(The Center Square) – Abigail Spanberger will be sworn in Saturday as Virginia’s first woman governor, marking a change in state leadership as Democrats prepare to set early policy direction in Richmond.
Spanberger takes office with Democrats holding the governor’s office and majorities in both the House of Delegates and the state Senate for the first time since 2021. The shift gives lawmakers a clearer path to advance proposals that stalled or were vetoed under outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Energy and environmental policy are among the areas where Democrats are moving quickly. Spanberger has said she plans to return Virginia to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multistate carbon trading program the state exited under Youngkin.
Youngkin has argued that the program increased electricity costs for Virginia customers. In a December 2025 post, Youngkin said Virginians paid about $828 million while the state participated in RGGI and said leaving the program has saved an additional $937 million.
One example of how RGGI-linked funding could be used is House Bill 214, introduced by Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach. The bill would allow local governments to establish a home flood protection assistance program using funds from the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund. That fund receives proceeds from RGGI auctions in participating states.
Spanberger has also backed expanded solar and energy storage proposals. Legislation introduced by Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax, would revise the Virginia Clean Economy Act to increase utility energy storage requirements and expand how energy storage is evaluated in utility planning. Other bills filed this session would direct the State Corporation Commission to conduct additional review of grid planning, energy storage modeling, and energy load flexibility for high-demand electricity users as overall demand continues to grow.
Education is another area where Democrats are advancing legislation, aligning with priorities Spanberger highlighted during the campaign around school staffing, teacher retention and funding stability.
One proposal would allow localities, subject to voter approval, to levy an additional local sales tax for school construction and renovation projects. Other measures focus on increasing teacher pay, adjusting staffing ratios and expanding access to school meals and student mental health resources.
Taxes and affordability are also shaping the early policy debate as Spanberger takes office.
Republican lawmakers have introduced several tax-related bills aimed at lowering household costs. The proposals include extending Virginia’s higher standard deduction and eliminating the remaining 1% local sales tax on groceries and essential personal hygiene products.
House Bill 12 would permanently extend the higher standard deduction, setting it at $8,750 for single filers and $17,500 for married couples filing jointly. Under current law, those amounts are scheduled to decrease after the 2026 tax year.
Another proposal, House Bill 13, would eliminate the local grocery tax beginning July 1. To offset the loss, the legislation would require the commonwealth to reimburse cities and counties each month for the forgone revenue.
Republicans have also filed proposals targeting personal property taxes. One proposed constitutional amendment would exempt one personally owned, noncommercial vehicle from state and local personal property taxes. The exemption would apply only to vehicles purchased after voter approval.
Other measures call for studies of broader tax changes, including whether Virginia should eventually eliminate its individual income tax. Those proposals are exploratory and would not result in immediate changes.
Spanberger made affordability a central theme of her campaign, frequently highlighting rising housing, food and energy costs facing Virginia households. Whether any of the tax proposals advance this session will depend on negotiations in a legislature now controlled by Democrats.
While many of these issues will play out over the course of the legislative session, the most immediate changes under Spanberger’s administration are expected to come through executive action. Early directives to state agencies are likely to provide the first indication of which policy areas move first.
With Democrats now aligned across state government, the coming weeks are expected to clarify how quickly Virginia’s policy direction begins to change.
