For the third straight year, the Virginia General Assembly approved legislation to create the state's retail marijuana marketplace.

Why it matters: With a new governor in the executive mansion, Virginians will likely be able to start legally buying recreational weed within a year.

State of play: This week, the House and Senate each passed separate bills that set up the state's retail cannabis market.

• The proposals establish the tax rates, timeline for rollout, license caps, enforcement, revenue and more.
• Former Gov. Youngkin vetoed similar bills twice. Gov. Spanberger has indicated she's likely to sign them.
• But first, the House and the Senate have to hammer out some differences.

Zoom in: Here's what to know.

• Under both bills, adults 21 and older would be able to buy up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana from a state-licensed retail store.
• Both bills cap the number of stores in the state at 350.
• Neither allow localities to hold referenda to ban retail marijuana stores, but local governments can control where they go and when they're open.
• The House would allow sales to start as early as Nov. 1, and the Senate version on Jan. 1.

The intrigue: Neither bill allows for onsite consumption, like a weed cafe, but they do direct a state commission to study the issue and report its findings by Nov. 1.

Fun fact: Both bills call for the Cannabis Control Authority to oversee the retail program, but the Senate version calls for CAA to merge with Virginia ABC.

• The Senate version also sets a 2028 deadline for the merger to create the Alcoholic Beverage Cannabis Control Authority, making Virginia ABC ABCCA, something no one will call it.

The bottom line: 2026 (or January 2027) could be when Virginians can legally buy the weed they've been legally allowed to possess since 2021.

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Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say just the Senate version of the retail marijuana marketplace bill calls for the Cannabis Control Authority to merge with Virginia ABC.

Virginia isn't pausing the data center boom, but lawmakers are trying to keep residents from footing the bill for it.

Why it matters: That's easier said than done.

The big picture: Electricity demand is climbing fast, driven by data centers that have increasingly expanded into the Richmond area.

• The cost of new power plants and grid upgrades shows up on Dominion Energy bills, which recently jumped after a base rate increase.

Zoom in: Here are major data center bills that have cleared the session's halfway point and are aimed at lowering consumer costs:

💰 House Bill 591 would make it a state policy for large data centers to "pay their fair share" of infrastructure costs to limit impact on ratepayers.

• The intrigue: State budget analysts said this policy could cause some data centers to relocate outside of Virginia.
• Virginia's former director of energy Glenn Davis told Axios that other states are waiting for that to happen.

⚡️ Senate Bill 253 would shift certain capacity and grid-connection costs from all Dominion customers to "high-load" users like data centers.

• State regulators estimate it could lower residents' monthly bills by about $5.50, reports Virginia Mercury.

🛠️ Senate Bill 249 could push utilities like Dominion to consider cheaper grid fixes over expensive projects that customers would pay for long term.

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There are also a slate of bills that are still alive and could affect paychecks, rent payments and workplace policies for thousands of Richmonders.

State of play: Several are likely to be signed into law. Here's what they'd do:

💸 Increase minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028.

🤒 Require employers to provide paid sick leave.

🏥 Create a state-run paid family and medical leave program funded through payroll contributions.

🚫 Ban the selling and buying of assault weapons.

🧊 Ban local officers from assisting ICE in most cases and restrict immigration enforcement in schools, hospitals and courthouses.

🏠 Increase the rent payment grace period from five days to 14.

👶 Establish a pilot program that uses state matching funds to incentivize employers to help cover their workers' child care costs.

🚗 Launch a study looking at how to abolish the car tax.

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CoStar has carried out another round of layoffs at its downtown Richmond headquarters, affecting employees working on its Homes.com platform. (WTVR)

• The total number of cuts is unclear, but it comes less than a year since the company laid off over 100 people.
• This week, CoStar also announced the launch of an AI-powered tool on Homes.com.

🗺️ A Senate committee adjusted Dems' proposed congressional map this week, moving parts of Southwest Virginia into the new 6th Congressional District, which stretches from UVA to Tech. (Times-Dispatch)

🚨 RPD moved two speed enforcement cameras in front of Westover Hills Elementary on Jahnke to behind Mary Munford Elementary on Cary. (News release)

• The 30-day grace period began yesterday, which means drivers will start getting ticketed on April 2.

🏀 VCU's men's basketball team is on a 10-game win streak, its longest since the 2018-19 season. (WRIC)

Richmond Times-Dispatch restaurant critic Justin Lo recently got the lowdown on where state lawmakers go to eat when they're in town.

Why it matters: The General Assembly's 140 members are temporary Richmonders for 30-to-60 days every winter, and they dine local.

Zoom in: Here's where Lo reports they flock to during session.

Sen. Danica Roem (Manassas) heads to GWARbar in Jackson Ward at least once a week.

Del. Bill Wiley (Winchester) is a fan of Church Hill spots The Hill Café and Millie's Diner.

Sen. Aaron Rouse (Virginia Beach) gets Northside's Slay Burgers' double bacon burger delivered to his hotel.

Del. Joshua Cole (Stafford) loves Jamaica House.

Sen. Emily Jordan (Suffolk) goes to Fat Dragon in Scott's Addition.

Sen. Christopher Head (Roanoke), who jokes that he's a rare Republican vegan, finds himself at Bookbinder's for the zucchini linguini.

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