Huge wins for Virginians - VA Dems & Spanberger addresses issues in healthcare, housing, energy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess. Everything will be more expensive as a result. The environmental actions alone add. $1000 a year to a typical energy bill. Then democrats will provide subsidies for protected status groups

None of the bills signed increase energy cost.

They help buffer price increases.
· HB242 (Delegate Joshua Cole) — Prohibits public utilities from increasing monthly payments more than once a year for customers enrolled in a budget plan. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB1002 (Delegate Kathy Tran) — Prohibits some utilities from disconnecting residential customers without attempting to arrange a payment plan or connect a customer with bill payment assistance or energy savings programs. Passed with bipartisan support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess. Everything will be more expensive as a result. The environmental actions alone add. $1000 a year to a typical energy bill. Then democrats will provide subsidies for protected status groups

None of the bills signed increase energy cost.

They help buffer price increases.
· HB242 (Delegate Joshua Cole) — Prohibits public utilities from increasing monthly payments more than once a year for customers enrolled in a budget plan. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB1002 (Delegate Kathy Tran) — Prohibits some utilities from disconnecting residential customers without attempting to arrange a payment plan or connect a customer with bill payment assistance or energy savings programs. Passed with bipartisan support.

Actually they did pass some bills that will increase costs for most residential energy customers. HBB 770 allows utilities to provide discounts on electricity bills for low income customers and then recoup these discounts by raising bills for everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These should help families.

HB736 (Delegate Michelle Maldonado) — Preventing costly delays in care by limiting prior authorizations. Passed unanimously.

· HB424 (Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling), SB745(Senator Kannan Srinivasan) — Blocking health insurers from barring in-network providers from referring patients to in-network clinical laboratories or pathology service providers. Passed unanimously.

· HB425 (Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling) — Expanding access to telemedicine service for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies or women 35 years of age or older on Medicaid. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB6 (Delegate Cia Price), SB596 (Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy) — Establishing the right to contraception. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB456 (Delegate Rodney Willett), SB291(Senator Lashrecse Aird) — Increasing the quality of care for premature or sick babies. Passed unanimously.

Yes finally some good ones in here. Prior authorization is only benefitting insurance companies who don’t want to pay.

Telehealth got high risk pregnancies… not sure about that - you should be seen in person!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These should help families.

HB736 (Delegate Michelle Maldonado) — Preventing costly delays in care by limiting prior authorizations. Passed unanimously.

· HB424 (Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling), SB745(Senator Kannan Srinivasan) — Blocking health insurers from barring in-network providers from referring patients to in-network clinical laboratories or pathology service providers. Passed unanimously.

· HB425 (Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling) — Expanding access to telemedicine service for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies or women 35 years of age or older on Medicaid. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB6 (Delegate Cia Price), SB596 (Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy) — Establishing the right to contraception. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB456 (Delegate Rodney Willett), SB291(Senator Lashrecse Aird) — Increasing the quality of care for premature or sick babies. Passed unanimously.

Yes finally some good ones in here. Prior authorization is only benefitting insurance companies who don’t want to pay.

Telehealth got high risk pregnancies… not sure about that - you should be seen in person!!

It’s better than not seeing a MFM at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These should help families.

HB736 (Delegate Michelle Maldonado) — Preventing costly delays in care by limiting prior authorizations. Passed unanimously.

· HB424 (Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling), SB745(Senator Kannan Srinivasan) — Blocking health insurers from barring in-network providers from referring patients to in-network clinical laboratories or pathology service providers. Passed unanimously.

· HB425 (Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling) — Expanding access to telemedicine service for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies or women 35 years of age or older on Medicaid. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB6 (Delegate Cia Price), SB596 (Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy) — Establishing the right to contraception. Passed with bipartisan support.

· HB456 (Delegate Rodney Willett), SB291(Senator Lashrecse Aird) — Increasing the quality of care for premature or sick babies. Passed unanimously.

Yes finally some good ones in here. Prior authorization is only benefitting insurance companies who don’t want to pay.

Telehealth got high risk pregnancies… not sure about that - you should be seen in person!!

It’s better than not seeing a MFM at all.

This. It isn't telehealth instead of in-person, it is telehealth being covered for medicaid patients vs them not getting care because no one is available in their area.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, she did not veto any of the biker bro density bills. You can kiss your peaceful quiet neighborhoods goodbye. Almost every property owned by a church is now open season for high density apartment towers. Another law will eliminate single family zoning in many neighborhoods and require a minimum lot size of 3,000 sq ft with duplexes, which is a density of 29 units per acre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, she did not veto any of the biker bro density bills. You can kiss your peaceful quiet neighborhoods goodbye. Almost every property owned by a church is now open season for high density apartment towers. Another law will eliminate single family zoning in many neighborhoods and require a minimum lot size of 3,000 sq ft with duplexes, which is a density of 29 units per acre.

This also stacks with the bill requiring ADUs by right in all residential areas, so technically you could build a fourplex two duplexes each with a separate ADU on a 3000 sq ft lot at. Density of 58 units per acre is now required for what used to be a single family neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Oh no...the NIMBYS think the sky is falling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, she did not veto any of the biker bro density bills. You can kiss your peaceful quiet neighborhoods goodbye. Almost every property owned by a church is now open season for high density apartment towers. Another law will eliminate single family zoning in many neighborhoods and require a minimum lot size of 3,000 sq ft with duplexes, which is a density of 29 units per acre.

This also stacks with the bill requiring ADUs by right in all residential areas, so technically you could build a fourplex two duplexes each with a separate ADU on a 3000 sq ft lot at. Density of 58 units per acre is now required for what used to be a single family neighborhood.

Lot coverage requirements still apply, brainiac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, she did not veto any of the biker bro density bills. You can kiss your peaceful quiet neighborhoods goodbye. Almost every property owned by a church is now open season for high density apartment towers. Another law will eliminate single family zoning in many neighborhoods and require a minimum lot size of 3,000 sq ft with duplexes, which is a density of 29 units per acre.

This also stacks with the bill requiring ADUs by right in all residential areas, so technically you could build a fourplex two duplexes each with a separate ADU on a 3000 sq ft lot at. Density of 58 units per acre is now required for what used to be a single family neighborhood.

Lot coverage requirements still apply, brainiac.

They no longer apply to the single family zoning category sacrificed under the bill. Minimum width for lots under this bill is capped at 30 ft. The bill practically require zero lot line setbacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, she did not veto any of the biker bro density bills. You can kiss your peaceful quiet neighborhoods goodbye. Almost every property owned by a church is now open season for high density apartment towers. Another law will eliminate single family zoning in many neighborhoods and require a minimum lot size of 3,000 sq ft with duplexes, which is a density of 29 units per acre.

This also stacks with the bill requiring ADUs by right in all residential areas, so technically you could build a fourplex two duplexes each with a separate ADU on a 3000 sq ft lot at. Density of 58 units per acre is now required for what used to be a single family neighborhood.

Lot coverage requirements still apply, brainiac.

They no longer apply to the single family zoning category sacrificed under the bill. Minimum width for lots under this bill is capped at 30 ft. The bill practically require zero lot line setbacks.

Those are just for small lot residential zoning districts, not all zoning.

They are trying to promote density near transit districts. That's great to reduce traffic, pollution, and energy consumption.

[Anonymous]

So glad we have a governor who will protect women.

“It is now a legal right in Virginia to access birth control after Governor Abigail Spanberger signed the Right to Contraception Act into law on Wednesday.

The law bars state and local governments from passing or enforcing laws restricting the obtaining of contraceptives. Former governor Glenn Youngkin previously vetoed similar legislation.”

“Every Virginian should be able to determine their own medical options without the interference of politicians.”

https://wset.com/news/local/virginia-governor-abigail-spanberger-signs-right-to-contraception-act-policy-richmond-democrat-april-2026-birth-control

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, she did not veto any of the biker bro density bills. You can kiss your peaceful quiet neighborhoods goodbye. Almost every property owned by a church is now open season for high density apartment towers. Another law will eliminate single family zoning in many neighborhoods and require a minimum lot size of 3,000 sq ft with duplexes, which is a density of 29 units per acre.

She actually did partially veto church zoning bill. She sent suggested edits to the bill so the bill will be dead if they don’t approve her edits and pass the bill with a majority. She also made edits to the parking minimum bill and sent this back to legislators. She really seems to be taking a very moderate approach IMO balancing local control with measure to promote affordability.

[Anonymous]

More moderate positions with these vetoes…


Governor Spanberger also vetoed House Bill 637, which would lessen charging options for serious drug offenses.

The Governor’s official veto statement for House Bill 637:

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 637, which relates to possession of residue of a controlled substance.

House Bill 637 would prohibit charging a person with possession of a residual amount of a controlled substance under §18.2-250, including for Schedule I and Schedule II drugs. The prohibition would prevent Commonwealth’s Attorneys from exercising their discretion in prosecuting serious drug offenses and remove their ability to pursue a felony conviction when the facts justify that outcome.

House Bill 637 would create a new offense with misdemeanor penalties for possession of drug residue, which would have the unintended and regrettable consequence of making offenders who are arrested for possession of residue ineligible for drug court. Drug courts in Virginia help provide comprehensive substance abuse treatment under intensive supervision to defendants who struggle with substance use disorders and have proven valuable to offenders and public safety.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.

[Anonymous]

The Governor also vetoed Senate Bill 764, which would undermine accountability and public safety in the legal system.

The Governor’s official veto statement for Senate Bill 764:

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 764, which would significantly expand the use of deferred dispositions in criminal cases. The enrolled bill would permit the lessening or removal of penalties across a range of crimes.

Senate Bill 764 removes key guardrails that help ensure consistency and fairness, and it pre-empts a Commonwealth’s Attorney’s ability to prosecute some cases.

I am particularly concerned about the application of this bill to DUI offenses. Virginia has worked hard to reduce DUI-related crashes and fatalities, but impaired driving continues to take lives and devastate families across the Commonwealth.

Virginia’s criminal justice system must be fair, equitable, and focused on rehabilitation as well as accountability and public safety, and Senate Bill 764 undermines accountability and public safety.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.