NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are kicking off the 2024 General Assembly session Wednesday that will see Democrats take full control of the state legislature with slim majorities in both chambers.
The session will be the third under Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has vowed to work with the new Democratic majority on a range of issues.
Guns, gambling, abortion, public safety and other issues will be on the agenda. Democrats — who hold 51 out of 100 seats in the House of Delegates and 21 out of 40 seats in the Senate — aim to unite their party's vote over the course of the 60-day session. They will still need to win Youngkin's support for most of their priorities, but in a few areas, they may be able to move without him.
There are a lot of new faces in the legislature this year. Last year's election cycle, when every legislative seat was on the ballot, was the first held under new maps drawn in the last redistricting process. The new maps coupled with the requirement that legislators live in their district contributed to a wave of retirements that included some of the Assembly's most senior members. Others were ousted in an especially competitive primary season.
The session starts on Wednesday and is expected to last until March 9. Here are three things to know about the General Assembly right now.
Black lawmakers hold top leadership positions in Virginia House and Senate
This year's session will see Black lawmakers making history by holding top leadership positions in both chambers of the legislature. Lawmakers from Hampton Roads are also in leadership positions in both chambers this year.
In the House, Del. Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) has been named the designated Speaker of the House, the first Black person to serve in the role in Virginia's history. Del. Charniele Herring, who made history in 2020 by becoming the first Black House majority leader, will once again step into that role.
In the Senate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican closely allied with Youngkin, is the presiding officer and can cast a tiebreaker vote if needed. State Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), the chamber's president pro tempore, is the presiding officer in Earle-Sears' absence.
With political stalemate over, Youngkin will likely have to make decisions on controversial legislation
Because of split control of the legislature, Youngkin has mostly avoided bills on thorny political issues in his first two years in office. But Democrats have pledged to spend the next two years advancing progressive priorities, leaving Youngkin with two options: seek compromise or break out his veto pen.
“I think there are some things we’re going to be able to agree on,” Scott told the Associated Press, ticking off spots of typical bipartisan cooperation, like education, mental health and workforce development.
On the issue of guns, Delegate-elect Nadarius Clark told 13News Now last month that he hopes to see bills, such as the expansion of universal background checks and trigger lock requirements, make it to Youngkin's desk. Youngkin has generally criticized Virginia's gun laws as some of the strictest in the country, but it's unclear where he specifically stands on many gun measures.
When it comes to legalizing marijuana sales, Republicans in the General Assembly defeated bills to set up a market framework during Youngkin's first two years in office, creating a legal gray area in a state that has allowed adults to possess and cultivate the drug since 2021.
In an interview with the Lynchburg ABC affiliate WSET, State Sen. Adam Ebbin expressed confidence that the Democratic majority would get a bill to Youngkin's desk, hopefully with bipartisan support. Up to this point, Youngkin has not directly weighed in on if he would sign or veto that kind of bill, though.
In a process that doesn't require Youngkin's signature, Democrats are also pushing constitutional amendments, one of which would guarantee abortion rights and another would ensure the automatic restoration of voting rights for convicted felons.
Republicans, who have said they plan to hold Democrats accountable for any rush to the left, want to try again to pass a bill that would allow prosecutors to charge drug dealers with felony homicide if a user dies of an overdose. They're also promising a renewed effort to repeal an electric vehicle mandate Democrats enacted in 2021.
Youngkin pushes income tax cut, new sports venue in new state budget
One of the main priorities for the upcoming session will be passing the biennial state budget for 2024-26, and disagreement is already boiling over taxes.
In December, Youngkin introduced a budget proposal that would lower income taxes and raise the state's sales tax, expanding the latter to include digital services, such as downloading music, that are already taxed in other states.
In response, some Democratic lawmakers called it "regressive" and favoring the wealthy, but Youngkin believes the tax cut would attract people and businesses to the state while dissuading Virginians from moving away.
Incoming Senate Republican Leader Ryan McDougle told the Associated Press that many members of his caucus think lowering the income tax would help make Virginia more competitive with competitor states. But the mechanism for doing so and maintaining a balanced budget will be an ongoing discussion, he said.
Youngkin's proposal will serve as a starting point for negotiations when the legislature convenes. State budget plans typically go through substantial changes before lawmakers send them back to the governor for consideration and possibly more changes.
Another priority for Youngkin is getting lawmakers' approval for a proposal to move the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals across the Potomac to Alexandria.
The proposal includes an arena for what would be the state’s first professional sports teams, as well as a new Wizards practice facility, a separate performing arts center, a media studio, new hotels, a convention center, housing and shopping.
RELATED: Wizards, Capitals would move to Virginia in tentative deal, Youngkin says. Mystics would stay in DC
Legislation that would create a government entity that could issue around $1.5 billion in bonds to finance the deal will be among the session's most closely watched.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.