On Inauguration/Martin Luther King/Bipartisan Pardons Day, I asked a veteran observer of the Virginia General Assembly if there had been any legislative behavioral changes in either parties two months after the historic 2024 elections.
Observer replied, “Not at all.”
“Really? Why not?”
“There is a comfortable orthodoxy.” (love that line BTW)
“Both parties?”
“Yup.”
VPAP’s website shows only ten House of Delegates seats are competitive this election cycle.
That means:
90% of the House will be re-elected on June 17th - just 147 days away
Early Voting starting on May 2nd - just 101 days away.
The filing deadline for candidates is April 3rd - 72 days away.
Currently, there are only 2 House incumbents with a nomination challenge and only 7 contested nominations overall.
Two years ago, there were 30 contested nominations.
Folks are settling in.
“Comfortable orthodoxy” is bipartisan and focused on first things first - getting on the ballot unopposed. From there, both parties will be trying to win the majority.
Yeah, I know these are obvious observations BUT political priorities in a populist, partisan era are increasingly less comfortable for the job creating business community.
Bill after bill after bill is adding costs and regulatory burdens to business owners who will pass those onto their customers in higher prices and onto their employees in reduced wages and benefits. (It’s just math)
Which is counter intuitive to the apparent electoral mandate to focus on the economy according to…
AP Exit Polling:
Especially when you consider…
ABC Exit polling:
First time voters were a clear popular vote difference maker and went for the GOP.
In large part due to inflation pressures:
I’m no math major, but one would have thought that both parties would be competing with each other to grow the economy, reduce costs that are passed onto tax and rate payers, and create well paying jobs.
Nope.
That message apparently stopped in 2024 at the shoreline of the Potomac.
I will expand on that as more bills are considered throughout the Session, but if you’re betting on how many vetoes Governor Glenn Youngkin will be issuing this year, set the line at 201 and take the Over.
It’s not just a comfortable orthodoxy that has settled in, it’s also a comfortable numbness manifesting in a decided lack of economic urgency.
That was soooo 2024….
Cue Pink Floyd…
Given the speed with which human and financial capital moves around the world, the days of being comfortable are over.
It’s time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable if Virginia is going to retain, attract, and accelerate investments.
Damn, I was hoping Virginia would take a clue from the National temperature, instead stuck in 24 so abortion, no ID, no jail time, more taxes?