Virginia

Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) stated on Saturday that voters in his congressional district "could care less" about a recent endorsement received by his primary challenger, State Senator John McGuire (R-Goochland), framing his opponent's supporters as "establishment moderates." Good told cable news outlet CNN he was unfazed by the recent endorsement of McGuire by Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03), who recently endorsed the Republican's primary challenger.

 Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed bills Thursday that would have raised Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.50 per hour in 2025 and $15 in 2026. The companion bills were among the first to be prefiled by General Assembly Democrats, indicating their status as high-priority legislation.

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday vetoed legislation that would have created a state-regulated market for recreational marijuana sales. The Old Dominion currently permits qualified patients to secure marijuana for medical purposes and in 2021 legalized its use and cultivation by residents aged 21 and older, though it has not yet approved a framework for legal retail sales, according to The Hill. The measure would have set up the process to permit the market to open in May of 2025 and set up a maximum tax rate of 11.625%, the Associated Press reported.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on Wednesday blamed the Biden administration for "refusing to fix" the illegal immigration crisis after two illegal immigrants were arrested for sex crimes against children in the commonwealth. The attorney general made remarks about the illegal immigration crisis following the arrest of Isauro Garcia Cruz and Renzo Mendoza Montes, who are both illegal immigrants accused of crimes against children.

Virginia is beginning to experience some of the impacts from the cargo ship crash that brought down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, closing a vital shipping lane leading to one of the eastern seaboard’s busiest ports. Shortly after on Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin offered to assist neighboring Maryland. Within hours, the commonwealth’s ports were already preparing to absorb some of the diverted shipping traffic.

Wildlife conservationists say that a recent uptick in deaths of these endangered whales corresponds with the development of offshore wind projects that are part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda. A coalition of conservative groups has filed a lawsuit against federal agencies and their top officials and the company planning to build what is expected to be the world's largest offshore wind project.

Governor Glenn Youngkin on took action regarding 67 pieces of legislation Tuesday, with a number of gun control bills vetoed, amended or signed by the governor. Youngkin said in a statement his actions represent a balance between advancing public safety and "protecting the right of law-abiding Virginians to keep and bear arms."

Democratic leaders from the Virginia General Assembly held a press conference on Monday to discuss the state of negotiations to pass a budget for the commonwealth, raising claims about the governor's behavior and aptitude during the negotiations. Various Democratic leaders declared themselves the "adults in the room" during budget negotiations, claimed Governor Glenn Youngkin lacks political aptitude and accused his administration of acting like "spoiled brats" while refusing to respect the separation of powers.

Following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is offering assistance to the state of Maryland. The bridge spans over the Patapsco River and supports part of I-695, one of the major arteries around Baltimore.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday the conviction of Democratic activist and former congressional candidate Derickson Lawrence of fraud charges related lies he told to obtain over $25,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and the misuse of over $230,000 entrusted to his company to process another firm's payroll. Despite his business operating in Virginia, Lawrence ran in the Democratic Party primary to represent New York's 16th Congressional district in 2018, ultimately losing to former Representative Eliot Engel.

Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly are reportedly working on plans to build a new facility for the Washington Capitals and Wizards in Fairfax County after the defeat of proposed legislation to build the arena in Alexandria. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) pitched a plan to use the money from a new casino in Fairfax County to build an arena, according to The Washington Post. Surovell's plan reportedly has the support of the company seeking to build the casino, as well as political consultant Ben Tribbett, who the outlet reported also works for Senator L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth).

After months of research and investigation into what it would look like to build a small modular nuclear reactor in Southwest Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin revealed the region may not be selected for Virginia’s first SMR after all. “There may be other places around Virginia that may be better suited for the first one,” Youngkin said. “We’re looking at places across the commonwealth. I do firmly believe that Virginia will be the first state to have a small modular reactor in a commercial fashion.”

Governor Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday announced that he vetoed 22 crime bill passed by Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly that he said "would have undermined public safety" in the commonwealth. Youngkin confirmed the 22 vetoes in a press release announcing action on 60 bills. In addition to the vetoes, Youngkin signed 36 bills into law and made amendments to two.

Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas acknowledged in a Tuesday interview that Governor Glenn Youngkin could veto the budget proposed by lawmakers, but nonetheless insisted any compromise that would fund the creation of the Potomac Yards arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals is a "non-starter." In her Tuesday interview with WTOP News, she acknowledged Youngkin's remarks indicating "he may have to veto the budget," calling it "his prerogative." Still, she pledged, "at no point will I ever be in a position to say I am going to commit state tax dollars for an arena that’s going to benefit billionaires," calling it "a non-starter for me."

A Monday report suggests Governor Glenn Youngkin could veto legislation legalizing skill games throughout the commonwealth as a casualty of his fight to build the Potomac Yards arena and bring the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards to Virginia. Noting the governor's comments last week declaring Democrats' vision for Virginia is "let's tax everybody as high as we possibly can, let's put a pot shop on every corner, and let's put a slot machine in every 7/11," the Washington Post reported the controversial skill games bill could be vetoed due to its association with State Senator L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth).