Virginia lawmakers will reconvene in Richmond on Wednesday for the start of the 2026 General Assembly Session, which is expected to be marked by conversations about abortion, same-sex marriage, budgets gaps, data centers and gun control.
After November鈥檚 election, Democrats have the majority in both the state House of Delegates and Senate and have Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, who is also a Democrat.
Spanberger campaigned on an affordability agenda, and state lawmakers are expected to help her execute it.
The focus, according to University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth, could be on making it easier to buy a house and increasing the minimum wage.
鈥淭here are key issues with respect to what the legislature can do, though, because of the financial challenges Virginia faces,鈥� Farnsworth told 草莓传媒.
鈥淭he cutbacks in federal employment, coupled with anxiety from people who are federal employees or federal contractors or people who provide services to such people, all these anxieties discourage economic activity, and that’s going to put a damper on how much Virginia can spend for new initiatives.鈥�
Almost immediately, there will be a focus on four constitutional amendments.
One would remove the same-sex marriage ban from the state鈥檚 constitution; one would restore voting rights for felons who have finished their sentences; one would codify Roe v. Wade; and the last focuses on redistricting efforts.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said the measures are all expected to pass within the first three days of the session. The redistricting amendment could be on referendum in April, and the others, if passed, could be in front of voters in November.
Lawmakers have already passed the proposed amendments once, and they鈥檒l have to pass a second time before voters can weigh in.
Surovell said the redistricting measure comes in response 鈥渢o what鈥檚 happening in the other states. It鈥檚 a very temporary measure to deal with what鈥檚 happening nationally.鈥�
鈥淢ost people I’ve talked to are very upset about what they’re seeing happen around the United States of America,鈥� Surovell said. 鈥淭hey expect Congress to step up and act as a check and balance on what’s happening at the presidency right now. And instead, we’ve got other states that are trying to rig the game so that Trump can remain in power unchecked for an extra two years.鈥�
Meanwhile, while Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation that would have established a legalized cannabis marketplace, Spanberger has signaled support for it.
Surovell said projections show it would generate between $150 and $300 million a year in extra revenue. The plan, he said, would involve robust enforcement, ensuring the marketplace isn鈥檛 oversaturated and making clear there鈥檚 a difference in ownership between the people who grow the marijuana, manufacture it and ultimately sell it.
Youngkin which will likely undergo many changes before it clears both chambers. Surovell said there鈥檚 a large budget hole to address, with one priority being to address Metro funding problems.
鈥淐onvincing people downstate how important Metro is, not just for us in Northern Virginia, but for the entire state, can actually be a challenge,鈥� Surovell said.
Conversations about a Tysons casino project will continue, Surovell said, because in the medium-term, 鈥渋t鈥檚 really one of the best things we can do to sort of mitigate tax increases.鈥�
There could be action on a proposed AR-15 ban, and other proposals to ensure there鈥檚 accountability if someone leaves a gun in a car and it鈥檚 stolen. One measure, Surovell said, will focus on 鈥渟toring a gun safely in your home to make sure that your children don鈥檛 have proper access.鈥�
Some bills will be tied to affordable housing, Surovell said.
Farnsworth said President Donald Trump鈥檚 One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires states to engage in more monitoring of Medicaid recipients, 鈥渁nd that鈥檚 going to require more software, more hiring of state employees to monitor that. There’s also a cutback in subsidies for the Affordable Care Act enrollment. And if you look at the state’s desire to provide quality health care, it’s not clear how much that’s going to cost.鈥�
As for data centers, Farnsworth is expecting some proposed legislation, because 鈥渁n individual county would love to have a data center because of the revenue it would generate, but there are significant water and power questions that extend beyond county boundaries. And so those challenges, I think, are really going to require some greater statewide engagement on the question of where to cite the data centers and how many to have in Virginia.鈥�
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