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Virginia Republicans charge ‘power grab’ as Democrat who backed redistricting runs for Congress
Virginia Republicans are taking aim at a Democratic state lawmaker who played a key role in pushing through congressional redistricting in the state and is now running for newly drawn U.S. House seat. After Virginia Delegate Dan Helmer launched a congressional campaign, some Republican leaders took aim at him for what they call a "power grab." "I think it does look bad," House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore told Fox News Digital, as he pointed to Helmer's plan to run for Congress.
Va. Senate passes proposed congressional maps, as GOP fights back in court
Senate Democrats brushed aside Republican protests on Thursday to adopt revisions to the current state budget that include new congressional district maps for midterm elections in November — if Virginia voters approve a constitutional amendment in April to allow the mid-decade redistricting to proceed. The Senate adopted the 10 amendments to the "caboose" budget on a 21-18, party-line vote, shortly after Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D-Alexandria, took the oath as senator to give Democrats the 21 votes they needed to pass a budget bill.
Virginia lawmakers advance later deadline for counting ballots after postal delays
Legislators representing Arlington are advancing matching bills to extend elections offices’ deadlines for receiving and counting absentee ballots. HB 82 and SB 58, introduced by Del. Adele McClure (D-2) and State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40), respectively, call for moving the deadline from noon to 5 p.m. on the third day after an election. The bills also propose a 5 p.m. deadline for voters casting a provisional ballot to provide their proof of identification for their ballot to be counted. However, the bills would not change the deadline for voters to turn in absentee ballots or have them postmarked by Election Day.
Lawmakers shelve in-state tuition for tribe members
Virginia college students who belong to federally-recognized indigenous tribes and reside outside the state will have to wait another year before state lawmakers again consider granting them eligibility for in-state tuition. Citizens of federally-recognized Indigenous tribes in Virginia — such as the Chickahominy, Upper Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes — who live outside the state are not currently eligible for in-state tuition.
Trump order looms as Virginia legislators consider regulation of artificial intelligence
Legislators in Richmond are looking to put some limits on the growth of artificial intelligence, but an executive order from President Donald Trump is holding them back. Artificial intelligence, or AI, can be used for just about anything. And there have been several efforts during the 2026 Virginia legislative session looking to wrangle its use. But for one bill aiming to impact its use in political ads, it may already be too late.
National Democrats tap Spanberger to respond to Trump’s State of Union
Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday night, marking her arrival as a national party leader ... Spanberger, a three-term congresswoman from Henrico County, campaigned in part on the damage that she said Trump's policies had done to Virginians and the state's economy since his return to the White House last year. ... "For sure, party leaders see Spanberger as a potential national figure in the Democratic Party," said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
Friday Read Separating fact from folklore: An army of ghosts haunts Prince Edward County history
According to local legend, somewhere in the woods near an intersection in the Kingsville community of Prince Edward County are the graves of French soldiers and mercenaries who fought in the American Revolution, part of a legion sent south to bolster American forces fighting the British. The story, repeated and embellished for decades, says that 70 of the soldiers sent to Kingsville died of smallpox after the Battle of Yorktown and were buried in the churchyard of the now-abandoned French’s Church. The property in question is in a wooded area near a traffic roundabout not far from Hampden-Sydney College ... But highways aren’t the only paths that converge at the site — twisting rabbit trails of fact and folklore also intersect in Kingsville, confounding researchers for more than two centuries.
VPAP Visual Party-Line Voting at 2026 Crossover
At the mid-point of the General Assembly session, contested votes are on the rise compared to previous years. Most floor votes are still passed with unanimous agreement. But, of this year’s closely contested votes, the majority were split exactly along party lines – with all Democrats taking one position and all Republicans taking another – for the first time since VPAP began tracking votes in 2018. In past sessions, it was more common for a small share of legislators to break with their party on contentious votes.
Augusta County supervisors fight state bill mandating collective bargaining
The Augusta County Board of Supervisors wrote to state-level representatives in the Virginia General Assembly, asking them not to pass a new bill requiring local governments to engage in collective bargaining for public sector employees. According to the bill summary, Senate Bill 378 repeals an existing prohibition on collective bargaining by public employees and “requires public employers and employee organizations that are exclusive bargaining representatives to meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.”
Loudoun Supervisors Establish Preferred Power Line Corridors
If new transmission lines are coming to Loudoun County, the Board of Supervisors say they would prefer they be built along existing transmission lines, road and Metrorail corridors. Amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan, adopted by the board last night, outline the details and locations of existing corridors and is intended to help guide state regulators when considering applications for new lines.