Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement addressing Speaker Kevin McCarthy's "Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023" debt ceiling proposal:

 "Speaker McCarthy's debt ceiling proposal is filled with cruel cuts that will hurt everyday Americans who rely on crucial federal programs and assistance. It is a dangerous and desperate attempt to advance spending cuts and policy wish lists while holding our nation's economy hostage. Raising the debt ceiling is about ensuring the United States can pay its bills and protecting the stability of our economy. 

"The 'Limit, Save, Grow Act' would cut funding for schools and strip away access to childcare, raise mortgage rates and kick thousands of families out of their homes, rip food assistance away from low-income and older Americans, and open the door for corporate polluters to poison our communities while undermining key climate and clean energy policies passed by Democrats last Congress. 

"We need to cleanly raise the debt ceiling without strings attached. Under the last President, congressional Democrats helped raise the debt ceiling three times without tying it to policy considerations or spending cuts. Republicans needs to stop the debt ceiling brinkmanship and help ensure we protect the full faith and credit of the United States. 

"A debt default would be catastrophic for our economy and everyday Americans. It would unnecessarily raise costs on car payments, student loans, mortgages, and credit card bills; seniors would lose access to their Social Security checks; veterans may stop receiving the benefits they rightfully earned; and people near retirement will lose tens of thousands in savings. 

"According to a recent report by the Joint Economic Committee, a debt default would have unimaginable consequences for Virginia's Fourth Congressional District. It would jeopardize Social Security payments for 98,000 families and disrupt roughly $164,000,000 dollars a month in Social Security income. It would also put 315,000 residents at risk for losing their health benefits through Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs coverage. Furthermore, it would cost Virginia families an additional $150 per month in mortgage payments and cause small businesses across the country to pay as much as $2,500 more in loan payments. 

"Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans need to stop the political posturing and come together with congressional Democrats to raise the debt ceiling. It's time they put the interests of the American people above the interests of their party." 

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced $3.5 million in grant awards to support outreach organizations focused on veteran small businesses. The grants provide critical funding to create new Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) in Alaska, California, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Carolina, strengthening training and counseling services for aspiring and existing veteran and military spouse small business owners. In the United States, there are nearly two million veteran-owned small businesses, employing over five million people and generating over $1.3 trillion in annual revenue.

“Our servicemembers have protected our Nation with selfless honor and sacrifice, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting them with resources and opportunities as they pursue their American dreams of business ownership,” said U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “With this expansion of our veteran-focused network of small business centers, we can help more transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses start and grow their businesses and advance our economy.”

“VBOCs are a one-stop shop for business training, counseling, and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business,” said Timothy Green, Acting Associate Administrator for the Office of Veterans Business Development. “The new centers will provide additional resources to increase support and access for nearly 2 million veteran-owned small businesses. The expanded locations aim to enhance the veteran small business owner experience with more opportunities for training and less appointment wait times.”

Today’s announcement expands the VBOC program from 22 to 28 locations, fully servicing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. Organizations receiving grants from the SBA have demonstrated a commitment to addressing challenges that veteran-owned small businesses face and helping them succeed through the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program. Grants will support a range of services, including:

• Business planning: Provides veterans with training and counseling on accounting, financial planning, and management.
• Assistance accessing capital: Provides veterans help in understanding the multitude of sources of capital available to them, as well as helps them in accessing financing, loans, and grants.
• Marketing and outreach: Provides marketing and outreach services to promote veteran-owned businesses in their communities and beyond.
• Transitioning: Provides Boots to Business instruction to help active duty servicemembers transition out of the military.

Grant awardees are as follows:

• Seattle Economic Development Fund - Business Impact Northwest

              Seattle, WA

              Coverage Area:  Alaska

• University of Texas Arlington College of Business

              Arlington, TX

              Coverage Area:  Nevada

• Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center

              Colorado Springs, CO

              Coverage Area:  Colorado

• Nebraska Enterprise Fund

              Oakland, NE

              Coverage Area:  Nebraska and Iowa

• The Citadel

              Charleston, SC

              Coverage Area:  South Carolina

• Long Beach City College

              Long Beach, CA

              Coverage Area:  California - Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Orange County, Santa Barbara County, and Riverside County

For more information or to find a VBOC near you, visit www.sba.gov/vboc.

To learn more about SBA’s programs for veterans, visit www.sba.gov/veterans.

Calls for pet cannabis exposure increase in Virginia, nationwide

By Mackenzie Meleski, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. ‒ The Pet Poison Helpline reported an increase nationwide and in Virginia of calls concerning cannabis poisoning in household pets.

"We've had a really significant increase on the number of calls that we've had of exposures over the last two or three years, especially," said Dr. Rennee Schmid. 

Schmid is a senior veterinary toxicologist and manager of veterinary medicine and professional services for the national Pet Poison Helpline. The 24-hour helpline is available for pet owners and veterinarians, and charges an $85 help fee. The helpline and Virginia Poison Center share some pet case statistics, according to Schmid.

Cannabis is ranked as the No. 9 toxin for pets nationwide, according to the Pet Poison Helpline website. The Pet Poison Helpline experienced a 735% increase in nationwide THC-related calls from 2018 to 2022, Schmid stated in a follow-up email. THC is the compound in cannabis which creates a "high" for the user.

Cannabis ranks as the No. 8 toxin for dogs in Virginia, according to helpline data. Chocolate is the No. 1 and No. 2 toxin for dogs and cats, respectively, according to helpline data.

The Virginia Poison Center reported an overall 286% increase in cases of pet exposure to cannabis from 2018 to 2022, according to Schmid. There was a 90.5% increase from calls made in 2021 to 2022. The helpline does not disclose raw case numbers, just percentages, because they are a privately owned company, Schmid said. 

The difference between the overall national increase and Virginia increase is because cannabis is also sold recreationally in other states, according to Schmid. The maximum THC amount allowed by many states is higher than Virginia's alloted 10 milligrams per dose in its medical marijuana program. 

"Some states just skyrocketed with the number of call differences that they have," Schmid said.

Cannabis intoxication in pets presents in a variety of ways, Schmid said. Pets can become lethargic, develop symptoms of hypothermia, low blood pressure or have a significantly low heart rate, according to Schmid. However, in some cases pets can become agitated rather than lethargic, Schmid said.

Most animals do not die from cannabis intoxication, but are more sensitive to THC than humans, according to Schmid. A lethal dose for pets is generally considered to be "a little over 6 grams per pound," Schmid said.

"That's a pretty high amount that they would have to be exposed to," Schmid said. "They'd have to get into a really large amount of marijuana itself or a large number of edibles."

However, "a really small amount can be quite problematic" for pets, according to Schmid. 

Veterinarians treat pets for cannabis exposure by giving the animals intravenous fluids and monitoring their heart rate and blood pressure for several hours, Schmid said. 

Pet owners need to keep cannabis products out of reach of their pets and smoke in areas where pets are not present, according to Schmid.

"They'll smell it; they'll be inquisitive about it," Schmid said. "Animals, they explore with their mouths, and so it's very normal for them to put something new in their mouth, taste and see what it's like."

Dr. S. Rutherford Rose is the director of the Virginia Poison Center at VCU Health.

"In general, when it comes to making sure that their pets do not accidentally consume cannabis products it is much the same as with small children," Rose stated in an email. "Never leave edibles lying around on counter tops or tables in the home."

The Virginia General Assembly decriminalized cannabis in 2021, which allowed adults aged 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and legally grow up to four plants in their home. The legislature earlier approved a medical marijuana program, but has failed to pass legislation to create a recreational market.

The medical marijuana market continues to grow in Virginia, and dispensaries sell edible products such as THC-infused fruit-flavored gummies and chocolates. The increase in calls to pet poison control centers is due to more availability of legal products and less stigma around calling for help, Schmid said.

"Instead of them being hesitant to call and seek care for their pet, they're more open to doing that," Schmid said.

Legal cannabis sellers have made their own efforts to prevent accidental poisonings of pets and children, according to Nathaniel Blakey, the head of edible production at RVA Cannabis Co.

RVA Cannabis Co., located in Chesterfield County, packages cannabis products in childproof and pet proof packaging, according to Blakey. Certain CBD products are made for pets, but pets should never be given products containing THC, Blakey said.

"CBD products like treats and tinctures are great for animals in moderation for those with stress or joint issues. But even these CBD products should be stored carefully," Blakey stated in an email. "We strongly recommended to keep bagged treats out of reach."

"People should have easy access to properly dosed edibles and be educated on what a legit product looks like," Blakey stated. "Consumers should also be educated on the fact that CBD will always be more responsible for more medicinal help and that THC is more recreational."

If pet owners think their pet has consumed cannabis products and needs medical attention, they can call a local emergency veterinary clinic or the Virginia Poison Center hotline at 800-222-1222.

By Jacqueline Weisgarber, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Richmond, Virginia

April is Financial Literacy Month.  Social Security is a vital part of any financial plan.  .  Our online tools can help you understand your potential Social Security benefits and how they fit into your financial future. 

You should periodically review your Social Security Statement (Statement) using your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.  Your Statement is an easy-to-read summary of the estimated benefits you and your family could receive, including potential retirement, disability, and survivors’ benefits. 

Our Plan for Retirement tool in your personal my Social Security account allows you to check various benefit estimate scenarios.  You can compare how different future earnings and retirement benefit start-dates might affect your future benefit amount.

Please tell your friends and family about the steps they can take to improve their financial knowledge by exploring their personal my Social Security account.  If they don’t have an account, they can easily create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia's recent participation in the multi-state Interstate 95 "Drive to Save Lives'' initiative netted more than 366 summonses and arrests during the three-day traffic safety campaign. Among those enforcement actions, were 15 drunk/drugged driving arrests and 23 citations for violating Virginia's "Hands Free" law. 

Virginia was among 15 states, from Maine to Florida, to participate once again in the Drive to Save Lives traffic safety initiative along the entire Interstate 95 corridor. April 1-3, 2023, Virginia State Police dedicated additional patrol resources along Virginia's entire 178 miles of I-95, from the border of North Carolina to Maryland. 

This year's initiative also resulted in 14 seat belt violation citations, for both adults and children failing to use proper occupant safety restraints. Furthermore, Virginia State Police issued 144 speeding citations and 120 reckless driving citations.

The I-95 Drive to Save Lives traffic safety and enforcement campaign included the Florida Highway Patrol, North Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Georgia Highway Patrol, Virginia State Police, Maryland State Police, Delaware State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, New Jersey State Police, New York State Police, Connecticut State Police, Rhode Island State Police, New Hampshire State Police, Massachusetts State Police and Maine State Police. 

Funds generated from summonses issued by Virginia State Police go directly to court fees and the state's Literary Fund, which benefits public school construction, technology funding and teacher retirement.

On Saturday April 1, twenty students from the Collegiate Schools in Richmond traveled to the campus of Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services (JFBHS) and transformed the recreation center into a boutique filled with racks of formal dresses and tables overflowing with shoes, jewelry and make-up.

The day was filled with excitement and ear-to-ear smiles as Collegiate students paired up with JFBHS residents to help them find ensembles that make them feel special. When a girl found the perfect dress, laughter rang out and a huge round of applause was heard.  Each of our young men were provided with a pair of dress trousers, a white shirt, and a tie of their choosing. Our youth are looking forward to the upcoming spring dance on campus where they can spend an evening dancing to their favorite songs and snacking on special treats provided by our food service staff.

JFBHS residents and staff would like to thank Collegiate Schools and The Fairy Godmother participants for their generosity and kindness. The students work year-round collecting gently-used formal attire and holding fundraisers to purchase supplemental items such as shoes and makeup. Just as important, the students always have a remarkable ability to engage with the youth at JFBHS as they encourage the sometimes-reluctant residents to “Try it on!  It’s the perfect color for you!”

The mission of the Fairy Godmother Project is to provide a high school prom experience for youth in circumstances that prevent them from having such an experience. For the past 20 years, Collegiate students have collected and provided formal attire and accessories for JFBHS residents.

It is conservatively estimated that over 700 prom dresses have been given to residents since the inception of this project.

By Ryan Nadeau, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. ‒ Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently recommended the General Assembly accept an amended version of a bill that ends the practice of paying subminimum wage to certain Virginia workers with disabilities.

A certificate exemption under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to determine pay for disabled workers based on a productivity calculation compared to other employees, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. These workers are currently listed within the "tipped employees" section of state code.

The original House Bill 1924 eliminated use of the certificate and increased minimum hourly pay to $9.50 in July. This rate would continue to increase incrementally until 2027, when it reached Virginia minimum wage. The slow increase is meant to help employers adjust, according to Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, who introduced the measure. 

Hope's bill passed the House unanimously on a block vote, meaning it was not discussed prior to voting. The bill passed the Senate 22-18.

The governor's proposed amendment adjusts timelines. It would remove the incremental pay bumps of the original bill. Instead, the wages of all previously exempt employees would be raised to Virginia's minimum wage when use of the certificates ended in 2030. 

Any currently certified employer would be grandfathered in until 2030, but no new certificates would be issued after July 1.

The national average for workers being paid subminimum wage is $3.34 an hour, according to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 2020 report.

"I don't know how anybody could pay that and look themselves in the mirror," said Sen. Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, when speaking to the Senate. "That's disgusting. And there's no other way to describe that." 

Disabled workers can encounter long Labor Department processing times that prevent them from getting back pay owed due to incorrectly calculated wages, according to a study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. 

The certificates gave disabled workers "an entry point" into the workforce in the 1930s, said Jewelyn Cosgrove, Melwood's vice president of government and public relations. Such exemptions need to be reevaluated through a modern lens, she said.

Melwood is a nonprofit organization that provides jobs and opportunities for people with disabilities, according to its website. It held a certificate until 2014, Cosgrove said.

Disabled workers have access to more jobs these days, versus when it used to be "get a job, any job," Cosgrove said.

"People with disabilities should be and can be engaged in the workforce in meaningful ways in the careers of their choosing," Cosgrove said. 

There are six employers in Virginia with active certificates as of January. These employers pay at least 286 total workers subminimum wage, according to the Labor Department. Four more employers in Virginia are pending approval for their certificates.

Active certificates are down 46% since 2018, according to a study by the Association of People Supporting Employment First. The same study found employment of disabled workers is on the rise across multiple states.

"I would never, ever accept a job where I was making $3 an hour," said Virginia APSE lobbyist Matthew Shapiro. "You wouldn't do that, so why is it OK for us to do that to more vulnerable ... folks than me?"

Shapiro was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects almost every part of his life, he said. He is the founder and CEO of the consulting firm 6 Wheels Consulting. 

Resources such as job coaches, at-home work and self-employment render the certificate exemption no longer necessary, Shapiro said.

"What kind of Virginia do we want to be?" Shapiro said. "Do we want to be one that pays people fairly for the work that they do, and at good wages? Or are we OK saying we're going to pay somebody $10 a week?"

Thirteen states already have legislation in place to prevent employers from paying subminimum wage, according to the APSE study. Reforms are also being attempted at the federal level.

"This is a very demoralizing issue, and it shouldn't really be an issue in the 21st century," said Charlotte Woodward, the National Down Syndrome Society's education program associate.

Woodward was born with Down syndrome, she said. Her advocacy work is important to her because she believes disabled voices provide needed visibility, she said. 

"The doctor told my mom I would never learn to read or write," Woodward said. "That, when I grew up, I would work in a sheltered workshop." 

A sheltered workshop is traditionally defined as a supervised workplace for adults who have a physical or intellectual disability.

"Of course, my mom didn't take those words to heart," Woodward added.

Opponents of the bill question if sheltered workshops and subminimum wage are harmful to disabled workers. Sen. Thomas Norment, R-James City County, spoke to the Senate about the disabled son of his former administrative assistant.

"He never once, never once, mentioned how much he was paid or what the compensation was," Norment said. "It was the intangible reward and satisfaction and fulfillment of his day that he got going to work."

Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Fauquier, also opposed the bill. It would take away opportunities for employers to provide "a haven, a place, a job for people where they do not pay them minimum wage," she said.

Almost all of the workers originally employed under Melwood's former certificate are still employed by the organization, but now at "full wage," Cosgrove said. 

"It's about recognizing that our employees' voices, and their desire for that full wage, brought that dignity — brought that stability," Cosgrove said. "It improved our employee morale immediately." 

To assume disabled workers will thrive in sheltered production does not account for individual ability and interest, said Tonya Milling, executive director of The Arc of Virginia.

"Think of it as the same way you approach things in your own life," Milling said. "When I looked for a job, I looked for something that matched my skills, matched my abilities and could hold my interest."

Shapiro sympathized with concerns over disabled workers and their well-being.

"There is a 'dignity of risk' argument that can be made here," Shapiro said. "Are we going to allow [them] to go out into the world and break a nail? Or are we going to keep [them] in a bubble their entire lives?"

The Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services plans to aid transitioning employers with nearly $14 million in provided federal funding, according to the Disability Law Center of Virginia. 

Youngkin's amendment, in addition to codifying the funds, would require DARS to report to the governor's office in 2024 about the transition away from certificates.

Lawmakers will vote on Youngkin's changes when they reconvene on April 12.

By Chloe Hawkins, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. ‒ An interstate divided the Jackson Ward neighborhood in Richmond decades ago, and now leaders hope a bridge will help reunite it.

The proposed project area for a bridge deck to better connect the neighborhood runs from the Belvidere Street bridge to east of the North First Street bridge over Interstate 95. Federal dollars from a new program will help fund the project.

The interstate was built almost 70 years ago, and in recent years many citizens and leaders have acknowledged its long lasting impact on the community. Local and state agencies launched the Reconnect Jackson Ward Feasibility Study in January 2022 and utilized citizen input throughout the process. Grant applications were submitted last October to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program.

Democratic Virginia U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced in late February nearly $3 million in federal funding to improve transportation infrastructure and reconnect communities in Richmond and Norfolk. 

Approximately 20 states have used transportation departments to build connections over highways, according to the final report from Reconnect Jackson Ward. Design elements include bridges, caps and lids to cover highways and create parks and pedestrian and bicycle pathways, according to the report.

The DOT pilot program will help reconnect neighborhoods that lack economic opportunity due to transportation infrastructure, according to a press release. Norfolk will receive $1.6 million and Richmond will receive $1.35 million toward the Jackson Ward project. 

The congressional Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the pilot program and funded it with $1 billion over the next five years, according to an agency press release. The first round of funding distributed $185 million across 45 U.S. communities.

Warner recently visited the St. Paul's neighborhood in Norfolk to celebrate the project funding. 

"Too many communities were cut off by the development of the interstate system," Warner stated on Twitter. 

The Norfolk I-264 Reconnecting Communities Project will be used to find a solution to a jumbled, 14-lane stretch of interstate called the "spaghetti bowl" that blocks a low-income, majority African-American neighborhood from access to the downtown Norfolk area, according to a press release.

"I'm glad this funding is coming to Norfolk and Jackson Ward to bring together communities that were separated and burdened by the placement of past infrastructure projects," Kaine stated in an email response to an interview request. "I'm looking forward to seeing the positive impacts of these investments." 

Kaine will continue to look for opportunities to help Virginia communities that may be cut off economically, he stated. 

Gary Flowers is the radio host of the "Gary Flowers Show," a weekday morning radio show that highlights civic engagement and Black history, according to Flowers. He leads frequent walking tours through Jackson Ward that explore the influences which led to the ward's earlier identity as the "Black Wall Street" and "Harlem of the South." 

The government must answer a few questions in order to address the displacement in Jackson Ward, he said.

"How will it address the Black residents displaced by I-95?" Flowers said. "Secondly, if there is a connector, then who is being connected?"

The interstate system was needed, but forced Black communities out of their neighborhoods, Flowers said.

"What was nefarious about the placement of I-95 from Maine to Florida is that communities of color were deliberately chosen for placement of the much needed federal highway," Flowers said. 

The "white power structure" chose to build the interstate through the prosperous Jackson Ward community, Flowers said. Approximately 300 Black-owned businesses, seven insurance companies and five banks were located there, according to Flowers.

Flowers hopes to see the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood extended to its original boundaries, and people reimbursed for their losses, he said. 

"To address the question of recompense for those homeowners, business owners and church congregations that were deliberately disrupted by I-95," Flowers said.

The interstate divided a thriving, self-sufficient Black neighborhood, which left the area vulnerable to the impacts of redlining by "white Richmond banks," Flowers said. Redlining is a now illegal practice where lenders avoid investing in individuals who live in communities of color because of their race or national origin.

The federal funding will help on "many different fronts," according to Melody Short, co-founder of the Jackson Ward Collective Foundation and vice president of programming. The Jackson Ward Collective supports current and aspiring Black business owners, according to its website.

"[Funding] helps with beautification, which naturally increases the attraction and value of the neighborhood," Short said. 

The neighborhood also needs funding to help build more affordable housing, she said. 

"It is a neighborhood that has been gentrified, and so historically that pushes the folk out of the neighborhood, and that's not helpful," Short said. "This was once upon a time an all-Black neighborhood."

Preliminary engineering and design plans for the bridge deck are slated to occur over the next two years, according to a project timeline, with construction projected to be complete by 2028.

By Janae Blakeney, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. -- A bill to help remove licensing requirements for eyebrow threading technicians failed to pass a House committee during the recent General Assembly session. 

Eyebrow threading is a method to remove facial hair and eyebrows that began millenniums ago in Asia, and gained popularity in Western culture. 

People interested in pursuing eyebrow threading must obtain certification through wax technician courses overseen by the Board of Barbers and Cosmetology under the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. The curriculum requires individuals to complete a minimum of 115 hours of training and to pass a written exam and practical exam, according to state licensing requirements.

The Board of Barbers and Cosmetology syllabus mentions waxing and temporary hair removal, but not threading specifically, according to LaFarn Burton, founder of LB Beauty Academy in Richmond. The state curriculum needs to delve into threading education more thoroughly, Burton said. 

"It's like it was just stuck in there, but no meat to the threading," Burton said. 

Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler, D-Virginia Beach, introduced House Bill 1498 to remove the requirement that an eyebrow threader must obtain an occupational license. The bill failed to advance out of a House subcommittee by a 3-5 vote. 

Fowler introduced a similar bill in 2019, and Del. Kaye Kory, D-Falls Church, introduced a similar bill in 2015.

Convirs-Fowler did not return multiple calls and emails for a statement about the bill. 

DPOR did not bring the bill to the General Assembly, and declined to comment on the legislation when contacted.

Meagan Forbes, director of legislation and senior legislative counsel for the Arlington-based Institute for Justice, testified to the subcommittee panel on behalf of the bill. 

 "Threading is a safe hair removal technique," Forbes said. "It does not involve chemicals or dangerous devices, threaders simply use their hands and a single piece of cotton thread to remove hairs."

Twenty states currently exempt threading "without issue," according to Forbes.

Zahra Lakhani, a DPOR-licensed educator, recently retired after doing eyebrow threading for approximately 30 years. 

It would be a step backwards to remove the license requirement for threading, she said. The education an eyebrow threader receives through instruction is important, Lakhani said. 

"It's very important to know the sanitary part of it, how to keep yourself safe, how to keep your customer safe, how to do the practice well and well skilled," Lakhnai said.

 Sanitization is essential for threading because technicians roll the thread on the clients' faces, which could cause cross-contamination, according to Lakhani.

 Rolling the thread cuts or burns the skin if the skin is not tight and held a specific way while removing hair from your face, she said.

 "The consumer and the provider should always be protected," Lakhani said.

If the waxing education requirement was removed, Lakhani thinks at least 60 hours of threading training would be "sufficient," and should include sanitation training, theory and practice hours. 

Stefania Rafeedie, who owns Arch and Beauty Studio LLC in Fairfax County, wrote DPOR to request an "Eyebrow Specialist" license in 2021, according to the letter accessed from the regulatory agency. More specific training is needed to provide specialized eyebrow treatments, according to Rafeedie. 

"It is puzzling to me that while one of the above licenses are required, none of them teach a future practitioner how to perform these services," Rafeedie stated. 

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University's Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

By Jacqueline Weisgarber, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Richmond, Virginia

Social Security works with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to protect you from scams that use Social Security as bait.  Section 1140 of the Social Security Act allows OIG to impose severe penalties against anyone who engages in misleading Social Security-related advertising or imposter communications.  You can review Section 1140 at www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title11/1140.htm.

For example, the OIG may impose a penalty against anyone who:

• Mails misleading solicitations that appear to be from or authorized by Social Security.
• Operates an imposter internet website or social media account designed to look like it belongs to or is authorized by Social Security.
• Sends emails or text messages or makes telephone calls claiming to be from Social Security.

• Sells Social Security’s free forms, applications, and publications without our written approval.
• Charges a fee for a service that Social Security provides free of charge without providing a clearly visible notice that Social Security provides the service for free.

If you receive a misleading or suspicious Social Security-related advertisement or imposter communication, please let us know immediately.  Try to capture as much information about the communication as you can. 

Here’s what you can do:

• For suspicious websites or social media accounts, please take a screenshot of the page. Please note the website address or social media link – and how you came across it. 
• For emails and text messages, please capture the entire message and any message links.
• For U.S. mail solicitations, please retain the complete communication, including the outside envelope and all inserts.
• For telephone solicitations, please note the caller identification phone number and any company name or call back number that the caller or recorded message provides.

You can help us stop misleading advertising and communications.  We encourage you to report potential scams to the OIG at oig.ssa.gov.  You can also call our fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or send an email to OIG.1140@ssa.gov.

This information will help OIG locate the source of the suspicious solicitation or communication.  You can also check out our publication, What You Need to Know About Misleading Advertising, at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10005.pdf.

Please share this information with friends and family and help us spread the word on social media!

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury
April 4, 2023

As teacher shortages continue in Virginia, the state is attempting to stave off further educational impacts by granting more provisional licenses. 

The commonwealth issued a total of 8,434 provisional licenses in 2021-22 compared to an average of 6,787 in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a November report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which conducts analysis and provides oversight of state agencies on behalf of the General Assembly.

The Virginia Education Association, the state’s teachers union, has said the exodus of teachers, including highly qualified educators, is connected to low wages, increased workloads and politicized work environments.

“For a long time in Virginia, teachers with short-term provisional licenses have played an important role, and this is a totally viable pathway, eventually becoming a fully licensed teacher,” said Chad Stewart, policy analyst for the Virginia Education Association. “But the way this licensure is working now — given the magnitude of provisionally licensed teachers that we have — doesn’t necessarily match how it was envisioned.”  

Provisional licenses are short-term, nonrenewable licenses granted by the Virginia Department of Education for teachers who haven’t met all of the state requirements to teach but still have some qualifications.  

For example, people who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university but didn’t take education courses would not meet the department’s requirements for a standard teaching license. However, they could seek a provisional license.

The department also grants licenses to “out-of-field” teachers who have not yet completed their coursework or certification in the content area they are teaching.  

In Virginia, provisionally licensed teachers have addressed shortages left behind by teachers. The November JLARC report found school divisions statewide have become more reliant on provisionally licensed teachers, with approximately 7.7% of all teachers being provisionally licensed before the pandemic and 9.5% falling in that category in 2021-22. 

“This represents an unusually large change to the proportion of teachers with a provisional license, which did not exceed 8.3 percent in any previous year examined,” the commission wrote. 

Virginia’s teacher vacancy rate increased from 3% in 2021-22 to 3.8% as of Oct. 1, according to the Department of Education. The data includes both licensed and unlicensed teachers. Special education has had the highest vacancy rate at the start of the past two school years.

Although the Virginia Education Association has in the past found vacancy rates to be higher in high-poverty and rural school divisions, it says vacancy rates at nonrural schools are now on par with those in other school divisions.

The role of provisional licensing

Both the Virginia Association of Superintendents and Virginia Education Association support provisional licensing. Scott Brabrand, executive director for the superintendents association, said in an email to the Mercury that the option is “another tool for school districts to use as needed.”

However, a teacher who has not completed specific teaching coursework is more likely to be less effective than a fully licensed teacher, according to the November JLARC report.

“Full licensure is important because it requires coursework related to methods of teaching (pedagogy), which contributes to teacher effectiveness at all grade levels,” JLARC wrote. 

Stewart said it’s vital for teachers to have experience with pedagogical thinking, or the ability to think while instructing, and knowledge of how to design and sequence lessons to best help students retain knowledge. Without training in classroom management skills and student preparation, there are concerns about how successful provisional teachers can be.

“We’re not saying it’s not a viable pathway and it shouldn’t be out there for some folks that are really interested in pivoting into the teaching profession,” Stewart said. “But what we’re seeing now with thousands of new people entering into these roles is very concerning because it seems to be plugging the gap for [the] teacher shortage crisis that has gotten so bad in this state, and this masks the magnitude of how bad it’s gotten.”

Curbing teacher shortages

As school leaders around the state struggle to find ways to address teacher shortages, Arlington Public Schools has turned to a 2019 law creating an alternative route for teacher licensing.

That legislation, carried by Del. Roxann Robinson, R-Chesterfield, required the Board of Education to grant special consideration to people seeking a provisional license who have completed a program offered by a program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. 

Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, had backed a similar proposal aimed at helping Arlington Public Schools’ Montessori Program — the only Montessori program in Virginia’s public schools — address teacher shortages. Montessori schools are based on the educational theories of Maria Montessori and focus on more hands-on, student-directed learning than traditional classrooms usually offer.

At the time, Arlington’s program was having to turn away many experienced candidates because they lacked a Virginia teaching license and a Montessori credential.

“We were already feeling some of that pressure because the requirements to have a Montessori credential and a public school license in Virginia was already challenging,” said Monique O’Grady, a former school board member in Arlington.

The 2019 law required the State Board of Education to create a process that would let a school board or organization sponsored by a school board like the Montessori program ask the board to approve an alternate route for teachers to meet the requirements for a provisional or renewable license. That route could include “alternatives to the regulatory requirements for teacher preparation, including alternative professional assessments and coursework.” 

Arlington proposed that candidates be eligible for a provisional teaching license if they hold at minimum a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and a credential issued by an institution accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education while having successfully passed Virginia’s required Praxis tests in their specific area.

The board granted Arlington’s request on March 23.

“Montessori teaching is already under such demand that the pool is already small,” said O’Grady. “Any barrier that makes it harder for a teacher to come into Virginia to teach makes it harder for us to fill that position, and I think that’s really what we were fixing.”

Legislative and administrative efforts

Other bills passed during the 2022 and 2023 sessions have tried to give the state’s provisional licensing system more flexibility.

Last year, lawmakers allowed the Board of Education to temporarily extend certain teacher licenses by two years and issue a three-year provisional license to people with non-U.S. teaching licenses or certifications. 

During the last session, lawmakers also gave the board authority to extend provisional licenses by up to two years based on a satisfactory performance evaluation and a superintendent recommendation. 

But provisional licensing isn’t the only solution policymakers are eyeing to get teachers in the classroom.

Recent legislation carried by Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, and Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, looks to retired school employees to address the teacher shortage.

Under existing law, Coyner said retired instructional and administrative employees, specialized student support employees and bus drivers with at least 25 years of service cannot return to work until a year after their retirement without jeopardizing their pension benefits.

The new legislation shortens that time period from one year to six months, allowing retired teachers to return to the classroom to fill vacancies more quickly.

Coyner said she pushed for reducing the break in service to one month but compromised at six months. Other proposals by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, and Del. Rob Bell, R-Albermarle, would have reduced the return to work by three months. A different version of Deeds’ bill later passed.

Still, she said she is optimistic the legislation will help address shortages, since many retired school employees are seeking work.

“There are stories all over the commonwealth about children sitting in classrooms with long-term subs, who are very nice and are hardworking, but they don’t have the qualifications of a teacher and we should be doing everything we can to solve that,” Coyner said to the Mercury.

In hopes of getting retired employees into schools faster, the legislation also included language directing VRS to study whether retired school employees can return to work earlier than six months. The report is due to the House and Senate finance committee chairs by Nov. 1.

Meanwhile, proposals to improve teacher compensation and provide additional training and professional support to educators failed.

During a CNN town hall last month, Gov. Glenn Youngkin admitted that Virginia teachers are underpaid and touted lawmakers’ inclusion in the state budget of 10% raises for teachers over the next two years. Still, some education groups say the increases would leave Virginia teacher salaries below pre-pandemic pay levels due to inflation, as well as below the national teacher pay average. VEA said the House and Senate’s proposed 7% budget proposal would get teachers back to levels from 2019-20.

In 2022-23, the average teacher salary nationwide is $67,885 compared to Virginia’s $62,963, according to the VEA. The nationwide rate is expected to increase to $69,343 in the 2023-24 school year. 

In September, Youngkin directed the Superintendent of Public Instruction to “use all discretion within law to issue teaching and renewal licenses, including to teachers licensed in another state and retired teachers whose licenses may have lapsed.”

The Department of Education responded by launching the Become a Teacher and Turning the Tide campaigns, which aim to reduce barriers for qualified people to enter the profession, increase the number of candidates eligible to fill hard-to-staff positions and improve recruitment and retention strategies.

JLARC is also reviewing the teacher pipeline, with a report expected in the early fall.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong for questions: info@virginiamercury.com. Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.

By: Martin Short, Lead Economic Development Specialist & Public Information Officer

In communities across our nation, small Mom and Pop businesses are the bedrock for economic activity, local revenue, and jobs. In many cases these businesses are at the center of our lives economically and socially. I grew up in a rural community where my parents knew the owners of several Mom and Pop businesses. Those relationships were personal and of great value. 

Typically, Mom and Pop businesses are family owned and operate in a variety of industries such as automotive shops, drugstores, hardware stores, etc. These small businesses sometimes must compete with medium and large businesses like big box stores. These small businesses do not have a lot of advantages when competing against larger operations. However, one of the advantages they share is the opportunity to forge personal relationships and build value. These relationships are invaluable because more of the income from these small operations stays in the community and owners are more likely to support the community – sponsoring little league teams for example. Another advantage is the support of the U.S. Small Business Administration, which provides access to capital, access to new markets, and training for entrepreneurs from all walks of life.

There are 3 things you can do to support your locally owned Mom and Pop small businesses:

1. Shop at Mom-and-Pop businesses all year round.
2. Give your local Mom & Pop a shout out on "National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day."
3. Encourage your friends and family to "shop small" on "Small Business Saturday and year-round."

Small businesses are essential to the creation of jobs and opportunities. Remember, small businesses do a lot for the consumer by offering unique products and supporting the local economy. When this happens, we all win. Learn more about small businesses' impact on our economy and how to start and grow yours at Small Business Administration (sba.gov). Let's keep supporting Mom and Pop!