This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury.
The Virginia General Assembly is set to return on Jan. 8, kicking off a pivotal legislative season that will test the balance of power between a Republican governor in his final full year and a Democratic-controlled legislature.
Lawmakers are expected to tackle an ambitious agenda, with debates spanning tax relief, education funding, abortion access, maternal health care, and energy infrastructure. The session also promises to be a stage for early maneuvering ahead of the 2025 gubernatorial election.
Aiming to shape his legacy as a tax-cutter and education reformer, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has made tax reform a centerpiece of his proposed budget amendments, including an incremental plan to eliminate Virginia’s personal car tax and exempt tipped wages from income taxes.
Youngkin has framed the proposals as “common-sense solutions” to lower the cost of living, while Democrats have expressed skepticism over the long-term fiscal impacts.
The governor first embraced the car tax repeal last year after two Democratic candidates in Southwest Virginia made it part of their platforms, but he saw his initial proposal stall in the 2024 legislative session due to a lack of a clear plan.
During his rollout of proposed amendments to the state’s biennial budget last month, Youngkin again called on the General Assembly to scrap what he described as Virginia’s “most hated tax since the tax on tea,” estimating it costs the average family of four about $290 annually.
The governor’s budget also proposes nearly $1 billion in new education funding, including $50 million for scholarships to help lower-income students attend private schools and $25 million to expand lab schools. Democrats are likely to counter with proposals aimed at boosting teacher pay, modernizing public school facilities, and capping tuition increases at state colleges.
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that Democrats are unlikely to make many concessions to Youngkin during an election year when the governorship and all 100 seats of the House of Delegates are on the ballot.
“The truth is, the Democrats have no interest in making Youngkin look good,” Farnsworth said. “From day one, there hasn’t been much outreach effort on Youngkin’s side by way of any olive branches to Democratic lawmakers. And they have responded in kind.”
The big legacy project that Youngkin has put forward so far — the idea of a new $2 billion sports arena in Northern Virginia in an effort to bring the Washington Wizards and Capitals to Virginia — went nowhere, Farnsworth said, adding that lawmakers “are even less inclined to cooperate with him now than they were a year ago.”
Democrats, on the other hand, are prioritizing efforts to protect abortion access in Virginia, including a proposed constitutional amendment enshrining reproductive rights. Meanwhile, Youngkin’s budget includes language to eliminate state funding for abortions in cases of severe fetal anomalies, a move Democrats have vowed to block.
However, bipartisan support exists for measures to improve maternal health outcomes. Youngkin has proposed over $4 million in funding for pilot programs, increased OB-GYN residencies, and workforce development for doulas and midwives.
Democrats have unveiled their own “momnibus” package of bills, which includes expanded Medicaid access and remote monitoring services for high-risk pregnancies in rural areas.
Lawmakers may also find common ground this year on expanding homeownership opportunities and addressing affordable housing.
Sen. Glenn Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, has introduced legislation to limit large investment firms from outbidding first-time homebuyers — a measure that has drawn interest from senior Democrat Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, who welcomed Sturtevant’s focus on housing policy.
Democrats plan to advance proposals to strengthen renter protections, provide property tax relief for some homeowners, curb rent gouging, and tackle racial bias in home appraisals.
Virginia’s growing energy demands, fueled by data center expansion, have sparked debates about pipeline projects and natural gas infrastructure. Lawmakers are set to review recommendations from a recent report urging investments to bolster energy capacity while addressing environmental concerns.
And Democrats plan to revive legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session to establish a legal adult-use cannabis market. While personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana have been legal in the commonwealth since 2021, efforts to create a regulated retail market have repeatedly stalled.
Lawmakers are once again expected to introduce bills outlining licensing frameworks, taxation policies, and measures to promote equity in the industry. Democrats say the push is aimed at curbing the illicit market, ensuring consumer safety, and generating tax revenue to fund public programs.
With Democrats holding majorities in both chambers, advocates believe there’s a stronger path forward this year for the legislation to get bipartisan support, although negotiations with Youngkin, who repeatedly pushed back against retail cannabis and vetoed the legislation last year, could once again pose challenges.
Farnsworth, the political scientist, said that he doesn’t expect the Democratic-controlled legislature to send many groundbreaking proposals to Youngkin’s desk that the Republican governor would be inclined to sign.
“I think that what we’ll see in this next session is basically everybody running for the exits,” he said. “Anything that can be kicked down the road will be, and the one thing that they’ll focus on is making the other party look bad.”
However, even in a divided government, some work can get done, Farnsworth added.
“Democrats can push constitutional amendments to the voters, there can be tinkering with the second year of the budget,” he said.
“But if Youngkin really wants a big reform of the car tax, it’s going to cost him a great deal to get Democratic support for that, he’ll have to make all kinds of concessions in other areas. And that generally hasn’t been the way that Youngkin has approached the legislature in the past.”
Some of the proposals that The Mercury will be tracking in the next 60 days:
Education
Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, and Del. Laura Jane Cohen, D-Fairfax, have introduced Senate Bill 753 and House Bill 500, which would require the Board of Education to begin developing Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments in languages other than English starting next school year.
The SOL standards outline Virginia’s expectations for student learning and measure proficiency in subjects like math, reading, science, writing, and history and social science. Under the proposals, students with limited English proficiency could take the tests in one of the three most common languages other than English for up to two consecutive years.
Del. Jackie Glass, D-Norfolk, is sponsoring HB 328, which would enable Virginia to recruit teachers through a multistate agreement in response to a mass departure of educators from public schools across the commonwealth.
Del. Chad Green, R-York, introduced HB 41, proposing a civics course to the 12th-grade Virginia and U.S. Government standards. The bill aims to help students earn a “seal of excellence” in civics education by demonstrating proficiency and gaining a deeper understanding of how state and federal governments work.
Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, is sponsoring HB 386 to boost the number of state-funded specialized student support positions, such as school social workers, psychologists, nurses and other behavioral health professionals, from three to four per 1,000 students.
HB 181 by Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, would lower the counselor-to-student ratio to one for every 250 students. The General Assembly previously set the current standard — one counselor for every 325 students — in 2022.
Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, introduced HB 360, which would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to review and compare the number of teachers that schools are funded for under the state’s Standards of Quality formula with the number of teachers actually employed.
The review would occur every two years to help the state make any necessary funding updates.
As lawmakers continue filing bills, the General Assembly is also expected to weigh short-term recommendations from a joint K-12 education funding committee tasked with overhauling the state’s funding formula, a process that is likely to take time.
Elections and voting
Legislation by Del. Chad Green, R-York County, mandates that all absentee ballots mailed to voters must be printed on security paper featuring a visible watermark to verify authenticity. Under HB 1566, the watermark must preserve the secrecy of the ballot while ensuring it is identifiable as an official ballot.
HB 1573, another Green proposal, would reduce the in-person absentee voting period from 45 days to 10 days before an election. The similar HB 1574 applies the same change to primary elections.
SB 764, sponsored by Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, seeks to tighten Virginia’s photo ID voting requirements by removing the option for voters without photo identification to sign an affidavit affirming their identity. Under the proposal, those without valid ID would be limited to casting a provisional ballot.
Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, filed SB 760, which shifts the deadline for receiving absentee ballots, curing absentee ballot issues, and submitting ID for provisional ballots from noon to 5 p.m. on the third day after an election. The change gives voters more time to address errors or provide required documentation to ensure their ballots are counted.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, introduced legislation that seeks to regulate the use of artificial audio and visual media in political campaigns. It requires a disclaimer stating that the media “does not represent a true recording of the candidate” to accompany any artificially generated content meant to influence an election.
Under SB 775, failing to include the disclaimer is punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor. Offenders face a Class 1 misdemeanor if the deceptive media is distributed within 90 days of an election, without the depicted candidate’s consent, and with intent to harm the candidate or sway election results.
The bill also allows candidates, individuals, and voter advocacy groups to seek injunctions against such media. Exceptions are made for satire, parody, and legitimate journalism.
A measure sponsored by Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, requires the Department of Elections to complete voter registration record reviews 90 days before all primary and general elections to remove ineligible voters.
Exceptions allow for removals due to death, criminal conviction, mental incapacity, or voter request. Currently, this rule applies only to federal elections; SB 813 expands it to state and local elections as well.
Guns
HB 1559, sponsored by Del. Wren Williams, R-Patrick, eliminates the requirement for individuals renewing a concealed handgun permit to provide proof of training or demonstrated competence if they were previously issued a permit.
Del. Jason Ballard, R-Giles, introduced legislation that would make it a Class 5 felony for anyone to threaten or falsely report bombing, burning, destruction, or discharging a firearm at buildings, places of assembly, or transportation.
Offenders under 18 years old would face a Class 1 misdemeanor instead. HB 1583 expands current law, which does not explicitly address firearm threats, and increases the age threshold for felony charges from 15 to 18 years old.
Health
While both parties have identified maternal health care as a priority this legislative session, other proposals aim to address rural health care challenges and bolster support for health care workers.
HB 1596, introduced by Del. Nadarius Clark, D-Portsmouth, would expand state health insurance for telemedicine appointments to include phone calls, not just video calls. Clark said the bill, which grew out of bipartisan discussions last year, is designed to help rural Virginians who often lack reliable broadband internet access.
Lawmakers are also focusing on reproductive health care. HB 1609, sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, would mandate health insurance coverage for fertility treatments, while SB 780 by Sen. Jennifer Carrol Foy, D-Prince William, would require insurance plans to cover contraception.
Housing
While Sen. Glenn Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, is expected to be a leading Republican voice on housing policy this year, Democrats are pushing forward with proposals aimed at strengthening renter protections, providing property tax relief, curbing rent gouging, and addressing racial bias in home appraisals.
To help vulnerable renters, SB 830 by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, would make Virginia’s eviction diversion pilot program permanent and expand its availability to all district courts. The program was previously set to expire this year.
Meanwhile, SB 812, sponsored by Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, would give tenants more time to catch up on missed rent payments, extending the grace period from five to 14 days.
Rouse is also backing SB 815, which would amend Virginia’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to prevent landlords from denying housing to applicants based on prior eviction filings — even if those cases were ultimately dismissed in court.
Taxes
Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County, introduced HB 1551, which would make elevated standard deductions for state income taxes permanent. The current higher deductions — $8,500 for single filers and $17,000 for married couples — are set to expire on Jan. 1, 2026. Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, filed a similar proposal in the Senate.
HB 1562, sponsored by Del. Chad Green, R-York County, would allow workers to deduct cash tips from their state income taxes starting next year. The deduction applies to tips reported to employers for federal tax purposes, aiming to provide financial relief to service industry employees who rely on gratuities as a major part of their income.
Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, carries a companion measure in the Senate.
A proposal by Del. Lee Ware, R-Powhatan, would cap the tax on cigars at 20% of the manufacturer’s sales price or 30 cents per cigar, whichever is lower. Currently, the effective tax rate is 20% due to provisions in the state budget that double the statutory rate. HB 1572 aims to provide more predictable and potentially lower costs for cigar distributors and retailers.
HB 1598, sponsored by Del. Joshua Cole, D-Stafford, would create a one-time, nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $10,000 for first-time homebuyers purchasing residential property.
The credit, available from 2025 through 2029, covers eligible home-buying expenses based on the property’s purchase price. However, homeowners who sell the property within three years would be required to repay the credit.
A measure introduced by Sen. Chris Head, R-Roanoke, would establish a refundable income tax credit of $2,000 per eligible birth for married individuals from 2025 through 2029. SB 789 also includes the same credit for stillbirths, provided the birth was not through a surrogate. Only one credit may be claimed per birth or stillbirth.
Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, introduced legislation that would allow low-income taxpayers to claim a refundable income tax credit equal to 20% of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) claimed for the same year.
SB 810 also extends eligibility to individuals who lack valid social security numbers but would otherwise qualify. Current law limits taxpayers to either a nonrefundable 20% credit or a refundable 15% credit.
Another Rouse proposal revises Virginia’s real property tax exemption and deferral program for elderly and disabled individuals. SB 816 would allow localities to require payment of delinquent taxes or establish installment plans of up to 72 months to settle past debts before qualifying for tax relief.
The bill mandates further that program details be included in assessment notices and posted on local websites. It also permits prorated exemptions or deferrals for eligible applicants who qualify midyear but apply later.
Drones
In response to a rise in drone activity over sensitive areas, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, introduced legislation that makes it a Class 4 felony to knowingly use a drone to enter a contracted defense facility’s property to capture images or information protected under U.S. export control laws.
SB 757 also protects facility owners, operators, and employees from liability for damaging drones involved in such offenses.
