In a sweeping move aimed at promoting transparency and leveling the playing field in election access, the Virginia Department of Elections announced Monday that it will reduce the cost of purchasing voter lists by 90% starting next month. The change dramatically lowers the price of essential voter data — including lists of registered voters, new registrants, and past voters — for candidates, political parties, and political action committees legally entitled to access them under state law. For example, a statewide list that currently costs $6,000 will soon be available for $600.
Democrats on the state Senate Privileges and Elections Committee filed suit Tuesday over what they say is constitutional overreach by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration. It’s the latest escalation in an ongoing feud over the appointment of eight university board of visitors members. Earlier this month, the Privileges and Elections Committee voted along party lines, 8-4, to reject all eight appointees. Democrats took the position that vote meant the appointees were ousted from their board positions effective immediately. But the Youngkin administration and Attorney General Jason Miyares said that the General Assembly could not remove board members until 30 days into the next legislative session, which begins in January.
An internal audit of the city of Richmond’s purchasing card system found at least $5 million in “questionable expenses” and a lackadaisical approval and oversight system that made it difficult for the city to track and control what employees were buying with their city-issued cards. A report released Tuesday by Auditor Riad Ali said the “significant weaknesses” in city controls over the purchasing cards (known as P-cards for short) led the auditor’s office to refer millions in questionable spending to the city’s inspector general office, which has more power to investigate wrongdoing such as waste, fraud or abuse.
Warrenton’s Commission on Open and Transparent Government convened Monday night for its second meeting, receiving an update from special counsel Whitson Robinson on his investigation into three of the town’s past land-use approvals. “This is not about a single project,” Robinson told the commission. “It’s a review of the town’s processes for land-use applications with a focus on three specific projects.” Robinson added his final report will likely recommend requiring elected officials to use government-issued email and devices for all town-related communications and discouraging selective contact between officials and applicants.
A motion by Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson requests that the lawsuit filed against him by Purcellville Vice Mayor Ben Nett be stayed pending the results of a Virginia State Police investigation into Nett’s conduct Nett, in May, filed a complaint for declaratory judgment seeking to nullify an advisory opinion Anderson issued stating that Nett should not participate in any Town Council discussions surrounding the Purcellville Police Department. Nett was fired as a town police officer April 4.
