RICHMOND, VA - As temperatures fall and food sources become less abundant, many bears in Virginia will enter a winter den. Denning allows a bear to conserve energy when food resources are limited. Movements and denning behavior vary greatly across regions of the state depending on weather and available foods. With the lack of white oak acorns this fall, many bears likely went to a den earlier this winter as compared to the winter of 2023.

Black bears in Virginia will den in a variety of places including brush piles, trees (cavities within tree), rock outcroppings, ground nests, debris piles, and occasionally under porches or unsecured crawl spaces. Not all black bears den for the full winter season. Often, black bears that enter a winter den are females who will birth their cubs in the den or females with yearlings. Male black bears may den, but generally do not stay in a den for the entire winter due to the lack of extreme cold weather and snow across much of Virginia.

While many of us also slow down for the winter, there are still ample opportunities that take us afield in bear country. Whether enjoying a hike, cutting firewood, clearing brush, small game hunting, or doing other activities, you may inadvertently stumble upon a black bear den. A female black bear, particularly one who has cubs, will likely remain at the den unless they feel pressured to leave. Here are a few tips to avoid disturbing a bear den and what to do should a female leave her den.

TIPS TO AVOID A DEN

• Avoid hiking in dense brushy thickets or young cutover timber stands. If you must work in these areas, be mindful of brush piles, gullies with debris piles, or storm damage areas with thickets of limbs/root balls.
• Always maintain your dog on a leash to avoid a dog-bear encounter at a den site.
• When burning a brush or debris pile on your property, look around the entire pile for signs of digging (fresh dirt, holes) or entry routes into the pile.
• If you notice large, excavated holes or fresh trails into debris or brush piles listen closely for the sound of cubs from a distance of at least 30ft away. They often emit a high-pitched cry or "squall".
• To prevent a bear from denning under an occupied dwelling, ensure that crawl spaces, mobile home underpinnings, and porches are closed and secured prior to December 1st each year.

TIPS IF YOU FIND A DEN

• If you find a den on your property or while recreating, do not disturb it or approach the area. Leave the area, and if on public property, alert an employee of the location.
• If you inadvertently flush a female bear from a den, DO NOT approach the den. Take a GPS point of the location (or mark a nearby area with flagging) and leave the area immediately. If you have a dog with you, leash it and keep it maintained on a leash as you leave the area. Contact the Wildlife Helpline (1-855-571-9003) to report the den location.
  
  • Most often when left alone the female will return to the den, although they may not return until night. Do not go back to the den area as additional disturbance may cause the bear to leave again and not return.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC) remains in profound solidarity with the 122,500 Virginians who are actively trapped in our state's criminal justice system, nearly half of whom are Black. When slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment, it was qualified with "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." With that, mass incarceration was born and the criminal justice system absorbed the role of dehumanizing, abusing and punishing Black America.

Defeated Legislation:

The members of this organization are well positioned in both the House and Senate Courts of Justice Committees to block harsher penalties and punitive policies which would increase incarceration rates and sentencing lengths. The harmful, regressive policies we are pleased will not make it into state law include the reestablishment of the death penalty; increased larceny penalties including an automatic felony triggered by the third offense; expansions on the length of probation periods and the removal of limitations on the amount of jail time one can receive for probation violations; the elevation of certain drug offenses to the degree of felony homicide; and the restoration of an automatic denial of bail for certain offenses, denying those arrested the promised presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.

While attempting to roll back the rights of anyone who has or will interact with the criminal justice system, our Republican counterparts are simultaneously working to strengthen the power of the Commonwealth over that of community members. Together, we defeated a list of unnecessary additional reasons for police traffic stops, which we know has historically led to the disproportionate profiling of Black drivers. Additionally, we have protected and affirmed the privacy of criminal history and juvenile justice records because no one deserves to be indefinitely punished for their worst mistake.

Repealing processes which are detrimental to Black communities in Virginia is only half of our task. As quickly as we work to dismantle the unjust criminal system, the VLBC is rebuilding it to be more efficient, empathetic and effective.

Increasing guidance and accountability for law enforcement interventions:

With a joint effort in the House and Senate to restrict the use of the widely condemned and barbaric policy of solitary confinement, SB 719, sponsored by Senator Bagby, and HB 1244, sponsored by Delegate Cole both passed in their respective chambers.

SB 546, sponsored by Senator Bagby, was unanimously passed in the Senate. The bill allows one's family member or legal guardian to be present during the process to determine whether they meet the criteria for a psychiatric temporary detention order. This act of dignity could have also been life-saving in cases such as that of 28 year old Irvo Otieno, who was killed in custody after being restrained in a Virginia Psychiatric Hospital in 2023.

SB 547, sponsored by Senator Bagby, was unanimously passed in the Senate. This requires law enforcement training for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

HB 611, sponsored by Delegate Price, passed with bipartisan support in the House. As we fight to prevent its use, we are championing this bill to increase the reporting on and transparency around deaths in custody. When any person dies under the supposed care of the Commonwealth, we are entitled to a complete investigation, analysis and active measures to prevent another death from occurring in the same way.

HB 1496, sponsored by Delegate Rasoul, passed with bipartisan support in the House. This targets and regulates law-enforcement agencies' use of surveillance, directing the Department of Criminal Justice Services to create and maintain a registry of surveillance technologies.

Expanding opportunities and pathways out of the criminal justice system:

HB 1269, sponsored by Delegate Price, passed with bipartisan support in the House and was referred to the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services. It creates an exemption to certain "barrier crime" rules which block many in the recovery community from employment at an adult substance abuse or mental health treatment program.

SB 482, sponsored by Senator Aird, and HB 803, sponsored by Delegate Rasoul support additional record expungement of juvenile court records, for certain offenses which would be considered a felony, if committed by an adult. While the Senate version of the bill failed to pass out of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, its House counterpart passed and is on its way to the Senate.

HB 457, sponsored by Delegate Callsen, passed in the House. The bill establishes criteria for the mandatory reduction of probation periods including the defendant's participation in educational activities, maintaining employment, completing a mental health or substance abuse treatment program, and good conduct.

HB 1252, sponsored by Delegate McClure, passed in the House with some bipartisan support. Aligning with our priority of cutting back the recidivism rate and amount of people behind bars who pose no threat to public safety—the bill introduces parole revocation hearing guidelines, reviews of previous technical violations and limits on sentences after one's parole has been revoked.

In order to break down the wall between our dual justice systems—one which works for the rich and one which does not work, we are focused on eliminating the financial burden of the carceral system:

HB 824, sponsored by Delegate Cousins, passed in the House. The bill holds indigent Virginian's harmless for potential increases in court-appointed attorney fees. This will mitigate the burden of legal counsel fees for those among us who are the most financially vulnerable while promoting financial incentives for more attorneys to take court appointments, with better quality representation.

SB 514, sponsored by Senator Williams Graves, passed in the Senate. The bill reduces the fee collection period from a maximum of 60 years and minimum of 30, down to 10 years. This ensures that not every sentence is a life sentence.

SB 481, sponsored by Senator Aird, was passed in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee but failed to pass the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. The bill would have abolished juvenile fines and fees related to the prosecution of criminal offenses.

HB 246, sponsored by Delegate Jones, passed in the House and has been referred to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. The bill makes the fines, penalties and other costs associated with criminal and traffic cases more transparent including updates on what the remaining balance is.

HB 614, sponsored by Delegate Price, passed in the House with some bipartisan support This proposed program to create community service work opportunities, which could be participated in during incarceration, in lieu of payment of fines and costs, is a step towards making criminal consequences more meaningful and restorative for both the incarcerated person and the Commonwealth.

Senator Williams Graves and Delegate Price, have introduced legislation in both chambers to create payment plans and deferred payment agreements for incarcerated people with fees related to their criminal case. SB 654 was passed in the Senate and HB 612 was passed in the House and has been referred to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.

In the United States, we are leading in imprisonment with a higher rate of incarceration than all other democratic nations. In Virginia, our incarceration rate is even higher than the national average. This is a government failure. Our prisons have created a cycle of abuse, which we must end by reducing unnecessary incarceration:

SB 643, sponsored by Senator Aird, passed out of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee but failed to pass through the Senate. This legislation would create an exemption for willfully failing to appear in judicial proceedings while one is in the custody of law enforcement. Currently, the person in custody would be facing a Class 1 misdemeanor or Class 6 felony even though the ability to appear on time is widely out of their control. For deterrence laws to be effective, they must target those with the power to change the desired outcome.

HB 455, sponsored by Delegate Callsen, passed in the House. This will cut down on unnecessary prison time, due to legal technicalities, by reducing the offense for possession of an item containing less than one gram of a controlled substance from a Class 5 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor.

HB 179, sponsored by Delegate Gardner, was passed in the House Appropriations Committee but failed to pass through the House. Through eliminating mandatory consecutive sentences of imprisonment, this bill would mitigate needlessly long sentences and allow the court's approach to any individual to be more holistic.

HB 452, sponsored by Delegate Callsen, passed unanimously in the House. The benefits of the first offender drug program have already been demonstrated in Virginia and we plan to expand them to anyone convicted of an offense related to misdemeanor possession of marijuana. This allows individuals to avoid a conviction or criminal record by satisfying certain probationary terms.

HB 834, sponsored by Delegate Cousins, failed to pass in the House Appropriations Committee. Even if they meet all other criteria, someone who has been transferred out of jail and into state prison cannot petition for the modification of their sentence. By creating a pathway for this, we will simply be elevating them to the same level of due process given to all other citizens.

SB 144, sponsored by Senator Carroll Foy, passed in the Senate. This bill would ensure that those charged with a felony have a right to preliminary hearing—which we are all entitled to under the law. However, prosecutors have exploited a loophole which has rendered this right meaningless on a technicality by dropping charges in District Courts and recharging individuals in Circuit Courts.

Updates Focus on Providing Access to Capital and Entrepreneurial Support Services, Creating Economic Opportunities, and Advancing our National Economy

WASHINGTON – Today,  Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden's Cabinet for America's more than 33 million small businesses and startups, announced the SBA's updated 2023 Equity Action Plan outlining actionable steps the agency will take to advance the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to investing in equity, including expanding access to capital and revenue growth opportunities; tailoring business counseling, training, and other services; and increasing access to disaster assistance for underserved communities.

"Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the face of entrepreneurship is changing as Americans from traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities start businesses at record rates," said Administrator Guzman. "The SBA's updated Equity Action Plan recognizes the tremendous value that diverse entrepreneurs bring to our economy in terms of job creation, innovation, and domestic and international competition. As America continues to enjoy an unprecedented Small Business Boom, the SBA remains determined in its efforts to boost entrepreneurship among people of color, women, veterans, and those from rural communities, and this updated Equity Action Plan is a testament to that commitment."

This Equity Action Plan aligns with the Executive Order that President Biden signed on his first day in office, requiring every federal agency to conduct comprehensive assessments of their programs, policies, and practices to ensure that they equitably serve all communities and individuals – especially those historically underserved.

The SBA identifies underserved communities as those populations and geographic communities systematically denied the opportunity to participate fully in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. Some SBA programs utilize a specific definition for underserved communities and/or disadvantaged small businesses as outlined in program statutes and regulations.

The 2023 Equity Action Plan outlines the following strategies:
 

• Improve Access to Loan Capital by enrolling new lenders with a capacity to reach underserved markets, using SBA's simplified lending rules to increase existing lenders' participation, and proposing a new policy that encourages more lending to justice-involved entrepreneurs.
• Improve Access to Federal Government Procurement and Contracting Opportunities by leveraging resources to support Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) and working with federal agencies to advocate for and identify more contracting opportunities for SDBs.
• Improve Access to Disaster Assistance by modernizing technology, streamlining the application process, and increasing support for underserved disaster survivors navigating the application process.
• Improve Access to Business Counseling, Training, and Services by tailoring outreach, training, and educational resources to the specific needs of underserved communities.
• Improve Access to Investment Capital by implementing new rules for the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program that increase diversity among participating fund managers, which can lead to more investment capital deployed to underserved entrepreneurs.

The SBA's regular engagement with the small business community and its stakeholders helped inform the Equity Action Plan. Through its nationwide network of field and program offices, the SBA communicates directly with entrepreneurs via activities such as training events, small business coaching sessions, office hour calls, and the regulation and policy notification process. SBA also gains insights from Resource Partners, small business trade associations, chambers of commerce, and other entities similarly focused on aiding small business growth.

In addition to this plan, the SBA also highlighted the updates and accomplishments of the first Equity Action Plan, which included:
 

• Creating a new type of Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) called Community Advantage Small Business Lending Companies (CA SBLCs), which provided for the conversion of Community Advantage Pilot lenders to fully licensed CA SBLCs with permanent 7(a) lending authority.
  • From FY22 to FY23, Community Advantage lending to underserved borrowers increased by 11% by total loan count and 23% by total loan dollars.
• Opening a new window for new applications for SBLC licenses until July 31, 2023. The new SBLCs will help target critical market gaps in SBA lending to underserved small businesses.
• Creating the SBIC Growth and Diversification Rule, which encouraged expanded participation by a more diverse range of fund managers across the nation by establishing a new fund-of-funds license, aligning terms to fit with patient and growth strategies, enabling smaller-sized funds to receive support, and simplifying and streamlining licensing rules.
  • In FY22, SBA's efforts led to SBIC financing to women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned small businesses increasing by 29%.
• Negotiating contracting goals with all 24 Chief Financial Officers Act agencies to drive more federal dollars to SDB owners. These goals were set to meet the FY 2022 interim goal of 11% of contract awards to SDBs as a milestone toward 15% by FY25.
  • Dollars earned by SDBs increased from $62.4 billion in FY21 to a record $69.9 billion in FY22.
  • The number of federal government procurement and contracting opportunities reserved for small businesses increased from $89.5 billion in FY21 to $99.5 billion in FY22.
• Launching the 8(a) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Pool, in partnership with the General Services Administration (GSA), to increase 8(a) Program participants' opportunities within the GSA's MAS Program.
• Rolling out new electronic tools to identify qualified businesses and measure the health of the industrial base with the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), including the Small Business Data HUB and GSA's Resources and Tools to Advance Equity in Procurement.
• Enrolling more SDBs into SBA's business development and contracting programs.
  • The number of SDBs that received a government contract increased to 23,260 in FY22.
• Maximizing application education and assistance for the 8(a) Business Development program.
  • In FY22, 542 new 8(a) firms were certified.
• Completing the Disaster Loan Program Modifications Rule to increase the maximum allowable disaster loan amount to ensure the amount of disaster assistance is sufficient to help disaster victims complete a full recovery.
• Implementing the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act to increase the accessibility of disaster assistance for rural communities.
• Leveraging the new "Whole-of-SBA Approach" to foster an extensive network of partnerships to conduct deliberate customer service campaigns earlier in the disaster response cycle and optimize recovery resource delivery.
• Creating the SBA's new Portable Loan Outreach Center (PLOC) initiative to provide support to underserved disaster survivors who might not otherwise have access to SBA assistance.
  • In FY23, several rural areas were served by PLOCs. For example, in Mississippi, 352 business contacts had 72 successful loan applications; in Florida, 248 contacts led to 132 accepted applications.
• Allocating nearly $45 million (32%) of funding to Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) is now associated with investments at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
• Selecting five new Women Business Centers (WBCs) in 2022 to be operated at established MSIs, while 60% of WBCs are located in rural communities.
• Creating the Tribal College Small Business Achievement grant to support Native American economic development.
• Expanding the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program by six centers (up to 28) and hosting a Military Spouse Entrepreneur Virtual Summit.
• Hosting outreach events with various federal agencies, including the new Path to Prosperity series, that served over 3,300 attendees from mostly rural areas.
• Signing Strategic Alliance Memorandums (SAM) with the American Jewish Committee to combat antisemitism. SAMs were also signed with the National Pan Hellenic Council to promote SBA programs and services to Black entrepreneurs and with Operation HOPE to provide financial literacy and resources for their efforts to create one million Black businesses.

Read the complete SBA Equity Action Plan here.  

Read the White House Fact Sheet on the government-wide Equity Action Plans here.

To learn more about government-wide equity efforts, click here. 

On January 23, 2024, state police investigated a single vehicle crash on Low Ground Road, south of Little Low Ground Road, Greensville County.

The crash investigation revealed that the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Impala, 80 year-old Merle Marie Thorpe, was traveling southbound on Low Ground Road, when she crossed over into the northbound lanes of travel, and ran off the roadway. Once the vehicle ran off the road, it struck a tree stump and overturned, entrapping Thorpe.

Thorpe, the sole occupant of the vehicle, suffered serious life threatening injuries and was taken to Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center in Emporia. Thorpe was later flown to Chippenham Hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.

RICHMOND, VA - Today, Speaker Don Scott announced the creation of a new committee addressing the lack of access to healthcare in rural Virginia. This temporary committee would convene May 1st and complete their work by November 15th, with at least five recommendations for the 2025 Legislative Session. Delegate Rodney Willett will chair the committee and Delegate Bobby Orrock will serve as Vice-Chair.

"For the first time in generations, life expectancy in the United States has decreased," said Speaker Don Scott. "This is acute in our rural communities where suicide, overdose deaths, and diabetes are on the rise. As we endeavor to live by our oath to serve the people of Virginia, it is critical that we address this matter with the urgency it deserves. I know Delegate Rodney Willett will get the job done."

"This is an issue that affects every corner of the Commonwealth, and I'm confident that together with the rest of the committee, we will find tangible ways to make healthcare more accessible," said Delegate Mark Sickles, Chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee.

Delegate Rodney Willett, the appointed Chair of the select committee, said, "I'm grateful for the opportunity to chair this much needed committee and for the Speakers' confidence in me. We know that the challenges rural folks face are unique. They often must travel great distances to access adequate healthcare. Telehealth, which serves as an alternative to many and grew in accessibility for most during the COVID-19 pandemic, is still inaccessible in some areas due to a lack of high-speed broadband. It is my hope that the select committee can make recommendations to address these issues in the next Legislative Session."

"As someone raised in rural Virginia and having seen first hand the healthcare needs of these communities while serving in a volunteer rescue capacity, it is my great hope that I can be beneficial in addressing those needs as Vice-Chair," said Delegate Bobby Orrock. Orrock was appointed Vice-Chair of the select committee. 

The members of the committee will include Delegates Rodney Willett (Chair), Mark Sickles, Candi Mundon King, Nadarius Clark, Joshua Cole, Kannan Srinivasan, Amy Laufer, Robert Orrock (Vice-Chair), Israel O'Quinn, Ellen Campbell, Daniel Marshall, and Otto Wachsmann.

The committee requires approval from the clerk's office for funding. Members of the press interested in learning more about the committee or Sickles' appointment should contact Amanda Pittman at amanda@speakerdonscott.com or Morgan Hopkins at morgan@vahousedems.org.  

RICHMOND, VA - The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is reminding anyone spending time on or near Virginia's rivers to exercise extreme caution. Recent heavy rains, cooler temperatures, and more precipitation in the forecast make for hazardous boating conditions.  Some rivers across the state are currently very high and in flood stage.

"Winter isn't thought of as the height of boating season, but whitewater kayakers, waterfowl hunters, and others may be out on the water at this time of year" said Stacey Brown, DWR's Boating Division Director. "Recent rains coupled with the wet December Virginia had means flows are high across the state. We recommend people steer clear of flooded areas. Murky water, floating debris, and submerged hazards all pose a risk to boaters."

Regardless of the time of year you go boating, always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.  Additionally, have a plan to reboard your boat in case the unexpected happens and you end up in the water.   Always wear your life jacket, and during the colder months of the year, consider bringing a dry bag with you and a change of clothes in case you get wet. Weather conditions and a marine forecast can be found on the National Weather Service website.  The United States Geological Survey has water temperatures for some inland lakes and rivers.

Please visit the DWR website for more information on Boating Safety and Education in Virginia.

New Business Applications Reach Record 16 Million Under Biden-Harris Administration

WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden's Cabinet for America's 33.5 million small businesses, celebrated new Census data showing 5.5 million new business applications were filed in 2023 alone—including 121,417 in Virginia—marking the third consecutive year of historic small business growth. Thanks to President Biden's Investing in America Agenda, the United States has experienced the first, second, and third strongest years of new business application rates on record.

"More Americans than ever are pursuing their dreams of business ownership as the rate of new business applications filed and establishments under President Biden continues to surge," said Administrator Guzman. "In the last year alone, Americans across the country and in a wide range of industries filed a record five and a half million new business applications, bringing the total number under this Administration to a record-breaking 16 million. America's great diversity continues to propel entrepreneurship with Black, Latino, and women founders starting up at higher rates than ever. As we enter 2024, the SBA will continue its work to increase access to the resources needed to start and grow resilient new businesses, harnessing the unique optimism and ingenuity of American entrepreneurs."

"Over the past three years of President Biden's Investing in America agenda, we've seen Virginia entrepreneurs file more than 121,417 applications to start a business—the fastest pace for new business creation ever recorded," said Regional Administrator John Fleming. "Under Administrator Guzman's leadership, the SBA has improved and streamlined programs and services to make it easier than ever for small businesses to start and grow right here in Virginia and capitalize on opportunities under to President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act."

Since President Biden took office, there have been 16 million new business applications – the highest recorded amount in a three-year period. From 2021-2023, the U.S. has seen more new business applications than the prior four years combined. The monthly average of new business applications during the three-year span — 443,000 — is 46% higher than the average of the prior four years. The surge has featured outsized growth in entrepreneurship among women, Latinos, and Black Americans.

The Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda has fueled this small business boom with historic federal investments – including the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Inflation Reduction Act. The SBA has helped ignite and sustain this boom by closing capital access gaps, increasing outreach to underserved entrepreneurs, and bolstering competition both domestically and abroad.

BACKGROUND: Three Years of the Biden Small Business Boom

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Americans continue to file businesses at a record pace.

• Record business starts: 16 million new business applications have been recorded since the start of the Biden Administration, an 84% increase relative to the average pace of annual growth from when the survey began in 2004 until the start of the Biden Administration. It took just 2 years and 10 months for new business filings during the Biden Administration to surpass the level reached during the prior Administration.
• Record establishment growth: Department of Labor data reflect that Americans aren't just applying to start businesses—they're turning those applications into real business establishments:
  • The number of private establishments has increased by 1.3 million since the start of the Biden Administration. The annual pace of establishment growth during the Biden Administration (5.4 %) is faster than at any point in the last quarter-century.
  • 2.8 million private-sector establishments were born since the start of the Biden Administration. More establishments have been born per year during the Biden Administration (1.4 million per year) than at any point since the series began in 1993.
• Ongoing small business job growth: More small businesses mean more small business jobs. From 2021 through the first quarter of 2023, the U.S. economy added a net 7.2 million small business jobs, with each quarter showing net-positive small business job growth of more than 370,000.  

Women and minority entrepreneurs have made an outsized contribution to new business creation.

• Black business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in 30 years, and the share of Black households owning a business has more than doubled, from 5% to 11% between 2019 and 2022.
• Latino business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in at least a decade, rising from 7% to 10% between 2019 and 2022.
• The number of women-owned businesses has grown dramatically. From 2019 to 2023, the growth rate of women-owned businesses was 94% greater than the growth of
• men-owned businesses.  

Business growth is seen broadly across industries, from tech startups to Main Street.

• Large industries lead application growth: From 2021-2023, the top 10 sectors ranked by total business applications spanned diverse industries, led by retail, professional services, and construction.
• Innovative startups growing rapidly: The country's most innovative pockets of enterprise all experienced establishment growth. Entities engaging in R&D across Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences, and the Social Sciences and Humanities experienced about 40% growth in number of establishments over the course of the Biden Administration through Q2 2023.

$52B in SBA Capital supported the small business boom in 2023 .

SBA lending to small businesses reflects both the increase in new business creation and the growing participation of women and minority entrepreneurs in the small business boom.

• Minority-Owned Small Businesses: Since 2020, the share of the SBA's loan portfolio going to minority-owned businesses has increased from 23% to over 32%.
  • The number and dollar value of SBA-backed loans to Black-owned businesses has more than doubled
  • The SBA backed $3 billion in loans to Latino-owned businesses in FY23 – a record-breaking high
  • Lending to AAPI-owned small businesses is on the rise, with loan count and total loan dollars both increasing by over a third since 2020
  • Loans to Native-owned small businesses are up 70% and total loan dollars have nearly doubled since 2020.
• Women-Owned Small Businesses: Lending to women-owned small businesses is once again on the rise, with loan counts increasing by 70% since 2020 and total loan dollars exceeding $5 billion in 2023.
• Veteran-Owned Small Businesses: Loans to veteran-owned small businesses are up by a third since 2020, with total loan dollars exceeding $1 billion in 2023.

Historic Biden-Harris investments set the conditions for the small business boom.

• The American Rescue Plan committed $1.9 Trillion to the U.S. economic recovery from the pandemic, providing financial security to the American middle class and enabling Americans to take on the risk of starting a business.
• Recent laws core to the Biden Investing in America agenda, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act further facilitate the conditions for small business success. There are both specific provisions written into the laws to support small businesses (e.g., CHIPS funding recipients are evaluated by the degree to which they create opportunities for small businesses) as well as key spillover effects that will benefit small business (e.g., investments in expanding broadband access nationwide).
• In 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration awarded a record-breaking $163 billion in federal procurement opportunities to small businesses. These awards include a record $69.9 billion, or 11.4% of federal contracting spending, to Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) – exceeding the Administration's FY22 goal – and over $28 billion to service-disabled Veteran-owned (SDVOB) small businesses, or 4.6% of federal contracting spending.

For more information about the SBA's loan programs, financial assistance, and other services, visit sba.gov.

Re-introducing legislation he championed in 2022, Del. Nadarius Clark (HD-84) will carry legislation raising teacher pay in Virginia to America's national average.

RICHMOND, VA — Today, Delegate Nadarius Clark re-introduced legislation to raise the baseline salary for all public school teachers in Virginia and ensure that it could not fall below America's national average. This bill mirrors legislation Del. Clark brought forward in his first year as delegate in 2022. This new bill, HB 187, would further require that instructional and non-instructional support staff, such as teacher aids and resource officers, would also benefit from the new raise. 

Speaking to what he sees as a new opportunity to fully fund public schools, putting teachers and their students first, Delegate Nadarius Clark said, "Our Commonwealth is losing well trained, experienced, and qualified educators to neighboring states that have made clear in their budgets that public education is a top priority. HB 187 will ensure that we are investing in the next generation of Virginians by paying our teachers what they deserve."

"Virginia teachers cannot adequately educate our children if they are worried about having to make ends meet or putting food on their table. Delegate Clark's bill will not only ensure that we can be competitive in attracting and retaining world-class local teachers in our public school system, but also ensure that we are supporting our teachers and rewarding their work developing the next generation," said Delegate Sam Rasoul. Del. Rasoul is the Chair-designee of the House Education Committee. 

The bill follows precedent set by Education Chair-designee Sam Rasoul, who also introduced a bill to raise teacher pay in Virginia to the national average in 2023 before it was killed on a party line vote by the then-Republican majority. To learn more about the legislative priorities of Del. Clark, subscribe to the Clark for Delegate official newsletter at www.clarkfordelegate.com and visit Del. Clark's chief patron portal on LIS.

KENBRIDGE, VA, December 28, 2023 - Benchmark Bankshares, Inc. (BMBN), the Kenbridge-based hold­ing company for Benchmark Community Bank, recently announced the declaration of a semi-annual dividend of $0.40 per share to holders of common stock of the company. The $0.80 dividend for 2023 represents a 9.59% increase over the $0.73 per share dividend declared during 2022.  

The record date for shareholders entitled to payment of the dividend will be the close of business, 5:00 P.M., on January 5, 2024, with payment to occur by January 31, 2024. 

The common stock of Benchmark Bankshares, Inc. trades on the OTC Pink marketplace under the symbol BMBN. Any stockbroker can assist with purchases of the company's stock, as well as with sales of holdings.

Benchmark Community Bank, founded in 1971, is head­quartered in Kenbridge, VA. It is the company's sole subsidiary which oper­ates seventeen banking offices through­out central Southside Vir­ginia and northern North Carolina. Additional information is available at the company’s website, www.BCBonline.com.