The 2012 Virginia General Assembly session began on January 11, 2012, and will continue
until March 10. Here you can learn about the bills that are now being
proposed, voted on, and the few that will ultimately become law.
Blog
5/14/2012 by VCU Capital News Service
RICHMOND – Under a new law, state officials will publish online the employment rates and average salaries for graduates from each institution of higher education in Virginia. Prospective students and their parents will be able to see the statistics for each program and type of degree at each school.
3/12/2012 by Waldo Jaquith
They didn't get a budget passed, so they'll be reconvening next week.
2/27/2012 by VCU Capital News Service
RICHMOND – The General Assembly has decided to postpone until next year consideration of a bill that would grant personhood rights to a human embryo from the moment of conception.
2/27/2012 by VCU Capital News Service
More than a year before last November’s elections, Spotsylvania County insurance agent Bryce Reeves started campaigning for the 17th Senate District seat. A lot of people figured he would need more than an early start: Reeves, a Republican who had never held elective office, was challenging Edd Houck, a Democrat who had held the Senate seat since 1984. But on Election Day, Reeves won – by 226 votes. His victory helped tip the balance of power in the Senate from a Democratic majority to Republican control.
2/26/2012 by VCU Capital News Service
RICHMOND – Despite bigotry and threats, about 100 African-Americans served in the General Assembly during Reconstruction. Those history-making legislators are finally getting recognition. Legislators have passed a pair of resolutions describing the contributions of the pioneering lawmakers and praising them for their “commitment to public service in the face of deep resentment, racial animus, violence, corruption, and intimidation.”
2/26/2012 by VCU Capital News Service
RICHMOND – Efforts to expand job opportunities for veterans are receiving overwhelming support in the General Assembly this session, but veterans’ requests for tax exemptions and easy access to retail discounts have gained little traction.