The referendum comes at a moment when Virginia Democrats have tried to make up ground in rural areas.

“You have baby boomers who are demanding care. You have millennials and younger that are demanding their fair right to work," Thomas told Radio IQ. "So, the two are meeting and the state needs to meet the moment.”

Delegate Cia Price says the point of having that publicly available data is to move toward universal free school meals.

When Hurricane Helene swept through Southwest Virginia in 2024, flooding and mudslides destroyed half of the Virginia Creeper Trail. As a result, towns along the trail took a big economic hit. A new study digs into the numbers behind the Creeper Trail tourism economy.

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative was established by the General Assembly to attract investment in cybersecurity research and development to Virginia's smaller colleges and universities. Those schools have been hard-pressed to compete for funding against larger institutions.

It’s been a disappointing season for some college basketball fans. UVA’s women made it to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2000 but lost to Texas Christian by a score of 69-79.There’s still hope for another Virginia team next weekend. The division III Mary Washington Eagles will take on Emory in the NCAA championship. Their success comes as a surprise to some.

The state medical examiner determined McKay’s June 2025 death at Wallens Ridge State Prison was a homicide. That’s according to a Virginia Department of Health spokesperson.

"Republican state legislatures will continue to draw their maps this way if they believe Democratic General Assemblies will not return the favor,” Simon warned.

Summer is just a few months away, and families may be looking at signing students up for summer camp. There are several programs for West Virginia and Virginia students thinking about their future.

Abigail Spanberger has spent the week signing bills into law – the first ones of her governorship. Michael Pope and Radio IQ Politics Analyst Jeff Schapiro discuss that and the latest in state politics and government.