Bacon's Rebellion

From pot to pork, the Democrats’ budget will cost every Virginia adult an extra $3,880.

by Victoria Mannning

Virginia’s state motto, “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” or “Thus Always to Tyrants,” declares that virtue and just governance always defeat tyranny. Yet Virginia Democrat leaders have become the tyrants.

Led by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, they ignore the Constitution and use the budget to pass sweeping marijuana laws, give themselves a hefty raise, and waste hard-earned taxpayer dollars on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) pork.

On July 1, some of the most extreme legislation in Virginia’s history takes effect. Democrats have solidified their long-standing goal of disarming law-abiding citizens by adopting broad anti-Second Amendment laws to tighten control over Virginians. They also used budget negotiations to implement dangerous marijuana laws that failed to pass in the regular legislative session.

The final pork-laden biennial budget totals $207 billion, a staggering $24 billion increase from 2024. With roughly 6.7 million people aged 18 and older in the state, that amounts to $3,880 more per adult compared to former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s budget.

Thomas Jefferson must be turning over in his grave.

Senator Louise Lucas’ pot shops

For weeks, Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Chair Louise Lucas claimed she wouldn’t approve the budget unless it included an elimination of tax breaks for data centers. Lucas even went on a “data center listening tour” across the state, referring to Spanberger as a “data center diva.” Yet when the final, agreed-upon bill was released, the tax exemption remained—alongside 149 new pages of legislation authorizing retail marijuana.

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