State Legislative Updates

While lawmakers in Washington, D.C., might get most of the spotlight, the legislators in state capitols across the region are busy making — and blocking — laws that affect Appalachia’s land, air, water and people. Here’s the latest updates from state legislatures around the region

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Bustling Streets, Thriving Business: A Shared Vision in Southwest Virginia

Residents and community leaders came together in Dungannon, Va., to launch a new regional project, Hometowns of the Clinch. Participating communities, which currently include Dungannon, Tazewell, Richlands, Honaker, Cleveland, Cedar Bluff and St. Paul, will encourage economic development along the Clinch River — one of the most biodiverse river ecosystems in the United States

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Yes, Virginia, there was a silver lining to the General Assembly

1506880_545692232232755_7519825862257630233_nFor Appalachian Voices and our partners, it was a mostly defensive game this year in the Virginia legislature as we fought a slew of bad bills by industry-backed and climate-denying politicians. We succeeded in squelching the worst of them, but a lot of policy that could have moved the commonwealth toward cleaner energy and a stronger economy fell by the wayside. There’s always next year….

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Virginia environmental chief supporting weaker coal ash rule

Contact: Amy Adams, N.C. Campaign Coordinator, 828-262-1500, amy@appvoices.org Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org The following is a statement from Amy Adams in response to testimony today by David Paylor, director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, to the House Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy regarding “Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of…

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Wise County, Va. resident joins Appalachian Voices staff

Contact: Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org Adam Wells, Economic Diversification Campaign Coordinator, 276-679-1691, adam@appvoices.org Wise County, Va. – Appalachian Voices is pleased to announce the addition of Adam Wells, a sixth generation resident of Wise County, to our team of dedicated professionals. Appalachian Voices is a nonprofit conservation organization working to protect the mountains,…

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Virginia lawmakers act on energy bills

As the Virginia General Assembly enters the final days of its 2015 session, we can look back on five action-packed weeks. Among the many issues our lawmakers labored over, a few — including changes to state energy policy — were explosive enough to consistently make headlines. Here’s a recap of the drama, along with a few important policies that received less fanfare.

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Virginia Climate Fever

How Global Warming Will Transform Our Cities, Shorelines, and Forests By Stephen Nash As visiting senior research scholar at the University of Richmond, Stephen Nash explores the stunning local aspects of climate disruption. This digestible work employs enough facts and visuals to demonstrate the amount of damage that global warming promises for the Old Dominion.…

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Looking on the bright side, states seek solar benefits

U.S. jobs grew nearly 20 times faster in the solar industry than the whole economy’s national average, reports The Solar Foundation, and some southeastern states are catching the rays of the burgeoning industry with policies encouraging growth in both privately-owned and utility-scale solar.

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