Franklin County Superintendent Kevin Siers spoke with 10 News regarding frustration over the closure of two beloved elementary schools.

Parents are frustrated after the announcement that Henry and Burnt Chimney Elementary Schools will be closing next school year.

The Franklin County School Board is looking to consolidate elementary schools to make up for over $3 million in funding cuts.

Relief at the pump is the goal for one of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 38 amendments to Virginia’s two-year state budget. He’s still pushing for a three month gas tax holiday.

The bills prohibit the sale of dogs or cats for experimental purposes and penalize animal cruelty.

For more than a year, Martinsville and Henry County have been working to reach an agreement to revert the City of Martinsville back to a town.

Lawmakers in Richmond are split on how to spend billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money.

ROANOKE, Va. – Though a school reopening bill passed the Virginia Senate, the virtual component is getting mixed reactions from school superintendents and teachers. If Grayson County uses Virtual Virginia, it could cost the district about $1,200 a year per student. “If you want a virtual component then you need to put some money in the SOQ [Standard of Quality] to cover that virtual component and not leave us shorthanded,” he said. “This is going right back to no child left behind unfunded mandates from years ago.”AdWilmore said this piece of legislation is micromanaging and Henry County Schools agrees. As a parent and a teacher, Franklin County High School Teacher Kim Ellis said virtual learning needs to be on the table because of safety.

RICHMOND, Va – As the General Assembly session enters its second full week, Senators from southwest Virginia are pushing for sweeping changes in the criminal justice system. This week Senator John Edwards of Roanoke sponsored a bill that would abolish minimum sentencing standards for low-level offenders. Republican Bill Stanley of Franklin County has been working for changes of his own. We’ve now have tailored other options for punishment for those driving offenses,” Republican Senator Bill Stanley said. Stanley says the stigma that comes with the title habitual offenders can impact people’s chances of getting a job.

Under the Constitution, no arrest could have been made.”Sen. Bryce Reeves, a Republican who represents Virginia’s 17th District, introduced SJ 87, a joint resolution on Thursday to remove the immunity of legislators clause currently present in Virginia’s constitution. Article IV, Section 9 - Constitution of VirginiaSen. Reeves’s proposed amendment would strike, “in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace,” from the current document. How new Article IV, Section 9 would readStanley, a Republican who represents Virginia’s 20th district, is supports the bill. In 1997, Charles Waddell, introduced a joint resolution to change the language of Article IV, Section 9 of the Virginia constitution. How Article IV, Section 9 could have looked if resolution introduced in 1997 was ratifiedDelegate Charles Waddell was the bill’s chief patron.

ROANOKE, Va. – Two separate bills proposed in the Virginia General Assembly would raise the minimum wage for workers to $15 per hour over the next three to five years starting July 1. That’s more than double the current hourly wage, $7.25, which is the federal minimum. However, the implications on businesses in southwest or central parts of the Commonwealth could be significant. The bills -- House Bill 395 and Senate Bill 7 -- would not apply to small or family-owned businesses with less than four employees, teenagers, and several other exceptions. “If employers are paying minimum wage, that’s going to be a very hard pill to swallow," Kassens said.

People around the nation kept an eye on elections results in Virginia on Tuesday night. Republicans are trying to keep their narrow majorities in both houses of the legislature, while Democrats are trying to flip both chambers. Leaders of both the Republican and Democratic parties in Virginia told 10 News on Tuesday afternoon that they were optimistic that their party will come out on top. This would probably be the most important election in Virginia in many, many years," said Sen. John Edwards, (D) Roanoke. Many ads run outside of southwest Virginia and Southside have shown how heated the races have become particularly in northern Virginia, Richmond and the Tidewater region.

RICHMOND, Va. - Gun law discussions in Virginia are now on hold after Republicans called off Tuesday's special legislative session, which Democrats scheduled to respond to May's Virginia Beach shooting. Republicans used their power in the General Assembly to put the discussions on hold until at least November. What was expected to be a showdown in Richmond between Democrats pushing for gun control and Republicans fighting back ended after less than two hours. Republicans have the majority in the General Assembly and they voted to send the bills to the Virginia State Crime Commission, which has six Republican members and only three Democrats. Sen. Steve Newman, a Republican leader representing the Lynchburg area, said ending the discussion was their plan all along, but they kept it a secret until now.

Getty ImagesRICHMOND, Va. - Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment says he's spiking his gun-control legislation, only a day after proposing to ban guns in all government buildings statewide. Norment's statement says he'll ask that Senate Bill 4013 be stricken in committee, because "as currently drafted, the legislation represents neither my views nor my intention." He says he won't support "any measure that restricts the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens." The reversal comes after Senate GOP majority whip Bill Stanley resigned to protest Norment's bill. Norment then apologized to his caucus and moved to reinstate Stanley to his key leadership post.

RICHMOND, Va. - A Virginia Republican senator has resigned his leadership role to protest a top Republican's push to ban guns in government-controlled buildings. Sen. Bill Stanley told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he's resigned as majority whip of the GOP Senate caucus after Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment sponsored legislation to implement a broad ban on government buildings. Norment's legislation caught both Republicans and gun-control advocates off guard. They say it's an infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens to prevent them from carrying guns into government buildings. Norment is married to a lobbyist for the city of Virginia Beach, where a municipal worker gunned down his co-workers in a mass shooting.

RICHMOND, Va. - Ahead of Tuesday's special session called by Gov. Ralph Northam, Sen. Bill Stanley has submitted six pieces of legislation to prevent what happened in Virginia Beach from happening anywhere else. Here's a breakdown of the six bills:Workplace Violence ActAn act of workplace violence and/or threats must be reported. to the employee involved, and must take whatever steps necessary to protect other employees from future harm by the offending employee. The 20th district also includes parts of Carroll, Franklin, Halifax and Pittsylvania counties as well as part of the city of Danville.