Flannery O’Rourke has joined VPLC as a Law & Policy Analyst. She will support legislative efforts within our Center for Healthy Communities in the areas of unemployment benefits and social security. She recently received her Juris Doctor degree from University of Richmond. Miranda Huffer is the newest member of the Development team. After a successful […]
PRESS RELEASE: Class action settlement provides $489 million in relief to victims of illegal internet payday lendersAfter three years of extensive litigation, the settlement will provide relief to approximately 555,000 consumers who were subject to illegal practices by internet payday lenders. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2022 Richmond, VA – The federal court in Richmond today gave preliminary approval of a class action settlement that will provide $489 million of relief to […]
Celebrating National Energy Efficiency Day – and Continuing the Work to Rebuild Virginia’s Energy Landscape into a Balanced and Equitable SystemOctober 6 is National Energy Efficiency Day. Today’s post comes from VPLC’s Director of Outreach and Consumer Advocacy, Dana Wiggins and Affordable Clean Energy Project Coordinator, Carmen Bingham. Energy Efficiency and the Affordable Clean Energy Project Energy efficiency is the least cost resource for energy, because the least expensive kilowatt hour is the one you […]
PRESS RELEASE: New anti-poverty laws take effect in Virginia todayFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2021 The suite of new laws will protect tenants, help families with food assistance, expand health coverage, protect consumers, and more. Richmond, VA – Effective today, several new laws in the Commonwealth will benefit hundreds of thousands of low-income Virginians. The new laws include better protections for tenants, expansion of […]
VPLC’s 2019 Legislative ReviewWith another General Assembly session behind us and the dust settled after this month’s veto session, here is a review of what occurred during the 2019 legislative session. This year brought several wins—foster care reform, fairer laws for tenants in the wake of a report detailing Virginia’s high eviction rates, and the end of driver’s […]
Statement of Virginia Poverty Law Center: On Governor Northam’s announcement to end automatic suspension of driver’s licenses for unpaid court debtCONTACT: Christie Marra christie@vplc.org (804) 615-8150 RICHMOND, VA – Virginia Poverty Law Center applauds Governor Northam’s amendment of the state budget to end the automatic suspension of driver’s licenses for unpaid court debt. The Governor’s budget amendment is the final step in a multi-year advocacy effort led by Senator Bill Stanley and the Legal Aid […]
Dominion promised $870 million for energy conservation. Now it’s walking back its commitment.Earlier this year, Dominion Energy committed to $870 million in proposed energy efficiency programs as part of their 2018 Grid Transformation and Securitization Act (GTSA). Stakeholders and Dominion representatives agreed that the company would develop and implement effective energy efficiency measures to help lower consumer bills and reduce demand on the overall system. Now, Dominion […]
The economy is doing great. So why doesn’t it feel like it?The media have been arguing about who should get credit for the “booming” economy: Trump or Obama. But if the economy is “booming,” then: Why are so many people living paycheck to paycheck?—78% of workers according to a recent report. Why are seven million Americans three months behind on their car payments? How do you […]
Remembering Lillie A. EstesOur hearts are heavy with the news of Lillie A. Estes’ passing. We at VPLC send our condolences to Lillie A.’s family, and we mourn the loss of a remarkable leader. Lillie A. was a dedicated VPLC board member for more years than we can remember. She played an integral role in VPLC’s Advocates for […]