Virginia Viewpoint: Late Out of the Gate

The 2025 General Assembly commenced its legislative business this week following an unexpected delay due to widespread water outages that impacted the city of Richmond last week. With only 46 days in this “short” session — as is customary in odd-numbered years compared to 60 days in even-numbered years — legislators face an even tighter timeline to tackle a substantial legislative agenda.

Governor Youngkin Delivers State of the Commonwealth Address

On Monday, Governor Glenn Youngkin delivered his 2025 State of the Commonwealth address — his second-to-last as Governor. In his speech, he celebrated past achievements, including Virginia’s strong economic growth, declining violent crime rates, and historic investments in education and public safety. He highlighted $5 billion in tax relief, streamlined regulations, and record job creation, underscoring Virginia’s ranking as a top state for business and population growth.

Looking ahead, Youngkin outlined his priorities for his final full year as Governor, including additional tax relief, expanding lab schools, and a new School Performance and Support Framework that recently received federal approval. He also called for continued efforts in energy innovation, behavioral health reforms, disaster recovery, and support for law enforcement. Concluding with a call for bipartisan cooperation, he urged lawmakers to maintain Virginia’s status as a place of opportunity.

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Tax Relief Measures Face Uphill Battle

Governor Youngkin’s proposal to eliminate Virginia’s car tax — a cornerstone of his budget plan — has met swift resistance. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell dismissed the idea as “dead on arrival,” citing concerns about revenue loss. For instance, according to Surovell, the personal property tax on vehicles generates approximately $3,500 per student in Fairfax County.

Republican House Leader Todd Gilbert countered, emphasizing Virginians’ dissatisfaction with the car tax and urging Democrats to collaborate with the Governor on the issue.

Legislation Introduced On Data Centers

Several lawmakers have introduced legislation to address the rapid expansion of data centers in the Commonwealth. This session’s bills focus on zoning, water usage, energy costs, clean energy investments, siting, and noise reduction among other topics in an effort to balance economic growth with sustainable energy practices and community concerns.

Governor Youngkin, who is supportive of data center development, has emphasized that approval decisions should remain under local control rather than restricted at the state level by the General Assembly.

Education Legislation Tackles Funding Formula, Accountability, and Teacher Raises

The General Assembly is considering near-term recommendations from a recent JLARC report on K-12 education funding, aimed at overhauling the state’s funding formula. For instance, Delegate Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News) introduced HB 1831, which would remove the cap on support services positions, addressing long-standing concerns about staffing.

Meanwhile, Delegate Marty Martinez (D-Loudoun) proposed legislation to exclude extended excused absences (over 15 days with prior parental notice) from the chronic absenteeism metric used in school accountability frameworks. He also introduced legislation to bring teacher salaries to at least the national average in 2026 and 2027.

Minimum Wage Increase Advances

On Thursday, the House Labor and Commerce Committee advanced legislation (HB 1928, Del. Jeion Ward) to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027. The legislation heads to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

Despite its success in the House thus far, the bill faces an uncertain fate. Governor Youngkin has expressed skepticism and vetoed a similar measure last year. He has argued that market forces sufficiently address wage issues without the need for legislative intervention.

AI Regulation Gains Momentum

Virginia legislators are advancing legislation to regulate high-risk artificial intelligence (AI) systems in critical sectors such as healthcare and law enforcement. Led by Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D-Manassas) and Senator Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg), the measures aim to ensure AI technologies are deployed ethically and safely, addressing concerns about public safety and privacy.

As federal regulations remain pending, Virginia joins a growing number of states in introducing AI governance frameworks.

Special Elections Preserve Slim Democratic Majorities

Special elections held on January 7 filled three vacant seats in the General Assembly, preserving the same political balance in both chambers as last year: 21-19 in the Senate and 51-49 in the House.

• In Senate District 10, Republican Luther Cifers secured a decisive victory over Democrat Jack Trammell, succeeding Senator John McGuire after his successful bid for Congress.
• In Senate District 32, Delegate Kannan Srinivasan clinched the win in a Democratic stronghold, defeating Republican Tumay Harding. Srinivasan now moves from the House of Delegates to the Senate, filling the seat vacated by Congressman Suhas Subramanyam.
• Meanwhile, in the 26th House District, Democrat JJ Singh prevailed over Republican Ram Venkatachalam to succeed Srinivasan.

Looking Ahead

The General Assembly faces key deadlines in the coming weeks:

• February 2, 2025: The House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee must complete work on their versions of the Budget Bill.
• February 4, 2025: Each chamber must complete work on its own legislation, except for the Budget Bill, in what is commonly referred to as “Crossover.”
• February 6, 2025: Each chamber must finalize its version of the Budget Bill.
• February 12, 2025: Each chamber must complete work on the other chamber’s Budget Bill, and budget conferees must be appointed.
• February 17, 2025: The deadline for committee action on legislation.
• February 22, 2025: Adjournment Sine Die, marking the official end of the 2025 Regular Session.
• April 2, 2025: The Reconvened Session convenes for the General Assembly to address any Governor’s recommendations and vetoes.

Despite the delayed start, lawmakers remain determined to tackle an ambitious agenda in the weeks ahead.

Bipartisan legislative effort seeks to regulate data center construction in Virginia

By Tad Dickens, Cardinal News

Governor Youngkin’s proposal to ditch the car tax is “dead on arrival”

By Michael Pope, WVTF

Minimum wage hike clears hurdle in House committee

By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

These bills would regulate high-risk artificial intelligence use in Virginia

By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

Democrats win special elections in Northern Virginia, maintain legislative control

By The Associated Press, VPM

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