Democrats Under Spanberger Submit Legislation to Assist Pedophiles, Murderers, and Rapists
by Bronson Winslow
Virginia Democrats are pushing for the unthinkable¬—reduced sentencing for sexual predators and violent criminals.
Virginia Democrats under the banner of Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) are working to protect sexual predators by removing mandatory sentencing.
The bill, HB 863, would remove mandatory sentencing for a vast number of horrifying offenses in Virginia, including manslaughter, rape, possession and distribution of child pornography, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and numerous other violent felonies. Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and law enforcement officials across the commonwealth have warned the legislation will only incentivize more criminal activity.
"Democrats in Virginia have introduced a bill to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for rape, manslaughter, assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of child pornography, and all repeat violent felonies," Miyares wrote. "So much for 'restraint.'"
"The biggest practical concern is that the defendant will re-offend, and that the public is not alerted or aware that the defendant has returned to the community," said law enforcement expert Josh Ederheimer. "It's an accountability concern that falls on the shoulders of judges and prosecutors. Mandatory minimums assure victims—and the community—that a convicted person will serve their sentence "
The bill was introduced by House Delegate Rae Cousins (D-Richmond), who believes the legislation will address the so-called "one-size-fits-all" approach to sentencing.
"HB 863 is a common-sense proposal that eliminates the requirement for one-size-fits-all minimum sentences for certain crimes," said Delegate Cousins. "This change would give the experienced judges in our communities more discretion to make decisions based on the unique facts of each case."
Soft Sentencing Never Works
If HB 863 manages to make it through the legislature—and Gov. Spanberger signs it into law—crime in Virginia will skyrocket.
After all, we've seen this template in cities that push for the removal of cash bail—a policy that allows convicted criminals to swiftly reenter society.
Advocates for the "progressive" policy argue that "cash bail" places an unjust burden on low-income individuals who are charged with a crime—but in blue cities like New York, Illinois, and Charlotte the removal of cash bail always leads to an increase in crime.
Unlike cashless bail, HB 863 will not allow offenders to wander free until they are sentenced, but it will allow hardened and violent criminals to return to our streets faster.
One glaring example of reduced sentencing is Wisconsin. Between 2019 and 2024, Gov. Tony Evers expanded "earned release" and fought against strict sentencing. As a result, more than 2,000 inmates were returned to the streets early. Among those released were individuals convicted of violent crimes, including armed robbery and felony firearm possession.
Approximately 40 percent of those criminals were re-arrested within two years, and at least 274 of them were convicted murderers or attempted murderers, according to Wisconsin Parole Commission data.
But it's not just Wisconsin. The John Jay College of Criminal Justice's Data Collaborative for Justice reports that 66 percent of individuals released under bail reform who had a recent prior arrest were re-arrested within two years of their release.
Virginia Can't Handle More Crime
In 2024, Restoration News released an exclusive investigation that disproved the FBI's claims that crime decreased across the country. One of the states that saw a massive increase was Virginia.
From 2019 to 2023, violent crime in Virginia rose by 12 percent. On a crime-by-crime breakdown, murder increased by 38 percent, aggravated assault increased by 29 percent, human trafficking increased by 60 percent, kidnapping increased by 17 percent, and motor vehicle theft increased by 45 percent.
From 2020 to 2025, Democrats in Virginia eliminated the death penalty and reduced funding for law enforcement after the BLM riots. Additionally, they blocked then- District Attorney Jason Miyares from requiring local police to cooperate with the attorney general's office for any sex crimes involving a minor.
After getting elected to their state posts, Attorney General Miyares and former Virginia Gov. Genn Younkin passed policy that protected victims the of sexual assault while also opening new paths to solve old cases.
In June 2025, Youngkin signed Executive Order 50 to establish a working group and ombudsman to review sexual offense policies in the Virginia National Guard and Virginia Defense Force, aimed at improving support and accountability for victims.
Youngkin also signed a new law (HB 1998) making sexual extortion a felony, specifically targeting those who use threats such as eviction or financial loss to coerce sexual acts. At the same time, Miyares' office supported Virginia's participation in the SAKI program, which funds the testing and retesting of unsubmitted sexual assault kits and helps prosecutors bring charges in cold cases.
Both Youngkin and Miyares investigated Loudoun County Public Schools over how it handled two sexual assault cases involving a high school student in 2021. The school attempted to sweep the incident under the rug by providing misleading information, because the perpetrator was "transgendered."
As a result of the efforts of the Republican governor and attorney general, rape in Virginia decreased by 13 percent, and "forcible fondling," or molestation, decreased by 5 percent from 2019 to 2024.
Protecting Virginians
Under Gov. Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares, Virginians knew they had leadership dedicated to making Virginia a safe state.
As Gov. Spanberger and her radical Democrat cronies in the legislature continue to push laws that violate the public trust and defend criminals, Virginians need to remember how they voted. All the work done by Gov. Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares is now under threat and could be completely wiped away.
Virginians, did you vote for sexual predators running rampant in the streets?
Bronson Winslow is an Investigative Researcher for Restoration News specializing in gun rights and criminal justice policy. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute and previously wrote for the Daily Caller. He publishes regularly at American Greatness.
Republished with permission from Restoration News.
