Virginia Mercury

Fairfax case alleging school-assisted abortions now in federal court

By Charlotte Rene Woods / Virginia Mercury

Published February 2, 2026 at 11:15AM

Zenaida Perez speaks during a press conference in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse on Oct. 29, 2025 (staff photo by Jared Serre)

A legal challenge alleging that a Fairfax County Public Schools employee helped minors get abortions without their parents’ consent is now in federal court in a case that hinges on a First Amendment free speech claim.

FCPS teacher Zenaida Perez, plaintiff in the case, is seeking to prove that school officials have defamed her and are in violation of the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law. Perez alleged in 2025 that another FCPS staff member assisted minors with seeking abortions. FCPS’ internal probe refuted her claims.

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Virginia Senate panel advances gun safety bills once vetoed by Youngkin

By Markus Schmidt / Virginia Mercury

Published January 27, 2026 at 10:10AM

Virginia Senate Courts of Justice Committee hears testimony on State Sen. Jennifer Boysko's firearms storage bill (via Virginia Senate/YouTube)

Democratic lawmakers on Monday advanced a sweeping slate of gun safety proposals — many of them previously vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin — as they test whether Virginia’s new Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, will take a more favorable view of firearm restrictions.

Over nearly four hours, the Democratic-led Senate Courts of Justice Committee approved more than half a dozen bills tightening rules on assault-style firearms, gun storage, concealed carry reciprocity, ghost guns and weapons in public spaces, while rejecting the lone Republican proposal that would have increased mandatory minimum sentences for repeat firearm offenses.

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Federal funding shifts cloud Virginia’s transportation plans for 2026

By Ian Stewart / Virginia Mercury

Published December 31, 2025 at 10:00AM

Speed cameras enforce Chantilly High School's school zone (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Virginia’s transportation system is massive, with about 129,000 lane miles of roads and roughly 5,900 miles of rail criss-crossing the commonwealth, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation and a 2022 Virginia Statewide Rail Plan.

There’s always some kind of improvement or expansion underway, leaving drivers and commuters wondering when relief will arrive.

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Youngkin pitches final budget, touts strong revenues as he prepares to leave office

By Markus Schmidt / Virginia Mercury

Published December 18, 2025 at 3:45PM

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin at the 495 NEXT ribbon-cutting on Nov. 21, 2025 in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday rolled out his final two-year budget proposal before a joint meeting of the General Assembly’s money committees, pitching a plan built on what he called Virginia’s strong fiscal footing while using the moment to cement his administration’s legacy as he prepares to leave office next month.

The $72 billion general fund proposal — part of a $212 billion total spending plan — covers the biennium running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. It includes pay raises for teachers, state employees and local public workers, tax relief for individuals and businesses, major increases in Medicaid spending, and a $50 million investment to overhaul Virginia’s child welfare system, one of Youngkin’s final policy priorities.

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After months of hearings, Virginia panel set to roll out blueprint for legal cannabis market

By Markus Schmidt / Virginia Mercury

Published December 1, 2025 at 2:45PM

Person weighs marijuana (via Add Weed/Unsplash)

After months of hearings and study, the legislature’s Joint Commission on the Future of Cannabis Sales is poised to roll out a final proposal Tuesday that would launch a legal, regulated adult-use cannabis retail market in Virginia — potentially ending five years of economic and legal uncertainty since the commonwealth legalized possession and cultivation in 2021.

The latest version — sponsored by Commission Chair Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, in the House of Delegates and Sens. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, in the Senate — scraps the controversial local-opt-out clause, increases local taxing authority and builds a licensing regime designed to privilege small, independent, Virginia-based businesses over large medical-marijuana operators.

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U.S. House committee launches antisemitism probe into Fairfax County Public Schools

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury

Published November 25, 2025 at 3:45PM

Sign for Fairfax County Public Schools outside the Gatehouse Administration Center (file photo)

Fairfax County Public Schools is one of just three districts nationwide facing a federal investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce, which alleges Jewish students are being harassed and subjected to open antisemitism.

The scrutiny follows the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages, and Israel’s subsequent war campaign in Gaza that has left over 60,000 Palestinians dead. Tensions over the conflict have spilled into U.S. schools.

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Virginia Senate approves mid-decade redistricting amendment in party-line vote

By Markus Schmidt / Virginia Mercury

Published October 31, 2025 at 3:30PM

The Virginia State Capitol building (file photo)

The Virginia Senate on Friday by a 21-16 party-line vote approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the Virginia General Assembly the authority to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional districts mid-decade. The move follows the measure’s 51-42 party-line passage earlier this week in the House of Delegates.

If lawmakers approve House Joint Resolution 6007 again during the next legislative session in early 2026 and if voters back it in a statewide referendum, the General Assembly would gain the power — in narrowly defined circumstances — to alter the state’s 11 U.S. House districts between the 2025 and 2030 census cycles.

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Fairfax abortion allegations fuel new political firestorm in Virginia governor’s race

By Charlotte Rene Woods and Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury

Published August 26, 2025 at 9:15AM

Winsome Earle-Sears speaks at a rally in Vienna (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has ordered state police to investigate explosive allegations from a conservative blog that Fairfax County Public Schools officials helped multiple underage girls obtain abortions in 2021 — a probe whose findings may not surface before Election Day but could still sway voters in the court of public opinion.

Virginia law requires minors to obtain either parental consent or a successful court petition to undergo the procedure. Such records are also exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

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Fairfax will hire security for its superintendent. Could Va. see this elsewhere?

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury

Published August 19, 2025 at 8:30AM

Superintendent Michelle Reid (staff file photo by James Jarvis)

With friction growing between the public and school leaders over policy decisions, Fairfax County Public Schools is in the process of hiring security for its superintendent due to the need for additional protection over safety concerns.

The move has left legislative leaders curious if similar proposals could occur at other school divisions around the region and beyond, as school leaders continue to be challenged by the public and face investigations for their decisions.

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Virginia overhauls SOL testing to boost student achievement

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury

Published May 12, 2025 at 1:45PM

Person taking a standardized test (photo via Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash)

In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement on education policy, Virginia leaders have enacted sweeping changes to the state’s K-12 testing system, aiming to raise student performance and make the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments more meaningful.

Despite ongoing political clashes over broader education policy, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state lawmakers united earlier this month behind a plan they hope will strengthen student outcomes.