The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of March 20, 2023:
Commenters push state officials to keep Virginia in RGGI
Reported by VPM News’ Patrick Larsen
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality invited members of the public to submit in-person feedback on the a proposal to withdraw the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — and all were opposed to leaving the multi-state agreement.
Environmental advocates argue that RGGI’s benefits are broad. They say reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the best way for Virginia to contribute to the fight against the carbon-driven climate crisis while also reducing the prominence of harmful air pollutants associated with burning fossil fuels.
David Stevenson with the State Policy Network-affiliated Caesar Rodney Institute commented online in support of the regulatory repeal. He argued that increased imports of fossil-fuel energy from other states has led to a higher carbon footprint for Virginia.
RPS works to help chronically absent students graduate
Reported by VPM News’ Megan Pauly
Like many districts across the country, Richmond Public Schools has struggled with chronic student absenteeism throughout the pandemic. So, the district has used some pandemic relief funds to increase outreach to students who have stopped attending classes.
Richmond staff outlines to-do list of transportation infrastructure projects
Reported by VPM News’ Ian M. Stewart
From adding sidewalks to extending curbs, the city looks to ramp up its goal of making streets safer and more equitable.
Major undertakings — like school construction and transportation infrastructure fixes — are included in the budget as part of the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, which maps out spending on such projects for the next five fiscal years.
In other news:
- Special education troubles continue for Virginia (Richmond Free Press)
- State revenues soften, but beat projections; Youngkin urges tax cuts (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In case you missed it:
- Spanberger & Wittman continuing push for 529 changes (News on the Neck)