Redistricting, Campaign Funds, Voter Access

Background:


The right to vote is one of our most fundamental rights and enshrined forever in our Constitution. But that right can be alarmingly curtailed by external circumstances. By controlling who can vote, when they can vote, whom they can vote for, and even what can be done with campaign funds, the members of the General Assembly have the complex responsibility of regulating themselves and their own activities. Voting is fundamental to a functioning democracy, and so regulations surrounding free and fair voting should be examined with the highest scrutiny. 


Looking Back at 2019:


One of the biggest issues that arose in the 2019 General Assembly was redistricting reform and an attempt to create an independent commission to oversee the process moving forward. After several statewide lawsuits and an overwhelming amount of press coverage, the pressure was mounting at the General Assembly to address heavily gerrymandered voting districts in Virginia.  The Virginia constitution requires districts that are “compact” and “contiguous,” which they currently are not. A court has already invalidated these districts as unconstitutional and ordered the General Assembly to revise the boundaries based on the court’s parameters.


To address the claims of partisan and racial gerrymandering, both chambers passed legislation to create an independent 16-member commission made up of 8 citizens and 8 legislators (4 from the Senate and 4 from the House), who will draw new district lines after the 2020 census. The legislation had unanimous support in the Senate but did draw criticism from the African American caucus in the House of Delegates, who were concerned that the commission would have no African-American representation.  


Redistricting Reform


The passage of the 2019 legislation was momentous, but only the first step in a multi-year process to officially amend the state constitution. The General Assembly will have to pass the same measure in next year’s session, which will then be followed by a statewide ballot referendum for all Virginians in the fall of 2020. The legislation must pass both hurdles before being cemented into the Virginia Constitution in time for the 2020 census results. If recognized, these changes will dramatically reshape Virginia’s political map. 


Campaign Funds


Currently, in Virginia, politicians are able to use funds from campaign contributions for personal use. Despite a multi-year debate to end the practice and calls from the Commission on Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government to pass legislation, all attempts have failed. The bill from the 2019 session, which passed the House of Delegates with unanimous support, was simply left in the Senate Rules Committee, where it was never brought to a vote and simply died at the end of the session. This year there will likely be renewed support for the regulation of campaign funds and support from the public will be vital in pushing it through. 


Voting Restrictions

Virginia historically has very tight voting restrictions, despite its high voter turnout, which has led many legislators to pursue various expansions of voting opportunities. Although many pieces of legislation did not make it through the 2019 session, two bills were passed and will allow people to vote in-person, without an excuse, for a week preceding elections. Although this legislation will not go into effect until 2020, it will give Virginians far more opportunities to vote in the future. There are other ways that the legislature can make it easier for citizens to get to the polls, including mandated time off for voting, an Election Day holiday, or eased restrictions on absentee voting. 


[Virginia Public Media] New Virginia Law Will Expand Zoning for Manufactured Homes

By VOW Ops • April 23, 2026
Manufactured homes are constructed in a factory and then transported to a land plot instead of traditional homes which are built on site. Despite the cost-savings constructors and prospective homeowners earn from manufactured homes, outdated stigma prevents them from being located anywhere other than agricultural zones. As part of her Affordability Agenda, Governor Spanberger has signed legislation which will expand where manufactured homes can be located. Under HB 655 and SB 346, starting July 1st Manufactured homes can now be located within any residential zone intended for traditional homes (with exceptions for historic districts). Further, localities will not be permitted to place different rules or any additional restrictions on manufactured homes that would not be imposed on single-family homes. Both bills passed the General Assembly with near-unanimous support. Executive Director of the Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association Randy Grumbine says the new laws “could be very significant” in removing barriers that have been in place for decades. In 2020, a single-section manufactured home cost 35% the price of a similar-sized traditional home. Virginians have been facing affordability challenges when looking for housing – especially over the last several years – and they continue to experience a housing shortage which only exacerbates the problem. Del. Maldonado and Sen. VanValkenburg have noted that the strong bipartisan support they received for their respective bills is because Virginia’s housing crisis affects everyone regardless of partisan affiliation. Beyond the expansion of locations for manufactured homes, Governor Spanberger also signed HB 1227, which increases the amount of state funding toward affordable housing. She also signed HB 4, which gives localities the authority to require property owners to give the local government or developer the first chance to purchase property to build affordable housing. You can read the full article here for more details.

[Virginia Mercury] Virginia Lawmakers Recess Special Session Without Budget Deal

By VOW Ops • April 23, 2026
[Virginia Mercury] Virginia Lawmakers Recess Special Session Without Budget Deal

[Virginia Mercury] Data Center Bills Dominated This Year’s General Assembly. Here’s What Happened

By VOW Ops • March 19, 2026
Virginia’s growing data center economy was the center of attention for this year’s General Assembly session, with lawmakers balancing the industry’s benefits against its costs to communities. Of the many bills that were proposed to regulate data centers, some passed both the House and Senate and now head to Governor Spanberger’s desk for either her signature or veto. SB 253 (Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth) would extend a program Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company offer low-income customers to reduce their monthly energy bills by weatherproofing their houses. The bill also gives the State Corporation Commission (SCC) the liberty to determine if more of the cost of generating electricity for data centers should fall onto them and large manufacturers instead of homeowners. SB 553 (Sen. Srinivasan, D-Loudoun) would direct water utilities to provide monthly or quarterly reports on how much water they are providing to data centers. Currently, data centers can withhold their water usage as an industry secret. SB 94 (Sen. Roem, D-Manassas) and HB 153 (Del. Thomas, D-Prince William) would require applicants who request localities to rezone for “high-load users” to submit site assessment reports. Localities would then be able to use the information from said reports to determine if the application conforms with their zoning requirements. HB 507 (Del. McAuliff, D-Loudoun) would mandate the Department of Environmental Quality to deny air permits for data center generators after July 2026 unless they meet stricter environmental regulations. Currently, data centers are allowed limited use of backup generators that run on diesel fuel, which have resulted in next-door neighbors complaining of noxious fumes spilling into their communities. HB 323 (Del. Sullivan, D-Fairfax) directs the Department of Energy to study how to best utilize waste heat generated by data centers to meet heating demands from neighboring buildings. One of the most robust debates involving data centers revolved around the sales tax exemption given to them on their server equipment and software. The Senate budget bill would end the exemption, hoping to recover the $1.6 billion they argue the state loses annually as a result. The House budget bill would keep the exemption but stipulate additional requirements for data centers to remain in compliance with receiving the exemption. The data center industry has rebutted the proposals to end the tax exemption, arguing that it has brought billions of dollars in investment into Virginia. Furthermore, the issue does not fall along clear, partisan lines, with both Democrats and Republicans arguing for against ending the exemption. The issue has ultimately ground Virginia’s budget approval process to a halt, with neither chamber coming to a consensus on the state’s biennial budget. Governor Spanberger has called for a special session beginning April 23rd so that the General Assembly can resolve the dispute. You can read the full article here for more details.
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