Gov. Abigail Spanberger again outlined the priorities of her administration — affordability for Virginians and bipartisanship in state government — as she addressed the General Assembly on Monday as for the first time since she was sworn in as governor on Saturday.
During her hourlong speech, she pushed the General Assembly to adopt policies that she said would make lives more affordable, committed to reentering the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and to maintain Virginia’s “right-to-work” status, and said she will actively work with the Trump administration on shared priorities, with a caveat.
“I also have a responsibility to the 8.8 million people who call Virginia home,” she said. “So when federal actions attack and threaten Virginia jobs, I will not hesitate to push back. When federal chaos creates uncertainty for Virginia families, I will work to provide stability. When Washington fails to lead with dignity and respect and follow the rule of law, Virginia will.”
Spanberger also issued her support for three of the four constitutional amendments — regarding abortion, same-sex marriage and restoration of voting rights to formerly incarcerated people. She said that fourth, the controversial redistricting amendment, is up to the will of the voters.
On working across the aisle to achieve affordability goals
Democratic lawmakers have a trifecta of power in the executive branch and majorities in both chambers of the legislature. Regardless, Spanberger made a commitment to work with members of the opposite party in her Monday address.
“My door is open. To every member of this body — Democrat or Republican. I’ve always believed that no person and no party has a monopoly on good ideas,” she said. “During my time in Congress, I was ranked as the most bipartisan member from Virginia. … My administration intends to govern the same way.”
She added that bipartisanship was key in achieving affordability for Virginians.
She admitted that achieving her goal of affordability for Virginians will not be an easy or quick process, but said there are steps she can take and has taken to start the process through her executive actions.
“Two days ago, I ordered all of my cabinet secretaries and all executive branch agencies to identify where they can reduce costs for Virginians — whether that’s immediate fixes or longer-term budgetary, regulatory or policy changes,” she said.
Her secretaries and agency heads must submit those reports within 90 days, she added.
Through her executive actions, she has directed a comprehensive, multi-agency review of regulations and permitting practices around home building in an effort to “cut red tape, eliminate burdensome requirements, and streamline approvals.” And a Commission on Unlocking Housing Production is on the way, she said.
Regarding health care, her administration plans to establish an Interagency Health Financing Task Force.
“We need to make sure we’re spending our health care dollars effectively. We need to strengthen our healthcare infrastructure. And we need to identify where federal cuts will hurt Virginia the most. This task force will be entrusted with finding these answers, and it will get to work immediately,” she said.
Spanberger’s appeal to the General Assembly to pass ‘affordability’ bills
The governor said that the executive branch cannot deliver relief from high prices alone and asked the General Assembly to pass a legislative package focused on lowering health care, energy and housing costs.
Those proposals include bills to require drug rebates be sent back to patients — not corporate middlemen — and to protect independent pharmacies from predatory practices. Another proposal introduced targeted premium assistance for health care insurance bought through the Marketplace; and bills to strengthen incentive programs to recruit and retain providers where they are needed most were among the slate she mentioned.
Regarding energy prices, Spanberger pushed for bills to expand energy storage; to expand programs that help low-income Virginians make their homes more energy efficient; and for Virginia to reenter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — which Youngkin urged against in his address last week.
Regarding housing, Spanberger proposed bills to protect renters; legislation to empower local governments to adopt affordable housing programs; and to make it easier to finance the construction of affordable housing through a revolving loan for developers.
“These are commonsense proposals. They are not about ideology. They are about results,” she said. “And I am asking every member of this General Assembly — Democrat or Republican — to work together to put these bills on my desk as soon as possible.”
Spanberger also conveyed efforts to support the agriculture industry through the federal tariff turmoil, to protect and improve Virginia’s economic standing, to support access to education and jobs, to provide resources to law enforcement, and to protect Virginia’s status as a so-called “right-to-work” state.
She argued that it is possible to be both pro-business and pro-worker. Those pro-worker initiatives include a statewide paid family and medical leave program, guarantee paid sick days, increased access to Virginia’s childcare subsidy program and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Gun control legislation was also mentioned as a key commitment of the new governor. She said she would sign bipartisan bills that had been vetoed by her predecessor, including legislation to ban ghost guns, restrict access to firearms to convicted domestic abusers and to strengthen red flag laws for those who might be a danger to themselves or others.
Republicans respond
House GOP Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, highlighted Republicans’ own slate of legislation that they plan to introduce to tackle the affordability crisis. Those bills include efforts to eliminate the grocery tax, to phase out the car tax, to make the higher standard deduction permanent, to lowering power bills, expand auto insurance options — all of which Kilgore said would “put more money back in Virginians’ pockets.”
“If the governor truly wants to make life more affordable, we encourage her to support these common-sense proposals,” he added.
Del. Hillary Pugh Kent, R-Richmond County, said that she and her Republican colleagues support legislative measures that reduce barriers to housing supply, expand job opportunities through workforce training, and encourage increased energy production to lower costs. She added that she appreciated Spanberger’s tone of unity throughout her address.
Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield County, however, lambasted his Democratic colleagues for starting the 2026 legislative session on Wednesday by bringing the redistricting constitutional amendment to a floor vote.
“On day one, Democrats chose to push through a partisan gerrymandering map. That does not help one Virginia family pay for groceries, housing, or electricity. It is not an affordability plan. It is a power grab,” he said.
He also argued that Democrats’ “tax-and-spend agenda” could cost Virginia families more money each year.