Senate Democrats in Richmond once again failed to pass a bill to fix issues with a state veterans education benefit program Monday. It was the second special session held to address the issue and dragged into the evening.

“We have a bill that will solve everyone’s problems. But instead, we’re not going to vote on it because of a procedural objection,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, chastising Republicans for failing to cross party lines and approve a sped-up vote on the majority’s suggested changes to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, or VMSDEP.

The program was reined in by the legislature and Governor Glenn Youngkin during the recent budget cycle after costs were projected to skyrocket in the coming years. The families of injured vets complained and an effort to roll back the changes while maintaining the program’s sustainability has been a challenge ever since.

Last Friday the House of Delegates passed a so-called “clean repeal” 92-0. It included directions for a state watchdog to study the program and bring findings and suggestions for changes before the 2025 session. That study is still expected by early September.

But Senator Louise Lucas, that chamber’s leading Democrat, refused to hear the House bill Monday and instead pitched her own fix: one that rolled back much of the changes, and included millions of dollars in funding over the next two years.

Surovell said there were also constitutional issues with the House’s measure, but Republican Senator Mark Peake challenged that assessment and argued enough Senate Democrats were in support to pass it.

“We’re here, it’s our second time here, the House has done their job. We should have voted on this bill,” Peake said from the chamber floor Monday.

The Senate will now have to return at a to be determined date to approve their new effort without Republican support. The House would also then have to return to approve the bill. A spokesperson for House Speaker Don Scott had no comment as of Monday evening.

In a statement sent after Monday’s session, Governor Youngkin condemned the Senate’s fruitless, second return to Richmond and asked both chambers to return again as early as next week.

“If they can’t agree on coming back together to fix this, I will call them back to do exactly that,” he said.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

United Way of Southwest Virginia has announced the return of its annual “Stuff the Bus” fundraiser, aimed to provide essential school supplies to students across Southwest Virginia.

The event takes place throughout the month of July in all 21 localities within its service area, impacting over 150 schools and over 73,000 students.

The organization said this fundraiser comes at a particularly crucial time, as families are facing rising school supply costs — expected to exceed $890 per family and an average of $597 per child.

“We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed,” said Megan Parks, Executive Director of United Way of Southwest Virginia. “Our community has always been incredibly supportive, and we are confident that together, we can make a significant impact in the lives of our students.”

School supplies can be donated at designated collection points throughout the region.

Here’s a list of donation locations across our viewing area:

To learn more about the fundraiser, click here.

For the first time since 2018, we can have a serious conversation about West Virginia and the preseason top 25 rankings. The Mountaineers rattled off nine wins in 2023, ending the year on a strong note winning five of its final six games including a win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Neal Brown and GM Drew Fabianich did a masterful job of keeping the roster intact through the two transfer portal windows. Of course, they lost a few contributors, but nothing they can’t replace.

WVU returns three members of what was considered to be one of the top offensive line’s in all of college football in 2024. Two others, Nick Malone and Xavier Bausley, have started games at the collegiate level. The depth up front is in terrific shape. In the backfield, the Mountaineers will feature one of the top duos in the country with the contrasting styles of Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson. At receiver, they see the return of four of their top five pass catchers from a year ago, including tight end Kole Taylor who led the team with 35 receptions.

Defensively, the front seven is the unit’s strength. They’ll be able to rotate in anywhere from six to eight along the defensive line while housing the most depth they’ve had at linebacker since this staff arrived in 2019. The secondary is the biggest question mark. On paper, it looks to be an improved group but there are several new faces that make up that third level of the defense which could take some time to gel.

There’s more than enough proven talent on this roster for West Virginia to have a number next to its name to start the 2024 season, but will they? My guess is no. They’ll continue to rank the bigger brands who always fall extremely short of expectations instead – think of Miami, Texas A&M, USC and Tennessee – and others who probably aren’t as deserving but could find their way in such as Louisville, Kentucky, and Virginia Tech. If I had a vote, I’d put West Virginia in the 22-24 range. Instead, they’ll be in the back end of “receiving votes” category when the first set of rankings come out in a matter of weeks.

READ MORE ABOUT WVU ATHLETICS

What is WVU’s Biggest Concern in 2024?

WVU Absent From College Football 25’s Top 25 Offenses

West Virginia Ranked in Phil Steele’s Preseason Top 40