The best thing Virginia’s General Assembly did this session was to pass a bill to expand Medicaid.

Although the legislative agenda covered numerous other crucial topics but one thing legislators have accomplished in the current session is worth celebrating: They have passed five bills prohibiting breeding factory-bred beagles inside Cumberland County. Virginia Mercury has reported extensively regarding the Envigo gulag.

Envigo

Envigo is a Virginia dog breeding centre in Chesapeake is situated. The company recently bought Labcorp and hired the top lobbyists in order to combat laws and regulations of the state. The previous year, Envigo failed to pass legislation, and this year it is returning with a fury. The General Assembly rejected an amendment proposed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to categorize Envigo as a breeder that is commercially owned.

State tax rates were not revised since 1990. Tax rates that are indexed would mitigate the negative impact on state expenditures, and it does not require the approval of voters. Tax reductions should receive an incomplete or failing rating. Additionally, the bipartisan effort for a new stadium to be built in cooperation with Washington Commanders’ owners is already graded an F.

Cleaning up of the Chesapeake Bay

Virginia’s most precious shared resource can be found in that of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup. Although Virginia has made substantial improvements towards its goal, it still needs to make sure that the Bay is cleaned. Virginia officials have determined to reduce pollution coming from the farms which account for more than three-quarters of the Bay’s pollution.

The Virginia Watershed Implementation Plan, released as part of a larger initiative to cleanse the bay, provides high-risk goals for the cleanup. The plan commits to taking the steps to prevent pollution by 2025. Although it is an initial step towards reaching the cleaning goals, it’ll require the support of many stakeholders. Virginia as an example collaborates with agriculture groups for advice and technical assistance to farmers in order in order to decrease the amount of sediment that is pumped on the waters.

EV Rebates

This is a vital program designed to encourage electric vehicles. They reduce the price for electric vehicles as well as increase the need for EVs here in Virginia. EV rebates may also raise demand for EVs from the used vehicle market. However, the program was not completely funded during this legislative session. Advocates hope to see further actions in the near future.

Additionally, in addition to the state incentive, the federal government is as well supporting the sector by offering a $7,500 taxpayer tax credit. This credit expires after the company has sold 200,000 qualified cars. This limit has been reached for Tesla as well as General Motors and Tesla. In addition, the federal government gives grants to convert of old vehicles as well as alternative fuel technology loans.

Bringing Envigo into state custody

The Virginia General Assembly pushed through various bills this session. Many of them received mixed reactions by the general public. The legislature ended its 60-day session with a few wins as well as a few defeats However, several bills being slowed due to partisan gridlock. In an attempt to find compromise among both chambers, handful of bills were passed through conference commissions.