VIRGINIA: Spanberger Lied About Repealing the Car Tax—Instead Democrats Push Progressivism
Car tax relief dies as other radical Democrat legislation moves forward.
Car tax relief was a central issue in the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial race. Both candidates publicly supported ending the car tax. Yet now that she’s governor, Abigail Spanberger has failed to deliver. Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing legislation to raise taxes and impose radical social justice ideology onto local communities and public schools.
As Democrats torpedoed a Republican bill to eliminate the car tax in committee, even a Democrat-backed bill to simply study the possibility of nixing the tax failed to garner enough support.
Restoration News has reviewed thousands of bills filed this legislative session in Virginia. We’ve highlighted some that stand out for their negative impact on the public and some for their sheer absurdity. The current schedule requires legislation to be passed by March 14, and then those bills head to the governor’s desk for approval. The public can check the status of bills and provide public comment through the Virginia legislative information system.
Virginia Democrat-Sponsored Legislation Passed in House or Senate
HB1—Increases the minimum wage to $13.75 by January 2027 and to $15 by January 2028. In 2020, it was $7.25. Passed in House.
HB 6—Establishes the right to obtain contraception, with no age limit or parental consent. Passed in House.
HB 21—Allows lawsuits against anyone selling, manufacturing, importing or marketing a firearm-related product if they’ve been injured due to a firearm industry member’s “acts or omissions.” Relief seekers are “not required to demonstrate that the firearm industry member acted with the intent to engage in a public nuisance or otherwise cause harm to the public.” The attorney general can also seek an injunction against the firearm industry member. Passed in House.
HB 38—Requires mental health awareness training for teachers. It includes “evidence based best practices developed by the American Psychological Association, including youth who . . . identify as LGBTQ+.” Passed in House.
HB 60—Prohibits insurance companies from charging a higher rate to someone who has taken a “pre-exposure prophylaxis” for the prevention of HIV. Passed in House.
HB 164—Allows taxpayer-funded housing subsidies for government-paid school board employees. Passed in House.
HB 355—Requires all school districts to conduct mental health screenings on all children in grades 6-12. Parents opt out, not in. Passed in House.
HB 373—Requires restaurants to post notices of allergens in their restaurants and on their menus in seven different languages. Passed in House.
HB 968—Prohibits the hand counting of machine-readable ballots for any reason. If a ballot is defective, it must be reproduced by making a duplicate ballot and labeling it as such. Passed in House.
HB 1377—Establishes a task force to audit the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and determine if other public institutions could replace the school’s role in providing taxpayer-funded commissioned officers to the Armed Forces. Passed in House.
SB 19—Prohibits the censoring or removal of any book in any elementary or secondary school library (including sexually explicit books). Passed in Senate.
SB 22—Requires that nurses receive “racial bias training,” which “shall be comprehensive and cover how unconscious racial bias affects care during pregnancy and the postpartum period.” Passed in Senate.
SB 57—Requires the Virginia Department of Elections to participate in the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC. The leftist-funded center was supposed to help clean up voter rolls. It did the opposite. Passed in Senate.
SB 58—Moves the deadline for receipt of an absentee ballot from noon to 5 p.m. on the third day after an election. Passed in Senate.
SB 74—Attempts to get rid of single-family zoning, favoring apartment complexes. Passed in Senate.
SB 109—Requires school boards to annually send via email a text message notification to all parents to securely store prescription drugs and firearms. The info must also be put on the district website in multiple languages. Passed in Senate.
SB 169—Requires any legal challenges to a candidate’s ballot qualifications to be filed at least 90 days before a general election and 65 days before a primary. Passed in Senate.
SB 258—Adds menopause or perimenopause as another protected class under the Virginia Human Rights Act. Passed in Senate.
SB 438—Further expands in-person absentee voting to add the second and third Sunday immediately preceding an election between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Passed in Senate.
SB 749—Prohibits the sale, manufacturing, purchase, possession, etc. of an “assault firearm,” with no grandfather clause. “Assault firearm” means any semi-automatic, center-fire rifle or pistol that: 1) expels single or multiple projectiles by an explosion of a combustible material, and 2) is equipped at the time of the offense with a magazine that will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition, designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer, or equipped with a folding stock. Passed in Senate.
Other Bills Still Alive as of Feb. 16, 2026
HB 7—Removes sovereign immunity from any officer who wears a facial covering and allows them to be sued or criminally charged. In House committee.
HB 527—Makes it more difficult for landlords to evict a tenant for non-payment. Establishes the Eviction Reduction program to "provide interventions to prevent or divert evictions, and (iv) carry out any efforts to support eviction prevention and diversion consistent with this section and guidelines adopted by the Department." Passed House committee.
HB 913—Requires the restoration of all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the state Department of Education, including the EdEquityVA website. Passed House subcommittee.
HB 1374—Initially moved the governance for VMI from the VMI board of visitors to the Virginia State University board of visitors. After pressure, language was changed to remove those provisions, but the bill still changes the composition of the governing board to include fewer alumni members. Passed House committee.
SB 32—Repeals right to work. Not yet heard in committee.
SB 66—Allows localities to impose an additional 1% tax for school capital projects if approved by voter referendum. Previously allowed but required an expiration date. Passed Senate committee.
SB 378—Requires collective bargaining by public employees, including teachers and school employees. Takes away the local control that is currently in place. Passed Senate committee.
Dangerous Bills Continued or Temporarily Suspended
HB 162—Allows taxpayer dollars to fund political campaigns. Continued to 2027.
HB 359—Any private school that receives funds originating from state or federal dollars (federal voucher program (OBBB), ESA, scholarship-granting organizations, etc.) must administer state standards of learning assessments, align curricula with state standards, and adhere to non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. Continued to 2027.
HB 412—Requires local governing bodies (City Council/Board of Supervisors) to approve any budget presented to them and approved by the local school board. Subcommittee affirmed laying it on the table.
HB 853—Second look bill. Requires a review for release after 25 years for murder, child rape, terrorism, and more. Requires review after 20 years for second-degree murder, rape, sodomy, etc., and after 15 years for any other reason. Revictimizes victims. The Senate version was stricken at a patron’s request. Continued to 2027.
HB 900—New sales and use tax on digital services. Continued to 2027.
HB 978—Would add taxes to: gym memberships; cosmetology; laundry services and repairs; companion animal care; residential home repairs and maintenance; residential landscaping; residential cleaning; vehicle and engine repairs and maintenance; repairs and alterations to tangible personal property; delivery or shipping services; travel and catering; and digital services. Continued to 2027.
HB 979—Establishes two new tax brackets: $600,000 and $1 million. Continued to 2027.
These are just a portion of the laws Virginia Democrats are pushing through now that they have full control. Read our previous publication to learn more about the constitutional amendments heading to Virginia voters this year.
Victoria Manning is a Senior Investigative Researcher for Restoration News specializing in education freedom, immigration, and military issues. She is the author of Behind the Wall of Government Schools. Victoria served 8 years as an elected member of the Virginia Beach School Board and has a master’s degree in law. She also brings the perspective of a military spouse to her reporting.
Republished with permission from Restoration News.
