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Yancey: Roanoke College poll shows redistricting vote would fail 52% to 44% if held now
The push to hold a referendum on whether to redraw Virginia’s congressional lines before November’s midterms is currently held up in court, but if Virginians could vote, they’d vote against redistricting. Those are the findings of the latest Roanoke College poll, which found that 52% would vote against the proposed constitutional amendment that would enable redistricting, while 44% would vote in favor. This poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.43 percentage points, is the first public poll taken since the proposed map of new lines was released that shows how Democrats seek to knock out four of the state’s five Republican U.S. House members.
Seymour: Virginia’s partisan gerrymandering: Desperate times call for desperate measures
In a few short weeks, Virginia voters will be afforded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save our nation’s democracy. On Feb. 13, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that Virginia’s General Assembly can hold a statewide referendum on redrawing Virginia’s Congressional districts. Although a Circuit Court judge in deep red Tazewell County issued, on Thursday, an order restraining Democrat leaders from proceeding with the referendum, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is confident that the Virginia Supreme Court will, once again, reverse that ruling and allow the vote to proceed.
Yancey: Why Virginia’s lobster is blue: A closer look at the political dynamics in the proposed congressional districts
Land doesn’t vote, people do. That’s a point that has to get emphasized every time there’s one of those red-and-blue election maps that shows a geographically small slice of Virginia (or the United States) outvoting everything. That’s simply where the people are. Accordingly, simply looking at the Democrats’ proposed congressional redistricting maps — subject to a Virginia Supreme Court ruling and maybe an April 21 referendum after that — doesn’t necessarily give a good picture of where the population in each district is. The proposed 7th District, now dubbed “the lobster district” because of its crustacean-like shape, encompasses a lot of rural territory through the Piedmont, the Shenandoah Valley and even parts of Southside, but its population base is inside the Beltway.
Jones: No place for skill games in Virginia
With a renewed mandate to focus on consumer prices and affordability, the Virginia General Assembly is curiously advancing a proposal it just can’t seem to shake: legalizing convenience store slot machines that have been proliferating in gas stations and similar establishments. I spent more than four decades in law enforcement and public service, including serving as Louisiana’s top gambling regulator. What I learned over that career is simple: there is no such thing as risk-free gaming. But there are minimum standards for safety and responsibility that can — and must — be enforced. While I have many concerns about so-called “skill” games, the most troubling is their impact on low-income communities.
Italian rocket manufacturer to bring 1,500 jobs, $500 million investment to Pittsylvania
An Italian rocket manufacturer will bring over $500 million in investment and more than 1,500 jobs to Pittsylvania County, state officials announced Monday. Avio will build a facility at an industrial park in Hurt where it will manufacture solid rocket motors for defense, propulsion, missile systems and the commercial space sectors, according to a news release from Gov. Abigail Spanberger. This is the second-largest economic development deal in Southside Virginia history, topped only by the 2024 announcement that Microporous, a lithium-battery separator manufacturer, would invest $1.3 billion at the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill and create just over 2,000 jobs.
Bill that would enshrine a person’s right to contraception passes Virginia Senate
A bill that would enshrine a person’s right to contraception in state law was passed by the Virginia Senate on Monday, though there is still one more hurdle it needs to go through before it can head to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) desk. The Virginia Senate on Monday, Feb. 23, passed House Bill 6 23-15, several months after Del. Marcia “Cia” Price introduced it in November 2025.
Collective bargaining, iGaming and cannabis bills differ in Virginia House, Senate
The Virginia Senate and House of Delegates passed competing versions of legislation to repeal a ban on collective bargaining for public employees. But the bills each exclude different types of public workers. The chambers will have to resolve the differences between those bills and others in the coming weeks. ... The Senate’s version of the collective bargaining bill removed provisions that would extend those rights to home health workers. And while the Senate version includes employees at public colleges and universities, the House version explicitly removes higher education from its definition of state agencies.
First look at Virginia Democrats’ budget: Senate would end data center tax exemption
Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin prioritized tax cuts in his last budget proposal. But Democrats, who control the state legislature, propose largely scrapping those in favor spending that reacts to federal reductions to social programs. The General Assembly money committees presented their respective budget amendments Sunday. One notable difference: Senate’s approach includes over $1 billion in new revenue from letting the data center sales and use tax exemption expire in January 2027. That measure is absent from the House’s version.
Special election to be held to fill Del. Barry Knight’s seat in Virginia Beach
A special election will be held to fill the vacancy in Virginia’s 98th House District following Del. Barry Knight’s death. Knight, a Republican who represented Virginia Beach in the House of Delegates for 17 years, died Thursday. He was 71 years old. Knight had been battling health issues and had not attended the 2026 General Assembly session in Richmond. Knight was serving the beginning of a two-year term when he died. The election will be held on March 17.
Yancey: Confused about where redistricting stands after court rulings? Here are the key questions and answers.
We’ve had quite a run of action on the redistricting front: A Tazewell County judge ordered the state to halt preparations for the April 21 special election. Attorney General Jay Jones appealed that ruling to the Virginia Supreme Court. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the legislation for the redrawn congressional maps aimed at knocking out four of the state’s five Republican House members. The Patrick County Board of Supervisors voted to instruct its registrar not to do anything about the election until the courts resolve the matter. The Lynchburg City Council has set a special meeting for Monday to do the same thing. It may be time for us all to get caught up. With that in mind, here are some frequently asked questions on redistricting.