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One of the Democratic Party’s rising star governors, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, is being slammed for signing a bill to award the state’s presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.

The bill signed by Spanberger adds Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact, an interstate agreement between states to award the entirety of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Virginia Republicans railed against the bill, arguing it makes the state’s votes "NULL AND VOID."

This comes as Spanberger, who was recently selected to deliver the Democrats’ response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, has seen her approval ratings plummet. Critics have accused her of abandoning her centrist campaign message to advance far-left policies.

Criticisms of Spanberger erupted anew after news broke that Spanberger had approved the bill. The Virginia Republican Party posted on X that "fake Moderate Spanberger just signed a bill to render Virginians’ vote for president NULL AND VOID!"

The GOP said that under the bill, "all of Virginia’s Electoral College votes will go to the winner of the national popular vote — no matter who wins the popular vote in our Commonwealth."

The party called the move "an unconstitutional assault on our democracy."

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Originally posted by oddball:
The bitch is an evil communist.

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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a series of gun-control bills Tuesday, toughening a proposed assault-firearms ban before sending it back to lawmakers, which drew immediate backlash from Republicans and is likely to draw a constitutional objection from the Justice Department.

The Democratic governor’s changes to House Bill 217/Senate Bill 749 remove the word "fixed" from part of the bill’s definition of an assault firearm, which could sharply expand the range of semi-automatic rifles and pistols swept into the ban, Republicans say.

"If there was any doubt that Gov. Spanberger was coming for our firearms, this substitute removes it," House of Delegates Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, told News WCYB 5 in a statement. "Not only does it keep in place the de facto ban on some of the most common firearms in Virginia, it goes further and appears to create a ban on any firearm that can accept a magazine of more than 15 rounds.

"That includes the vast majority of firearms in Virginia that are in common use for legal purposes."

The U.S. Department of Justice warned in a letter released Friday that the measure raises constitutional concerns and threatened legal action if the state enforces a ban that infringes on protected firearms.

"This letter provides formal notice that the Civil Rights Division will commence litigation in the event the Commonwealth of Virginia enacts certain bills that unconstitutionally limit law-abiding Americans’ individual right to bear arms," Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote in the letter to Virginia Democrat Attorney General Jay Jones before Spanberger's moves Tuesday. "Specifically, SB 749, as written, would require Virginia law enforcement agencies to engage in a practice of unconstitutionally restricting the making, buying, or selling of AR-15s and many other semi-automatic firearms in common use.

"The Second Amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and use AR-15 style semiautomatic rifles for lawful purposes," she added, citing the unanimous Supreme Court opinion that the AR-15 is "both widely legal and bought by many ordinary consumers."

Dhillon said her division "will seek to enjoin any attempt to infringe the right of law-abiding Virginians to acquire constitutional protected arms[.]"

"@SpanbergerForVA is on notice: 2A rights SHALL NOT BE infringed," Dhillon wrote Friday on X. "We are closely watching—in the event any unlawful legislation is enacted, we will sue. @CivilRights will protect the 2A rights of law-abiding citizens in Virginia."

Undaunted, Spanberger moved forward framing the law as a public-safety push, saying the state is trying to balance Second Amendment rights with efforts to reduce gun violence.

"I grew up in a family where responsible gun ownership was expected, and I carried a firearm every day as a former federal agent," she wrote in a statement. "I support the Second Amendment. But gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America, and that should motivate all of us to ask ourselves what we can do to mitigate this harm.

"This is why I’ve made amendments to provide clarity for both responsible gun owners and law enforcement, making clear what these changes mean in practice — as Virginians safely purchase and store their firearms," she continued. "These commonsense steps will help keep our families, our communities, and our law enforcement officers safe."

The bill would ban the future sale, transfer, manufacture and importation of covered firearms and magazines over 15 rounds, while exempting firearms legally owned before July 1, 2026. It would create a Class 1 misdemeanor for violations and impose limits on how grandfathered firearms could later be transferred or sold.

The legislation now heads back to the General Assembly, which must decide whether to accept Spanberger’s amendments.

Spanberger also signed several other gun-related bills without changes, including House Bill 21, which requires firearm manufacturers, dealers and distributors to adopt "reasonable controls" aimed at preventing illegal sales and misuse. The law also opens the door for civil action by the attorney general, local governments and private individuals if a firearm industry member’s actions or omissions are alleged to have contributed to public harm.

She also signed House Bill 110, which bars leaving a firearm in plain view inside an unattended vehicle, and House Bill 40, which bans the manufacture, sale, transfer and possession of unserialized homemade firearms, commonly known as ghost guns.

"In all, the General Assembly has forwarded to you over 20 bills that restrict Second Amendment rights," Dhillon's warning to Jones concluded. "I urge you to reconsider allowing any bill that would infringe on the lawful use of protected firearms by law-abiding citizens to become law.

"In an effort to avoid unnecessary litigation, the Second Amendment Section stands ready to meet and confer with attorneys in the Virginia Attorney General's Office.

"The Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens shall not be infringed."

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Originally posted by uvahawk:
I doubt she really cares about her constituents and what they may want or support.

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Originally posted by mrapteam666:
she should know that most of the deaths in America are not caused by the honest law biding citizen.

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Originally posted by mrapteam666:
There she goes yet again.. Throwing out that she was a Federal Agent and carried a firearm.

Well, then she should know that most of the deaths in America are not caused by the honest law biding citizen.

I say she should know, but in reality, most of America should know that this statement is BS.

But her voters don't want to hear that. I guess, it's not a good sound byte to say, most crimes are committed by useless toads.

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Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who campaigned on affordability, signed a law in April that would incrementally increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour. Spanberger called the legislation "a win for the businesses that call Virginia home."

{snip}

Spanberger joins several other local and state leaders mandating a minimum wage or considering the policy amid a nationwide debate over combating affordability problems. In some cities, advocates are pushing for a $30 minimum wage mandate.

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Cline’s comments come as the polling on the referendum is tightening. A recent poll from the Washington Post showed support for redrawing the state’s maps, leading by only 5 points. The projections show a closer race than last year’s gubernatorial election, where Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Sears by more than 15 points.

Voters will get their chance to weigh in on the redistricting fight on Tuesday. Virginians will decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment enabling the General Assembly to redraw the state’s congressional map.

Democrats claim that creating new maps would restore fairness to apportionment. Republicans argue that this is a gerrymander by turning the delegation from a six-five Democrat-majority to a 10-one Democrat-majority in a state where Kamala Harris only beat Donald Trump by six points.

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A "yes" vote supports allowing the General Assembly to redraw congressional districts between January 1, 2025, and October 31, 2030, if another state redraws its districts for reasons other than completing decennial redistricting or complying with a court order.

If the amendment is approved, House Bill 29 would take effect and implement a new congressional district map that shifts four Republican-held districts to be more Democratic, based on the 2025 gubernatorial election results.

The constitutional amendment would provide that the Virginia Redistricting Commission will redraw congressional districts in 2031.

A "no" vote opposes allowing the General Assembly to redraw congressional districts between January 1, 2025, and October 31, 2030.

The congressional map adopted by the Virginia Redistricting Commission would remain in place through 2030 unless changed by a court order.