Clad in a red cloak and a white bonnet, Christie Epperson stood among hundreds of demonstrators gathered for a march between Richmond’s Monroe Park and Virginia’s Capitol, a chilling symbol for the dystopian feature she fears is inching closer.
“(America) can be Gilead,” Epperson said, referencing “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood’s novel about a totalitarian state where women lose all autonomy. “A few more steps and we’re there.”
Epperson, a Bedford County resident, joined a coalition of more than 300 people in Virginia’s capital Tuesday to push back against policies that she and others see as an erosion of women’s rights as well as a general pushback to President Donald Trump and Republican majorities in Congress. The protest was part of a national effort under the banner “March 4th Democracy” with rallies in all 50 states.
A focus of Tuesday’s event was women’s rights in the context of the present as the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority, cemented by Trump’s judicial appointments, led to the overturning of abortion rights. Across the country, Republican-leaning efforts to restrict access to reproductive healthcare — ranging from contraception to vitro fertilization — have only heightened activists’ fears.
As protesters prepared to march to the state capitol, organizer Violeta Vega took the microphone, reminding the crowd that progress has never come without a fight.
“The rights women have won in this country, those in power didn’t give those things to us willingly,” Vega said. “It was through a struggle of working class people, of organized working-class people — emphasis on the ‘organized.’”
Vega’s speech underscored the long history of resistance, from the women’s suffrage movement more than a century ago to the continued fight for equality today. While white women secured the right to vote in 1920, women of color had to fight for decades more to achieve the same.
Another major concern raised at the rally was the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, a Republican-backed measure in Congress that would require people registering to vote or updating their voter registration to present documents like passports or birth certificates to prove citizenship. Supporters say the legislation would prevent immigrants without legal status from voting — despite the fact that it is already illegal and rare.
The proposal has sparked backlash from voting rights groups, including the League of Women Voters, which warns that it could disproportionately affect married women whose last names sometimes may not match across all legal documents.
“That’s really scary,” said Kienan Chung, one of the event organizers. “So today we’re sort of highlighting women’s rights, but what we’re going to be doing going forward is highlighting a different issue at each different protest.”
Tuesday’s gathering was part of state-level organizing with the 50501 movement — shorthand for “50 protests, 50 states, one day.”
Chung described it as a growing wave of political activism that has gained traction since Trump took office. She anticipates the next demonstration will focus on transgender healthcare.
For Richmond resident Nancy Curry, broader healthcare and retirement benefits were top of mind.
Having worked decades, she has paid into Social Security and Medicare — federal programs designed to support retirees with stipends and healthcare. At the same time, she has friends who benefit from Medicaid, which provides coverage for low-income individuals and those without employer-provided insurance.
“It’s really scary to me the number of people in our country who don’t understand that everyone who has worked pays into the system,” Curry said.
Though Trump has repeatedly stated he wouldn’t touch Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security, skeptics like Curry aren’t convinced. The president’s push for tax cuts has raised concerns that reductions in federal revenue could lead to spending cuts — including to healthcare programs.
In January, Trump announced a federal funding freeze, and while a memo asserted that Medicare and Social Security would be unaffected, Medicaid was notably absent. Around the same time, several states — including Virginia — experienced temporary suspensions of Medicaid portals, affecting access for more than 630,000 Virginians.
More recently, House Republicans passed a budget resolution that proposes at least $880 billion in spending cuts over the next decade, a move that could put Medicaid on the chopping block. The measure still faces hurdles in the U.S. Senate before reaching Trump’s desk, but for those relying on these programs, the uncertainty remains unsettling.
“How are (people) going to make payments? Making choices between medicines and food – it’s atrocious,” said Curry, voicing frustration over the financial strain healthcare costs place on everyday Americans.
Tuesday’s rally in Richmond came just ahead of Trump’s first joint congressional address in his second term. With midterm elections next year offering the first nationwide test of Trump’s leadership, Virginia voters will have their own high-stakes decision to make this year — electing a new governor and determining the fate of all 100 seats in the House of Delegates.
While some rally goers, like organizer Vega, expressed frustration with the two-party system, Epperson saw a reason for optimism.
“No matter who’s the Democrat running,” she said, things can be better for Virginians.
A goat farm owner, Epperson brought along Mimi, one of her goats, who alternated between munching on grass and soaking up attention from passersby. As she looks ahead, Epperson hopes people stay engaged both online and in real-life activism. And Mimi, she added, will be back for future rallies.
Mimi, a goat from It’s All Goode Farm in Bedford County, attends a political rally at Virginia’s state capitol on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
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From last year to now, Virginia raised teacher pay by an average of $3,000. Still, the commonwealth’s average pay rate for educators remains stagnant compared to other states, according to the latest salary report published by the National Education Association.
The commonwealth dropped by one spot to 26th, paying teachers an average of $66,327, an increase from a year ago. Virginia’s average teacher pay is $5,703 below the national average of $72,030, the NEA report states.
Education leaders and lawmakers in the commonwealth said inflation and investments are some of the factors contributing to mixed results in the national salary report.
“Clearly (the report) shows that we have made good improvement in recent years, and we have a long way to go,” said House Education Committee Chair Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke.
Rasoul admitted that the commonwealth is thousands of dollars below the national teacher pay average, “but when we started this journey a few years ago, we were in the bottom third of states, and so we’re approaching where we need to be.”
The Virginia Education Association (VEA), representing the largest group of K-12 teachers in the commonwealth, said that while the national data shows gains have been made in Virginia, pre-kindergarten to higher education teachers are still not making enough to support themselves after being adjusted for inflation.
According to VEA, the average public school teacher salary increased by 3% from the previous year, but when adjusted for inflation, teachers made only $108 more.
“While it might look like teachers are getting support, they are actually losing money, which has a direct impact on student learning,” VEA said.
While recognizing recent gains, VEA president Carol Bauer said Virginia’s teachers are “still losing economic ground” while schools continue weathering the state’s education staffing shortages.
“True historic investment means decisively closing salary gaps, adequately funding schools, and ensuring every classroom has a qualified teacher. Virginia must commit to real, sustained investments to attract and retain educators, rather than relying on incremental gains that barely keep pace with inflation,” Bauer said.
What can Virginia do now?
Virginia has an opportunity to boost educator pay even more, after the General Assembly recommended changes to the state budget.
This week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin will decide whether to support lawmakers’ budget proposal to provide bonuses to teachers and lift a cap on state funding for non-instructional school staff positions. This would give school divisions greater flexibility to hire the staff they need without being “restricted” by outdated student-to-staff ratios.
In 2009, during the Great Recession, lawmakers initiated the cap to reduce state spending on non-instructional school staff positions, including central office and administrative, technical, clerical, maintenance, and instructional support positions.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to comment on the report. However, in the governor’s budget recommendations in March, Youngkin wrote that Virginia has raised teacher pay by 18% over the last three years.
The budget amendments now being considered by the governor contain $166 million more for public education, including $84.7 million to raise the cap.
Last year, state lawmakers formed a joint committee to work on overhauling the Standards of Quality (SOQ), the state’s funding formula determining the financial needs of school divisions, after a state study group found local governments have been shouldering a disproportionate share of K-12 education costs compared to the state’s contributions.
Lawmakers arranged for the state and localities to pay an even split of contributions in 1972, but they changed it in 1993, urging localities to start paying for K-12 fringe benefits.
According to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the state’s share was established at 55%, while localities paid 45%.
What’s next?
House Education Committee Vice Chair Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, carried the support cap bill and budget language to support non-instructional positions.
As a former teacher and school board member, Simonds said a core issue her legislation will address is the administration’s prioritized focus on overhauling testing and accountability measures — part of the administration’s efforts to combat learning loss and raise student testing scores — instead of recruiting and maintaining teachers.
Simonds said some ways to make teaching the best job in Virginia could involve creating competitive pay, treating educators as professionals in the school buildings, and offering maternity leave, professional development and planning periods to collaborate with colleagues.
“The only thing that has been really proven to improve education is highly qualified teachers,” Simonds said. “Having a highly qualified teacher in every classroom is the way we move the needle on test scores for our children.”
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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The content focuses on advocating for higher teacher pay and increased public school funding, highlighting the challenges teachers face with current salaries lagging behind the national average and inflation. It presents perspectives from education advocates and Democratic lawmakers supportive of investing more in public education. While recognizing some progress, the tone calls for more substantial government commitment, aligning with generally progressive stances on public education funding and labor support. The article maintains a factual and policy-oriented approach without extreme rhetoric, situating it in the center-left range.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-04-30 14:54:32
SUMMARY: I’m 13 News Now meteorologist Evan Stewart. It’s Wednesday, April 30th, with warm temperatures in the 80s across Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore, over 10° above average. A frontal boundary near North Carolina could trigger isolated showers and thunderstorms later today and into the evening. While severe weather is impacting Texas and nearby areas with tornado risks, Hampton Roads faces a low, level one risk for isolated strong storms. Thursday remains warm with a slight 20% rain chance, and Friday brings more late-day showers and storms. A slow-moving front will increase weekend rain chances, possibly lingering into early next week with cooler weather.
There will be several chances for rain showers and potentially even storms through the weekend.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:55:00
(The Center Square) – Virginia just logged one of the sharpest drops in fentanyl deaths in the country — down 44% from last year and nearly cut in half since 2021—Gov. Glenn Youngkin says it’s proof his crackdown is working.
The administration credits everything from drug seizures to tougher laws on dealers, plus a massive naloxone rollout. “Overdose deaths skyrocketed across America and in Virginia, driven primarily by illicit fentanyl flowing across our southern border. With an average of five dying Virginians each day, in 2022, we launched a comprehensive effort to stop the scourge of fentanyl, it’s working, and Virginia is leading,” said Youngkin.
He also tied the drop to border enforcement, echoing President Trump’s argument that immigration policy is key to stopping fentanyl from entering the U.S.
“Our approach stands on four principles: interrupt the drug trade, enhance penalties for drug dealers, educate people about the dangers of fentanyl, and equip them to save the life of someone in crisis,” said Youngkin in astatement.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, fatal overdoses across all substances fell by34.1% in 2024compared to the year before — the sharpest drop since the epidemic peaked in 2021.
Trump’s recent moves include a new order cracking down on sanctuary cities, more troops at the southern border and a pledge to ramp up deportations.
“We have turned the tide in this battle and must now redouble our efforts to build on our success,” said Dr. Colin Greene, Special Advisor on Opioid Response.
In Virginia, Youngkin’s team points to several key efforts behind the numbers. Operation FREE, a joint law enforcement initiative, has seized enough fentanyl to kill every Virginian ten times over, according to the administration. The commonwealth also banned pill presses, expanded penalties for dealers, and now requires schools to notify parents when student overdoses happen.
Since 2022, nearly 400,000 doses of naloxone have been distributed statewide, and almost 100,000 Virginians have been trained to use it. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin’s “It Only Takes One” campaign is also part of the strategy — aimed at raising awareness among families, schools and local communities.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article presents a clear ideological perspective, with a tone that strongly supports Governor Glenn Youngkin’s policies on combating fentanyl deaths. It emphasizes the success of Youngkin’s efforts, such as drug seizures, tougher laws, and border enforcement, which aligns with conservative viewpoints, particularly regarding immigration policy and law enforcement. The framing of the issue—highlighting Youngkin’s leadership and drawing connections to President Trump’s immigration stance—reinforces a right-leaning narrative, suggesting that tougher border control is key to solving the fentanyl crisis. The article does not present significant counterpoints or explore opposing viewpoints on these measures, which could balance the coverage. Overall, the content reflects a pro-administration stance, particularly aligning with the policies of the Republican Party.
