Richmond—Today, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the results of April’s statewide referendum on redistricting, ruling that the process used to advance the constitutional amendment was procedurally flawed. The 4-3 decision holds that the General Assembly’s October 2025 vote to propose the amendment violated the state constitution’s intervening-election requirement because some Virginians had already cast […]
Press Releases
Press Release
Failure to Sign Collective Bargaining Legislation Undermines Spanberger’s Affordability Agenda
Richmond – The future of collective bargaining for public sector employees remains uncertain, as Governor Spanberger waits to act on legislation passed by the General Assembly this year. This year, the General Assembly passed HB1263 and SB378, which repealed the Jim Crow-era prohibition on public sector collective bargaining. The bill notably excluded higher education workers, who hoped that Governor Spanberger would amend […]
Press Release
ICYMI: Court Order Restores the Right To Vote for Thousands
Richmond, Virginia—Today, Charlotte Rene Woods of the Virginia Mercury reported on a landmark victory for returning Virginia citizens who have sought to restore their right to vote. Virginia has long been one of a handful of states that continued to restrict voting rights to citizens convicted of a felony once they had served their sentence, and the […]
Press Release
Restorative Justice In Schools Legislation Signed Into Law
Richmond – Education advocates across the Commonwealth are celebrating the passage ofHB298, Delegate Delores McQuinn’s bill to prioritize evidence-based restorative justice programs in K-12 schools. The legislation, which was signed into law yesterday by Governor Abigail Spanberger, replaces traditional enforcement mechanisms like suspension or expulsion that remove students’ access to education with practices that bring students […]
Press Release
Trump Takes a Break From Delicate Iran Negotiations For An Attempted Fundraiser In A City That Hates Him
Charlottesville– On Wednesday night, just a day after Trump spent 24 hours threatening genocide in Iran, reports started appearing in the local press that the FAA would be closing the airspace around Charlottesville and limiting flights to aircraft “DIRECTLY SUPPORTING THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE (USSS) AND THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES”. Yesterday, residents learned that Trump […]
Press Release
The 2026 General Assembly: Protecting Working Families, Failing on Revenue
Richmond – With the 2026 General Assembly session now concluded, our community is reflecting on a legislative session that delivered significant progress on constitutional rights, economic justice, public safety, and support for working families, but missed significant opportunities to build out avenues for new revenue and to regulate the data centers that destabilize our energy grid and […]
Press Release
Virginia General Assembly Budget Amendments Include Key Investments but Fail to Advance Fair Share Revenue
Richmond– On Sunday, the money committees in the House and Senate released their respective budgets, which provide a sharp change of course from the budget outlined by former Governor Youngkin. While lawmakers rejected many of the former Governor’s proposed tax cuts and made several meaningful investments in housing, education, and support for working families, they […]
Press Release
Right to Contraception Passes Senate, Heads to Governor Spanberger’s Desk
Richmond, Virginia— Advocates for reproductive health care access are celebrating today as HB6, sponsored by Delegate Marcia Price, passed the Senate on a vote of 23-15 today and will now move to the Governor’s desk. The bill would require health insurance companies to provide no-cost birth control to patients, mirroring the already popular provision of the […]
Press Release
Workers Celebrate as Virginia House of Delegates Passes Paid Sick Days Legislation
Richmond—Workers and advocates across the Commonwealth are celebrating today as HB5, legislation sponsored by Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler that guarantees paid sick days for working Virginians, passed the Virginia House of Delegates on a vote of 65-35. When working people get sick, far too many are forced into an impossible decision: go to work sick and risk […]
Press Release
Bill Ensuring Counsel at First Appearance Passes House of Delegates
Richmond, Virginia— Advocates across the Commonwealth are celebrating the successful passage of HB127, Counsel at First Appearance, sponsored by Delegate Katrina Callsen, through the Virginia House of Delegates on a vote of 84-10. The legislation guarantees that people accused of a crime will have access to a lawyer the very first time they appear before a […]