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"Skill" games prey on Virginia’s hardest-working residents, disproportionately targeting poor and minority communities. These machines drain household incomes, exploit vulnerable populations, and bring crime and addiction into our neighborhoods. Learn more here.”
More House filings
Take a look at the latest campaign filings for the 2025 House elections with the Virginia Department of Elections.
House reinstates one Youngkin appointee removed by P&E committee
House Democrats reinstated one of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees but still moved to strike four additional picks on top of the nine the Senate already rejected.
Youngkin expressed his disappointment in Democrats with a statement Friday afternoon. “This is a disappointing day, and I hope Virginians remember this moment of petty partisan politics,” he said.
House Democrats did cede the battle on an appointment that the Privileges and Elections Committee previously moved to block last week by reinstating Dominion Energy employee and Republican Party State Central Committee member David Botkins. He will remain in his position on the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees.
Senate Democrats propose budget amendment to legalize skill games
Skill games legislation failed to receive a full floor vote in the Senate after it crawled – barely surviving – through committee. But even without passing the full Senate, skill games are still alive. Senate Democrats included an amendment in their budget proposal to allow for legal skill games to be taxed and regulated in the commonwealth. The House budget proposal does not include any related language.
The Senate budget amendment is identical to the bill that advanced out of the General Assembly last year. That legislation, however, never reached the finish line due to a veto from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
This new amendment crosses out the language of the current budget that says: “‘Illegal gambling’ also means the playing or offering for play of any skill game,” and creates new language that would say: "’Illegal gambling’ does not include the playing or offering for play of any skill game machine authorized pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 42 (§ 58.1-4200 et seq.) of Title 58.1.”
The proposal would task the Virginia Lottery with regulating skill games, casino gaming and sports betting in the commonwealth.
“This amendment establishes the Virginia Small Business Economic Development Act for the purpose of providing a regulatory and registration scheme for skill game machines in the Commonwealth,” the amendment explanation reads. “This enactment language is identical to Senate Bill 212 of the 2024 General Assembly as passed by the House and Senate. The amendment authorizes and specifies the registration requirements for the distribution, operation, hosting, and play of skill game machines, as defined in the enactment.”
Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Don Scott announced the formation of an Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions Tuesday.
Del. David Bulova (D) will chair the bipartisan committee and vice-chair will be Rob Bloxom (R).
They are being tasked with assessing the potential economic and budgetary consequences of federal cutbacks and provide policy recommendations to mitigate negative effects on Virginia’s families, economy, and state budget.
"This is not about politics—it’s about protecting Virginia’s workforce, economy, and essential services," Scott said. "With nearly 145,000 federal civilian employees and even more federal contractors calling Virginia home, we depend on a strong partnership with the federal government to provide critical services. The federal administration’s announced plans to ‘drain’ the federal workforce and the pause in federal funding raise serious concerns for Virginia’s economy and the ability to maintain essential services. This committee will evaluate the impact of these cuts and develop solutions to safeguard Virginia’s economic future. I have full confidence that we will work in a bipartisan manner to deliver thoughtful and effective solutions."
Scott’s announcement cites data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management that ranks as the top state in the nation for federal contract awards, totaling $106 billion in 2023.
The newly announced federal workforce reductions, including a deferred resignation program aimed at cutting federal employment by up to 10%, and the mass termination of federal office leases could have significant repercussions for the state’s economy, particularly in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads region, his announcement said.
“This is about ensuring that Virginia remains prepared and resilient in the face of federal policy shifts,” Bulova said. “Our state budget must remain structurally sound, and we must take steps to protect our communities from sudden economic disruptions. The committee’s work will be critical in identifying ways to mitigate the effects of federal cuts while continuing to support Virginia families and businesses.”
The 12-member committee will be composed of legislators from both sides of the aisle and will be tasked with:
Democrats talk about responding to Trump’s actions at midpoint in session
Democrats gave an update from the steps of the Capitol in Richmond as they begin the second half of the legislative session. They mainly focused on President Donald Trump’s actions as president, his impact on Virginia and how they plan to respond.
Speaker of the House Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, began by addressing whether Democrats have the energy to push back against Republicans in a post-Trump win world.
“We won two special elections over-performing expectations,” he said, referencing Sen. Kannan Srinivasan and Del. JJ Singh’s special election victories earlier this month.
“We unveiled our platform to unleash Virginia’s potential. We’ve been passing bills to address the housing crisis, expand child care, lower costs, invest in a world-class education, and protect your rights. So no, I don’t think anyone up here would save their time. Rather, we’re pretty fired up.”
“Trump said he lowered the price of eggs,” Scott continued. “But yesterday, I went to my Waffle House and they announced they had a 50-cent surcharge for the eggs. I thought he was supposed to fix this. He is not lowering costs, he is raising them.”
Senate committee kills legislation that would have created a standard for inquiring about immigration status at DSS
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee killed legislation from Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, that would have required the Department of Social Services (DSS) to ask about immigration status when someone is applying for benefits.
Democrats on the committee pointed out that it is already a requirement to be legally in the country to receive social service benefits. Undocumented non-citizens are not eligible for SNAP benefits, according to the DSS, and they never have been.
“I believe there's a code section right before this which says you can't get services if you're not legally present,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax. “You have to establish legal presence in order to get these benefits. So I'm not really clear what you're trying to do.”
Sturtevant said he is trying to establish a standard approach across all programs.
Democrats want to codify Youngkin’s 24-hour notification order
Democrats are moving to codify an Executive Order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin that requires school districts to notify parents within 24 hours if a school-related overdose occurs.
“The fentanyl epidemic has touched every part of our nation,” said Del. JJ Singh, D-Loudoun, during a press conference Thursday. “As parents, it’s critical that we understand the critical risks that our kids face in school and know how best to protect them.”
The bill advanced out of the House unanimously this year.
Youngkin tried to convince legislators to enact this law last year, but the General Assembly rejected his proposed amendment adding 24-hour notification to their bill that would have established guidelines for school-connected overdose response and parental notification policies.
53 members of the House, including two Republicans, Dels. Terry Austin and Baxter Ennis, voted to reject Youngkin’s amendment.
The bill heads to the Senate now for consideration. If they advance it in identical form, then it will go to Youngkin for his signature.
“This issue transcends politics. This is about our kids, our families and our communities, and that’s why this bill passed 97 to zero in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support,” Singh said Thursday.
“Governor Youngkin will review the final language of the bill when it reaches his desk but as he has consistently said, he believes parents have a right to know what’s going on in their child’s life and we should prioritize the safety of our children and schools should have greater transparency with families,” Youngkin spokesperson Christian Martinez said in a statement Thursday.
Democrats rebuke Miyares for his DEI letter to Costco
Democrats are attacking Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares over his recent letter to Costco urging them to end their DEI practices.
In the letter, signed by Miyares and 18 other attorneys general, they urge Costco to “end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company through diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Although Costco’s motto is ‘do the right thing,’ it appears that the company is doing the wrong thing—clinging to DEI policies that courts and businesses have rejected as illegal.”
The letter cites a Supreme Court case, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, and how the opinion stated, “Distinctions between citizens solely because of their ancestry are by their very nature odious to a free people whose institutions are founded upon the doctrine of equality.”
The Democratic Attorney General Association (DAGA) accused Miyares of not having his priorities straight.
“MAGA Miyares continues to put politics before people,” said Carolyn Fiddler, the communications director for DAGA. “His failure to call out the Trump administration for blatant violations of the law speaks to his proclivity for protecting Trump’s agenda while putting Virginians’ lives in danger. It’s clear Miyares has no interest in the well-being of the Commonwealth and is instead focused on fighting meaningless culture wars.”
Del. Wren Williams, R-Patrick, announced his intention to seek a third term in the Virginia House on Monday.
“After much prayer and deliberation with my family, I am excited to announce my intention to seek a third term to the Virginia House of Delegates,” William said.“In three years, I have proudly stood up for rural Virginians who are struggling with rising healthcare costs and limited accessibility to adequate healthcare resources while remaining a strong conservative voice for our traditional values.”
“Our record has been one that stands up for the rule of law while defending the rights of hardworking Virginia families,” he continued. “From protecting our Second Amendment to securing medical resources for Patrick County to standing up to utility companies and delivering reduced rates for Southwest communities, our office has been a voice for Southwest and Southside Virginia. As we continue the 2025 legislative session and campaign cycle, I remain committed to being a conservative champion and advocate for President Donald Trump’s America First agenda. There is a lot at stake this year, and we need Virginia Republicans to show up and support candidates up and down the ballot. I look forward to hitting the campaign trail and listening to voters' concerns throughout the 47th District.”
Williams represents HD-47 in the House. He was first elected in 2021. He defeated his Democratic challenger by 52 points in 2023.
Mehta announces run for House of Delegates — calls Earley “Dead last for effectiveness”
After losing to Rep. Rob Wittman, R-VA01, in 2024, Leslie Mehta announced Wednesday that she is running for the House of Delegates. She is running in Chesterfield’s HD-73, where the Republican incumbent, Del. Mark Earley, was first elected in 2023.
“Every Virginian deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare, well-paying jobs and reasonable prices, and leaders who will put people over partisan politics,” Mehta said in her announcement Wednesday.
She attacked Earley, calling him an ineffective legislator.
Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, continued her trend of trolling Gov. Glenn Youngkin on social media with memes.
It started with a tweet by President Donald Trump talking about Mexico and their efforts to try and stop fentanyl from flowing into the United States.
Youngkin shared Trump's post and praised him.
“Thank goodness we finally have a President who is looking out for the American people and is a tough-as-nails negotiator,” Youngkin wrote.
Lucas then shared Youngkin’s tweet with her own image criticizing Trump.
Picture shared by Lucas.
In case you may have forgotten, Lucas shared a post on social media last year after Youngkin’s key legislative goal to bring a professional sports arena to Virginia was killed.
“Who DID THIS?!” she captioned the photo.
It is just another day in Richmond.
Process for picking Greenbelt as new FBI headquarters was flawed, IG report says
By MENNATALLA IBRAHIM, DARANEE BALACHANDAR and COLIN MCNAMARA Capital News Service
WASHINGTON—A federal inspector general found that a couple of the reasons cited for picking Greenbelt, Maryland, as the new FBI headquarters site were unjustified, according to a report released by the General Services Administration Monday.
The IG’s report stopped short of recommending a new site selection process, although Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Virginia, charged that “GSA cooked the books.”
“GSA provided inaccurate information to guide the site selection process and we may never know the full extent of missteps,” he said.
Maryland officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, said in a joint statement that “nothing in this report disputes the GSA’s selection of Greenbelt as the future home of the FBI.”
