Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies (CPS) announced that Jessica I. Monahan — a transportation policy expert who has secured federal funding for a range of nonprofits, local governments, Fortune 100 companies, emerging businesses, and government contractors — has joined its Washington D.C.-based lobbying team as a senior principal.
Special Session….. continues. There are some reports that we are near a deal on the state budget so our long wait may finally be over. Reminding legislators of his priorities, this week the Governor has called for legislators to act on the proposed 90-day gas tax holiday. Democrats are still proposing a one-time $50 payment to all car owners as a better option.
We expect House Democrats to vote on a new leadership team when they are back in town to vote on a budget. Del. Marcus Simon (Fairfax) and Del. Rip Sullivan (Arlington) are considering putting their names in the hat for Minority Leader. Former Speaker Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (Fairfax) and former Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring (Alexandria) have not ruled out running for positions.
Governor Youngkin has revised the state’s telework plan and is requiring state workers to come back to the office by July 5, if not sooner. Current worker telework arrangements must be reviewed and employees can apply for options under the new policy. News Release.
Not only has Del. Danica Roem (Prince William) announced a run for the new 30th Senate district, she has recently published her memoir titled Burn the Page. This seat currently is an open seat with only one Republican running.
Virginia Congressional mid-term elections look to be exciting this Fall. One firehouse primary on May 21 will decide a Republican candidate for the 10th district while other incumbents are facing primary challenges in conventions scheduled for June 21:
By KATE MASTERS, Virginia Mercury
Gov. Glenn Younkin is ending remote work for state employees, bringing workers almost entirely back to the office by July 5. The administration formally announced the policy in a news release on Thursday evening, unveiling a new state telework policy updated “for the first time in more than a decade,” according to a statement from the governor. The release did not include a copy of the new policy, and it’s unclear how it’s been changed from earlier versions.
By LAURA VOZZELLA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall – 3 articles a month)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is ending the liberal telework policies that have been in place for employees since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, billing the move as a way to make the state government more innovative and customer-friendly. All employees will be expected to return to in-person work full-time by July 5, unless they’ve been granted an exception for health or other reasons.
By NICHOLAS F. BENTON, Falls Church News-Press
Marcus Simon, Falls Church’s representative in the Virginia House of Delegates, may become the new minority leader of his fellow Democrats there when the matter comes to a vote of his colleagues later this month. Simon, 51, who was first elected in 2014 as the state delegate from the 53rd district that covers the City of Falls Church, is one of the only names being put forward to replace Del. Eileen Filler-Corn as his party’s leader in the House.
By LAURA VOZZELLA , ERIN COX AND DAN MORSE, Washington Post (Metered Paywall – 3 articles a month)
The Republican governors of Virginia and Maryland, where the homes of Supreme Court justices have become the targets of protests, are demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland enforce a federal law that forbids demonstrations intended to sway judges on pending cases. Demonstrators have gathered over the past week at the homes of several conservative justices, spurred by the leak of a draft opinion suggesting that the high court is preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision guaranteeing access to abortion nationwide.
By WHITTNEY EVANS, WCVE-FM
Last week on Democratic Sen. Joe Morrissey’s talk radio show, The Fighting Joe Morrissey Show, Morrissey sparred with a new producer on the program who pushed him to take a position on abortion. . . . “So in a roundabout way of saying, you’re for overturning Roe v. Wade?” the producer asks. The question, suggesting Morrissey didn’t clearly state his position on the issue, caused Morrissey to get agitated. “Don’t ever tell me what a roundabout way I’m doing. Do you understand that?” Morrissey shouts before going to commercial break. Once off the air, a now-deleted Facebook live video shows the heated verbal altercation continue inside the studio. At one point, a woman in the studio tries to restrain Morrissey.
By MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall – 3 articles a month)
Early voting is underway in Virginia ahead of the June 21 primaries in congressional races, while Republicans in several districts get ready to select their nominees later this month. Considering that redistricting shuffled voters around in a newly drawn congressional map this year — and that the parties are using different mechanisms to select their nominees — it isn’t the simplest election season for voters. But in a midterm election year where Virginia Republicans are trying to flip several districts — contests that could have national implications as the GOP seeks to take control of Congress — the stakes are high in this year’s primaries.
By PATRICK WILSON, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall – 7 articles a month)
Dominion Energy on Thursday asked for permission to raise Virginia residential customer bills by about $9 a month to account for rising fuel prices, saying the costs could be even higher if the State Corporation Commission doesn’t approve the plan. The request is a significant increase in a state that already has high electric bills, according to federal data. Virginia’s largest electric utility cited dramatic increases in fuel prices stemming from the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine as reasons it needs to charge more to cover what’s known as the “fuel factor” component of its electric rates
By STAFF REPORT, Amherst New Era Progress
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., recently announced $393,193 in federal funding for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to accelerate the region’s economic recovery after the pandemic. Specifically, the funding will engage community leaders in all 12 Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway counties and associated independent cities to establish a strategic plan to enhance tourism, outdoor recreation, and economic development
By DAVID KOENIG AND SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press
Boeing Co. said Thursday it will move its headquarters from Chicago to the Washington, D.C., area, where company executives would be closer to key federal government officials. The company said it will use its campus in Arlington, Virginia, as the new headquarters, and it plans to develop a research and technology hub in the area. . . . The move marks a win for Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who campaigned last year on a promise to bring new businesses and jobs to the state.
By MATT WELCH, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall – 5 articles a month)
Education and opportunity are important factors in building better business in Virginia. That was the message Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears shared while speaking Tuesday to business leaders with the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber at Shenandoah University. Earle-Sears, a Stephenson resident, said business initially brought her family to Frederick County as her husband took a job in the region while working for the Virginia Inland Port.
Principal
Principal
Member
Managing Director
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
April 30, 2024
April 29, 2024
April 29, 2024
