David Sherfinski

Political texting roils Va. state Senate race

A Republican candidate for the Virginia Senate has ties to a group with a trail of accusations that it sent unsolicited and anonymous text messages at the eleventh hour of political campaigns — messages similar to those Virginia Democrats say they have intercepted in recent days and suspect are illegal. Published October 30, 2011

Employer health coverage rate down in Virginia

The high cost of providing health insurance and a general willingness among businesses to skimp on employee benefits has left Virginia with its lowest rate of workplace health coverage in almost 20 years, according to a new study. Published October 27, 2011

Cost of Medicaid in Virginia swells

Funding for the department that oversees Medicaid in Virginia has swelled by 143 percent over the past decade as the state grapples with increased health care costs and the prospect of dramatically expanded participation starting in 2014 as a result of federal reforms. Published October 26, 2011

Va. Democrats shift campaign focus to abortion, guns

With a sputtering national economy looming over the state and an increasingly unpopular president, some campaigns in Northern Virginia are turning away from fiscal issues and toward social issues, such as abortion and gun rights, ahead of the Nov. 8 statewide elections. Published October 25, 2011

New Va. laws increase fees in body art, grooming

As Virginia's regulatory reach expands to include businesses such as tattoo and body piercing parlors, the costs of doing business for barber shops and hair salons are rising as well. Published October 24, 2011

Fairfax GOP seeks to pin badge of dishonor on Barry

If political parties cannot win over voters, perhaps just trying to confuse them might work. Published October 23, 2011

General Assembly urged to increase pension funding

The Virginia Education Association on Thursday urged the General Assembly to properly fund the state's $50 billion pension system as Virginia, like most other states, grapples with how to dole out benefits to an ever-increasing number of workers hitting retirement age. Published October 20, 2011

Virginia appeals court upholds conviction in gang-attack case

Kirkland Crist Morris acknowledged he was a member of the violent Bloods street gang. But he said his role in a 2009 assault doesn't constitute "criminal gang participation" because on that night he wasn't fighting with the Bloods, he was fighting with a bunch of rival Crips. Published October 19, 2011

Cuccinelli: EPA study on climate broke rules

Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II has filed a reply brief on behalf of Virginia, Texas and 13 other states in his lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's findings in December 2009 that greenhouse gases are harmful to human health. Published October 18, 2011

N. Virginia lawmakers miffed about road-fixing-fund cuts

A Virginia transportation subcommittee is weighing a funding shift that would chop state maintenance payments to local governments by more than 20 percent, drawing ire from Northern Virginia legislators who already think they don't get their fair share of cash from Richmond. Published October 18, 2011

Virginia Senate caucus collects $2.1M in 3rd quarter

The Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus collected $2.1 million in the third quarter of the year as the party tries to fend off hard-charging GOP candidates to hold onto its last bastion of power in Richmond, according to campaign finance figures released Monday. Published October 17, 2011

Older, sicker inmates add to costs in Virginia jails

The number of inmates in Virginia age 50 or older has increased nearly sevenfold over the past 20 years, and the average cost of providing them with specialized health care was nearly seven times the average expenses for younger prisoners in fiscal 2010. Published October 17, 2011