Former Virginia Tech rector John Rocovich has filed a lawsuit against Governor Abigail Spanberger in Montgomery County Circuit Court, challenging his removal from the university’s board of visitors in May. Spanberger accused Rocovich of conduct violating the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors’ Code of Ethics and state statutes, but her office has not provided specific details regarding the alleged misconduct. The lawsuit claims, “She identified no instance of Rocovich’s alleged misconduct — because there is none,” asserting that Governor Spanberger lacked cause for the removal.
Concurrently, the Virginia Supreme Court has appointed a three-judge panel to determine whether four lawsuits challenging the state’s new assault weapons ban should be consolidated into a single case. This move has led plaintiffs to argue it could delay efforts to obtain emergency relief before the law's scheduled effective date of July 1. The legislation, approved by Democrats, bans certain semiautomatic firearms and magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds.
Virginia's state budget remains in an impasse, largely due to a dispute over a sales tax exemption benefiting data centers. The General Assembly concluded its regular session in March without a spending plan, with lawmakers debating whether to scale back the lucrative tax break, which exempted the industry from paying between $1.6 billion and $1.9 billion in fiscal year 2025. The state's business reputation is central to the debate as the June 30 deadline to finalize the budget approaches.
In other significant state news, a 2021 "Clean Slate law" will take effect on July 1, allowing Virginians with certain past felony convictions to have their criminal records sealed. This initiative aims to expand housing and employment options for former felons who have not incurred new convictions within seven years for misdemeanors or 10 years for felonies. Additionally, Virginia American Water has reached a settlement with Hopewell and Prince George County to increase water rates by 22%, a reduction from the initially proposed 30% hike, subject to State Corporation Commission approval.
The state is also seeing a striking national trend in religious construction, with projects like Central United Methodist in Arlington transforming its property into an eight-story affordable housing tower with a sanctuary on the first floor. This boom in religious construction contrasts with a general flattening of other nonresidential building. Meanwhile, Virginia consumers are experiencing higher prices, with the Consumer Price Index rising 4.2% in May, primarily due to the Iran war's effect on gasoline and oil prices, alongside corporate spending on artificial intelligence.