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Legislative success
I am pleased to report that the VBA had a successful legislative session. We pursued a robust agenda that included more than 25 bills from our various sections and partner organizations. While the vast majority of our bills passed unanimously or with overwhelming bipartisan support, a few bills were defeated, including some that appear to have simply been the victim of either politics or fiscal concerns. Review the bills' fates on the VBA website.
Judges
The General Assembly elected or reelected a number of judges, including:
- Two judges of the Court of Appeals of Virginia;
- Two commissioners of the State Corporation Commission;
- 14 circuit court judges;
- 12 general district court judges;
- 11 juvenile and domestic relations judges; and,
- Three members of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission.
For a full list of elected and reelected jurists, please see the VBA news story posted March 12.
State budget
For the first time in a number of years, the General Assembly passed a new biennial budget during its regular session. New Senate Finance Chair Senator L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, exerted a high level of influence over the final budget passed by the House and Senate.
The budget includes tax increases on businesses and digital services (such as software or streaming subscriptions), investments in education and health care, a requirement for Virginia to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and contemplates new funding from the legalization of so-called “skill games” as well as the establishment of a legal market for recreational marijuana sales.
The budget does not include Gov. Youngkin’s preferred tax reforms, nor authorization for a Sports and Entertainment Authority that would build an arena and sports/entertainment district in Alexandria. The governor has indicated that he finds the budget largely unacceptable — branding it a “backwards budget” — and has indicated that significant amendments or an outright veto are likely forthcoming.
Next Steps
The General Assembly will reconvene April 17 for a one-day session to consider the governor’s vetoes and amendments. Your VBA legislative counsel will be working with the VBA leadership, the governor’s office and legislators to protect our priorities and ensure our bills are signed.
In the coming weeks we will compile and share the VBA’s traditional section-specific legislative summaries. Leaders will be asked to specify topic areas to include in your summaries. Section members have found these compilations exceptionally useful to keep track of legislative changes in their practice areas, and they are a tremendous benefit of joining the VBA section(s) relevant to your practice. [Be sure to join a section today to receive this valuable summary.]
We will soon begin preparing for a successful 2025 legislative session. In the weeks and months ahead, we will work with VBA leadership to engage various sections to solicit and refine ideas and proposals.
The consistent legislative successes are a testament to the great work the VBA and its membership do each year to create and advocate for strong bills.
I hope that our communication with VBA leadership and members kept you informed and engaged with the legislative process, and I look forward to many more years of successful collaboration.
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