Gov. Abigail Spanberger wasted no time during her first day in office, signing 10 executive orders Saturday at the Virginia State Capitol aimed at boosting affordability and steering the commonwealth away from former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policies on education, immigration, diversity and public safety.
Like many Democrats nationwide, Spanberger seized on the affordability issue on the campaign trail, and three of her 10 executive orders centered around lowering costs for Virginians.
One order directs all the state’s executive branch agencies to find ways to reduce living expenses; another establishes a task force to make health care spending more efficient and lower costs; the final affordability minded order mandates a review of housing regulation and permitting practices to encourage more development.
“Whether it’s cutting red tape within the government or enacting policy that provides relief, we must address high housing costs, health care, child care and energy costs,” Spanberger said Saturday.
Changes to the federal workforce have had a particularly significant impact in Northern Virginia, and that’s also something Spanberger addressed with her initial wave of executive action. With the stroke of a pen Saturday, she created the Economic Resiliency Task Force, which will coordinate a statewide response to federal cuts.
“We need a full assessment of the federal funds that have been cut, delayed, reduced or potential projected impacts that we may see in the future, and we need recommendations for how we can mitigate the damage — current or future,” Spanberger said.
Spanberger’s final order Saturday related to immigration enforcement, another response to President Donald Trump and his administration’s priorities. Her order rescinds executive action taken by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin that increased cooperation between local and state police and federal immigration enforcement authorities.
Democrats nationwide have called for limiting cooperation and criticized the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency whose officers have been deployed to major cities across the country and tasked with deporting immigrants who are in the country without legal permission.
Congressional Democrats have also floated the idea of holding up funding for ICE.
“Virginia state and local law enforcement officers must be able to focus on their rapport, responsibilities, investigating crime and community policing,” Spanberger said.
Other orders were aimed at targeting discrimination, bolstering education and making sure her office can respond to crisis or emergency situations.
The full text of each order is available here.
“Executive orders represent just the beginning, first steps that we are taking to make a more affordable Virginia, a safer Virginia and one focused on ensuring that the future of all of our kids is bright,” Spanberger said.
