The bills Virginia lawmakers have killed so far in 2025
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Virginia's General Assembly reached "crossover" day on Tuesday, marking the halfway point when bills move from one chamber to the next.
Why it matters: Democrats, with their slight majority, have once again predictably killed dozens of Republican proposals, including those championed by Gov. Youngkin.
Plus, this 45-day legislative session — the last one before all 100 seats of the House of Delegates are up for grabs — has been anything but normal.
- First, it was delayed by Richmond's water crisis. Then President Trump's spending pause created chaos with lawmakers scrambling to determine affected programs last week.
Yes, but: There's some bipartisan agreement on bills that have moved forward and those that were left behind.
Bills killed
Democrats voted down legislation removing taxes on tips and offering car tax relief to single Virginians making under $50,000.
They also stopped bills that would have:
- Banned transgender athletes from K-12 sports.
- Limited the early voting period to 10 days before an election instead of 45 and repealed same-day voting.
Regarding Richmond: A Virginia Senate committee said no on party lines to a bill requiring future Department of Public Utilities directors to have an engineering degree or other related credentials.
- Another Senate committee blocked a bill to give Richmond millions more of the gambling revenue from Rosie's.
A few interesting ones that flew under the radar:
- A Republican wanted to make it a Class 6 felony to use "obscene" or "vulgar language" over the phone to the same person 50 or more times within a two-day period.
- Another wanted to ban media outlets from having a paywall during a state of emergency (and then took back the proposal).
Bills moving forward
The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill charging a person with felony homicide if a minor is killed because that person knowingly gave them fentanyl. Democrats narrowly rejected a similar bill last year.
This Democratic bill raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027 (Youngkin vetoed a similar bill last year) and a revived vetoed push for a legal retail weed market, with sales starting in May 2026.
- Plus, a bill giving a state agency or institution a maximum of seven years to collect debt.
Meanwhile, proposed amendments moving ahead
Democrats are pushing forward the start of the constitutional amendment process to guarantee abortion access, marriage equality and immediate voting rights restoration for people with felony convictions who served their sentences.
- All would need to pass both chambers next session before Virginians could vote on it. The earliest that could happen would be 2026.
Go deeper: Bills to watch in Virginia's 2025 General Assembly session