Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation on Friday that will allow Virginia’s insurers to sell plans covering abortions on a state-run marketplace serving nearly 300,000 people. The move undoes restrictions passed by Republicans in 2011 in the wake of President Barack Obama’s signing of the Affordable Care Act.
Landmark legislation that would make Virginia the first state in the South to legalize marijuana is heading toward its first full votes before the House and Senate this week.
And while the proposal has garnered consistent â and in some cases bipartisan â support, significant debate remains on key details of the proposal, including when and how criminal penalties should be rolled back as the state begins working to establish a legal marketplace for the drug.
Lawmakers and advocates said the question became even more important last week as the legislation was amended in both the House and Senate to push the start of retail sales to Jan. 1, 2024, a full year later than the 2023 date proposed by Gov. Ralph Northam.