trying to get onto the state's March 6 primary ballot.

January 10, 2012

Virginia Senate split likely to cause jams

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's legacy is on the line as the General Assembly convenes Wednesday to take up initiatives that would plug money into the state's retirement system, its schools and its crumbling infrastructure while considering Republican-backed measures to streamline government and strengthen personal property laws.

January 10, 2012

Virginia governor highlights education initiatives

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's education initiatives for kindergarten though 12th grade are likely to draw some bipartisan support in the coming General Assembly session — but they also have given out-of-power Democrats a toehold for their new role as the effective minority party.

January 9, 2012

Virginia Assembly will have pleas for more mental health funding

Virginia legislators will face no shortage of big-ticket budget battles when the General Assembly convenes Wednesday, with such perennially contested items as K-12 education and transportation topping the list. Yet the session is also expected to include an equally tough fight to increase mental health funding in Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposed two-year, $85 billion spending plan.

January 8, 2012