Business news media company CNBC does annual rankings of the best state for business. And Virginia has come out on top as the Best State for Business two years in a row.

On this episode of Bold Dominion, we explore what this title means, and how ask how it affects working Virginians.

Today on Bold Dominion, we’re talking with two experts who have been on the ground working to find ways to expand access to healthcare services. Almost half a million Virginians are covered by Medicaid. But the number of uninsured Virginians is expected to increase.

Today on Bold Dominion, we’re talking with several women about how things could unfold in Virginia after Roe v Wade is overturned. This shift in legal precedent presents new challenges for Virginians.

Virginia is a bona fide trash capital. For decades, Virginia has been the second biggest importer of trash from other states. So where does that trash land in Virginia? And who does it get dumped on?

Defenders of prison labor argue that it provides inmates with vocational skills. Critics of the prison labor system in Virginia and around the country say it amounts to modern day slavery.

Back in 2020, Democrats swept into majorities in Virginia's House and Senate. And they passed laws to make voting easier in Virginia. With Republicans now controlling the Virginia governorship and House of Delegates, what's the state of voting rights in the Commonwealth these days?

This week, Bold Dominion is stepping back and doing one of our explainer episodes. How does the sausage get made in Virginia? Who actually crafts state budgets and how do they do it? And what can we expect Virginia's state budget to look like for the next couple years?

This week marked the end of the 2022 Virginia General Assembly session — th first since 2019 with split party control of state government. In this week's episode, the Bold Dominion crew sat down with the guys from Pod Virginia in a special crossover episode. We present this year's General Assembly recap in the form of a game show.

Virginia’s campaign finance laws (or lack thereof) are akin to the Wild West. Despite decades of reform efforts, campaign finance bills keep dying on the Assembly floor. Why do we continue to see such little progress in campaign contribution reform?

Today, we’re looking at the state of public education teaching in Virginia… Even as lawmakers bandy around education policy and the bogeyman of critical race theory, we’re facing serious shortages in teachers and substitute teachers across the state. What’s getting in the way of recruiting more young people into the profession?

"Legalize weed" is an easy slogan, but the devil is in the details if we want to do that fairly. In 2022, those details are as pressing as ever... especially since a newly elected Republican majority seems set on rolling back equity measures.

For decades, Virginia lawmakers have been more likely to show deference to Dominion Energy than to challenge their power. But this year, some Republicans and Democrats have found common ground, and they're trying to limit Dominion's political spending and influence. Will they succeed?

The General Assembly is starting its 2022 session this week. Legislation is the meat and potatoes of Virginia politics, so grab a fork and knife. MIght want to put on a bib, too. It can get messy.

2021 started with Trumpists attempting a coup against the United States and ended with Republicans sweeping statewide elections. But that's not the whole story of 2021. This week, Bold Dominion revisits some of the most telling moments from the podcast this year.

This week, we look at how cities across Virginia - and America - have zoned their way out of 'missing middle' housing over the last 80 years. And what some cities in Virginia are doing to address the problem today.

Former lawmaker David Toscano has written a book about exactly this: Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation and Our Lives. This week on Bold Dominion, we talk about the power of state legislatures, how states can shape national priorities, and how citizens can impact it.

Republican Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin will still have to deal with a Democratic majority in Virginia's State Senate. So what powers does the Virginia governor really have? What can a governor do even without new legislation?

After years of Democrats winning statewide races, Republican Glenn Youngkin will be the next governor of Virginia. So what happened?

There's an underlying principle to Virginia politics that often goes unmentioned--it's called the Dillon Rule, and it effectively says that local governments only have powers that are explicitly granted by the state. How does this affect our local legislators and our state as a whole?

Early voting in state elections has already begin in Virginia, and they'll all be counted on November 2. This week on Bold Dominion: What are the stakes in this year's Virginia gubernatorial election? Why does it matter? What’ll actually change if McAuliffe wins? Or if Youngkin wins?