Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Business Law
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Technology
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • Coronavirus 2020
    • Fantastic 50
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read the issue
    • Order a copy
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Nominate execs for 2021

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Business Law
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Technology
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • Coronavirus 2020
    • Fantastic 50
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read the issue
    • Order a copy
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Nominate execs for 2021

Home News features Legislative Briefing

Legislative Briefing

A summary of legislative actions taken during the 2020 General Assembly session

Published July 1, 2020 by Mason Adams

Virginia lawmakers considered an array of bills impacting businesses and the state economy. Here’s a look at some key actions taken during the 2020 session:

Casinos

Virginia lawmakers passed legislation opening the door for casinos but only in five localities: Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond. A study by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission found that casinos in those five places could generate $970 million in annual net gaming revenue and approximately $260 million in gaming tax revenue.

The bill allows each city to establish a casino but only if local voters approve it in a referendum this fall or next.

Bristol, Norfolk, Danville and Portsmouth each have contracted with partnering operators for casinos. Bristol has partnered with local businessmen Jim McGlothlin and Clyde Stacy, who are working with Hard Rock International. Portsmouth is working with Rush Street Gaming of Chicago. Danville has tapped Caesars Entertainment.

Norfolk is partnering with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, the only one of Virginia’s seven federally recognized tribes that can establish a casino under federal guidelines. The tribe is also competing to build the casino in Richmond.

Family leave and sick leave

The General Assembly killed bills to establish a state-run, paid family leave program, as well as a bill that would have required businesses with 15 or more employees to provide up to five paid sick days per year.

Predatory lending

The General Assembly passed laws to reform consumer lending, including closing loopholes that allow lenders to charge excessively high rates for payday and car title loans. During the veto session, lawmakers accelerated their implementation by moving the effective date up to January 2021.

LGBTQ protections

The General Assembly passed a landmark bill to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes in housing, employment, and public accommodation. Some Virginia lawyers have warned the law significantly transforms the judicial process for employment cases and could cost smaller businesses lacking large human resource departments. Todd Leeson of Gentry Locke advises these businesses to “devote some time and energy to strengthen their anti-discrimination practices and processes,” including providing manager training.

Henry Watkins, spokesman for Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, the bill’s sponsor, defends the Virginia Values Act, saying that businesses acting in good faith according to procedures laid out by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission “won’t have a problem.”

Handheld mobile devices

Effective Jan. 1, 2021, Virginians will be prohibited from holding handheld devices like smartphones while driving.

Right to work

The General Assembly struck down a bill to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work law, which significantly weakens the power of unions.

Energy

The General Assembly passed the Clean Economy Act, which commits Virginia to eliminate the use of fossil fuels for generating electricity within 25 years. It sets goals to develop more solar and wind capacity, incentivizes development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and loosens restrictions on rooftop solar and other distributed generation projects. Lawmakers also killed a bill to demonopolize the state’s electric energy market.

Health care

Legislators passed a bill to establish a state-run exchange for purchase of insurance plans. The General Assembly also passed bills to place restrictions on short-term health plans, also known as “junk plans.”

Northam vetoed bills that would have allowed small businesses to band together and buy insurance as associations.

Minimum wage

The legislature passed a law to increase the minimum wage, but rather than increasing it to $15 an hour — a national goal for progressives — lawmakers opted to increase it gradually, from $7.25 now to $9.50 an hour beginning in May 2021, then to $11 in 2022 and $12 in 2023. The bill also includes a study to consider implementing different minimum wages for different regions.

State holidays

The legislature ended recognition of a January holiday honoring Civil War generals Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Robert E. Lee. It also made Election Day a state holiday.

 

Subscribe to Virginia Business.

Get our daily e-newsletter.

Related Stories

Virginia State Capitol. Courtesy Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

Could Democratic General Assembly repeal Va.’s right-to-work laws?

Right-to-work backers say repeal would harm Virginia's economic development efforts

Del. Guzman, D-Woodbridge, stands with Biden supporters raising support for workers rights for essential workers. (Photo courtesy Elizabeth Guzman)

Virginia House advances paid leave bill for essential workers

Bill would require one paid hour off for every 30 worked

Virginia State Capitol. Photo by Conor Lobb, VCU Capital News Service

Business groups ask Va. lawmakers for higher PPP tax deductions

House of Delegates, state Senate bills differ on amounts

Trending

Norfolk’s MacArthur Center may meet the wrecking ball

Heavy hitters

Virginia State Capitol. Photo by Conor Lobb, VCU Capital News Service

UPDATED: Va. becomes 2nd state with consumer data protection law

The Virginia Executive Mansion will be occupied by a new (or possibly returning) governor in January 2022. Photo by Kira Jenkins

Election 2021: Who’s running for governor?

University of Richmond names new president

Sponsored Stories

Supply Chains After a Year of Disruptions

The Jackson Ward Collective is equipping Black-owned small businesses with the tools for success

The Hottest Topic in 2021: Keeping People Connected

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Norfolk’s MacArthur Center may meet the wrecking ball

Heavy hitters

Virginia State Capitol. Photo by Conor Lobb, VCU Capital News Service

UPDATED: Va. becomes 2nd state with consumer data protection law

The Virginia Executive Mansion will be occupied by a new (or possibly returning) governor in January 2022. Photo by Kira Jenkins

Election 2021: Who’s running for governor?

University of Richmond names new president

Sponsored Stories

Supply Chains After a Year of Disruptions

The Jackson Ward Collective is equipping Black-owned small businesses with the tools for success

The Hottest Topic in 2021: Keeping People Connected

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2021 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk