After running as moderate, Spanberger era opens in Virginia with heavy dose of leftist proposals

Though Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberg ran as a moderate during her 2025 campaign, her tenure in Virginia has opened with her party offering a heavy dose of far-left legislation that would completely upend the state’s current status as a relatively moderate battleground.

Many of the bills take aim at election integrity efforts, reduce criminal penalties, tighten gun laws, and create legal hurdles for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state.

Though this list is far from exhaustive, here are some of the most radical. For a more comprehensive list of, please see this compilation by Virginia pundit Christian Heians.

Elections

HB968: Requires the use of ballot scanning machines in elections and explicitly bans hand counts “for any reason or purpose not specifically authorized for by law.”

HB 773: Postpones the deadline for receiving absentee ballots and extends the deadline to cure ballot errors after the election.

HB82: Extends the deadline for receipt of absentee ballots until three days after the election.

HB1321: Removes a requirement that the state Board of Elections send law enforcement to obtain vote tallies if a county or city does not send them by six days after the election.

HB111: Bars the state registrar from removing voter registrations except by request of an individual voter or direct reports from the Department of Elections.

HB965: Commits Virginia to an interstate compact requiring that its electoral votes go to the winner of the national popular vote.

HB493: Requires localities to let disabled voters send their absentee ballot through the internet.

HB162: Establishes public campaign financing for local elections.

Crime

HB357: Removes requirement that a person arrested currently on bond, on probation, or previously convicted be released on a secured bond.

HB853: Creates a pathway for convicted criminals to petition for early release.

HB244: Limits and reduces criminal penalties for robbery.

HB1070: Limits the ability of prosecutors to mention prior convictions of a defendant during trial.

SB21: Moves the Department of Juvenile Justice from the purview of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

SB180: Lowers the time period a court may collect fines and fees from 60 years to 10 or 30 years, depending on the court.

Guns

HB1359: Requires the issuance of a firearm permit for all purchases.

HB217: Bans the sale, purchase, or transfer of so-called “assault weapons.”

HB1015:Strips gun rights for those convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime.

HB926: Bans outdoor firearm shooting on property less than five acres.

HB626: Expands gun free zones to include Capitol Square and other public facilities.

HB24: Allows state authorities to select which states to share concealed carry reciprocity with instead of all states.

HB916: Imposes further restrictions on concealed carry permit acquisition.

ICE

HB7: Bars law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings.

HB1265: Bars ICE from arresting illegal aliens in or outside courthouses.

HB1260: Bars school employees from helping ICE and requires schools to comply with a response plan for ICE visits.

HB1264: Creates a state-funded commission tasked with creating a record of federal operations in the state and to examine their impact on the state.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.