As of Jan. 11, the boil advisories in Greater Richmond have been lifted. Click here for an explainer on flushing your pipes after a boil advisory.
Editor’s note: Due to the water outages in Greater Richmond, the General Assembly has modified its opening schedule. The House of Delegates and Senate will gavel in the 2025 session at noon Wednesday, take up three procedural resolutions and then go into recess until Monday morning. Click here for more information.
The conventional wisdom on Capitol Square is that General Assembly sessions in odd-numbered years are less productive: They are shorter — an extendable 30 days instead of 60 — there is no new budget, and legislators competing for reelection in the fall are wary of spending political capital ahead of Nov. 4.
But there is still a lot going on. Here’s what I’m following (in particular) this legislative session. Please let me know what you think I should follow too at the People’s Agenda.
Election 2025
The entire House of Delegates is up for reelection this year, with many delegates facing their stiffest competition in the June 18 primary elections. One way to tell which issues Democrats and Republicans think will win them back their seats is to pay attention during the “morning hour.” It’s then that delegates stray from direct commentary on legislation and offer a peek into their values, or the values they want to project through “points of personal privilege,” introductions of guests, or memorial resolutions.
What Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D–Portsmouth) decides to prioritize or bring up for votes is also going to speak to the Democratic Party’s legislative strategy as it tries to maintain control of the House. In 2022, the Republican majority left an abortion ban to die in committee, the stage of the legislative process where speakers have more influence. That fall, the GOP lost control of the House in an election where reproductive health was a major issue.
Three officials in the Senate chamber are also running for higher office: State Sens. Ghazala Hashmi (D–Chesterfield) and Aaron Rouse (D–Virginia Beach) are running for lieutenant governor, and Republican Lt. Gov Winsome Earle-Sears is running for governor. Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares has announced a legislative agenda as he runs for reelection. If and when all these officials’ opponents who work outside the statehouse visit is something to watch for, too.
Budget
Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to eventually eliminate Virginia’s car tax first by funding a rebate program for three years. Eliminating the car tax was something he raised last year during the legislative session, although he didn’t include it in his budget proposal then. This session, it’s the signature piece of budget amendments he proposed in December.
Lawmakers are only amending the budget this year: Not passing the changes wouldn’t cause a government shutdown, but it does mean billions of dollars in surplus revenue that can’t make it back to Virginians through spending or tax relief.
The car tax, aka officially the personal property tax, is one of the few revenue sources for Virginia’s localities to consistently grow. It made up about 16% of cities’ general property tax revenues and 22% of counties’, according to 2023 figures from the Auditor of Public Accounts.
This tax cut is only for those taxpayers who make less than $50,000 a year, or $100,000 if filing jointly.
And localities couldn’t just make it up by raising the tax (there’s a condition in the proposal’s legislation that limits how much the car tax could grow).
The other big tax change Youngkin wants is making the standard dedication permanent. That tax cut would cost about $1.8 billion in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, Youngkin told legislators in December. (Virginia’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.)
For Richmond, Youngkin asked for $50 million in additional funding for upgrading the city’s combined storm and sewer system.
Constitutional amendments
Democrats have filed three constitutional amendments: legalizing abortion on the state level, allowing for automatic restoration of voting rights after completing a sentence for a felony conviction, and protecting marriage equality.
If the proposals pass, they would need to be approved again next legislative session, which is after the fall election. Then voters would vote on the referendums in 2026.
Education
Increased education funding and tax cuts were the focus of last year’s budget standoff, and it’s possible that could happen again. Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D–Fairfax) responded to questions about Youngkin’s proposed tax cuts by saying that education was underfunded.
The debate over money for schools also will take the form of enabling school divisions to increase tax increases to fund school construction.
Youngkin also has proposed a $50 million school voucher program and more money for charter schools.
The “Momnibus”
Omnibus bills get their name because a single bill affects different topics. Virginia Democrats are calling a package of bills on the topic the “Momnibus” bill, which includes reducing the child care waitlist and creating a commission on women's health policy and programs monitoring health conditions affecting maternal mortality.
Youngkin has also proposed increased funding for maternal health-related budget items and lent support to Republican maternal health proposals. Those include the endorsement of out-of-state midwives, and shoring up emergency departments for obstetric care.
Energy and data centers
Where, how and when solar power facilities go up has been a key debate in Virginia, and given the commonwealth’s large number of data centers and renewable energy deadlines, it will be a consequential debate this session.
The Commission on Electric Utility Regulation endorsed a bill on Monday that would give the state some more power in solar siting. It would allow regulators to appeal local governments’ denials of solar projects.
AI and law enforcement tech
If endorsed by the Virginia Crime Commision, a bill regulating automatic license plate readers would return again, after failing on the Senate floor by one vote. Opponents, who call the technology “vehicle surveillance” have concerns about warrants and due process, and how long data is retained and how it can be accessed.
At least one bill on artificial intelligence’s use in providing “predictions” to law enforcement has already been introduced and more could follow.
