The Virginia House of Delegates last week unanimously passed a bill that would solve an issue brought to light in 2024 during court hearings on a petition seeking the release of records by the Spotsylvania School Board. House Bill 159—introduced by Del. Marcus Simon, Chair of the General Assembly’s Freedom of Information Advisory Council—specifies that “service of process or a summons for a hearing shall not be required” when a citizen files a petition seeking to enforce their rights under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA). The state Senate will now take up the legislation. The bill aims to fix an issue that came to light in the fall of 2024, when attorneys with the law firm McGuire Woods, representing Spotsylvania School Board members Lisa Phelps and April Gillespie and superintendent Clint Mitchell, argued successfully before a district court judge that a petition seeking the release of emails related to the Riverbend High School swim team should be dismissed because it was “improperly served.”

If you’ve been to a courthouse recently, you know it kind of feels like it’s still another time period. The clerk of court is required to post certain notices near the front door and cell phones are usually prohibited. Senator Saddam Salim is a Democrat from Fairfax County and is advocating for his bill that would bring courthouses into the 21st century by allowing visitors to bring cell phones. … A Senate panel approved Salim’s bill on cell phones this week.

Warren County Administrator Brad Gotshall resigned last week under circumstances that have not been fully explained publicly, leaving residents seeking clarity about how the decision was handled and what it means for the county’s financial oversight moving forward. Following a one-hour closed session on Wednesday, January 28, Board of Supervisors Chair Cheryl Cullers announced that the board had “accepted” Gotshall’s resignation. No public vote was taken, no motion was made, and no additional explanation was offered during the open portion of the meeting. While personnel matters are often discussed in closed session, the lack of a public record of action has prompted questions about whether proper procedures were followed and how decisions of this magnitude are communicated to the public.