01/17/2026
"The first three executive orders focus squarely on affordability — an issue that she declared a centerpiece of her 2026 agenda during a news conference in December.
One requires the governor’s secretaries and all executive branch agencies to submit reports within 90 days identifying immediate, actionable steps to reduce living expenses for Virginians, including housing, health care, energy, education, child care and grocery costs.
A second establishes an Interagency Health Financing Task Force within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, charged with developing a unified financing strategy to reduce duplicative spending, maximize federal funding and strengthen Virginia’s long-term health care infrastructure.
The task force is directed to assess programs most vulnerable to federal policy changes, review oversight of managed care organizations and evaluate shared technology, licensing and procurement systems.
A third directive launches a comprehensive review of housing development regulations and permitting practices, with the goal of eliminating unnecessary requirements and reducing barriers to housing production. It also creates a Commission on Unlocking Housing Production to recommend legislative, regulatory and administrative changes to increase housing supply statewide.
Academic progress is the focus of a fourth executive order directing the Department of Education to strengthen literacy and math instruction, review accountability measures and expand access to advanced math coursework.
The directive calls for implementing recommendations from a 2025 JLARC report, advancing a next-generation assessment system and launching a statewide listening tour of educators, parents and students.
Other executive actions respond to external pressures, including federal workforce reductions, funding cuts, tariff impacts and immigration-related effects.
One order establishes an Economic Resiliency Task Force to coordinate the state’s response, including managing potential disruptions to Medicaid and SNAP, supporting displaced federal workers and expanding agricultural and forestry exports amid tariff uncertainty.
Additional orders initiate a review of the Board of Visitors appointment process for public colleges and universities; establish narrowly defined standby emergency authority for senior officials if the governor is unreachable; formally delegate operational authority to the governor’s chief of staff; and create a comprehensive equal opportunity and non-discrimination policy across state government.
A tenth executive order rescinds Youngkin’s Executive Order 47, which required and encouraged state and local law enforcement agencies to divert resources toward enforcing federal civil immigration laws.
The directive redirects law enforcement to focus on core public safety responsibilities, including investigating crime, staffing local jails and engaging with communities."
Democrat Abigail Spanberger was sworn in Saturday as Virginia’s 75th governor, making history as the first woman to hold the commonwealth’s highest office and pledging to lead with unity, affordability and pragmatic action amid deep national divisions and growing uncertainty coming out of Washin...
