Welcome to Notes from the Square, a weekly roundup of state politics and policy news. Each Friday, we bring you updates on the movers and shakers in Virginia politics as well as the legislation they’re supporting or opposing — with a Southwest and Southside Virginia focus.
Got a tip or story idea? Email me at elizabeth@cardinalnews.org.
Spotsylvania judge denies injunction against assault weapons ban
A circuit court judge in Spotsylvania County on Thursday denied a request for an injunction that sought to halt the enforcement of legislation that would ban the sale, transfer or manufacture of assault weapons in Virginia. That legislation will go into effect July 1.
The complaint that sought to challenge the enforcement of the legislation was brought by former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. The plaintiffs argued that the Virginia Constitution creates an individual right of citizens to possess and bear arms as an “unorganized militia” and, based on historical precedent, those arms must be the civilian analog of basic firearms of the military. The plaintiffs argued that the firearms outlined in the legislation are “quintessential Militia Arms.”
The court determined that neither history nor practice established an individual right for citizens to possess military-style weapons.
“The Virginia legislature, elected by the people, and the governor, also elected, enacted the Ban to promote public safety,” Judge William Glover wrote in his opinion. “Preventing its implementation, even for a short period creates a risk of harm greater than that posed to the Plaintiffs.”
The case isn’t over, however. The attorney general’s office will need to file a brief by Monday, and the next hearing is slated to take place June 25. The denial of the injunction means that the legislation can be enacted on the July 1 date while the case continues to play out in the court.
“The court’s decision today in Curtis v. Katz is an important step in ensuring that Virginia’s assault weapons ban will go into effect on July 1. The Commonwealth will defend against any appeal in this case and will continue to defend the assault weapons ban in every case to keep Virginians safe,” Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement on Thursday.
The ceremonial bill signings continue
Gov. Abigail Spanberger continued to roll out ceremonial bill signings this week. They’re ceremonial because she already signed the legislation officially in April, before the 30-day deadline that requires her to take action on legislation passed by the General Assembly.
On Wednesday, the governor ceremonially signed legislation by Sen. Russet Perry, D-Loudoun County, and Del. John McAuliff, D-Loudoun County, to define agrivoltaics in the state code. The event took place at the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, the site of Virginia’s first crop-based agrivoltaics project.
Agrivoltaics refers to the integration of solar energy into agricultural production — think of crops planted in a field alongside solar panels. Supporters have said that defining agrivoltaics in state code is important for similar future projects across the commonwealth.
The definition of agrivoltaics in state code is the “intentional co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation on the same land that (i) is designed to prioritize and sustain agricultural productivity while simultaneously integrating renewable energy generation, (ii) allows the ongoing production and sale of marketable agricultural products throughout the solar array’s life, (iii) is a part of a farm business that is consistent with commercial agricultural production, (iv) has provisions for decommissioning to protect the land’s agricultural resources and productivity, (v) does not significantly displace farming activity, and (vi) ensures flexibility for farmers to adapt to market conditions and support operational needs.”
Also Wednesday: At the site of the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial in Lorton, Spanberger ceremonially signed bills that will increase and secure access to contraception. Those bills had been vetoed at least twice by her Republican predecessor, Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The bills include one by Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, and Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Petersburg, and one by Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William County.
Early voting in the Aug. 4 primaries started Thursday
Virginia has elections every year, but this year seems like there’s more than usual. In-person early voting in the Aug. 4 primaries began Thursday in registrars’ offices that are closed Friday for the Juneteenth holiday.
(Virginia’s 45-day early-voting period officially begins Saturday, but registrars’ offices that will be closed that day must offer early voting the day before, said Andrea Gaines, spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Elections. Most registrars’ offices will be closed Friday for the holiday, however, and so those offices offered early voting beginning Thursday.)
The localities that will be open for early voting on Friday are:
- Campbell County
- Fredericksburg
- Lunenburg County
- Powhatan County
- Russell County
All other localities began early voting Thursday, and early in-person voting will continue through Aug. 1. There will be no Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate race or Virginia’s 6th Congressional District. There will be no Republican primary for Virginia’s 6th or 9th congressional districts.
Here’s a list of the candidates who will be on the ballot for federal offices in Southwest and Southside Virginia:
U.S. Senate Republican primary
- Bert Mizusawa
- Kim Farington
- David E. Williams
Virginia Congressional District 5 Republican primary
- Melanie Lucero
- Incumbent Rep. John McGuire
Virginia Congressional District 5 Democratic primary
- Rob Tracinski
- Suzanne Krzyzanowski
- Tom Perriello
Virginia Congressional District 9 Democratic primary
- Joy Powers
- Adam Grayson Murphy
- Douglas Crockett
And here’s a list of important dates shared by the Department of Elections for the Aug. 4 election cycle:
- July 19: Registrar offices open for Sunday voting.
- July 24: Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail or online.
- July 24: Deadline to register to vote and cast a regular ballot.
- July 25: Same-day registration begins. Anyone registering and voting at the same time will have to cast a provisional ballot.
- July 25: Registrar offices open for Saturday voting.
- July 26: Registrar offices open for Sunday voting.
- Aug. 1: Last day of early voting.
- Aug. 4: Election Day
- Aug. 7: All mailed ballots that were postmarked by Election Day must be received by the general registrar’s office by noon to be counted.
- Aug. 11: Deadline for local electoral board to certify provisional ballots.
- Aug. 18: State Board of Elections certifies results.
No ceremonial signings for these bills
Virginia Scope reported Tuesday that good will broke down between some state senators and the governor over the data center tax exemptions at the center of the budget battle.
State Sens. Mike Jones, D-Richmond, and Russet Perry, D-Loudoun County, left ceremonial bill signings after a member of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s staff told them that the governor had removed their bills from the event. Their bills were removed because the two senators had participated in a listening tour put on by state Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas.
“It’s a shame the governor decided to take these actions,” Perry said in a statement in response to the removal of her bill from the signing event.
“I’ve never been publicly critical or disparaging of her and genuinely wish her the best. But it is my job as a senator, in a coequal branch, to fight for my Constituents. And I’m not going to stop listening to them and working for them, especially on issues as important in my district as data centers.”
Tuesday’s bill signing event was strictly ceremonial, and Jones’ and Perry’s bills will become law on July 1 after Spanberger signed them in an official capacity in April. The bills will prohibit assault weapons from being carried openly in public places and will close the “boyfriend loophole” in firearm purchases.
Jones said that he was proud that his bill was signed in an official capacity, but did not respond when asked about its removal from the ceremonial event.
The data center listening tour took place in Northern and Central Virginia, as well as Hampton Roads. The goal was to hear from Virginia residents regarding data centers as budget conferees continued to mull over tax exemptions for the tech corporations.
House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, accused Lucas, also D-Portsmouth, of sparking a “civil war” amongst Democrats over the budget, according to a Wednesday report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Scott told the newspaper that Lucas’ public attacks of him and Spanberger on social media have led to the discord within the party. He also accused Lucas, who is chair of the Senate Finance Committee, of refusing to negotiate a compromise regarding data center tax exemptions, which have been the main obstacle.
Budget conferees met throughout the afternoon on Wednesday, and it sounds like there may be progress toward a compromise, but who knows at this point. Both the House and the Senate had introduced updated budget proposals before the Wednesday negotiations.
