Members of the General Assembly are halfway through their session, causing them to take stock of the situation and plan out a strategy for the remaining two weeks.
Democrats who run the House and Senate say they have been hard at work addressing the housing crisis, expanding child care, investing in education and protecting abortion rights and voting rights. Speaker Don Scott says there's one issue that's looming over all of that: Donald Trump.
"No one on the other side of the aisle will even say his name. Can you believe that? He's like Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter. They won't say his name," Scott says. "Trump has betrayed the hardworking people of Virginia, leaving communities exposed, families vulnerable and costs soaring. But we're not going quietly."
Senate Republican Leader Ryan McDougle says Democrats have misplaced priorities.
"I think it's somewhat ironic that our Democratic friends think we don't want to talk about Trump and they're so afraid of him. And this week, we have had our neighbors to the north and south – Canada and Mexico – put in place, agree that they are going to stop fentanyl from coming into our country," McDougle explains. "That's what we should be fighting about."
He has a bill allowing a felony homicide charge against drug dealers if their product contains fentanyl and is the main cause of death for a minor. That bill has already passed the Senate and is now under consideration across the hall in the House.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
