Conservative SCOVA Justice McCullough (who killed the redistricting amendment VA voters approved) appears at Code Commish to ask for leg. to add "plain language" translations to the legalese on court forms. He has a glossary of possible terms to translate. I wonder if "election" was on the list? 😤

@paulkrizek.bsky.social now VC of Cannabis Market Transition Commish: 5 yrs in we still do not have an adult-use retail market. Cannabis is legal to grow & use but we continue to lack a safe regulated and taxed place to buy it. We continue to work on the transition even if the politics is difficult.

Of the 127 (unique) bills that Gov. Spanberger sent back w/ recommendations: ✅ The legislature adopted the recs on 92 of the bills ❌ The legislature rejected some/all the recs on the other 35 Of those rejected recs: 👍 The Gov. signed 20 of the bills anyway 👎 The Gov. vetoed 15 of the bills

It was stupid when Youngkin stood in the way of a regulated market for LEGAL recreational adult-use marijuana--not just for the important safety aspects of taking it off the black market, but also for the $$$ Virginia misses out on every day without. It is just as stupid now.

At a time when corporations are getting all the breaks while consumers struggle to make ends meet, Spanberger sides with corporations over people again in vetoing the bill allowing class action lawsuits. A bill vetted & negotiated for years. A bill that's law in 48 other states.

Perhaps she should've worked WITH legislators DURING session collaboratively. It was one thing when Youngkin did it to bills by the Dem-controlled legislature, but this? But is the truth that, like repealing right to work, she actually has no intention of siding with workers?

Not a lawyer, but listened to redistricting amendment arguments at SCOVA today. I heard a lot of "no fair!" arguments, but not a lot of "the law wasn't followed" arguments. At the end of the day, the legislature seems to have a lot of autonomy here, and exercised it accordingly.

Senate convenes a special session to deal with the budget--and so naturally spends an hour talking about whether or not voters were stupid idiots Tuesday for voting to allow the legislature to redistrict Virginia to 10-1 Dem-leaning districts.

House also passes the bill in its enrolled form, notwithstanding the governor’s amendments.

So much Senate talky-talk about Bill Stanley's poor poor drunk drivers who just made a mistake, who’re trying to keep their records clean if only the judges were allowed to let them. Not even a remotely close vote on overriding the governor’s veto.

OMG it’s WILD. Stanley complaining about prosecutors not allowing drunk drivers to get off because of a “Walmart" one size fits all justice policy & they need to get re-elected. Because politics enters the Commonwealth’s Attorneys office. THE SAME GUY WHO VOTES FOR MANDATORY MINIMUMS all the time!

OMG it’s WILD. Stanley complaining about prosecutors not allowing drunk drivers to get off because of a “Walmart" one size fits all justice policy & they need to get re-elected. Because politics enters the Commonwealth’s Attorneys office. THE SAME GUY WHO VOTES FOR MANDATORY MINIMUMS all the time!

It is just WILD to listen to GOP talk abt judicial discretion when it comes to drunk drivers & how putting them thru the criminal system (& losing a license etc.) is such a terrible outcome. When they CONSTANTLY have no sympathy for other people who make other types of mistakes.

Senator Stanley--who really shouldn't even be allowed to VOTE on skill games legislation given his representation of the industry in court professionally--is now arguing for a senate vote to get the skill games legislation enrolled notwithstanding the governor's veto

The day after VA voters approve a redistricting plan STRONGLY pushed by the Dem leg. leadership, over the initial objections & eventual lukewarm support of Governor Spanberger, legislature rejects many of her bill amendments and forces her to veto or accept many bills as passed.

On this one @russetperry.bsky.social property easement bill, Senate rejects the governor’s recommendations, and then passes the bill in its enrolled form, notwithstanding those recommendations of the governor.

Now the Senate also takes by for the day the recommendations to the prescription drug affordability act.

Similar action in theSenate, with one exception that I noticed: governor's recommendations on prescription drug affordability board senate cognate (@CreighDeeds) was NOT on list passed by for the day. (Also, Senate GOP able to force a recorded vote on this motion.)

Also included @paulkrizek.bsky.social marijuana marketplace bill!

Huge list of House bills with governor's recommendations taken by for the day (so, no vote on her amendments). Includes paid sick leave, assault gun ban, class action lawsuits, public sector collective bargaining, law enforcement mask ban, and prescription drug affordability

Because there's never a dull føcking moment in Virginia politics, the veto session is today. Follow along starting at noon.

Looks like somebody was wrong. Somebody who said this 10-1 map was too aggressive and voters would reject it. Voters today would have voted yes for an 11-0 map, honestly.

🎉 Best news!

Virginia’s former “top cop” doesn’t have the ability to recognize AI nor the sense not to blindly share it as if it’s real. Let’s hope he wasn’t personally in charge of cybersecurity.

Some changes this year (it’s different with a trifecta!) but 💙 to see so many repeat names at top of the scorecard, incl. @henson4virginia.bsky.social, @marcussimon.com, @hopeforvirginia.bsky.social, @kathykltran.bsky.social, @jenniferboysko.com, @ebpforva.bsky.social, @barbarafavola.bsky.social

Congratulations to this year’s top most progressive VAPLAN scorecard legislators (both need to get on Bluesky), Del Cousins & Sen Carroll Foy! (And it was just as I was finishing up the work on this year’s scorecard that I noticed they both also topped the 2024 scorecard!!) vaplan.us/drumroll-ple...

🚨Be on the lookout soon—hopefully before the end of today—for the 2026 VAPLAN progressive legislator scorecard! Who do you think will score near the top this year?

Week 9 newsletter is up! Summing up the long overdue legislative wins, the timely legislative responses to current events, and a few missed opportunities. vaplan.us/week-nine-it...

Seems all okay, the legislature as a whole hasn't adjourned sine die until both chambers do. Senate GOP wanted to amend to ensure 48 hours notice before being called in to special session (budget must be posted 48 hours in advance anyway).

Bit of a kerfuffle as House has adjourned sine die before Senate had a chance to vote on joint resolution for special session.

Final passage in Senate of conference report on @kathykltran.bsky.social & @ssurovell.bsky.social public sector collective bargaining. Incl home health care workers. Excl non-service workers at universities (faculty, health, etc.) Cannot collectively bargain health care if under the state plan.

And that’s a wrap on the Fairfax casino bill. The second conference committee report, limiting it to essentially Tyson’s, by referendum of the voters, has now passed both chambers.

And there’s the Senate vote to accept that second conference committee report on “skill games.” So that’s passed. Really disappointed with this version especially. I hope the Governor makes some substantive changes.

House approves 2nd conference report on the Fairfax casino—not the temporary, pop-up version in yesterday’s report, but the original one in Tyson’s after a referendum of Fairfax voters.

Super strange vote to reject conference committee report on Del Simon bill to clarify code on whistleblower protections at work. Very uncool.

The skill games bill is like a freaking zombie. The House version 2nd conf committee report died, the Senate version passed, but then didn’t actually pass because it creates a tax and needs a majority of those elected and the vote didn’t meet that. That votes been reconsidered.

House at recess. Bills still in conference: ⏺️ Public collective bargaining ⏺️ "Skill games" ⏺️ FFX casino ⏺️ Safe storage of guns in cars And a few others

House and Senate still really struggling on an agreement on safe storage of guns in cars. (Original bills as passed differed pretty significantly, so unsurprising.) Second committee of conference.

New 2nd conference committee report up for Fairfax casino bill. Quick skim looks like no more temporary pop-up, narrowed back to Tyson’s, FFX referendum req (not req majority in magisterial district). Very similar to what passed Senate in the first place. lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/121201...

On Senate floor, @ssurovell.bsky.social reads email he received from a member of recently murdered Stephanie Minter's family, thanking him for his service & for his words following her murder. Surovell says GOP senators need to STOP using her name to support policies they don't agree with.

Second committee of conference on casino bill!! (Presumably means they don't have the votes for the pop-up casino from the first report) Also second committee on skill games, whose first conference report was rejected by House

House approves conference report on @helmerva.bsky.social bill to create task force to study VMI’s response to SCHEV report recommendations on racism, sexism, distancing itself from Lost Cause, etc. Bill supported by VMI leadership.

Skill games conference report NOT approved by House floor!!

FINAL PASS @paulkrizek.bsky.social Marijuana market compromise: Start Jan. ‘26 (S), violations: misdemeanor first two, felony after (H), illicit market tipline, licensing regulation of intoxicating hemp VDACS—>Cannabis Auth., add’l tax 6% + optional 1-3% local (H), 40% revenue—>early childhood ed.

Substantial changes announced in conference report to HB286 ( @helmerva.bsky.social ) bill re: National Guard; now cannot be used to interfere with elections, legislature can investigate and review their deployment, they create annual report on their accomplishments. It passes House.

After GOP Del Garrett rants in House, @katrinacallsen.com defends her campus gun ban bill, asked for by univ. law enforcement & appr. by ROTC "I am so sorry for the family of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, and I am so sorry that his name is being used on this floor for political purposes."

On last day of session, Del Hodges waxing poetic on House floor about dandelion wine and fireflies (something something about rural vs urban economic engine) and playing clip from old Newlywed Game show of woman who sent husband to doctor for catching urban.

Surprised they reached an agreement on House vs Senate skills games, they were very far apart. Limit of 25,000 games (higher than what House wanted and lower than Senate) VA Lottery runs (vs ABC), $5 maximum wager (House wanted $1), opt OUT by referendum (House wanted opt in).

I haven’t quite had a chance to read the 300 or so page conference committee report on marijuana marketplace (although from my last reading the House and Senate weren’t that far apart anyway) but it passed the Senate and will get the House vote tomorrow.

Good thing we didn’t save anything important for 8pm on this Friday night. Just the conference report on the marijuana adult use recreational marketplace. 😆😂😭☠️