RICHMOND, Va. — It is a new political era in Virginia. With Democrats now controlling the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the General Assembly, lawmakers are already advancing a slate of sweeping proposals — ranging from new taxes and voting changes to constitutional amendments on abortion and marriage.
On her first day in office, Governor Abigail Spanberger, who campaigned as a moderate, signed several executive orders, including one barring state and local law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“State and local law enforcement should not be required to divert their limited resources to enforce federal civil immigration laws,” Spanberger said.
Democrats are also moving aggressively in the legislature, where lawmakers have introduced multiple ballot amendments for voters to consider.
One proposal would amend the state constitution to allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. Currently, abortion is legal in Virginia until 27 weeks.
Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation, warned the change would remove existing safeguards.
“Virginians deserve so much better than a radical rewrite of our constitution,” Cobb told CBN News. “It removes guardrails like safety standards, parental consent, and restrictions on elective late-term abortion. That’s devastating — to the unborn and to women.”
Another proposed amendment would establish constitutional protections for gay marriage equality. While supporters describe the measure as straightforward, Cobb argues it goes much further.
“What they are trying to do is not simply rewrite the definition of marriage,” she said. “By separating sex and gender in the Constitution, they are embedding transgender ideology into Virginia’s foundational document — with implications for sports, locker rooms, and schools.”
Democrats are also pushing a redistricting amendment ahead of November’s midterm elections. Currently, Democrats hold six of Virginia’s congressional districts, while Republicans control five. Under the proposed changes, Democrats would hold 10 districts, leaving Republicans with just one.
A Virginia judge has already struck down the amendment, but Democrats are appealing the decision.
Katie Gorka, chair of the Fairfax County Republican Party, says the proposal would effectively silence Republican voters. “They want to erase roughly 45 percent of Virginians who identify as Republicans,” Gorka said.
Gorka is also sounding alarms over proposed changes to Virginia’s election laws. Despite the fact that 92 percent of Virginians are already registered to vote — nearly 20 points higher than the national average — Democrats are proposing several expansions.
Among them: allowing electronic voting via the internet, extending the deadline for absentee ballots to arrive up to three days after Election Day, and banning ICE agents from being within 40 feet of polling places.
“These changes aren’t about election integrity,” Gorka said. “They’re about getting away with cheating.”
Taxes are another flashpoint.
A clip from WJLA reporter Nick Minock outlining the proposals went viral, detailing new local sales taxes, taxes on electric landscaping equipment, guns and ammunition, large employers, deliveries from companies like Amazon and Uber Eats, and new income tax brackets.
In total, Democrats are proposing roughly 50 new taxes. If enacted, Virginia’s top effective income tax rate would rise to about 13.8 percent — higher than any other state.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the proposals, calling them “terrible” and predicting residents would leave the state.
Virginia currently has a $2.7 billion budget surplus, yet Democrats are proposing $6.7 billion in tax increases. Lawmakers say the surplus will likely be used to cover Medicaid costs, while new revenue would fund K-12 education, Metro expansion, and other priorities.
“These policies are far beyond what you’d expect from a purple state,” Cobb said. “They’re extreme left-wing — the kind you’d see from straightforward social democrats.”
Democrats are also proposing criminal justice reforms, including lowering penalties for robbery, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences, and allowing communities to install speed cameras.
Which measures ultimately pass — and which Governor Spanberger signs into law — remains to be seen.
