Every state in the US regulates alcohol and liquor in a different way. Their right to do so is even enshrined in the US Constitution! So how did Virginia’s Alcohol and Beverage Control Authority come about? Why is liquor only sold in ABC stores? And is it true that Virginia doesn’t have any bars?

44% of all renters in Virginia pay more than 30% of their income in rent and the average rent in the US has gone up 19% since 2019. So what is Virginia doing about it? What’s the role of state government in affordable housing policy? The Democrat-controlled General Assembly and the Republican Youngkin administration have managed to pass some affordable housing legislation over the past 3 years. Has affordable housing become a bipartisan issue in Virginia?

More than 4 million people voted in Virginia and on this episode we break down those results from the top of the ticket down to the upcoming General Assembly special elections. We also discuss the controversial purge of voters days before the election, other voting access issues and the end of gerrymandering in Virginia.

This week we’re talking about roads. How they’re built, how new projects are proposed and funded, and how they’re maintained. Michael Barnes, Director of Planning for Albemarle County breaks down these questions and helps us better understand the considerations of transportation planning.  

Solar has been getting a lot of attention in the past couple years and counties across Virginia have been passing stringent regulations on new solar developments. This week we spoke with Dr. Lee Daniels, Professor Emeritus of Land Rehabilitation and Dr. Ryan D. Stewart, Professor of Soil Physics & Hydrology, both at Virginia Tech about the effects of solar farms on the land and soil.

In 2020, Virginia started on a path to incrementally increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. But this year the governor vetoed the annual increase. In this episode, we talk with Levi Goren, Director of Research & Education Policy at the Commonwealth Institute, about what the minimum wage is, how it is related to inflation, and who is impacted by its stagnation.

What happens after you put your bottles, cans, and boxes out by the curb? In this episode, Phil McKalips, Director of Solid Waste for the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, and Lauren Cutlip, board member for the Virginia Recycling Association, take us on a journey through the afterlife of our trash.

This week we’re talking about school boards. We are joined by Breanna Diaz from the ACLU of Virginia to talk about what issues they’re hearing at School Board meetings across the state and what they mean for students, parents, and teachers.

In this episode, we look into food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC and food banks: how they work, how they’re funded, and how they’re coping with rising food prices.

Wt does local climate action look like? How do cities and counties set policy in the realm of housing, transportation, and energy to reduce carbon emissions and prepare their communities for a changing climate?