Governor Abigail Spanberger stood alongside leadership from Virginia’s Senate and House Tuesday afternoon to unveil their agenda for the 2027 session. While the event aimed to show a united front ahead of the governor’s second year of lawmaking, the absence of one of the Senate's most powerful officials was noticeable.
Governor Spanberger, House Speaker Don Scott and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell stood under the beaming fall sun and declared their unified intentions Tuesday
“These proposals are the next step in our work to create a stronger, safer and more affordable Commonwealth,” Spanberger said.
Priorities include establishing a medical debt forgiveness program by partnering with nonprofits, supporting housing near transit areas, investing in solar, and increasing transparency in the data center approval process. More details are expected as legislation drops in the coming weeks.
But missing from Virginia’s legislative power gathering was Senate President Louise Lucas, who's due in federal court next week for an arraignment on corruption charges.
Lucas famously loomed over former Governor Glenn Youngkin, killing his priority bills as well as other legislation she saw unfit from her perch atop the Senate Finance Committee.
Last session left the relationship between Lucas and the current Governor strained, as have fights over the data center tax break. It remains to be seen how the Senate President's criminal charges could impact the 2027 legislative session, though a recent filing suggests any kind of trial wouldn't occur till later next year.
Spanberger said it would be "inappropriate" to comment on the case ahead of the next hearing.
Another elephant in the room was the governor’s record number of vetoes during the last legislative session.
Those included efforts like a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, and a rollback on the ban on public employee unions. She famously walked back her opposition on a long-running effort to legalize marijuana retail sales, signing a nearly identical effort months later.
None of those bills, many long-time priorities for Democrats, were mentioned among the suite announced Tuesday.
Still, Spanberger and General Assembly leadership said they spent the summer working through bills with the hopes of not repeating those mistakes.
And Senate Majority Leader Scott Surrovel pushed back on concerns the party was divided ahead of the next lawmaking term.
“Intraparty disagreement is a healthy thing (Republicans should try it!) We’ve been asking Republicans at the federal level to stand up to Trump for years now (at the state level!) they won't say a word to offend their dear leader," Surovell said, with Speaker Scott chiming in the background. "And so, when we have conflict within our party, I think it's a healthy thing.”
In a statement shared after the leadership news conference, Republican Minority Leader Del. Terry Killgore said, “If there was anything ‘affordable’ in that press event, I didn’t hear it.”
The legislative session starts in January.
