By now, most Virginians have probably heard about some of the biggest debates from this year’s General Assembly session.
We’ve heard about how devastating collective bargaining will be for our rural localities who will now be forced to absorb higher labor costs. We’ve heard about paid family leave mandates and the strain it will place on small business owners already operating on thin margins. We’ve also heard about the sweeping gun control proposals that will strip Virginians of their Second Amendment rights.
These issues matter and deserve the attention they have received in the media.
But what is equally concerning to me are the consequential legislative changes that haven’t made the front page. These are bills that likely passed with little public discussion and have been quietly sent to the governor’s desk for her signature. These bills will expand government, increase costs and limit individual freedoms in ways many Virginians haven’t had the chance to fully consider.
Take energy and land use policy.
Legislation like HB 672 and SB 256 will impose new energy efficiency mandates on appliances and HVAC systems. These costs will undoubtedly be passed directly on to consumers. At a time when families are seeing higher utility bills, these proposals will drive costs up, not down.
At the same time, HB 711 and SB 347 represent a direct assault on local control, especially in places like Central Virginia. This legislation strips power away from local governments to make decisions on solar projects. Instead of trusting local officials who understand their infrastructure, land and citizens, Richmond is now stepping in to make decisions on their behalf. It will force localities to justify their decisions to the State Corporation Commission, subject them to new state oversight and ultimately ensures that the local voice will be pushed aside.
Housing policy tells a similar story and highlights a troubling trend that erodes local control.
SB 531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units by right. Whether you support ADUs or not, this bill removes the ability of local governments to make their own zoning decisions based on the needs of their own communities.
Further, HB 256 and SB 425 require large localities like Lynchburg to incorporate “environmental justice” strategies into their comprehensive plans, adding yet another burden on local land-use and development decisions.
These policies reflect a concerning shift in government that takes decision-making away from the elected leaders closest to the people.
Public safety is also seeing meaningful changes without much discussion.
HB 1441 and SB 783 prohibit state and local agencies from entering into or maintaining agreements with federal authorities unless specific conditions are met, and broadly restrict officers from assisting or using resources to support federal immigration operations. HB 650 goes even further by prohibiting many federal immigration enforcement activities in places like courthouses, schools, hospitals and near polling locations, while also restricting civil arrests in those settings. These bills create yet another layer of barriers that complicates coordination and makes it harder to keep our communities safe.
By no means is this a complete list of bad bills that came out of this session.
Taken together, these bills reflect a much larger narrative that we saw play out again and again in Richmond this year. At every level, we have seen a steady erosion of local control and an expansion of government into areas best left to local communities.
In places like Central Virginia, these legislative changes will lead to higher costs and harder decisions. If affordability and practical governance were the goal this year, then we should be reducing costs and trusting local governments, not saddling them with new mandates and shifting power further away from them.
As the clock ticks and we inch closer to the April 13th action deadline, I implore the governor to take a closer look at the bills that didn’t make the headlines this year but are equally concerning.
Because in the end, it’s often the bills you don’t hear about that could cost Virginians the most.
Wendell Walker is a member of the House of Delegates from Lynchburg. He is a Republican.
