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Top stories: Va. budget passes, new military housing, judge blocks Trump admin.'s database
Virginia's state budget passed both the House and Senate Monday, ending a standoff over data center tax policy that had stalled negotiations for months.
The two-year spending plan includes 4% raises for teachers, 3.5% raises for state employees, higher standard deductions for taxpayers, and a new energy consumption fee on data centers expected to generate $600 million each year for the life of the budget. The data center sales and use tax exemption remains in place. The Senate approved the measure 23 to 16 before it cleared the House. The deal was reached less than two weeks before the current budget expires on June 30.
Democratic leaders say the budget represents a significant compromise after months of negotiations involving the House, Senate, and Gov. Abigail Spanberger over how much Virginia's data center industry should pay in taxes and fees. The budget now heads to Gov. Spanberger's desk for her consideration. In a statement, Spanberger said in part:“Importantly, this budget positions the Commonwealth to be a national leader on data centers. For the first time anywhere in America, Virginia will institute a statewide energy consumption tax on data centers — an idea I first proposed this spring — to ensure this industry pays its fair share and does not drive up costs for Virginia families.”
Military families living in a newly constructed neighborhood near Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story say the community offers more than just housing — it provides stability and peace of mind while they serve the country.
New VB military housing neighborhood provides peace of mind for service membersMariner's Row, a new Liberty Military Housing development near Little Creek, recently reached a major milestone with the completion of 64 townhomes designed for military families. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday morning to celebrate the project.
Rep. Jenn Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, attended Monday's ceremony and said continued investment in military housing and infrastructure is critical for service members and their families. "Our military families need this so our military members don't have to worry about their families," Kiggans said. "More is coming. We have a big ask out right now for the defense budget." Liberty Military Housing plans to continue expanding Mariner's Row, with an additional 36 homes expected to be completed by the summer of 2028.
A federal judge on Monday ruled the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it created a centralized database that contains Americans' private information, which she said has since been used by some states to incorrectly remove U.S. citizens from their voter rolls, CBS reports.
U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan in Washington, D.C. set aside the administration's overhaul of a database maintained by the Department of Homeland Security to verify citizenship and immigration status, called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, system. The judge wrote that the Trump administration "flunked compliance" with the Social Security Act, the Privacy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act by "haphazardly" combining and repurposing "the private information of millions of Americans, including citizenship data that they knew to be unreliable."
The data bank was created by several federal agencies in response to an executive order signed by President Trump last year that sought to impose a new proof-of-citizenship requirement for those registering to vote. The order directed DHS and the SSA to create a database that would effectively allow state and local officials to verify citizenship or immigration status of individuals trying to register to vote.
This morning's weather: Another round of severe storms today
Meteorologist Myles Henderson says not as hot, but still humid today. Highs will reach the upper 80s with a heat index in the mid 90s. Expect partly cloudy skies with scattered showers and storms, mainly through the afternoon. Strong to severe storms are possible, with the biggest risk between 2 pm and 7 pm.
Wednesday will be the nicest day of the week. Expect highs in the low to mid 80s with lower humidity and mostly sunny skies.
For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.
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