Carolyn Fiddler is Dogwood’s chief political correspondent. She is also the nation’s foremost expert in state politics with almost two decades of experience in statehouse machinations, and her comic book collection is probably bigger than yours.
Carolyn Fiddler
Latest from Carolyn Fiddler
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Legacy college admissions could soon be a thing of the past in Virginia
This week, the Virginia Senate gave final approval to a bill that would end the practice of “legacy admissions” at the state’s public universities. “Legacy admissions” is a shorthand term for the practice of giving preferential treatment to college applicants who are related to alumni or donors. “It’s about fairness. It’s about higher ed being…
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How Virginia’s new Democratic majority looks to restore, expand workers’ rights
Virginia, one of the nation’s 27 so-called “right to work” states, has historically been hostile to expanding access to collective bargaining and union rights. Democratic lawmakers are pushing to change that in the 2024 General Assembly session. Sen. Jennifer Boysko and Del. Kathy Tran have introduced bills that would repeal Virginia’s ban on collective bargaining…
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Virginia Democrats vote to increase minimum wage as Youngkin signals opposition
After winning majorities in both the House of Delegates and state Senate last November, newly empowered Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly immediately made it clear that raising Virginia’s minimum wage would be a top priority in this year’s legislative session. Now Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is threatening to veto the effort before a bill even…
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Virginia Senate votes to make sales tax holiday permanent
Virginians may soon be able to count on a permanent sales tax holiday for school and emergency preparedness supplies in August of each year. The sales tax holiday first became official in Virginia in 2006, and Democratic legislation to extend the sales tax break was passed in 2017. The original legislation had a sunset date…
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Virginia Democrats making major push on education priorities in new General Assembly
Democrats made it clear in the 2023 elections that public education would be a huge policy priority in the 2024 General Assembly. Barely more than a week into this year’s session, the Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate are making big moves. This week, the House Education Committee approved several Democratic proposals designed…
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Virginia Democrats defeat Republican attempts to restrict voting
After working hard to turn out their own voters to cast ballots during the early voting period in the 2023 elections, Virginia Republicans have returned to their perennial efforts to restrict early and other convenient voting methods. This week, a Democratic-led committee rejected the GOP’s latest attempts to roll back recent years’ voting improvements. Republican…
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Youngkin pushes for tax hikes on working Virginians
This week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivered the annual State of the Commonwealth address to the General Assembly, and he mostly used the opportunity to promote a regressive tax proposal that would reform the state’s tax structure to benefit the rich. In the budget he submitted in late December, Youngkin called for increasing the state’s sales…
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Virginia’s General Assembly kicks off with its youngest, most diverse class yet
On Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, Virginia’s General Assembly officially convened in Richmond, kicking off a 60-day legislative session that could have huge impacts on the lives of folks who live in the commonwealth. The most impactful event of the first day of session, though, was the election of the Speaker of the House of Delegates.…
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Four new Virginia laws just took effect that could help your health
In Virginia, most new statutes go into effect on July 1 of any given year, coinciding with the state’s fiscal year. But most years also see a few straggler laws take effect on Jan. 1, and 2024 is one of them. One new statute that will benefit many Virginians requires health insurers to cover the…
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Governor’s proposed budget fails to address Virginia’s school funding issues
This week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin released his proposed budget for 2024-2025. This budget proposal is the first step in a months-long process that will formally commence when the General Assembly begins its legislative session on Jan. 10, 2024. The governor’s proposed biennial budget is an important starting point for budget negotiations with the state House…
