Virginia Special Session Scheduled Following Adjournment

Following adjournment of the Virginia Legislature on March 14, a special session was necessitated by a disagreement in the Democratic party regarding tax breaks for data centers. Senate Democrats wish to slash the tax breaks, while House Democrats wish to keep them in the budget. This disagreement has caused the budget for the state to not pass during the regular session. Lawmakers will return to the Legislature on April 23 to finish the budget. During the regular session, lawmakers passed a bill to limit gifts to state and local electoral boards to $1,000 unless approved by a two-thirds vote of the board. 

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Following the end of the regular session on March 13, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a special session to complete the state budget and to potentially address medical freedom and an AI bill of rights. The special session is speculated for the week of April 6 and another special session has been set for April 20 to address redistricting efforts. During the regular session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 572 to establish a $50 limit on vendor gifts to school board members and House Bill 905 to require registration for agents of foreign countries and political organizations. Both bills are await DeSantis’ signature to become law.

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The Virginia redistricting referendum allowed to move forward by the state’s Supreme Court just a few weeks ago has been blocked by a circuit court judge. A temporary restraining order was issued by Tazewell County Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. to halt election officials from working on the April 21 referendum. Now, municipalities are enjoined from preparing for the election but not enjoined from holding the election. With conflicting orders, cities and counties in Virginia are asking for clarification on what they are required to do. Republicans in the state aim to block this vote as it will possibly open four additional seats for Democrats in the state and counteract redistricting efforts in other states. Final decisions are still pending in both the Republican suit and the appeal of another case.

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House Speaker Don Scott has called for a special election in state House District 98 following the passing of Rep. Barry D. Knight. The special election has been set on March 17.

The Alexandria City Council has called for a special election to fill the seat of one of its council members. This announcement follows the resignation of Councilman R. Kirk McPike. The election will occur on April 21 and will feature Republican, Democrat, and Independent candidates.

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The Virginia Supreme Court ruled a referendum on congressional redistricting may move forward and appear on ballots at the April 21 special election. The proposed constitutional amendment redrawing the congressional map is supported by the Democratic Party of Virginia. The court ruling does not end the broader legal challenge regarding the Democrats redistricting method but a final ruling is not expected prior to the special election.  

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Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has called for two special elections in state House District 94 and 130. Rep. Karen Bennett of House District 94 resigned after being found guilty of unemployment fraud. Rep. Lynn Heffner of House District 130 resigned citing constitutional residency requirements after her home in Georgia was destroyed during Hurricane Helene. Both special elections will occur on March 10 with a special runoff election on April 7, if necessary.

Gov. Brian Kemp called a special election for U.S. House District 14 following the resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Her resignation is cited to be due to disagreements with President Trump over healthcare, foreign policies, and domestic scandals. The special general election will be held on March 10, with a special runoff election held on April 7, 2026, if necessary.

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House Speaker Don Scott has called a special election in state House District 11 and 23 following the resignation of Rep. David Bulova and Rep. Candi Mundon King. Bulova has resigned to join the incoming Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration as Virginia’s next secretary of natural and historic resources. King has also resigned to take a seat in the incoming administration as secretary of the commonwealth. The special general election for both districts will be held on January 13, 2026.

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Gov. Wes Moore called for a special session beginning December 16. The session’s purpose is to elect a new House Speaker and to decide upon possible veto overrides. Moore vetoed 30 bills in May, including a bill that would create a commission for studying reparations and a study on the financial impact of climate change. Additionally, lawmakers could discuss the ongoing national issue of congressional redistricting.

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Senate President Louise Lucas has called a special election in state Senate District 15 following the resignation of Sen. Ghazala Hashmi who was elected to the Lt. Governor position. The special general election will be held on January 6, 2026.

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The Virginia Ethics Council announced an increase of the annual gift limit from $108 to $131. The adjustment is based on the consumer price index and applies to gifts from lobbyists, lobbyist principals, and those having or seeking a contract with a state or local agency. This increase will apply retroactively to January 1 and will be the gift limit until 2030 when it will again be adjusted.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special election in state House District 51 following the resignation of Rep. Josie Tomkow who is running for the Senate. The special primary election has been set for January 13, 2026, with the special general election on March 24, 2026.

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Gov. Josh Stein called for a special session beginning November 17. The session’s purpose is to address the state’s Medicare program and combat rising health care costs. The session will focus on increasing funding the Medicaid Rebase as it remains underfunded. This does affect lobbying reporting. A monthly lobbying report is due December 12 if expenditures were made on legislators or legislative employees during the November reporting period. 

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