‘First Read’ is Progress Virginia’s weekly ‘news to watch’ memo featuring the scoop on the news each week. Have a tip or something we should cover? Shoot us an email at info@progressva.org. Know someone who should get this newsletter? Send them this link. Thanks to a pandemic extension, it’s officially Tax Day in May. As […]
Year: 2021
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ICYMI: Virginia Leads the Way for Voting Rights Expansion
Richmond, Virginia—The enormous gains made around the expansion of voting rights in Virginia serve as an example for other states to follow as Republicans across the country push for new restrictions to disenfranchise voters, especially voters in Black and Brown communities. The Virginia Voting Rights Act enshrined voting rights into state law, requiring prior notification […]
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Raise the Wage for Virginia Farmworkers! May PV Spotlight on Legal Aid Justice Center
Throughout the pandemic, farmworkers have been out in the fields, busting their butts and risking their lives so we can eat. They work so hard harvesting crops, but some only take home $60 for a full day’s work. ? No one deserves such low pay for such hard work. In Virginia, this is allowed because […]
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Trump Endorsement of Republican Nominee for Governor Glenn Youngkin is Further Proof They Are Out of Touch With Virginia Families
Richmond, Virginia—In yet another move that shows how out of touch Republicans are with people in our community, the Republican nominee for Governor is touting an endorsement from former president Donald Trump. Instead of addressing the actual needs of people in Virginia, Trump praised Youngkin for his anti-gun violence prevention, anti-abortion access, and anti-working family […]
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Republicans Prove They Are Out of Touch With Virginia Families By Nominating Glenn Youngkin
Republicans Prove They Are Out of Touch With Virginia Families By Nominating Glenn Youngkin Richmond, Virginia—As Virginia Republicans chose Glenn Youngkin to be their nominee in the race for Governor, it’s clearer than ever that Republicans are out of touch with members of our community. Youngkin is anti-gun violence prevention, anti-abortion access, and anti-working families. […]
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Another Mother’s Day For Justice
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the pediatric emergency room with my 14-month-old son after he busted his lip open while bumbling about. Believe me, hanging out in an ER with a young child is one of the worst ways to spend your time. While we waited for what felt like an eternity […]
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ICYMI: Appalachian Power Wants to Charge Customers Even More
ICYMI: Appalachian Power Wants to Charge Customers Even More Richmond, Virginia—Despite charging customers nearly 64% more on energy bills from 2007 to 2020, Appalachian Power Company is seeking additional rate hikes. Appalachian Power wants to add another $22 to each bill for residential customers now with a possible 55% increase by 2035. All of this […]
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Three Reasons You Should Pay Attention to the Redistricting Commission
We all know that our democracy works best when everyone is able to participate and have their voice heard. Everyone deserves to have the opportunity to vote and have their vote count just as much as their neighbor’s vote. But for years, politicians have been working together to rig the system and pick their voters […]
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Minimum Wage, Maximum Rage
by Kimberly Nario At the start of the pandemic (before I started working at Progress Virginia), I had to cobble together two part-time jobs with occasional freelance work to survive. My hours from these two jobs combined were equal to a single full-time job. So how could I be making more than twice the minimum […]
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Progress Virginia Applauds Conviction of George Floyd’s Murderer, But Justice Requires Change
A jury has convicted Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who murdered George Floyd last year on all charges. While this is an important step in getting justice for Floyd, our country has a long way to go before we will achieve justice for everyone who has been subject to racist violence by law enforcement. […]