Cutting public comments short at the General Assembly and more Va. headlines

• Virginia lawmakers’ habit of cutting short public comment to speed through packed meeting dockets is drawing new scrutiny after several victims of violent crime who had traveled to testify in Richmond weren’t allowed to share their stories.—Associated Press

• The plan for a pro sports arena in Northern Virginia cleared its first vote in the House of Delegates, but Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, announced via social media Saturday night that the Senate committee she controls won’t take up the bill because it’s “not ready for prime time.”—Washington Post

• Roanoke Judge Onzlee Ware, a former state delegate who was the first Black legislator elected from western Virginia, died over the weekend after battling cancer.—Cardinal News, Roanoke Times

• Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Donald Trump Jr. gave speeches Saturday at Washington & Lee’s mock political convention. Without mentioning former President Donald Trump by name, Youngkin said the country would be better off if Republicans retake the White House in November.—Roanoke Times

• Democrats have introduced legislation to tighten the way Virginia cleans up its voter rolls after last year’s errors that wrongly led to 3,400 eligible voters being removed due to sloppy criminal history data.—VPM