Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed 10 executive actions that broadly targeted affordability and pushed the commonwealth away from former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's approaches to education, immigration and race.
She also signed an action that delegates broad emergency and day-to-day authority to Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman, her longtime chief of staff, hours after taking Virginia's high office.
The orders also put the risks to Virginia's economy and budget posed by federal funding cuts from Congress and President Donald Trump in the public discussion more so than under the previous administration.
"Today, we are responding to the moment. We are setting the tone for what Virginians can expect over the next four years: pragmatic leadership focused on lowering costs and delivering results," said Spanberger in a statement.
While governors do not have the power to appropriate funds, Spanberger's executive orders also reflected her and top Democrats' apparent preference to avoid using Virginia's general fund to lower costs and raise wages, arguing that raising taxes is another cost for families.
Spanberger, who is also the first woman to be elected Virginia's governor, did not take questions from the press after signing all 10 actions.
The directives on affordability were to identify cost savings for families, which state-facilitated services are most at risk due to federal policies, and finding housing regulations that may be cut in order to spur new home and apartment construction.
The executive order named housing, health care, energy, education, child care and living expenses like groceries as areas of particular concern. Health care and identifying potential ways to loosen housing regulations got their own executive orders.
In the order on health care funding, Spanberger created an "Interagency Health Financing Task Force" to coordinate health care financing and sort out all the various funding risks posed by the congressional passage of HR1. Hundreds of thousands of Virginians are at risk of losing their health care or being priced out due to the bill's provisions.
It also includes a review of Managed Care Organizations, a key part of Medicaid services in the commonwealth. Recently, a forecast from the Department of Medical Assistance Services said that MCOs would need an additional $3.2 billion in state funds to maintain current services for the 1.6 million Virginians enrolled, according to December data from DMAS.
We are setting the tone for what Virginians can expect over the next four years: pragmatic leadership focused on lowering costs and delivering results.
The underlying challenges for Spanberger and Virginia's tight spending plan, given rising education and health care costs, compound the limitations of state government according to Terry Clower, director of George Mason's Center for Regional Analysis.
"Saying that 'we are going to make affordability better for you in the short run' is really hard for government to do, and particularly state government," Clower told VPM News in an interview Friday.
Virginia normally conforms to federal tax law on a "rolling" basis, with some exceptions. However, state lawmakers paused that conformity in 2025 in light of the federal cuts to taxes that could have trickle-down effects on Virginia's tax collections — to the tune of billions of dollars.
Democrats said during the opening of the General Assembly session they would not look to conform to many of new federal tax law's provisions.
Spanberger directed Virginia's agencies to identify what risks the federal government's policies will have in one order. Clower noted that tariffs have an inflationary effect, immigration crackdowns could affect labor costs and availability, and jobs connected to the federal government are affected.
"We've also seen a trend now for professional business services jobs that are declining," he said. The effects "are crossing different levels of households, so you're creating some pressures in the economy."
Higher education governance also got special attention. Executive Order 6 requires recommendations for legislative or policy changes to how board of visitor members are appointed or selected. It follows tumult at University of Virginia (Spanberger's alma mater) and resignations of at least three board members shortly before Saturday's inauguration.
In the order's wording, Spanberger cited federal interference as the need for the changes: "These pressures underscore the urgent need for the Commonwealth to reevaluate how governing boards are appointed, ensuring they are composed of individuals dedicated to upholding the quality, independence, and reputation of our institutions."
That is but one of a few departures from the approach of Youngkin's administration to university governance.
The new governor's Day 1 EOs also give specific mention to diversity and opportunity. Executive Order 4 mentions "inclusive" education and closing "opportunity gaps," while EO 9 tells agencies to take "affirmative measures … to emphasize the recruitment of qualified minorities, women, disabled persons, and older Virginians to serve at all levels of state government."
It heavily contrasts with the tone of Youngkin's administration, which praised the closure of DEI offices. In 2023 Martin D. Brown, Youngkin's chief diversity officer (whose title did not include the word "equity"), declared that "DEI is dead" during a talk at Virginia Military Institute.
Spanberger also is rescinding a controversial executive order of Youngkin's that directed state and local law enforcement to pursue immigration-related enforcement duties. Executive Order 10 does not withdraw from existing 287(g) agreements, according to Spanberger Communications Director Libby Wiet.
It solely rescinds Youngkin's issued mandate — which directed Virginia's law enforcement agencies to become federally deputized for immigration enforcement and opened up Departments of Corrections facilities for immigrants' federal processing and detention.
Spanberger also issued orders that outline expanded powers for her chief of staff; Krenz-Schnurman has served as the newly installed governor's chief of staff since her first term in Congress.
Those EO- designated powers include budgetary and administrative roles (EO 8), as well as the limited ability to call forth the Virginia National Guard (EO 7) or declare a state of emergency if Spanberger is "unable to be reached."
Read all 10 of Gov. Abigail Spanberger's Day 1 EOs
- Executive Order 1: Affordability
- Executive Order 2: Health care costs
- Executive Order 3: Housing
- Executive Order 4: Public education
- Executive Order 5: Economic Resiliency Task Force
- Executive Order 6: Board of Visitors appointments
- Executive Order 7: Emergency powers delegation
- Executive Order 8: Chief of staff responsibilities
- Executive Order 9: Equal opportunity
- Executive Order 10: Rescinding Youngkin EO 47
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