HISTORIC TRIANGLE — The Virginia General Assembly will head back to the Capitol building in Richmond at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 8, for its annual session.
Both bodies of the Virginia Legislature — the Senate of Virginia and the Virginia House of Delegates — come together on the second Wednesday in January for 60 days in even-numbered years and for 30 days in odd-numbered years, with an option to extend annual sessions for a maximum of 30 days, according to the Virginia General Assembly webpage.
This year is expected to be a “pivotal legislative season that will test the balance of power between a Republican governor in his final full year and a Democratic-controlled legislature” as reported by the Virginia Mercury.
Due to inclement weather the scheduled 2025 Pre-Legislative Forum for Monday, Jan. 6, hosted by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, was canceled.
Locally, the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) Legislative Affairs Committee presents its GWCC 2025 Legislative Priorities for the Virginia General Assembly session.
In keeping with the GWCC mission, this year’s priorities are to maintain a pro-business environment, it said.
The five priorities are to strengthen workforce training initiatives and opportunities; enhance support for business growth and development; improve access to affordable housing options to meet workforce needs; increase funding and support policies that improve access to 5G technology and broadband; and to invest in and continue to develop a safe, reliable, efficient, multimodal transportation network.
Among many other pro-business policies, this includes maintaining the state’s right-to-work status as it has been an overarching theme to a successful economy in Virginia, and protecting tourism, which is paramount to the Greater Williamsburg region’s economic success, the chamber said.
