Well, folks, it didn’t take long for the Commonwealth to feel the full force of that Democrat sweep. Abigail Spanberger, the fresh-faced governor who sold herself as some kind of pragmatic moderate, hit the ground running—or should I say, sprinting leftward—with a barrage of executive orders that make you wonder if Virginia’s motto is still “Sic Semper Tyrannis” or now “Sic Semper Sanity.” We’re talking about a state that just flipped hard blue in November 2025, with Spanberger crushing Winsome Earle-Sears by over 527,000 votes—57.58% to 42.22%—and Democrats grabbing a commanding 64-36 edge in the House of Delegates. Trifecta achieved, and boy, are they using it to remake Virginia in their image. Buckle up as we dive into Spanberger’s Day One blitz, the laws already rammed through, and the nightmare wishlist still bubbling in the General Assembly. This is what happens when radicals get the keys—America First values get tossed out the window.
Spanberger’s Executive Hammer: Day One and Beyond
Spanberger wasted zero time proving she’s no centrist. Sworn in on January 17, 2026, she signed 10 executive orders right out of the gate, flipping the script on everything from public safety to the economy. By February 4, she’d added more, including one that outright kills state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It’s like she couldn’t wait to undo the sensible stuff from Glenn Youngkin’s era and replace it with big-government busywork.
First off, affordability was her big pitch, but these orders smell more like bureaucracy than relief.
Executive Order 1 directs every agency to hunt for “cost-savings” within 90 days—sounds good until you realize it’s just another layer of reports and reviews.
Order 2 sets up a task force to tweak healthcare financing, aiming to cut costs, but we’ve seen how these things balloon into mandates.
Order 3 demands a review of regulations to boost housing supply, which might mean easing permits but could just as easily lead to forced density in your quiet suburb.
Then there’s the education push:
Order 4 creates workgroups to amp up the Virginia Literacy Act, accelerating teacher training and interventions. Noble on paper, but in Democrat hands, expect it to morph into more progressive indoctrination.
Order 5 launches an Economic Resiliency Task Force to “protect” jobs from global shocks—translation: more state meddling in business.
Orders 6 through 9 cover board evaluations for public universities, succession plans, and chief of staff duties—housekeeping with a side of power consolidation.
But the real gut-punch is on safety and borders.
Order 10 rescinds Youngkin’s 2025 mandate for state and local law enforcement to work with ICE on deportations. Spanberger called it a distraction from “core duties,” but let’s call it what it is: a green light for sanctuary policies.
She doubled down on February 4 with Executive Order 12, ordering a full review of law enforcement policies to ensure “constitutional policing” and “community trust.” That same day, Executive Directive 1 terminated all 287(g) agreements, pulling Virginia State Police, Corrections, Conservation Police, and Marine Police out of federal immigration ops. No more deputizing locals for raids—now, convicted criminals could walk free into neighborhoods without ICE getting a heads-up. Spanberger claims it’s about building trust, but from an America First view, it’s about coddling illegals while real Virginians pay the price.
And don’t forget Order 11 from January 22—a state of emergency for winter weather. Practical, sure, but in this lineup, it’s the calm before the storm.
Laws Already Jammed Through: Guns Grabbed, Safety Shredded
The General Assembly kicked off January 14, 2026, and with Democrats holding the reins, they’ve already pushed through a slew of bills that scream “radical overhaul.” By February 5, the House passed a massive gun control package over GOP howls, proving this trifecta means business on disarming law-abiders while going soft on crooks.
Take House Bill 217, which bans the import, sale, manufacture, or transfer of assault firearms and large-capacity magazines made after July 1, 2026. It sailed through the House 58-34, with exceptions for antiques and pre-ban guns, but slaps a three-year firearms ban on violators. Add in bills expanding gun industry liability, mandating secure storage, limiting ghost guns, penalizing unattended guns in cars, and more—Democrats muscled them all forward. Not every blue vote was unanimous; some moderates balked, but the package still cleared the chamber.
On the crime front, things get uglier. House Bill 863, which guts mandatory minimums for assaults on cops, rape, manslaughter, child porn offenses, and repeat felonies, was continued but signals where they’re headed: lighter sentences for the worst offenders. It’s part of a broader push to “reform” justice by defelonizing drug possession and banning mass surveillance—fine in theory, but in practice, it ties cops’ hands while criminals roam freer.
These aren’t hypotheticals; they’re laws already out of the House, barreling toward the Senate. Virginia’s turning into a playground for progressives, where Second Amendment rights evaporate and public safety takes a backseat.
The Pending Pile: A Radical Wishlist Waiting to Explode
The session runs until March 14, with reconvening April 22, so plenty of time for more damage. Democrats prefiled a radical slate, and committees are churning through it. Subheads in the hopper include everything from tax hikes to voting “reforms” that scream fraud-friendly.
On guns, Senate Bill 749 mirrors the House ban, prohibiting assault weapons for under-21s and large mag sales—it’s in committee, poised for passage. Environmentally, expect pushes to ban gas-powered small engines like leaf blowers, hiking costs for homeowners.
Taxes? A Democrat fever dream. Pending bills slap new levies on deliveries (4.3% on Uber Eats, Amazon), admissions to businesses, hotels, and landscaping gear. They create higher income brackets—8% over $600,000, 10% over $1 million—plus a 3.8% investment tax. All stalled for now, but with Spanberger’s affordability talk, watch them morph into “revenue enhancers.”
Voting “rights” get a makeover: Extend absentee ballot deadlines to three days post-election, allow online voting, expand ranked-choice, join the National Popular Vote Compact, and ban hand-counts. House Joint Resolution 2 pushes a constitutional right to vote, while HJ1 enshrines reproductive freedom—abortion on demand, forever.
Criminal justice keeps softening: Repeal more mandatory minimums, ban arrests of illegals in courthouses, lower robbery penalties. Education bills guarantee free schooling for illegals, replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. And don’t forget speed cameras everywhere—big brother on steroids.
Polls from the 2025 race showed Spanberger winning big among women—65% overall, with a 17-point gender gap—but that support came on promises of moderation. Now, with these bills stacking up, Virginians might rethink that landslide.
The Bottom Line: Virginia’s Wake-Up Call
This isn’t governance; it’s a demolition derby on conservative values. Spanberger’s orders and the Democrat legislature are turning Virginia into a blue bastion where borders mean nothing, guns are for government only, and taxes fund the fantasy. America First folks warned this was coming after the 2025 wipeout, but here we are. The session’s young—fight back while you can, or watch the Commonwealth slide into the abyss. Elections have consequences, and Virginia’s learning that the hard way.