With the Virginia Governor being sworn in after the budget has been introduced and several days into the legislative Session the first opportunity, they have to set the tone for their administration is through executive orders. Governor Spanberger, like previous Governors, signed 10 orders on her first day on the job. Below is a quick summary of those orders. If you would like to review the orders in full, they are available here.
Executive Order #1: Directing the Governor’s Secretaries and Agencies Across the Commonwealth to Determine Cost-Savings for Virginians
This executive order is essentially the affordability gameplan. It directs the Secretaries to report to the Governor within 90 days recommendations for changes that may be implemented in the departments and agencies they oversee to help reduce costs for Virginians. This is intended to be a full review of regulations, pending legislation, and reports to identify cost-saving measures in housing, healthcare, energy, education, childcare, and living expenses.
Executive Order #2: Lowering the Cost of Healthcare
The Executive Order establishes an Interagency Health Financing Task Force. The goal of this task force is to review (1) services at risk of losing federal funding, (2) federal and state health-centric funding programs for improvements, (3) funding processes for inefficiencies and (4) Managed Care Organization performance.
Executive Order #3: Lowering the Cost of Housing
Directs review of regulations, guidance documents, etc., impacting residential land development. The intention is to streamline and eliminate barriers to building more residents faster. Part of this review requires each recommendation to detail the current process and timeline, the suggested amendments, and the amount of development time that will be saved.
Additionally the order establishes the Commission on Unlocking Housing Production. This commission will be comprised of:
“...chaired by the Secretary of Commerce and Trade and consists of representatives from DHCD, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Resources Authority, Virginia Department of Taxation, DEQ, DWR, DCR, DHR, the Department of General Services, VDOT, and other representatives selected at the chair’s discretion…”
The Commission will meet regularly and report to the Governor every 6 months on housing development solutions.
Executive Order #4: Committing to Academic Excellence
The Secretary of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction are planning a listening tour. Additionally they will convene an advisory workgroup regarding the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act. The Department of Education is directed to expedite credentials to increase the number of advanced mathematics in middle school. Lastly, it requires an after-action report regarding the implementation of the School Performance & Support Framework.
Executive Order #5: Establishing an Economic Resiliency Task Force
This Executive Order creates a task force to create a statewide response to actions taken at the federal level
Executive Order #6: Evaluating Appointments to Public University Boards
EO 6 calls for a review of how members of higher education governing boards are appointed.
Executive Order #7: Emergency and Succession Authority of the Governor
Details under what circumstances the Chief Staff may declare a state of emergency.
Executive Order #8: Authority and Responsibility of the Chief of Staff
Provides certain duties to the Chief of Staff.
Executive Order #9: Equal Opportunity
The Executive Order states that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to prohibit discrimination in hiring practices.
Executive Order #10: Recission of Executive Order No. 47
This is the only executive order from Governor Spanberger that directly references and rescinds an order from her predecessor. Governor Youngkin’s order deputized local and state law enforcement to assist federal immigration enforcement.
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