Virginia Democrats won 64 House of Delegates seats last fall. Wednesday morning, they celebrated their wins and outlined how they’d govern over the 60-day General Assembly session.
“My, my, my. How we’ve grown!” said Virginia House Speaker Don Scott as he opened the news conference Wednesday. The Portsmouth-area Democrat said they’d make good on Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger’s promise to address affordability issues and push back on President Donald Trump.
“This is a new era for Virginia. An era not defined by chaos, but by competence. We got a new model," Scott said. "We want to make America boring again.”
Gun laws, health care, housing and energy all made the priority list, as well as a handful of constitutional amendments, including one that may see Virginia’s Republican congressional delegation reduced from five members to one. But Scott said such a move wouldn’t run against his promise to use his new majority with quote restraint against Republicans gerrymandering.
“That’s a little bit different," Scott said. "We’re trying to restrain the power of Washington DC from invading the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
But Scott will face opposition with Republican Minority Leader and Gate City Delegate Terry Kilgore leading that front. He said he’s been unimpressed by Democrats “affordability” promises so far.
“I’m looking at a lot of bills that really don’t lower prices,” Kilgore said ahead of Wednesday's floor session.
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger was also in the capital building Wednesday: “I’m doing the rounds at the caucus meetings to say hello to everybody,“ she said between rooms.
Youngkin was also speaking to GOP caucus when Spanberger made her visits. They two met briefly and the outgoing governor offered more advice.
"It feels like just yesterday to stand where she is," Youngkin said. "I told her to soak it in because it will go by so fast."
Spanberger stopped by both Republican and Democrat caucus meetings to offer well wishes.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
