RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Richmond is going all out to honor vets returning from the Iraq War. A welcome home parade now has a sponsor and several local employers are jumping on board.

One veteran is trying to help others get jobs. Robin Beres retired from the Navy after 24 years back in 2004. She said the transition to civilian life wasn't always easy.

"There's worry about a job," Beres said. "For 24 years basically I had a job. I had job security."

She had to look for a job for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century. But she's one of the lucky ones. She found a job quickly.

"It was easy enough for us," she said. "But it's a whole 'nother story nowadays."

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Richmond's top prosecutor comes out firing, sensing bigotry at the General Assembly.

Lawmakers in the House of Delegates worked well past midnight and voted down the judicial nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland, who is openly gay.

Mere hours after his nomination to the Richmond General District bench was defeated, Thorne-Begland was back in his usual role as Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, going over police reports and keeping a low profile. His boss, however, condemned what happened at the capitol.

"For me it sort of sums up the admonition that we are taught as youngsters, that you don't empower small, close-minded people," said Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring, who blasted the House of Delegates during a noontime news conference. "It is hard to think about what happened at the General Assembly and not conclude that it is a form of bigotry."

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- It appears that state employees are more likely to get their 3% bonus.

A budget amendment that would've made the bonus more difficult for state workers to get went down in the strongest way possible — a unanimous vote that effectively kills it.

The final vote left no doubt about it. At 95 to 0, the amendment barely stood a chance.

Del. Jennifer McClellan had been hearing the complaints.

"State employees sort of felt like they were smacked in the face," said McClellan (D-Richmond).

The idea — authored by Governor Bob McDonnell — was to tie a one-time 3% bonus exclusively to state savings instead of state revenues. But in order to qualify for the bonus, state agencies would've had to find millions in savings by the end of June.

Not enough time, said the unusually unified House of Delegates.