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Without saying so, Virginia’s Senate Democrats shift swing district bluer
Senate Democrats haven't acknowledged it yet, but an amendment they proposed to pending congressional maps would make a political swing district bluer. The Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee tweaked the proposed maps Tuesday as part of a pending amendment to House Bill 29, the revised budget for the current fiscal year. But neither committee members nor staff mentioned proposed changes to the boundaries of the 2nd Congressional District in Hampton Roads, or the adjacent 3rd District on the Peninsula. They only cited technical corrections in Pulaski County, a solidly Republican district in Southwest Virginia, and Lynchburg in the proposed 6th District in Western Virginia.
Spanberger gives blessing to turn two more of Fort Monroe’s buildings into housing
The hospital building at Fort Monroe, the decommissioned Army base and historic site in Hampton, has been vacant for more than a decade. But in the future, people will be able to call that building — or the old arsenal next to it — home. State and local officials announced plans to redevelop the historic structures into housing Wednesday. Gov. Abigail Spanberger handed the keys to the buildings to developer Edwin Gaskin, owner of Echelon Resources. ... The project at Fort Monroe is a prime example of “how you can connect today’s problems of housing affordability and lack of supply to celebrate, honor and recognize our past,” Spanberger said at the Fort Wednesday.
Conflict of interest bill passes House
An amended version of House Bill 505 passed in the Virginia House of Delegates on Feb. 17 by a vote of 63-34. Sponsored by ... Del. John McAuliff, D-Loudoun/Fauquier, the bill would amend the Code of Virginia by adding the following section: “Any member of a governing body in any locality, who has been employed by any governmental agency that is a component part of and which is subject to the ultimate control of that governmental body of which he is a member, shall be deemed to have a continuing personal interest, as defined in § 2.2-3101, in that agency for a period of two years following the termination of such employment.”
Crossover: 116 Loudoun Bills Advance at the Assembly Session’s Halfway Point
Today marks the first day of the 2026 General Assembly’s crossover, meaning bills that have been approved in the House now move to the Senate for consideration and vice versa. One hundred and sixteen bills patroned by members of Loudoun’s delegation are advancing past the session’s halfway point. Loudoun’s state legislators have introduced a wide variety of bills focusing on energy, transparency, affordability, education, housing and more. As community members rally with county leaders to oppose an overhead transmission line project by Dominion Energy through eastern Loudoun, Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D-32) and Del. JJ Singh (D-26) have been working to win approval of legislation that would create pilot projects to bury such projects underground.
Hayes and Craig: Clear rules for skill games will serve businesses and the public
Across Virginia, small businesses are caught in the middle of a broken system in the skill games debate. They’re asked to navigate vague rules, shifting enforcement, and legal uncertainty. That’s not fair to business owners, and it’s not good policy for the commonwealth. The bipartisan bills we are co-sponsoring this session, Senate Bill 661 and House Bill 1272, are designed to bring order to the skill game market — something Virginia’s small businesses deserve. These measures would regulate and tax skill games, dramatically reduce the number of devices across Virginia, and give regulators the tools they need to eliminate illegal slot machines that have proliferated in the absence of legislation.
Legato: Virginia’s HIV safety net is fraying. Lawmakers must act
Recently, I was asked point-blank: “What would happen if we don’t have funding for your Ryan White Part B program in April?” It was framed as a hypothetical. For our organization, it is not. As executive director of Health Brigade, I have led through uncertainty before. We are one of Richmond’s longstanding providers of HIV prevention and care, and the need for our services has always exceeded available resources. But in May 2025, Virginia cut $20 million in Ryan White Part B (RWB) funding at the state level.
House Democrats drew maps with multiple candidates in mind
House Democrats considered several candidates’ home location when crafting the new congressional maps — not just incumbents — according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. The home of Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, who told the New York Times that he recused himself from map-drawing discussions, was shown on the new district proposals as a “possible candidate” early in the process. The Virginia House Democrats and the National Redistricting Democratic Committee crafted the maps. Virginia Scope has viewed a picture of a proposal that was shown to members of Congress and the General Assembly before its release. Other names listed on the map proposal, excluding incumbents, were Shannon Taylor, Tom Perriello, and Elaine Luria.
Redistricting ballot language says it’s a vote for ‘fairness.’ Republicans say that’s not fair
House Democrats quashed Del. Wren Williams’ attempt last month to debate the wording of a redistricting ballot measure that will be presented to voters this spring. That’s when the Patrick County Republican caught a tiny break. Because of a computer glitch, Wren’s alternative description of the constitutional amendment would not show up on legislators’ laptops. That left House Clerk Paul Nardo no choice but to read the entire amendment from the dais. First, Williams had one request: Could Nardo kindly downshift from his usual rapid-fire cadence? “If you can slow that down,” Williams said, “this might be the only time Virginia hears these words.”
As Assembly hits midpoint, Democrats tout affordability while Republicans warn costs will rise
With the first half of Virginia’s General Assembly session now in the rearview mirror, Virginia lawmakers are offering sharply different assessments of the bills that survived to cross over into the other chamber. Democrats, who hold the majority in both chambers, say they have advanced a bipartisan slate of bills to make life more affordable, while Republicans say those measures will leave Virginians paying more. The Virginia House of Delegates passed 849 bills before Tuesday’s crossover deadline, and Democrats were quick to highlight that 84% drew bipartisan support. More than 200 of those bills were based on Democrats’ “affordable Virginia” agenda, said House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth.
General Assembly passes paid family and medical leave
Both chambers of the General Assembly voted Tuesday to pass legislation that would create an insurance program for paid family and medical leave. The benefit program would cover up to 12 weeks a year of paid leave for childbirth and adoption, long-term illness or injury, or caring for a family member with a serious illness. The program, funded through premiums assessed to employers and employees would cover lost income at a rate 80% of individuals’ average weekly wage and not more than 100% statewide average weekly wage. Both bills passed along party lines ...