Michael is an award-winning journalist who started covering Virginia news in 2013 with reporting stints at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Virginia Business, and Richmond BizSense. A graduate of William & Mary and Northern Virginia Community College, he also covered financial news for S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Michael O’Connor
Latest from Michael O’Connor
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Spanberger calls Youngkin’s refusal to sign birth control access bill ‘outrageous’
Spanberger criticized Youngkin’s refusal to sign a bill that would have given Virginians a legal right to contraception, saying the move follows the conservative playbook following the Dobbs decision. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), a candidate to become Virginia’s governor in 2025, appeared on MSNBC on Thursday to criticize Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s refusal to make…
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Youngkin won’t add legal protections for birth control access
The Republican governor claims to support access to contraception but stops short of embracing making it a legal right in Virginia. Birth control missed out on some extra protection this week in Virginia, where Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has blocked a number of reproductive health care measures. Youngkin proposed amending a bill that would give…
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After vetoes, Youngkin’s budget “olive branch” unlikely to persuade Democrats
Democrats expressed skepticism over Youngkin’s desire to find common ground in budget talks given how active the governor has been in vetoing their priorities. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin extended a budgetary olive branch to Democrats in the General Assembly on Monday, but whether it bears any fruit remains to be seen. After weeks of partisan…
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Sen. Tim Kaine kicks off reelection campaign with focus on optimism, effective governing
Sen. Kaine vowed to continue standing up to former president Donald Trump and his conservative allies in Congress. US Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., kicked off his 2024 reelection campaign last week with a focus on effective governance and standing up to former president Donald Trump. “Virginia has made some progress but the progress hasn’t been…
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Tens of thousands sign petition urging Youngkin to sign contraception legislation
The measure to establish a right to contraception in Virginia is intended to preempt any future attacks on reproductive rights in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned. As conservatives across the country erode reproductive rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Democrats in Virginia have backed a measure to…
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Youngkin signs bipartisan hate crime legislation, blocks climate change education bill
The legislation will codify a recommendation that Virginia revise its laws to ensure Jewish Virginians are protected from hate crimes, along with Muslims, Sikhs, and other ethnic groups.
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Budget deadlines loom for Youngkin, Democrats
Youngkin and Democrats have fought bitterly over an ill-fated major league sports arena and a slew of Democratic legislative priorities, raising questions over whether both sides can strike a budget compromise before the end of the fiscal year.
