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 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?

The 2023 primary results are in...and to break it all down, we're joined by Michael Pope and Thomas Bowman, our friends over at Pod Virginia.

The 2023 primary results are in...and to break it all down, we're joined by Michael Pope and Thomas Bowman, our friends over at Pod Virginia.

In the wake of tragic shootings across the state, we’re covering current gun legislation in Virginia and how it could be changed for the better.

Immigration at the southern border is always a hot topic on the national stage. But today, we’ve talking about the immigrants, documented and undocumented, who make up the Commonwealth.

As the Bold Dominion team works on an upcoming episode, here's one from the vaults -- a Bold Dominion classic covering the perennially important, yet frequently misunderstood, Dillon Rule. This episode originally aired in February 2021.

This week, we tackle criminal justice and incarceration in Virginia from two angles: for one, what injustices are criminal justice reform advocates trying to fix? For two, how can we help incarcerated people stay out of prisons and live better lives?

Here on the podcast, we like to keep tabs on Dominion, the biggest utility monopoly in the state. And with 2020’s Clean Economy Act and this year’s Electric Utility Regulation Act, there’s been lots of changes. We dive into what those changes mean for Dominion and ratepayers like us.

Proponents say ranked choice voting reduces polarization, increases diversity, and gives third party candidates a better shot. And this June, Arlington will be the first county in Virginia to use RCV in their county board primaries. We dig into how RCV works and what to expect in Arlington.

Now that the 2023 session is over, we look back to see what got done and what’s still on the table.

Inmates in Virginia prisons and jails have to pay to use phones, emails, or video chats. They also buy goods at inflated prices from the commissary. But in this year’s General Assembly, a couple bills surfaced to put a stop to those fees.