Marking Six Months in Office, Governor Spanberger Highlights Work to Lower Costs & Deliver Stability for Virginians

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger today highlighted her work throughout her first six months in office to lower costs for families, invest in the Commonwealth's long-term economic strength, strengthen schools, and deliver stability amid chaos and uncertainty from Washington.

"Since day one, we have been focused on the challenge Virginians tell me about everywhere I go: the high cost of living. Six months into my term, I am proud to report that our entire Affordable Virginia Agenda is now law. We're delivering tax relief by increasing the standard deduction. We're raising the minimum wage. We're capping the out-of-pocket cost of insulin. We're becoming the first state in the South to offer paid family and medical leave to working Virginians. And we established a first-of-its-kind energy consumption tax on data centers.

"At a moment when Washington is manufacturing chaos - from tariffs and trade wars to attacks on the federal workforce and looming cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs - Virginia is choosing a different path: steady, pragmatic governance focused on lowering the cost of living and building long-term economic strength. Putting Virginia first means working with anyone - and everyone - to do what's best for our home, and I am ready to continue doing just that.

"In the months ahead, I will build on this foundation - preparing Virginia for the devastating impacts of the so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' unveiling new statewide plans for energy and economic development, advancing an agenda to boost housing supply and lower costs, and continuing to press for commonsense environmental standards for data centers. Together, we will continue building a safer, stronger, and more affordable future by delivering real solutions that Virginians can trust."

Governor Spanberger's first six months in office show a core focus on lowering costs for Virginians. In her first 100 days, the Governor signed the entire Affordable Virginia Agenda into law, delivering comprehensive solutions in the three areas where families feel costs most.

• Healthcare: Capping monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35, requiring insurers to offer plans that cap total out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, stopping pharmacy middlemen from inflating drug prices, and $150 million in new Affordable Care Act premium assistance funding to help as many as 200,000 Virginians following federal inaction.
• Energy: Enacting first-in-the-nation laws to protect ratepayers by maximizing existing grid infrastructure, requiring utilities to invest in long-term energy storage to lower peak costs, and providing a consumer credit to offset RGGI costs for families.
• Housing: Streamlining approvals for affordable housing, significantly strengthening renter protections, empowering localities to preserve and protect the long-term availability of affordable housing, and giving every locality the tools to increase its housing supply.

Governor Spanberger has worked to extend workers' paychecks - making Virginia more affordable by tackling wages that have not kept up with rising costs and making sure working families have long-term security.

• Paid Family and Medical Leave: Virginia is the first state in the South to offer paid family and medical leave to allow hardworking Virginians to keep their paychecks while taking care of loved ones, recovering from illness, and spending time with their newborns.
• Paid Sick Leave: Expanding access to paid sick leave for Virginia workers, ensuring that the more than one million workers who currently lack access to paid sick days can take care of themselves and their families without sacrificing their wages.
• Minimum Wage: Raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
• Tax Relief: Increasing the standard deduction by $550 for single filers and $1,100 for joint filers, reducing Virginians' tax liability.
• Wage History: Requiring employers to share a position's salary range and preventing them from using a candidate's previous salary history to determine future pay.

Virginia also enacted a bipartisan biennium budget through finding common ground - including record investments to strengthen public education, contend with federal cuts, and make sure data centers pay their fair share for the energy they use.

• Education: Record $2 billion investment in new public education funding, 4 percent raises for teachers and school support staff, $577 million for childcare and early childhood education, and $349.7 million for higher education, including funds to prevent tuition hikes and support HBCUs.
• Data Center Consumption Tax: Virginia now has a first-of-its-kind energy consumption tax requiring data centers to pay their fair share for the resources they use, projected to generate $600 million annually.
• Protections from the So-Called "One Big Beautiful Bill": $350 million to establish a Medicaid Reserve Fund and $225 million to establish a Federal Contingency Fund to protect Virginians from devastating cuts coming from President Trump's tax law.

Under Governor Spanberger, Virginia remains one of the best places in the country to start or expand a business. The Governor is working to grow opportunity in every corner of the Commonwealth by:

• Bringing New Investment to Virginia: Announcing more than $5 billion in new business investment and more than 3,000 new jobs across the Commonwealth.
• InternshipsVA: Launching a new program to help employers create high-quality paid internships for higher education students.
• Supporting Federal Workers: Launching new resources to help federal workers displaced by Washington's cuts find jobs and to connect Virginians to in-demand healthcare careers and training.

# # #