Charlotte Rene Woods

Could uncertainty over ACA tax credits spur a special legislative session? • Virginia Mercury Special tax credits that help low income people purchase health insurance are set to expire later this year if Congress doesn’t renew them. Virginia lawmakers are planning ahead should the credits lap...

Special tax credits that help people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act have not yet been renewed by Congress. Virginia state lawmakers and health officials are trying to map the best course forward. virginiamercury.com/2025/07/25/c...

Donate • Virginia Mercury

Happy 7th birthday @virginiamercury.com! We're free for those who can't afford newspaper subscriptions, but donors help us keep doing the work for everyone. A donation, however big or small, would be a great birthday gift for the organization!

virginiamercury.com/donate/?emci...

One year in, Va. corrections ombudsman office on track to investigate misconduct allegations • Virginia Mercury Buildout of staff and filing process has occurred in tandem with allegations of abuse or neglect from within state prisons

Virginia Corrections Ombudsman says 269 of the over 500 statewide complaints her office has received stem from Red Onion State Prison.

virginiamercury.com/2025/07/16/a...

New Va. law protecting reproductive health data prompts Walmart’s online data collection pop-ups • Virginia Mercury “I don't think a lot of people realize the information that private industry buys and sells about them,” Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax said in a recent call.

Three of y’all have asked me about this since July 1, so here’s a news story from @charlottewords.bsky.social of the @virginiamercury.com explaining that pop-up:
virginiamercury.com/briefs/new-v...

‘A smack in the face:’ Vouchers holders fear federal housing cuts • Virginia Mercury Nearly 200,000 homes in Virginia receive some form of support from HUD, according to an analysis from the Virginia Housing Alliance. About 50,000 of those residents use vouchers

White House budget requests call for cuts to federal housing funding. Though Trump admin's goal in federal cuts is to lower taxes, @mcclellan.house.gov cautions that cuts like this could force states/localities to raise them. Learn more here:
virginiamercury.com/2025/06/04/a...

So this happened recently. I'm grateful and excited to be among this group!

Abortion providers challenge FDA’s remaining mifepristone restrictions in federal court • Virginia Mercury “It’s really important that we protect ... safe access to medication abortion no matter where people live — Virginia is playing a key role in the South right now," Whole Woman’s Health Alliance founde...

1. Abortion med challenges are back in federal courts. @sofiaresnick.bsky.social and I have more details here for @statesnewsroom.com @virginiamercury.com
2. Thank you to my old local library for being our temporary workspace when back in Charlottesville yesterday
virginiamercury.com/2025/05/19/a...

Red Onion State Prison in Wise County, Virginia.

>> @charlottewords.bsky.social has been reporting on allegations of poor treatment & conditions at Red Onion State Prison in Wise Co, Virginia.
Woods spoke with me for Inside Appalachia wvpublic.org/reporter-dis...

Virginia House clerk rejects three of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s vetoes • Virginia Mercury The clerk of Virginia’s House of Delegates on Wednesday night rejected three of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent vetoes in the state’s revised two-year budget.  Acting within the clerk’s purview as Keeper...

Virginia's House Clerk rejected three vetoes Gov. Glenn Youngkin made to the state budget earlier this month. Learn more about the healthcare-related items and what that means here: virginiamercury.com/2025/05/15/v...

Earle-Sears ‘morally opposed’ to Virginia’s reproductive rights amendment, note shows • Virginia Mercury Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears signed Virginia’s in-progress reproductive rights constitutional amendment, but noted her personal objection to it in a handwritten note on the bill.  As president of the ...

When she signed bills that passed the legislature this year, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears added a note about being "morally opposed" to Virginia's in-progress reproductive rights constitutional amendment. More details here: virginiamercury.com/2025/05/08/e...

Right-to-contraception bills highlight key reproductive health care debate in this year’s elections • Virginia Mercury For the second year in a row, Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a right-to-contraception bill carried by Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, who took to social media over the weekend to highlight how, unlike the...

As Virginia's right-to-contraception bills were vetoed again, debate between one of the Democratic patrons and a member of Republican caucus leadership highlights reproductive health amid this year's House and executive branch elections.
virginiamercury.com/2025/05/06/r...

Youngkin carves out $900 million as Virginia prepares for Trump-era uncertainty • Virginia Mercury What began as a session focused on how to spend Virginia’s projected multi-billion surplus has ended with Gov. Glenn Youngkin yanking nearly $900 million out of the state budget — bracing for the econ...

What began as a session focused on how to spend Virginia’s projected multi-billion surplus has ended with Gov. Glenn Youngkin yanking nearly $900 million out of the state budget — bracing for the economic aftershocks of President Donald Trump’s new term.

virginiamercury.com/2025/05/02/y...

John Reid imbroglio tests gender, sexuality and privacy standards in Virginia politics • Virginia Mercury John Reid’s continued campaign for lieutenant governor — the first time an openly gay candidate of any party has run for statewide election in Virginia — represents a litmus test at the intersection o...

Lots of layers to this bit of Virginia politics news cycle. I hope I covered some of the gender and sexuality dynamics in an informative way for @virginiamercury.com.

virginiamercury.com/2025/04/29/j...

Voting begins on Richmond’s $3 million People’s Budget • Virginia Mercury Last summer, the city of Richmond made waves by announcing a $3 million dollar check for its residents to spend as they see fit. Now, the city is handing the reins over to its people, inviting everyon...

ATTENTION Richmond residents: the city has earmarked $3 million for you to decide how it's spent and you have two weeks to vote. Learn more in @virginiamercury.com

virginiamercury.com/2025/04/01/v...

Youngkin signs several maternal health bills, tweaks another on unconscious bias training • Virginia Mercury Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed several bills aimed at improving maternal health in the commonwealth, building on promises both he and Democratic leadership made to support parents and health care workers....

An update on some of the "Virginia Momnibus" for @virginiamercury.com. virginiamercury.com/2025/03/27/y...

Advocates rally for investigation into Red Onion State prison, press for reforms • Virginia Mercury Delegates look into allegations of abuse, plan legislation to address concerns

With an investigation on the horizon, Virginia lawmakers also have their eyes on allegations of abuse from Red Onion State Prison.

virginiamercury.com/2025/01/09/r...

Youngkin wants to walk back earned sentence credit expansions in state budget • Virginia Mercury Gov. Glenn Youngkin is doing an about-face on a budget proposal he agreed to last year that expanded the amount of credits incarcerated people with good behavior can earn to shorten their prison sente...

Earned sentence credits allow incarcerated people w/ certain criteria to shorten their time behind bars. The law was blocked for years by Gov. Youngkin before he let it take effect last summer.

Now he'd like to reverse course.

virginiamercury.com/2025/01/07/y...

Youngkin reintroduces proposal to end state-funded abortions for fetal anomalies • Virginia Mercury For the third consecutive year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed budget includes language seeking to eliminate state-funded abortions for severe fetal anomalies.

Virginia law allows for state insurance coverage of abortions for severe fetal anomalies. Gov. Youngkin has again reintroduced budget language to try to revoke it.
virginiamercury.com/briefs/young...

New Virginia investigator to streamline complaint filing for incarcerated people and their families • Virginia Mercury Andrea Sapone, is hitting the ground running, pledging to investigate allegations of mistreatment and address health and safety concerns raised by incarcerated people and their families.

New Virginia investigator appointed to simplify complaint filing for incarcerated individuals and their families, @charlottewords.bsky.social reports. #PrisonReform

virginiamercury.com/2024/12/16/n...

Thanks. I hope people find it helpful!

‘Meet people where they are': Special teams aid Va.'s efforts to expand mental health care services • Virginia Mercury Mobile crisis units are part of Virginia’s ever-expanding landscape of mental health resources and allow people to access help at home

Mobile crisis units are one facet of Virginia's evolving landscape of mental health resources. You can learn more about them in my latest for @virginiamercury.com
virginiamercury.com/2024/12/13/m...

Kaine, Spanberger part of bipartisan, bicameral efforts to address drug supply chain shortages • Virginia Mercury Southside Virginia resident Wendy Oliver’s body might be frail amid her struggle with Lupus — an autoimmune disease that has rendered her disabled — but her spirit is strong as she and her husband nav...

A Lupus patient told me how she's struggled to access her pain meds amid drug shortages. Bipartisan legislation that includes @kaine.senate.gov aims to help.

virginiamercury.com/2024/12/04/k...

Hi! I cover politics for Virginia Mercury with a focus on health & housing policy. My work email is cwoods@virginiamercury.com if you need to reach me!