Week of 03/01/2026
Dear Virginian,
As the 2026 Virginia General Assembly session continues this week, the legislative landscape in Richmond reflects a significant shift. For us, this week has been characterized by a defensive posture against radical departures from the prudent policies of the Commonwealth’s previous administration.
The 2026 session of the Virginia General Assembly is also due to conclude soon. The regular session is scheduled to adjourn sine die on Saturday, March 14, 2026. “Sine die” means that the legislature will finish its regular business for the session on the 14th of this month unless it is extended by a procedural vote.
Even though were are close to the end of the legislative session, now is not the time to slow down our efforts! Here are key proposals to watch as the week unfolds in Richmond:
The “Sanctuary” Push and Public Safety Concerns
The advancement of HB 836 (the so-called “Sanctuary Schools” bill) has remained a flashpoint of debate and controversy. Courageous conservative and moderate leadership have wisely argued that this bill essentially mandates non-cooperation with federal and state law enforcement, potentially forcing school staff to violate state and federal obstruction laws.
Having passed the House on a majority partisan vote, the bill moved into the Senate Education and Health Committee this week. We believe that this “top-down mandate” undermines local school board autonomy and prioritizes political agendas over student safety and the rule of law.
Second Amendment Rights Under Fire
The Senate and House committees have begun processing a massive slate of restrictive firearm bills that crossed over last week. High on the list are the “Assault Firearm” ban and the 11% excise tax on guns and ammo (dubbed a “poll tax” by many advocates). Brave conservative and moderate leadership have spent the week in session, highlighting how these measures target law-abiding citizens rather than the root causes of violent crime and also arguing that the bills will face immediate federal constitutional challenges.
The Redistricting Referendum Battle
A major partisan showdown is occurring over a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the majority-controlled General Assembly to redraw congressional maps before the 2026 midterms. A flurry of legal activity and challenges involving brave patriots in Lynchburg and Tazewell County are currently ongoing with early voting set to begin this Friday. Nobody can say for certain how or when the Virginia Supreme Court will rule out regarding the referendum, but all Virginians must be ready to fight this unfair redistricting referendum should it be approved.
We view this redistricting referendum as an abusive partisan “power grab” designed to eliminate Virginia’s political balance in congressional representation. Thus, we are rallying all conservatives, democrats, and moderates throughout Virginia to vote “No” in the special referendum currently scheduled for April 21.
Economic Overreach and “Affordability”
While the Governor has pitched her “Affordable Virginia Agenda,” we are sounding the alarm over the price tag and economic risks of these new mandates. Legislation to hike the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028 passed the Senate along party lines, endangering the survival of small businesses across the state, including minority and women-owned businesses. We warn that these mandates, combined with new requirements like the paid sick leave bill, will fuel inflation and lead to job losses in both rural and urban Virginia.
School Transportation and Mental Health
The debate over HB 495 (mental health training for bus drivers) continued in Senate subcommittees this week. As mentioned in previous discussions, the focus of many conservative and moderate representatives have been on the unfunded mandate aspect. With Virginia already facing a driver shortage, conservatives and moderates argue that adding “psychological monitoring” to a driver’s job description is a recipe for increased resignations from current employees, lowered interest among potential new hires, and skyrocketing local taxes.
Now is the time for patriotic Virginians to step up and make themselves heard at this critical moment in American history!
Here’s how you can help:
Please login to your FORGE account this week and engage on these and other bills! FORGE helps patriots like you make their voices heard. FORGE allows you to track critical bills, draft and write letters to Virginia delegates using state-of-the-art AI technology, and become a greater force for good in the Commonwealth!
You can also visit https://virginiansforfairelections.org/ and share the site with friends and family, to help us get it up the search rankings! This will help our organization combat the push for unfair redistricting in Virginia. Elections should be fair and free for all Virginians, not exclusively favorable for one political faction alone.
Below are key bills that need your attention this week.
Please reach out to your legislators NOW and share your position!
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ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE HB495
HB495 would authorize local school boards to require full-time school bus drivers to complete an abbreviated mental health awareness training module. This would effectively expand the job description of transportation staff to include behavioral surveillance of students, which could be distracting to educational transport staff while on the road.
ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE SB763, HB217, and SB749
SB763 seeks to impose a new 11% tax on all firearm and ammunition sales in the Commonwealth. HB217 and SB749 seek to ban the sale, importation, or possession of any assault weapons including assault rifles like the AR-15 and even certain types of handguns used for self-defense. These bills would make it a Class 1 Misdemeanor to own, sell, or import one of these weapons in Virginia. Neither of these bills include a grandfather clause, and also seek to ban magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE HB5
HB5 would force nearly every private employer to provide paid sick leave for employees, and would impose a “hidden payroll tax” of approximately 3.7%. Simply put, HB5 would abandon Virginia’s pro-growth reputation and support of small businesses in favor of a heavy-handed, government-controlled labor model that prioritizes bureaucracy over economic common sense.
ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE HB836
HB 836 would create sanctuary schools in Virginia by prohibiting school employees from disclosing the immigration status of students or their parents to law enforcement and barring federal agents from entering school property without specific, high-threshold judicial warrants. The bill’s requirements could force school personnel into direct conflict with Virginia Code § 18.2-460, and 18 U.S.C. § 1501 which both criminalize obstruction of justice.
