🚨Be on the lookout soon—hopefully before the end of today—for the 2026 VAPLAN progressive legislator scorecard! Who do you think will score near the top this year?

👏 👏 Well done! Speaker @SpeakerDonScott says the Dominion/NextEra merger can't come at the expense of: ♻️clean energy goals 💰ratepayers energy bills 💪good jobs

Senate votes on a memorial resolution to honor Paul Ebert, a PWC prosecutor who sent more people to death row than anyone in VA, and who 4th Circuit justices said engaged in actions "abhorrent to the judicial process," and "eschewing the Constitution, [and] ethical strictures."

Now another GOP senator asking for clarification on the implementation of the assault weapon ban bill, which this governor's amendment delaying implementation of the open carry bill has nothing to do with, but even if it did, delaying implementation would help to get answers. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Additionally, as @ssurovell points out, DeSteph is talking about the wrong underlying gun bill (public open carry vs assault ban). And as @JeremyMcPike points out, a yea vote delays the law from taking effect. There isn't a repeal up for discussion.

Sen DeSteph complaining on Senate floor right now that laws have to be interpreted by courts. 🤡

Ultimately only a handful of senators are convinced to vote against this amendment allowing evaporative cooling.

Interesting point though acknowledged by Sen Stuart: rejecting this amendment would send it back to the Governor, who could line veto the underlying data center water conservation language altogether.

Senate taking amendments up one by one now. Unanimous on 3 & 4, partisan vote on #1, some GOP opposition to #2. Sens Stuart & Roem argue against amendment #5 allowing data centers to use evaporative (swamp) cooling, undermining water conservation measure of conference report.

"Unusually unloquacious" senators have no points of personal privilege today and are now waiting around for the House to take up the budget.

Irregular invocations in both the House and the Senate today: the House because the pastor fled the chamber before the Delegate who'd invited him even had a chance to make an introduction; the Senate replacing an invited religious leader invocation with a moment of silent prayer.

Senate Rules subcommittee proposes the Senate adopt for next session the following bill limit: 15 bills per senator, plus 5 from among: early bird submissions (by August), legislative commission bills and/or governor's requests. Full Rules adopts the proposal.

House accepts conference report on budget by a 71-22 vote. Both chambers now in recess until they're called back into session (with notice).

Del McNamara giving floor speech complaining about how much more this year's budget requires in revenues than last year's. So I guess he's pretty pissed at the Trump administration for passing along billions of costs in Medicaid and SNAP and CHIP plans to the states.

Poor Del @DelegateCallsen's timing is rough, presenting a resolution commending a giant peach grown on an Albemarle farm b/w terribly sad memorial resolutions to Del @LeslieMehtaVA's husband and @AlexAskew757's chief of staff, who both passed away since the legislature adjourned.

Mild bipartisan support in the Senate for the conference committee budget agreement (which, per Minority Leader McDougle, Gov. Spanberger has not officially signed off on):

Kudos to @SenLouiseLucas from her GOP colleague and budget conferee Sen Stuart: "The Chairman did a fantastic job...her fortitude, her tenacity, she stood behind me and fought WITH me to address this issue that protects people and their ability to have water to live on."

Senate floor discussing budget conference agreement where a $1.2 billion consumption fee on data centers will go towards an increase to the standard deduction, a utility bill tax credit, 4% teacher raises, a 3.5% pay increase for all state employees.