www.youtube.com – NBC4 Washington – 2025-03-18 22:33:53
SUMMARY: Tens of thousands of probationary federal workers recently fired received letters reinstating them, following federal judges’ orders to temporarily restore their employment during ongoing lawsuits. These workers, many with less than a year or two on the job, expressed frustration and confusion at a town hall meeting hosted by Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivy. While reinstated, they are placed on administrative leave and instructed not to report to work until further notice. Agencies including the IRS, Department of Transportation, and Department of Commerce issued specific instructions regarding their status, with the potential for terminations to be reverted pending court outcomes.
News4 has obtained copies of emails and letters being sent to thousands of probationary federal workers fired last month, telling them their employment is resuming. Jackie Bensen reports.
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Political officials in Virginia are required to submit Statement of Economic Interest forms that are posted to the state’s ethics advisory council website. As a part-time legislature, delegates and senators have lives and other work outside of representing constituents and must disclose publicly what might be an economic interest to them.
Sen. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, who is running to be the next chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, initially failed to disclose his wife and various businesses on recent SOEI forms. Though the document has been amended to include those details, one of his opponents in the race questions why they weren’t revealed in the first place and if it’s something Republicans could target Bagby for should he become the leader of the state’s Democratic party.
Bagby told The Mercury that the omission was an “oversight.”
Potential liability for state Democrats?
The form includes the question “Do you or a member of your immediate family own, separately or together, a business that has a value in excess of $5,000?” Bagby had at first answered “no,” despite his wife’s salon and event space businesses. On the updated form, amended on March 10, he answered yes to that question.
Josh Stanfield, who is also running for DPVA chair, has tried to ask Bagby about potential conflicts of interest in candidate forums.
In an interview with the Mercury and on his blog, Stanfield noted that when former Democratic governor L. Douglas Wilder was a candidate in 1989, he came under scrutiny from Republicans for failing to disclose his real estate and stock holdings on forms. At the time, Wilder called on then-Democratic Attorney General Mary Sue Terry to investigate the matter.
“(She) was able to put that to rest,” Stanfield said. “But the point is, when it comes to these forms, any sort of omission or anything of serious question gives the Republicans a route of attack, whether founded or unfounded.”
Stanfield also points to Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares’ run for re-election and how former DPVA spokesperson Liam Watson was subject to a probe from Miyares’ office. Watson, who left DPVA in 2023 after being elected to Blacksburg town council, now faces trial for election fraud charges.
DPVA’s central committee members will vote between Zach Pruckowski, Bagby and Stanfield on March 22 to pick the party’s new chair. That person will then be the new face and voice of the political party in Virginia and can play a key role in boosting Democrats ahead of this year’s House of Delegates and executive branch elections.
When reached for comment, Pruckowski did not wish to weigh in on Bagby’s forms.
“I’m just staying focused on making the case to members of (DPVA’s Central Committee) that I’m the best guy for the job,” he said.
As candidates for an inner-party race rather than a state-run election, neither Stanfield and Pruckowski are subject to the SOEI.
“To qualify for the ballot in a state-run election, you have to fill out to SOEI,” DPVA’s executive director Shyam Raman said.
Meanwhile, as a former state candidate and current state lawmaker, Bagby fills out SOEI forms each year. Issues with Bagby’s paperwork were first discovered by independent journalist Christa Motley and when she questioned Bagby about them, his lawyer responded.
“The omission that you shared has been addressed and was a result of an oversight,” Bagby’s lawyer Joe Massie wrote to Motley on March 11 after the forms had been updated.
Motley, who has spent years reporting on how Virginia’s substance use recovery homes are managed in the state, uncovered Bagby’s connections to the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences and began looking into his finances more closely when he announced his run for DPVA chair.
Her reporting on recovery homes revealed Bagby’s role in state funds that VARR has received in recent years — a role Bagby has downplayed.
“All I have done was give money to the recovery community,” he said in a recent interview with The Mercury.
Emails that Motley received through a Freedom of Information Act request showed VARR officials referring to Bagby as a “champion” in the legislature. He also joined a limited liability company called Imagine The Freedom LLC with members of VARR, which owned a property, as well. Though the LLC was on Bagby’s previous SOEI forms, it is absent in recent years. This is because his association with Imagine The Freedom has ended, he told The Mercury.
Virginia’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council website is where SOEI forms are publicly viewable. The database indicates that Bagby recently amended his filing, but previous versions of the forms are not publicly available. The Mercury confirmed the omissions through a records request to the council.
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
www.youtube.com – NBC4 Washington – 2025-03-18 14:27:25
SUMMARY: DC Metro General Manager addressed Transportation Secretary Shan Duffy’s focus on prioritizing safety. He emphasized ongoing discussions with the U.S. Department of Transportation, highlighting Metro’s essential role in the region’s functionality and national security, particularly in transporting significant numbers of individuals to federal sites like the Pentagon. The GM acknowledged the need for enhanced public safety measures and expressed a desire for increased federal funding, citing Metro’s unique expenses related to security that other transit systems do not face. He stressed the importance of collaboration with the administration to bolster safety and operational funding.
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NBC4 Washington / WRC-TV is the No. 1 broadcast television station and the home of the most-watched local news in Washington, D.C. The station leads the market in providing timely and breaking news and information in text, video and graphics across more than 15 platforms including NBCWashington.com, the NBC4 app, NBC4 streaming news channel, newsletters, and social media.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-18 10:41:00
(The Center Square) – Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is deciding the fate of over 900 bills passed by the General Assembly, including proposals to create a legal retail cannabis market and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027.
With the March 24 deadline looming for most bills, Youngkin has the power to sign them into law, amend or issue vetoes. His office confirmed to The Center Square that the governor is working through the legislative pile.
Beyond cannabis sales and the minimum wage increase, Youngkin is also considering a bill on campaign finance reform, education funding and expanded labor protections.
One measure would lift Virginia’s cap on public school support staff spending, while the other bans the use of campaign funds for personal expenses, something Virginia has lacked.
The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, a conservative think tank, urges Youngkin to veto several Democratic-backed bills, arguing they would hurt Virginia’s economy.
“This shortened session, it turns out, was one of the most partisan sessions in recent memory,” wrote Derrick Max, the institute’s president, in a policy memo. The group is pushing Youngkin to reject bills that expand paid family leave, increase the minimum wage and remove spending caps on education staff.
Among their key veto recommendations:
Minimum Wage Increase: The group argues this would “harm low-skilled workers and small businesses” and increase costs for farmers.
Paid Family and Medical Leave: The proposed payroll tax to fund paid leave would “reduce worker take-home pay and harm small businesses.”
Education Spending Cap Removal: The group says eliminating the cap on school support staff spending could lead to unnecessary costs.
While the institute urges Youngkin to veto certain bills, Democratic lawmakers are pushing for him to signHB2531,establishing a state-run paid family and medical leave program starting in 2028.
“Establishing a Paid Family and Medical Leave program will allow small businesses to compete on a level playing field with big corporations, ensuring that they can attract and retain our workforce,” Del. Briana Sewell, D-Prince William, said at apress conference.“I urge Governor Youngkin to stick to his promise to ‘keep Virginia winning’ and sign this winning legislation for hardworking Virginians today.”
Sewell patroned the legislation, which passed both chambers of the General Assembly by a 21 to 18 vote.
Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, added that paid leave is critical for working families, especially for women who often take time off to care for children or aging parents.
