Virginia Politics & News
Virginia news from The Daily Signal, covering state politics, education policy, election integrity, and the political shift between Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth’s conservative regions.
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analysis
Virginians Question Power-Hungry Data Centers’ Expansion
Newton’s third law indicates that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. In Virginia politics, that is showing up in the push-and-pull over data centers. The state is already peppered with data centers, and developers are rolling out plans to build more. In almost every location, local residents quickly rally to oppose their expansion…. -
opinion
School Daze
A Virginia elementary school teacher was tasked with also providing counseling to students who wanted to discuss their sexuality as part of a public-school division’s efforts to be “inclusive” of LGBTQ+ feelings. He had the title “Social Emotional Learning coach.” Did we mention this was at an elementary school? But wait, there’s more. Absurd as… -
opinion
Virginians Wonder About Impact of Proposed Dominion-NextEra Merger
Early July brought 100-plus-degree temperatures to large swaths of Virginia, forcing most of the commonwealth’s air conditioners to whir all day and night. Temperatures may hit 100 degrees again this week. But staying comfortable costs more this summer: Dominion Energy announced that, starting this month, it will add an $8-per-month charge to every domestic customer’s… -
news
Virginia’s State of Surveillance
If you sense that somebody’s watching you, you’re not paranoid; you’re a Virginian. The website Deflock.org allows readers to zoom in on a map of Virginia. It currently shows more than 5,500 surveillance cameras operating in the state. Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads are so thoroughly surveilled that they disappear under a blob of… -
opinion
Smoking Out Virginia’s Pot Law
If you are unclear about Virginia’s marijuana laws, rest assured you are not alone these days. Even police officers seem confused (if not necessarily dazed). “As of July 1, 2026, there are no Code of Virginia violations related to marijuana,” a state police lieutenant wrote in what the Virginia Scope (which obtained the communication) described… -
opinion
Virginians May Be Asked to Vote for Higher Taxes
Do you want higher taxes? Local politicians may soon give many Virginia residents a chance to answer that question for themselves. Earlier this year, state Sen. L. Louise Lucas introduced a bill that would have allowed all local governments to impose an additional 1% sales tax on top of existing levies. At the time the… -
analysis
Virginia’s Gun Law Under Fire in Courts: Cuccinelli
Virginia’s governing Democrats made it a crime to buy, sell, manufacture, or swap so-called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition. The law’s July 1 enactment, however, sits in a legal limbo as a wave of lawsuits moves through various courts. Plaintiffs in four state jurisdictions have sued to… -
news
VA250 Exhibit Rolls Across the Commonwealth
Virginia is taking a unique victory lap as the country celebrates its 250th birthday this year. The commonwealth was a leader in the rebellion against King George III and then in the building of the United States that followed American independence from Great Britain. Today, it is a leader in finding creative ways to tell… -
opinion
Spanberger’s Backfiring Gun Stance
Who is the best gun salesperson in Virginia? Gov. Abigail Spanberger—that’s who. According to the FBI background check registry—more about that in a moment—there were 124,319 firearm background checks conducted just in the month of June. Wrap your head around that. That’s more privately owned firearms sold just in June than exist in the entire… -
analysis
Virginia’s Drought Drags On
Almost all of Virginia remains under a drought advisory ahead of the hot July Fourth holiday weekend. Rainfall earlier this week provided some relief in central regions of the state, but it wasn’t enough to bring stream and groundwater levels back to anywhere near normal. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality warned that “precipitation is… -
opinion
Nothing in Commonwealth
As July begins, Virginians brace for higher gas taxes, hoping that the $68 price of a barrel of crude oil will start to bring the price at the pump back down. However, they will very soon be hit with a 7% increase in their electric bills. Iran? No. Trump tariffs? No. This is because, as… -
news
New Virginia Laws Effective This Summer: What You Need to Know
Virginia’s gas tax is set to increase on July 1, and that isn’t the only new law that will take effect this summer. One of the legal changes is the implementation of a full ban on expanded polystyrene food containers. The ban applies to any food vendor that sells takeaway food, including restaurants, grocery stores,… -
analysis
Virginia’s Gas Tax Increase: What Drivers Need to Know
Drivers in the commonwealth will pay more for gas beginning on Wednesday. This isn’t because of the recent legislative budget deal. It isn’t because of a war in the Middle East. It isn’t because of a pipeline shutdown. It’s because lawmakers put tax policy on cruise control years ago, and prices just keep climbing. It… -
news
Richmond Hosts an Early Birthday Party With ‘IllumiNATION’
Virginia was at the forefront of American history back in 1776, and it remains ahead of the curve as Independence Day approaches next week. This weekend, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is hosting a block party to honor the upcoming anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The celebration centers around “IllumiNATION,” a specially… -
news
Virginia Democrats Finalize Sweeping Budget Deal
Virginia’s governing Democrats played “let’s make a deal” to pass a two-year budget that will take effect next week. The state lawmakers opted to maintain a tax break that encourages companies to build data centers in the commonwealth. They offset that by imposing a new tax on the energy that those centers will use. Gov…. -
news
For the Love of DEI, Virginia Democrats Inject Race Into Tourism
The Virginia House of Delegates just released its final draft of the 2026 budget. Buried in a civil war on data centers, lifting marijuana restrictions, and giving themselves a 150% pay raise, Democrats are also seeking to spend millions on DEI tourism. Virginia legislators are busy working out the 2026 budget. After months of back… -
Yes, Virginia, There Won’t Be a Shutdown
In the end, as the Virginia General Assembly returned Monday for a perfunctory vote on the one-sided $212 billion tax plan, it appears that the Senate president pro tempore was holding up the process not on the principle of clawing tax dollars from data center operators—they were the most eye-catching hostages to take—but for getting… -
opinion
Virginia and the Color Purple
Virginians are facing some tough battles this year, and it didn’t have to be that way. Republican leaders are getting heat for two votes taken on June 13 at the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee meeting. That’s not fair. They should take heat for the fact that neither of them should have been… -
opinion
Spanberger’s Slow Start
Imagine for a moment that you’re at a Donald Trump rally. As you approach the event, you come across a Republican protester wearing an anti-Trump mask and carrying a “No more wars” sign. Perhaps the person is also accusing the president of being too cozy with corporations. Does that sound unlikely? Well, outside a Democratic… -
news
Ossoff’s Anti-Second Amendment Record Stands Out as Gun Manufacturers Migrate to Georgia
As major gun manufacturers relocate from Virginia to Georgia over firearm regulations, constitutional experts told the Daily Signal that the increasing momentum for left-leaning policies in the Peach State could jeopardize the manufacturers’ new home. Their remarks come as Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., runs for reelection and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is…