For several years, opponents of data center growth in Virginia have advanced a simple political narrative: data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity, therefore they “must” be driving up electric bills for ordinary Virginians. It is an emotionally intuitive and persuasive argument. It is also increasingly unsupported by the evidence. A new analysis from the Institute...
4/30/2026 — Between Friday March 6th and Tuesday April 21st, a narrow majority of Virginia voters went to the polls (or to their mailboxes) and voted in favor of the disenfranchisement of rural Virginia, as part of a national effort to make New York Representative Hakeem Jefferies the Speaker of the House...
4/27/2026 — One of the most striking themes from last Wednesday’s reconvened session was the widespread rejection of Governor Spanberger‘s recommendations. Legislative Information Services shows that of 180 bills amended, the legislature adopted 137, placing those bills straight into law without returning them to her desk. For the first time...
This session, the General Assembly sent over 1,000 bills to Governor Spanberger for her signature. She signed 852 into law, vetoed 8 and proposed amendments to 180. Even though some of her amendments were little more than window dressing (see article on Paid Family and Medical Leave) and a few...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jefferson Forum Calls on Supreme Court of Virginia to Act Swiftly on Constitutional Violations Today’s passage of Virginia’s redistricting referendum raises serious concerns about the role of voter confusion, misleading ballot language, and unprecedented outside spending in shaping the outcome of a consequential constitutional change. Ironically,...
Today’s referendum isn’t complicated. It’s not really about “fairness.” It’s not really “temporary.” And it’s not really about Virginia. It’s about power. The Great Reversal For years, Democrats, from Barack Obama on down, warned that gerrymandering was a threat to democracy itself. In fact, the left nationally, and in Virginia,...
Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) has proposed that the General Assembly return to the misguided practice of dictating by law a utility profit margin, overturning a bipartisan reform approved just three years ago. It is no different than her effort to end the bipartisan reforms against political gerrymandering and again put politicians in charge of that. A profit cap on...
Cosmetic Amendments: Trims minor bureaucracy but leaves the expensive, massive program unchanged. Automatic Tax Hikes: Funded by mandatory payroll taxes that can rise automatically without a legislative vote. High Risk of Abuse: Keeps a dangerously broad definition of “family members” eligible for paid leave. Classroom Disruptions: Fails to exempt public...
New “Jefferson Forum” launches as state faces major fights over taxes, energy, labor, and education RICHMOND, VA — Two Virginia public policy organizations announced Monday that they are merging to form a new think tank aimed at influencing key policy debates in the Commonwealth at a pivotal political moment. The Thomas...
Tuesday’s column discussed some of the reasons Governor Spanberger should amend or veto the public employee collective bargaining bill headed to her desk: the local and state taxpayer costs, the creation of new bureaucracies, the opposition of local Democrats and a majority of local government and school board leaders and, perhaps...
