STATE OF THE COMMONWEALTH ADDRESS

In his 2025 State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Glenn Youngkin presented an optimistic assessment of Virginia's status, highlighting economic growth, educational improvements, and public safety advancements. He emphasized the unity of Virginians across political lines and reflected on overcoming challenges.

Under the direction of Governor Youngkin, Virginia's economy shows significant growth with job creation, business investments, and a projected budget surplus. CNBC recognized Virginia as the top state for business.

The governor announced extensive funding for education, emphasizing literacy and career technical programs, a $50 million proposal for Opportunity Scholarships for low-income families, and a call for a comprehensive revision of funding formulas.

Youngkin reported a decrease in violent crime and opioid-related deaths, attributing successes to increased law enforcement funding and initiatives. He called for harsher penalties for drug dealers causing fatalities.

The address included plans to enhance care for mothers and infants, improve childcare access, and address mental health and substance abuse issues.

Youngkin criticized the Virginia Clean Economy Act for its negative impact on power reliability and costs, advocating for increased natural gas and renewable energy solutions.

He reaffirmed his administration's commitment to law enforcement and proposed measures to ensure local control over community decisions regarding energy and data center projects.

He proposed establishing a permanent Disaster Assistance Fund to aid in recovery from natural disasters.

Youngkin concluded by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve and called for bipartisan cooperation to continue building a prosperous future for Virginia.

REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

This week, Republicans in the Senate proposed a Constitutional Amendment to enshrine Virginia’s status as a Right to Work state, protecting workers and small business owners across the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, this was not passed yesterday in committee.

The proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution was seeking to reaffirm the right of individuals to work freely, ensuring that no Virginian can be denied employment based on their choice to join or not join a labor union or an employee organization. This amendment emphasizes the principles of individual freedom and personal choice, allowing Virginians to make decisions regarding union membership and financial contributions without facing coercion or retaliation.

By codifying the Right to Work principle, this proposal underscored Virginia's commitment to maintaining a competitive and fair marketplace, as evidence suggests that Right to Work states experience stronger job growth, increased investment, and better economic opportunities. Importantly, the amendment does not prohibit unions; it simply makes membership and financial support voluntary, thereby protecting workers from being compelled to pay dues as a condition of their employment.

Despite past efforts to repeal or weaken Virginia's Right to Work laws, including House Bill 1755 and the 'Fair Share Act,' there remains a strong bipartisan acknowledgment of the importance of these protections. The current statutory law, which can easily be overturned by a simple majority in the General Assembly, highlights the need for constitutional protection to ensure stability for workers and businesses in Virginia, ultimately placing the decision-making power in the hands of its citizens. We will continue to fight for this amendment.

DEMOCRAT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

The Democrats in the Senate and House have proposed three Constitutional Amendments (topics are Abortion, Marriage, and the Restoration of Felons’ Rights). All three of them have passed, and will be up again next year. Will also hear the house versions of these bills. If they pass again in 2026 these will appear on the ballot for the public to decide in 2027. We will continue to push back against their progressive agenda and fight for you and your family.

Women’s Sports Act

As you may have seen on the front page of the Richmond Times Dispatch or on my Facebook page last week, I spent a great part of my week fighting for girls’ and women’s rights to not have to play sports against males. My Senate Bill #749 would keep biological males from being able to participate in female sports in grades K-12 and institutes of higher education in Virginia’s public schools. I appreciate the governor, attorney general, and lieutenant governor for all standing with me and expressing their support of this important legislation. 

As I explained in committee, this bill is not about creating an atmosphere of hate or fear against a group of people but about safety and the rights of females. Girls and women should not have to compete against boys and men who are born bigger and stronger than them. It is unsafe and unfair. This is just a commonsense piece of legislation that has somehow become a partisan issue. It was recommended that this bill be killed in the Senate Education and Health Subcommittee last week, but I will do my best to bring it back to life this week.

As always, I encourage you to share your views, opinions, suggestions, and questions with me as they relate to legislation or state government. You can email my office at [email protected] or call us at 804.698.7509. And if you are in Richmond, be sure to visit my office at the General Assembly building. I am in Room 502. With the General Assembly session being shorter this year, my schedule is often unpredictable, but if I am available, I would enjoy the chance to say hello. If you would like to sign up for our newsletter, just email us, and we will get you added, please follow me on Facebook at Senator Tammy Mulchi.