Spanberger Rewrites Virginia’s Post-Session Agenda with Late-Night Vetoes and Amendments

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger used a late-night bill-review deadline to sign hundreds of measures while vetoing or amending a wide swath of the Democrat-led General Assembly’s agenda, signaling a rare executive-legislative split. Her actions span health care, education, housing, energy, criminal justice reform, immigration, cannabis market timing, voting, labor, gaming, and more: she moved the cannabis start date to July 1, 2027, amended gun-restriction legislation and industry safeguards, vetoed several criminal justice reform bills, signed mental health training in schools and AI-use documentation in education, joined or adjusted voting data-sharing efforts (ERIC) and the National Popular Vote compact, rejoined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and shaped housing, labor, and immigration measures ahead of a reconvened session on April 22. Bills not signed, vetoed, or amended by Monday’s deadline will become law on July 1 under the Virginia Constitution.