Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday that the state has already launched an investigation into last week’s water crisis in Richmond through the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water, pledging to uncover the root causes of the failure.

“We need to wait to see what that tells us,” Youngkin said during his annual State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the General Assembly, which had been pushed back by several days because of the utility failure. “But I believe that there will be findings that there were operational challenges, technical challenges, and equipment challenges.”

The crisis, which also delayed the start of the 2025 General Assembly session, erupted after backup power systems at Richmond’s water treatment plant failed to reboot properly during a winter storm. The failure triggered “a cascade” of problems, including water pump malfunctions and flooding, according to Mayor Danny Avula, leaving thousands under a boil water advisory.

Lawmakers briefly convened last Wednesday to gavel in before returning home, leaving the city to grapple with the fallout.

Now, multiple investigations are in motion. Avula has called for an independent third-party review to uncover the root causes, while Youngkin stressed Monday that the state-led probe could offer additional answers.

The crisis has also reignited scrutiny of years-long neglect. The Richmond Times-Dispatch revealed last week that city officials had failed to replace key aging infrastructure for eight years, while WTVR found the federal Environmental Protection Agency had cited the city in 2022 for corroded and outdated equipment.

Avula noted how Richmond’s water woes could serve as a “springboard” for pushing state and federal governments to fund infrastructure upgrades.

Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, emphasized the urgency of addressing infrastructure needs highlighted by the crisis. 

“When people can’t flush their toilets, that’s got my attention,” she told The Mercury.

Lucas noted that while the state legislature might consider funding options to help localities like Richmond modernize aging systems, tapping into federal resources will also be critical to addressing long-term infrastructure challenges.

Maternal health focus

Despite discussions over Richmond’s water crisis, lawmakers moved forward with regular business Monday, including a planned focus on maternal health initiatives. 

In December, both Youngkin and Democratic lawmakers highlighted maternal health as a priority for the 2025 session, signaling potential bipartisan collaboration. Proposed measures include Medicaid expansions and workforce development for doulas and midwives.

Speaking with reporters at the state Capitol Monday, House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, welcomed Youngkin’s attention to the issue. “I’m glad that the governor’s eyes are finally open” on maternal health,” she said, adding that he “recognizes there is a disparity when it comes to maternal healthcare in our Black community.”

Herring emphasized that Democratic lawmakers have been “leading” on maternal health for some time, noting that Youngkin has opposed some of their efforts.

Last summer, the governor vetoed a bill carried by Herring to reestablish a maternal health data task force, only to create his own version a month later. 

Before the veto, he amended the bill to remove the term “birthing people,” which aims to acknowledge that, while pregnancy is most common in cisgender women, transgender and nonbinary individuals can also become pregnant and often face challenges accessing competent medical care.

In his veto statement, Youngkin wrote that the legislation “politicized an otherwise noncontroversial issue.” When asked by The Mercury, he declined to clarify if he was specifically referring to the term “birthing people.”

On Monday, Herring once again pushed back on Youngkin’s claims of politicization, arguing that it was the governor who had politicized the issue.

Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, highlighted another veto from Youngkin, this one blocking her bill to require unconscious bias training for nursing license renewals. The measure, which Locke carried with other Black women senators and Sen. Chris Head, R-Botetourt, aimed to address racial disparities in healthcare outcomes.

“Women whose skin is darker than my wife’s skin have significantly worse outcomes,” Head said during a Senate floor speech defending the bill last year. “Something needs to be examined and done about that.”

Federal cuts loom

Virginia Democrats are raising alarms over President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to dramatically cut the federal workforce, a proposal that could disproportionately impact Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. 

The plan, part of a conservative initiative called Project 2025, seeks to replace federal employees with political appointees under a Republican administration.

Del. Mark Sickles, D-Arlington, voiced his concerns on the House floor Monday, highlighting the crucial role federal workers play in Virginia’s economy and the commonwealth’s overall success. 

“This House respects them, wants them here in Virginia, Mr. Speaker, and they deserve substantial credit for the commonwealth’s success,” said Sickles. He warned that treating federal employees as expendable risks undermining the state’s stability and prosperity.

The controversy follows Trump’s re-election in November on a platform that included cutting “wasteful” federal spending. Youngkin joined other Republican governors in endorsing Trump’s plan, stating that the federal government could benefit from the same “streamlining” and efficiency measures applied at the state level. 

“We stand by President Trump as he works to do the same with the federal government,” Youngkin and others wrote in a joint statement.

Sickles countered that the federal workforce has been a cornerstone of Virginia’s economic and national reputation, emphasizing its importance to the commonwealth’s success. 

He also cautioned that Trump’s proposals could lead to “another period of chaos in Washington,” with citizens soon realizing the impact of these cuts. 

“At a time when we need to value, nurture and strengthen our federal employees, we should not treat them as expendable,” Sickles added.

New faces elected

The Virginia General Assembly also welcomed newly elected lawmakers on Monday, including Del. JJ Singh, D-Loudoun, and Sens. Luther Cifers, R-Prince Edward, and Kannan Srinivasan, D-Loudoun.

Srinivasan, who previously served in the House for a year, takes over the Senate seat vacated by Suhas Subramanyam, now a member of Congress. Cifers, a business owner, replaces Sen. John McGuire, who also departed for Congress.

Virginia special elections add new faces, but leave General Assembly balance intact

Singh made history as the first Sikh American elected to the Virginia General Assembly. He described his election as a meaningful milestone that reflects the state’s commitment to religious freedom and the trust placed in him by the people of Loudoun County.

“In a state that values religious freedom… it’s important in our state’s history, but also because it shows that the people of Loudoun County trust me and believe that it’s a place where you’re free to practice whatever religion you want,” Singh told The Mercury.

Singh also praised House District 26 — which includes Brambleton, Aldie, Arcola, and South Riding — as a model of diversity and unity. He described it as “a place where people of all different sorts of faiths and nationalities can come together, freely practice their religion, have their own ideological beliefs, and come together and work together as one.”

Election year tensions 

Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, also took to the House floor Monday to highlight the legislative priorities of House Democrats, emphasizing their focus on investing in public schools, mental health services, and safeguarding abortion rights. 

Feggans also outlined goals to make housing and child care more affordable, expand financial aid for college students, lower tuition costs, and reduce the cost of groceries, healthcare, and prescription drugs. He underscored the party’s commitment to enshrining reproductive rights, marriage equality, and voting rights in the Virginia Constitution.

“Together, we can make Virginia the best place to live, work, learn, and raise a family,” Feggans said. “Now is the time to unleash the commonwealth’s full potential and ensure that every Virginian shares in its prosperity.”

However, House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, expressed surprise at Democrats’ silence during Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth address. Gilbert pointed to issues he believed should have garnered bipartisan support, including eliminating the car tax and taxes on tips, securing affordable and reliable energy, deporting violent criminals in the country illegally and cracking down on street gangs and drug cartels.

“I think in the last election, there were a number of things that perhaps the other side put all their bets on that did not go so well at the ballot box,” Gilbert said. “If my colleagues want to keep doubling down on these things, I frankly encourage them to keep doubling down because the winds are blowing in a different direction.”

Gilbert suggested that voters are starting to reassess what lawmakers support and warned Democrats that the next election “may be a much different endeavor” if they fail to embrace the issues he believes resonate with Virginians.

Gilbert’s comments come as Virginia heads into a critical election year, with the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates on the ballot later this year — a fact not lost on lawmakers as they navigate the 45-day General Assembly session.