Watching what's going on in Virginia, I've got a sick sense that I've seen this all before.
Not that it wasn't predictable.
New Governor Abby Spanberger, at the head of a Democrat "trifecta" with complete control of the state legislature, is going with a complete jam-down of "progressive" policies - after running as a relative moderate:
Spanberger was framed during the campaign as “the Anti-Mamdani."
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) January 20, 2026
Won and immediately went hardcore left.
They all want the same stuff. They’ll just say whatever needs to be said during the campaign to get there. https://t.co/jhy6etUAtc pic.twitter.com/TDj96RdcVp
Which was, of course, Tim Walz's original MO. I suspect after all the praise Walz and his Minnedsota DFL got in left-leaning circles for mercilessly and without exception jamming down the entire leftist laundry list, after running as a "moderate" - an accomplishment that got him enough lefty cred to get on Kamala Harris's ticket.
And I have to say, even as someone who survived Minnesota's blizzard of confiscatory taxes and bonkers policies, Virginia's orgy of social and fiscal tinkering is megalomaniacal. America's newspaper of record has the tl:DR:
Democrats now control Virginia and they're ramming through an absolutely insane number of crazy billshttps://t.co/ErJtJggwHp
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) January 20, 2026
But what the heck - let's go into details, shall we?
Some of them are all too familiar to Minnesotans. Taxes are going to rise. Sharply.
Virginia Democrats introduce bill to establish TWO new HIGHER tax brackets of 8% and 10%: https://t.co/pb2kZ08kAD
— Joann (@Noreason1912) January 20, 2026
Virginia Democrats introduce parallel bills in House & Senate to raise local sales tax across the Commonwealth pic.twitter.com/ebQPKyoSWL
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 20, 2026
You can't walk away - or drive away from them:
Virginia Democrats introduce bill to impose NEW car taxes, HIGHWAY use fees, and a new 0.2% sales tax to put money into transportation slush funds pic.twitter.com/yk1huaDciP
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 19, 2026
And the "Paid Family Leave" program that rolled out earlier this month, which will likely burn through two years of funding by this time next month, and may well turn all small-business employees into temps, is going to get a workout in Virginia:
🚨RALLY RADAR🚨
— ROOZ (@ROOZVA) January 20, 2026
Democrats call SB-2 a “paid family leave program.”
But here’s what it really is: a $1.4 BILLION money grab from YOUR pocket.
YOUR taxes go up to pay for other people to go on leave
Family leave is a good thing - but taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund it! pic.twitter.com/B1ZCVzxwnL
They're going to try to do Minnesota one "better" on education - basically making it "Free" while jacking up faculty and staff pay:
Virginia Democrats introduce a bill to free college/university tuition and fees for 2 years…
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 19, 2026
Yet they want teacher and staff salaries increased and unions to have collective bargaining pic.twitter.com/mZrfo9H5lw
Not content to be outdone by Soros-funded prosecutors, the Democrat majority wants to give criminals a solid shot at the good life:
Every time I look back at what Virginia Democrats are now doing, it somehow gets worse.
— Christian Heiens 🏛 (@ChristianHeiens) January 20, 2026
They now have a bill to give murderers, rapists, and even terrorists a chance to get out of prison early.
No, I’m not exaggerating. That’s literally what the bill does. pic.twitter.com/ZQItWCaZTw
Sanctuary city? Pish-tush: try sanctuary state!
Virginia's new Democrat Governor Abigail Spanberger’s first action as Governor is create an Executive Order to stop state and local law enforcement cooperating with ICE
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) January 18, 2026
The Democrat Party’s entire platform is illegals. Why are they even a political party in America pic.twitter.com/kJNNStN2NI
And while Minnesota DFLers revived ticket-cams yet again, Virginia is bringing an egen more Big-Brotherly twist that makes Minnesota seem positively pedestrian, as it were:
Virginia Democrats introduce bill to authorize statewide speed, red light, and “pedestrian crossing” violation cameras
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 20, 2026
As tech and AI improve, cameras can capture more violation types and fine drivers. Drive too close to a pedestrian in the crosswalk now? Fine. pic.twitter.com/xx8fQCyvmR
Rumors of Democrats walking away from the more absurd extreme policies of the past decade are greatly exaggerated:
BREAKING: Virginia Democrats are trying to enact taxpayer funded gender transitions. pic.twitter.com/lf3TcdWOaM
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 20, 2026
Do you ever want to repeal any of this? You'd better hope that the good guy or gal wins in a blowout - hand recounting is now illegal:
Election FRAUD
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 19, 2026
Virginia Democrats introduce bill PROHIBITING counting machine-readable ballots to be counted by hand. pic.twitter.com/6NvUIpIBxl
Not that conservatives' votes will matter much:
Newly elected Virginia Dems are wasting no time to ensure Republicans can never win an election here again. pic.twitter.com/VaqDyxUl8y
— J Dawg Esq. (@J_Kane) January 19, 2026
And while Minnesota jammed down a lot of environmental pet legislation, Virginia brings a certain authoritarian panache to it:
BREAKING: Abigail Spanberger announces that Virginia is rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative-- which Youngkin removed VA from in 2021.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 19, 2026
She ran on "affordability" and is about to raise every Virginian's utility bills to satisfy a slight drop in carbon emissions. pic.twitter.com/UuzT4BDelG
"Sustainable jet fuel?" Isn't that basically hang gliding?
Virginia Democrats introduce bill authorizing $100 million in tax credits to producers of “sustainable aviation fuel” … whatever green energy nonsense that is for Jet-A pic.twitter.com/LvLQIH9DwQ
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 19, 2026
Gun control? Well, the proposals are pretty oblique, but "yes" is always a safe answer with this mob:
Virginia Democrats introduce bill with loosely vague restrictions on “firearm industry members” (manufacturers? FFL?) which “Creates standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members and requires such members to establish and implement reasonable controls regarding… pic.twitter.com/3yQvqnQS1i
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 20, 2026
HR trumps sickness to the. modern institutional left:
Virginia Democrats introduce bill to mandate nurses receive woke racial “bias training” to maintain their license
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 20, 2026
“…shall be comprehensive and cover how unconscious racial bias affects care during pregnancy and the postpartum period.” pic.twitter.com/mGsqpVp7BA
Speaking of bias training - someone needs to have a word with these people.
Virginia appears to be trying top Minnesota as the land of 10,000 government rackets.
Democrats now control the legislature and Governor's office in Virginia.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 19, 2026
Here are just a few of the bills they've introduced
- New 4.3% sales tax on Uber Eats, Amazon, etc deliveries.
- New sales tax on admissions to a wide variety of businesses.
- Create two new higher tax…
The Democrats had one job for 2026 - not look crazy. And they just can't.
