Gov. Abigail Spanberger has told state Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell that she plans to veto a bill that would allow state and local employees to collectively bargain.
Surovell confirmed Wednesday that Spanberger had told him of her plan to kill the bill. House of Delegates Majority Leader Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax County, who patroned the House version of the bill, did not respond to a request for comment.
Surovell, D-Fairfax County, told Cardinal News that he is “disappointed and perplexed” at the governor’s veto. He added that amendments Spanberger made to the legislation created an “entirely new bill.”
“That’s not really how the legislative process works. If [the governor] had issues she needed to make them known while we were legislating rather than blindside us with gubernatorial amendments,” he said.
The governor’s amendments to the state Senate and House bills that would have allowed public sector workers to collectively bargain were passed by for the day in the General Assembly during the April 22 reconvene session. That meant the governor’s amendments failed and the bill went back to Spanberger in the form in which it passed the legislature.
Spanberger told Michael O’Connor, a reporter with the left-leaning outlet The Dogwood, that she has been clear in her desire to sign a bill to allow public sector collective bargaining into law. But, she said, she has also been clear in what she considers her mandate.
“Which is to get it right,” she said during an impromptu press conference after an event on Wednesday.
The Virginia Public Sector Labor Coalition, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers across Virginia, issued a strong rebuke against the news in a joint statement Wednesday.
“It is Orwellian for the governor to suggest that she supports collective bargaining rights while introducing a version of the bill that delayed extending those rights to local workers until the next decade, inserted a killswitch into the bill that would have effectively allowed a future governor to end collective bargaining without a single vote from the General Assembly, and took workers’ rights in Virginia backwards by weakening existing collective bargaining agreements and reducing worker protections across the commonwealth,” the statement read.
“To then hide behind local politicians who are scared to sit down with their own workers, instead of acknowledging the many local elected officials who called on her to sign the bill and the half a million public service workers whose lives could have been made better by this bill, is cowardly.”
Republican lawmakers welcomed the governor’s veto.
“I am thankful Governor Spanberger decided to listen to the bipartisan concerns over this legislation,” said House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, in a statement. “As our caucus made repeatedly clear, this bill would have driven up local taxes unsustainably. This veto doesn’t make life more affordable for Virginians, but it keeps the situation from getting worse.”
State Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, called the veto “great news for local taxpayers.”
“While some were driven by rigid ideology, more Democratic, Republican, and Independent local officials knew mandated collective bargaining was a recipe for higher car taxes, higher home taxes, and less accountability,” he said in a statement.
The fate of the cannabis retail framework bill is still undecided
A pair of bills by Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax County, and Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, that would legalize and create the retail framework for cannabis sales are still awaiting action by the governor.
Lawmakers opposed Spanberger’s amendments to the bills, saying that they were a departure from the original intent of the legislation. The legislature had wanted to start retail sales Jan. 1, 2027, with 350 licensed stores; the governor had wanted to delay the start until July with 200 stores, among other changes.
The governor’s amendments were passed by for the day in the General Assembly during the April 22 reconvene session. That meant the governor’s amendments failed and the bill went back to Spanberger who could either sign or veto it in the form it initially passed the legislature. The governor has until 11:59 p.m. May 23 to act. If she does nothing, the bills will become law after that deadline.
Krizek said via text message on Wednesday that he does not expect a decision on the legislation soon, but that he is still cautiously optimistic. Jameson Babb, chief of staff for Aird, said that he hasn’t heard from the senator regarding updates on the legislation.
With 10 days left for the governor to act on bills sent back to her by the General Assembly, here’s where some key bills stand:
Animals
SB 344, by Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax County
HB 112, by Del. Amy Laufer, D-Albemarle County
Bills aimed at roadside zoos and others that are trading captive wildlife would ban separating baby wild mammals from their mothers before 4 months of age, unless medically necessary, with exceptions, including agricultural animals and noncommercial trades between accredited zoological facilities. Also prohibited would be so-called hybridization, or intentionally breeding wild mammals of different species.
Status: Both bills were approved by Spanberger and will be enacted effective July 1.
Education
HB 1385, by Del. Lily Franklin, D-Montgomery County
This bill would change the appointment process to make it clear that gubernatorial appointees do not take office until they are confirmed by the General Assembly. Previously, they took office immediately.
Status: The governor’s amendments to HB 1385 were passed by for the day in the General Assembly on April 22, which means the amendments failed and the bill went back to the governor in the form in which it initially passed the legislature. The governor can either sign or veto the bill, and she has until 11:59 p.m. May 23 to act. If the governor does nothing, the bill will become law after that deadline.
Virginia Military Institute study
HB 1377, by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax County
This bill would initiate a study “to determine VMI’s responsiveness to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s 2021 report on the institution and to explore changes to be made to distance VMI from the Lost Cause.” Initially, the bill directed the task force to examine whether VMI should receive state funding, but that provision was removed, and VMI later endorsed the bill.
Status: Approved by Spanberger and will be enacted effective July 1.
Electricity
Balcony solar
HB 395, by Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax County
SB 250, by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County
These bills would allow Virginians to use small portable solar generation devices that plug into a standard electric outlet, potentially saving money on electric bills, without entering into a contract with an electric utility. The devices are commonly called “balcony solar” because, rather than requiring solar panels to be installed on a roof or mounted on the ground, their relatively small size allows them to be used in many locations, such as an apartment balcony.
Status: Approved by Spanberger and certain provisions will be enacted effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Battery energy storage systems on solar farms
HB 891, by Del. Irene Shin, D-Fairfax County
SB 443, by Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William County
These bills fast-track adding battery energy storage systems, which store excess energy to be deployed as needed, to existing utility-scale solar facilities by saying battery storage is allowed as an accessory use wherever solar farms have already been approved.
Status: Approved by Spanberger and will be enacted effective July 1.
Dominion Energy’s largest customers pay certain costs
SB 253, by Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth
HB 1393, by Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling, D-Henrico County
The bills would have directed state regulators to decide whether Dominion Energy’s largest category of customers, most of which are data centers, should pay certain costs related to ensuring that power is available even during peak demand times and related to infrastructure needed to connect those customers to the electric grid. They would also expand Dominion’s and Appalachian Power’s energy assistance and weatherization programs and extend the timeline for a Dominion program that buries vulnerable overhead power lines. Critics had argued that the rising cost of the undergrounding program would eventually negate savings from the cost shift to data centers.
[Disclosure: Dominion is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
Status: Most of the governor’s amendments to SB 253 and HB1393 were rejected by the General Assembly, but a handful were accepted. The governor can either sign or veto the bills with the accepted amendments; she has until 11:59 p.m. May 23 to act. If the governor does nothing, the bills will become law after that deadline.
The amendments accepted by the General Assembly include one to remove a requirement for Dominion to present a proposal to the State Corporation Commission to shift certain data center costs to the customer class made up primarily of large data centers; one that would remove the original bill’s provision allowing certain customers under construction as of July to qualify for exemption from that largest class of electricity customers and remove the requirement that Dominion include a proposal to revise its tariff for service to customers that own power plants; and one to add that the SCC should determine whether a financing order for Dominion’s deferred fuel costs is in the public interest.
Energy efficiency upgrades
HB 2, by Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax County (now secretary of finance)
SB 72, by Sen. Kannan Srinivasan, D-Loudoun County
The bills would require Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to help some low-income residents who use oil and propane heat transition to energy-efficient electric heat pumps.
Status: Approved by Spanberger and will be enacted effective July 1.
Guns
Assault weapons ban
HB 217, by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax County
SB 749, by Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Falls Church
These bills would make it a misdemeanor to import, sell, manufacture, purchase or transfer an assault firearm.
Status: HB 217 and SB 749 were passed by for the day by the General Assembly, which means the amendment failed and the bill went back to the governor without the amendment. The governor can either sign or veto the bills; she has until 11:59 p.m. May 23 to act. If the governor does nothing, the bill will become law after that deadline.
Health care
Prescription drug affordability board
SB 271 by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville
HB 483, by Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax County
This bill would create a state-run prescription drug affordability board that would review the pricing of high-cost prescription drugs and, in some cases, set upper payment limits. This is the fourth attempt to create such a board; Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed similar legislation in 2024 and 2025.
Status: HB 483 and SB 271 were passed by for the day by the General Assembly, which means the amendment failed and the bill went back to the governor without the amendment. The governor can either sign or veto the bills; she has until 11:59 p.m. May 23 to act. If the governor does nothing, the bill will become law after that deadline.
Labor
Paid family medical leave
HB 1207, by Del. Briana Sewell, D-Prince William County
SB 2, by Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax County
These bills would create a paid family medical leave program, including a tax on employers and employees.
Status: Approved by Spanberger and will be enacted effective July 1. Benefits are slated to begin in April 2028.
Face coverings
HB 1482, by Del. Charlie Schmidt, D-Richmond
SB 352, by Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Falls Church
The House bill would ban state and local police officers from wearing face coverings. The Senate bill applies to federal officers operating in Virginia.
Status: SB 352 and HB 1482 were passed by for the day by the General Assembly, which means the amendments failed and the bills went back to the governor without the amendments. The governor can either sign or veto the bills; she has until 11:59 p.m. May 23 to act. If the governor does nothing, the bill will become law after that deadline.
