The affordability agenda. Skill games. An assault weapon ban. A higher minimum wage. Cracking down on forever chemicals. Paid family and medical leave.
Speaker of the House Don Scott says the 2026 legislative session has been historic.
"People talk about family values and how important they are. There's nothing more important than having a baby and being worried about staying home with your child to bond or going back to work. We've passed paid and family sick leave right now in this General Assembly," Scott said Saturday. "We've done historic things. We've banned assault weapons in the Commonwealth of Virginia."
House Republican caucus chairman Scott Wyatt questions if Democrats really had an affordability agenda after all.
"There are a lot of bills introduced that the majority party killed, repealing by steps the car tax, the grocery tax. So, we came here with the intention to make Virginia more affordable," Wyatt contends. "I don't see that happening here when they are more concerned about passing marijuana and all the gaming bills."
One thing lawmakers did not do is strike a deal on a budget, and House and Senate leaders got bogged down over a debate over getting rid of a tax exemption for data centers. They'll return in April to hash that out and maybe strike a deal.
