Dear Friend,
The Virginia General Assembly officially kicked off on Wednesday with the formal organization of the House. As part of the organizational process, I was appointed by the Speaker to serve on the Education, Health & Human Services, and Privileges & Elections committees. On Saturday, the General Assembly will convene for the inauguration of a new governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
As I have done previously, I plan to send out weekly updates on either Friday or Saturday. These will cover the major topics and events from that week. If you have any questions, let me know.
Session Survey
I am asking for your feedback as part of my 2026 session survey. Learning more about the views of my constituents allows me to better represent our community in Richmond at the State Capitol.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE 2026 SURVEY
As you might expect, there are hundreds of policy matters that will come before the General Assembly this year. If there is an issue important to you that is not included in the survey, please let me know by emailing me at DelMCherry@house.virginia.gov.
Constitutional Amendments
Traditionally, the first day of session involves necessary organizational matters along with a decent amount of pomp and circumstance. This year, however, was different. The House passed four constitutional amendments on the first day that concern marriage, abortion, voting rights, and gerrymandering/redistricting. I will talk about the policy implications at a later date, but I want to address the procedural concerns–particularly for the gerrymandering/redistricting amendment–in this week’s update.
In short, HJ4 would permit the General Assembly a one time pass to gerrymander congressional districts. All constitutional amendments must be approved not only by the legislature, but by the people in a statewide referendum. For as long as I can recall, those referendums have always taken place in November alongside regularly scheduled elections. However, the majority party is seeking a special election in April to consider these items. There are two concerns that I hold with this timeline: 1) increased cost not previously budgeted by local governments, and 2) lower voter turnout. I will be advocating for the normal November referendum so that local governments can better account for their budget and so that the most voters can plan to participate.
I will make sure to keep you up to date with the latest information so that you can prepare to exercise your right to vote on each of these four matters.
State of the Commonwealth
The first day of session also includes the annual State of the Commonwealth address. This provides the governor the opportunity to deliver to the legislature an update on our state. Governor Youngkin delivered his final State of the Commonwealth on Wednesday, highlighting the progress made under his administration. I believe that our state is stronger today than it was for years ago.
Governor Youngkin leaves a lasting legacy with real, positive impacts on our state. He led on education by reopening public schools, making wise and record breaking investments in classrooms, and focusing on learning loss. He led on public safety by ‘backing the blue’ from day one and helping crack down on those who prey on innocent victims–including when he signed my bill to criminalize labor trafficking. And he led on affordability by cutting $9 billion in taxes to the benefit of Virginia families
On Monday, Abigail Spanberger will deliver to the House and Senate what is known as an ‘Address to the Joint Assembly’ highlighting her legislative priorities for this coming session. I will provide my thoughts on her speech next week.
Visitors to the Capitol
Each year I enjoy welcoming constituents and advocates to my office in Richmond. This year is no different! This week I enjoyed welcoming the American Legion, dentists, bankers, and pro-life advocates from our community to my office.
If you plan on visiting the Capitol during this legislative session and want to stop by for a meeting or visit, send me an email at DelMCherry@house.virginia.gov.
In addition to these weekly email updates during this legislative session, you can keep up with me on social media. I am on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
As always, it remains an honor to represent Colonial Heights and Chesterfield in the House of Delegates. Please let me know if I can ever be of assistance to you or your family.
Sincerely,
MIKE CHERRY