Virginia experienced a record surge in firearm background checks in June, coinciding with other significant developments across the commonwealth, including the final demise of a major data center project and legal challenges to a reproductive rights amendment.
The FBI recorded 124,319 background checks in June, marking an all-time high since the agency began publishing state-by-state data in 2001. This figure represents more than three times the total recorded during the same month in each of the previous three years, as Virginians reportedly raced to buy firearms before the state's "assault weapons" ban took effect.
In Prince William County, the controversial Digital Gateway, a proposed data center complex near Manassas National Battlefield Park, is officially dead. Developer QTS withdrew its appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court, ending a years-long battle with rural Gainesville residents who had opposed the project since its approval in 2023.
Virginia's pending reproductive rights amendment faces a legal challenge, Bansley v. Nardo, centered on the argument that the House of Delegates clerk failed to send copies of the amendment to circuit court clerks. This procedural step, a longtime requirement intended to increase public awareness, was recently removed by lawmakers, and the case could have implications for two other pending constitutional amendments.
Other notable developments include Dulles International Airport recording the highest rate of passenger growth among the nation’s 50 largest airports in 2025, with a 6.6% increase. The Supreme Court also declined to intervene after a judge ordered an $800-a-day fine for former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge if she refuses to reveal a confidential source in a lawsuit filed by a Chinese American scientist.
Environmental and safety concerns marked July Fourth celebrations, with internal National Park Service documents projecting hazardous air pollution around the National Mall from fireworks. This led Richmond to cancel its annual celebration due to extreme heat. Amid similar heat threats, the Energy Department instructed grid operators to require data centers in 13 Mid-Atlantic states, including Virginia, to use backup power supplies to ease strain on electrical systems.
Further state initiatives include a $393,000 allocation in the state budget for the Virginia State Police to develop a new missing persons phone app. Virginia also became the first state to allow judges to order active intelligent speed assistance for drivers convicted of reckless driving by speed or street racing. Additionally, the Federal Correctional Institution-Petersburg is closing its low-security unit due to decades of deferred maintenance and staffing challenges.