AGP Executive Report

9/11 Commemoration in Virginia: President Trump used the Pentagon ceremony to renew his “never, ever forget” vow and tie the anniversary to the Iran conflict, praising service members and first responders as the nation marked 25 years since Flight 77 killed 184 people in Arlington. Families Seek Justice: At Ground Zero, 9/11 families—including Terry Strada—pressed Saudi Arabia accountability and criticized U.S. leaders for “protecting” the kingdom. Virginia Schools: Gov. Spanberger visited Osbourn Park High School in Manassas to hear student concerns on safety, class sizes, mental health, phone policies, and access to career and technical programs. Voting Rights Fight: Virginia election officials are bracing for a Supreme Court decision that could reshape mail-in voting rules, with early voting starting Sept. 18 and ballots already scheduled to go out. Public Safety Memorial: The Virginia Public Safety Foundation announced the 12th Annual Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial service honoring 23 newly added fallen officers, bringing the total to 1,006. Campaign Spotlight: Democratic congressional candidate Beth Macy highlighted health care, farming, cost of living, Social Security, AI, and data centers in her bid for Virginia’s 6th District.

9/11 Commemoration in Virginia: Virginia officials and local communities marked the 25th anniversary with ceremonies and personal remembrances, including a Pentagon memorial wreath-laying and Virginia residents reflecting on where they were and how the attacks reshaped policing and emergency response. Immigration Enforcement Lawsuits: Immigrant-rights groups sued the Trump administration over alleged “warrantless arrest” practices by ICE, arguing the policy violates the Fourth Amendment and disproportionately targets immigrants in Maryland and Virginia. ICE at Polling Sites: Voting-rights advocates also challenged efforts to send ICE agents to polling locations, saying it’s meant to intimidate voters and suppress turnout. Data Centers, Eminent Domain & Water: A Virginia county won a court fight to use eminent domain for a farmer’s land tied to a Rappahannock water intake project, while other coverage highlights ongoing backlash over taxpayer-funded support tied to detained families and continued local fights over data-center impacts. State Budget & Local Governance: Henrico County published proposed budget amendments for fiscal year 2026-27, setting up a Sept. 22 public hearing. Energy & Utility Merger Watch: Dominion and NextEra’s combination continues moving forward after shareholder approval, with coverage noting the combined footprint across multiple states including Virginia. Economic Development: Gov. Spanberger announced a $7.4 million investment to reopen a Henry County sawmill, promising dozens of jobs and major purchases of Virginia forest products.

Immigration Enforcement Fight: Virginia AG Mark Herring joined a coalition urging a federal appeals court to uphold an order blocking ICE from making warrantless arrests without required safeguards, arguing the policy fuels fear and violates the rule of law. Federal Courts/Detention: In a separate case, the Fourth Circuit rejected the Trump administration’s mandatory detention approach that bars bond hearings for many immigrants, marking the ninth appeals-court loss for the policy. Virginia Senate Politics: A planned Virginia Senate debate was canceled after Sen. Mark Warner declined to commit, leaving voters without the only scheduled matchup. Public Safety: A Henrico County Ring camera captured an SUV passing a stopped school bus as kids got off—an incident that’s reignited concerns about bus-stop enforcement. Local Development: Henrico planners are set to defer key steps in the Hadad’s Lake redevelopment and begin laying groundwork for future marijuana zoning rules. Crime: Virginia State Police arrested Dennikia Boyce in North Carolina after a Chesterfield County worksite shooting that killed two VDOT contractors. 9/11 Commemoration: Richmond announced a 25th anniversary ceremony, stair climb, and blood drive at City Hall, with a Pentagon first responder scheduled to speak.

Utility Merger Watch: Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi held a Richmond town hall on the Dominion–NextEra deal, with residents pressing for ratepayer protections and raising concerns about how a merger could affect disabled employees and benefits. Election & Campaign Theater: In Virginia’s 6th District, Beth Macy and Ben Cline keep trading ads and debate claims, with Cline’s team pushing a “debate” schedule that Macy’s campaign says wasn’t coordinated and that one event was really a forum. School Construction Ballot: Early voting starts Sept. 18 for a November question in 47 Virginia localities asking voters to approve a 1% sales tax for school construction and renovation. Public Safety Tech Debate: Virginia’s automated license plate reader surveillance fight keeps growing, with lawmakers and watchdogs asking where the line is for databases of people’s movements. Federal Hiring: Naval Medical Center Portsmouth will hold a direct-hire job fair Sept. 28 in Virginia Beach for DHA medical, tech, admin, and logistics roles. 9/11 Remembrance: Multiple Virginia-focused pieces mark the 25th anniversary, including reflections on the day’s impact and local remembrance events.

Data Center Fight in Congress: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) unveiled a four-bill national package to force data centers to cover energy infrastructure costs, track water and power use, and assess community, environmental, and national security impacts—aimed at stopping utility bills and transmission buildouts from landing on households. Dominion-NextEra Merger Pressure: A coalition of Virginia community groups is urging the State Corporation Commission to add in-person regional public hearings and more transparency as it reviews the proposed $67 billion deal, arguing residents deserve real access to information. Reproductive Freedom on the Ballot: NAACP branches in Mathews are set to host a town hall on three proposed Virginia constitutional amendments—reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and voting rights restoration—ahead of the Nov. 3 vote. ICE Cooperation Blocked in Court: Federal judges are weighing challenges to restrictions on abortion-pills access via telehealth and, separately, Virginia’s limits on police working with ICE—highlighting how immigration and reproductive policy are colliding in the courts. Local Tech Oversight: Bridgewater’s town council voted to remove its Flock cameras and pause similar tech without citizen dialogue, citing community trust concerns. Election Season Messaging: Republicans are convening in Dallas for a “Trump-a-Palooza” midterm convention as the party tries to energize voters in tight races.

Parenting & the Courts: A Virginia mother, Karyann Parkinson, was convicted after a security guard called police when her 5-year-old walked alone inside a gated community—another flashpoint in the growing debate over how far “child independence” can go before it becomes a criminal case. Immigration Enforcement: Colorado AG Phil Weiser backed a federal fight to force ICE to follow warrant rules when detaining people, arguing warrantless arrests have led to wrongful detentions and business harm. Virginia Politics & Elections: Virginia’s November ballot includes a major watch item: an opinion piece and coverage around what voters should look for this fall, with attention on key races and constitutional questions. Data Centers in Virginia: A new push for national rules on data centers is led by Virginia’s 10th District Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, aiming to stop infrastructure costs from being dumped on households and to require community and environmental impact review. Local Government & Energy: Richmond’s City Council tried to fast-track action to intervene in the Dominion–NextEra merger, but procedural hurdles kept it from a same-day vote as a state deadline looms.

Virginia Tech & public safety: UVA Health concussion clinic highlights overlooked concussion risks beyond football, urging families to watch for delayed and subtle symptoms as Virginia’s return-to-play rules kick in. State tech overhaul: Gov. Abigail Spanberger named Andrea Fletcher to lead a new Virginia Digital Service aimed at modernizing state websites and cracking down on wasteful tech contracts after a failed DSS IT project cost $52 million. Elections & voting access: A new amicus brief led by Rep. Joe Morelle and Sen. Alex Padilla asks the Supreme Court to block Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions, arguing the administration unlawfully seized election power. Federal courts: A judge ordered DOJ to disclose who conceived the now-defunct $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” a fight playing out in Alexandria. Local governance & community services: Arlington is set to break ground this week on a 9/11 Pentagon memorial visitor education center, with plans to open in 2029. Business & jobs: John Marshall Bancorp and Eagle Financial Services announced a merger agreement creating a larger contiguous Virginia-to-Northern VA banking footprint.

VA-06 Campaign Trail: Sen. Mark Warner swung through Harrisonburg to back Beth Macy in her bid to unseat Rep. Ben Cline, with the event framed around “our very democracy” and the stakes of the midterms. Higher Ed & Federal Funding: The U.S. House passed a bill to withhold federal aid from colleges that boycott Israel, teeing up a Senate fight over academic freedom and free speech. Immigration & Tuition: The Justice Department sued multiple states over in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, arguing the policies unlawfully favor noncitizens over U.S. citizens. Labor & Workplace Rights: Gov. Abigail Spanberger highlighted new Virginia worker protections on Labor Day, including paid family and medical leave and paid sick time. Local Safety: Fairfax County moved to restore crossing guards near high schools after a crash sparked outrage, with supervisors weighing carryover funding to keep them through 2026-27. Housing/ADUs: A Northern Virginia builder is preparing homeowners for the new ADU law taking effect July 2027, emphasizing permit timing and the end of the family-relation requirement. Data Centers & Power: Coverage continues to track how Dominion-NextEra’s merger and broader grid constraints intersect with the data-center boom.

Energy Costs & Dominion-NextEra: Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi kicked off a statewide listening tour in Loudoun, tying rising bills to data-center growth, transmission lines, eminent domain, and the proposed NextEra acquisition of Dominion—“these questions are all interconnected.” Local Transparency on Data Centers: A new national look at data-center deals highlights how NDAs can hide project details from the public, with critics saying it limits transparency on grid, water, and community impacts. Labor & AI at Labor Day Mass: Cardinal Robert W. McElroy warned that AI could reshape work so profoundly that the question becomes whether “meaningful work” remains, while urging protection of workers’ dignity. Virginia Courts & Voting: Attorney General Aaron Ford secured a court order blocking the Postal Service’s mail-voting rule while a case proceeds, keeping pressure on election administration. Public Safety: Four Virginia State Police troopers earned Valor awards, including one recognized for stopping a suspect who fired on officers during a pursuit. Gun Policy: A survey suggests bad news for anti-gunners, feeding into the broader Virginia Second Amendment debate. Federal Arms Sales: The U.S. approved a possible $5B sale to Saudi Arabia of JDAM guidance kits and thousands of bombs. Education Oversight: A draft report recommends stronger controls on Fredericksburg school board travel and reimbursement practices. Politics & Power: A new report on union growth finds membership gains depend heavily on state politics, underscoring the stakes for Virginia’s labor policy fights.

Energy Costs & Dominion-NextEra: Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi kicked off a Richmond listening tour focused on transparency and whether the proposed Dominion Energy–NextEra merger will drive up bills, calling rising costs her “top-line concern” as ratepayers push back. Labor & Enforcement: Attorney General Jay Jones announced a new Worker Protection Unit to pursue wage theft, retaliation, and employee misclassification through civil enforcement and litigation. Public Health: Virginia health leaders are tracking a small uptick in rabies cases around Richmond, including Henrico’s ninth case of 2026 and additional animal cases. Higher Ed/Health Care: U.Va. Health became the first Virginia institution to use a temporary heart pump (Impella) in a pediatric patient. Sports/Politics Crossover: Virginia Tech coach James Franklin blasted a penalty after a high-fiving celebration involving the Corps of Cadets, calling it “un-American,” as the Hokies opened his era with a 73-3 win over VMI. Local Governance: Madison County leaders say staffing is stretched while facing major responsibilities, including health department repairs and data center policy, with discussion of creating a county manager role. Courts/Business: A federal copyright lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Virginia targets dancehall artist Masicka over claims of song authorship.

Energy & Data Centers: A PJM capacity auction for 2028-29 fell short by nearly 6.8 gigawatts, with PJM pointing to rapid large-load growth driven by data centers—meaning higher costs could flow to Virginia ratepayers as Dominion buys power at peak. Housing Policy: Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s new Commission on Unlocking Housing Production held its first meeting in Richmond, aiming to cut housing costs by advising on changes to state laws and practices to boost supply. Government Watchdog: Virginia named a veteran fraud investigator and UVa grad as the new state inspector general, underscoring continued scrutiny of fraud and waste in state government. Elections & Voting Rights: A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s bid to pause a ruling blocking use of the SAVE voter-purge system, keeping the focus on accuracy and privacy. Public Safety: Richmond police reported a shooting on Jennie Scher Road that sent an adult to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, with no suspect details released. Child Welfare: A Virginia mom is speaking out after being placed on the child abuse registry for letting her 5-year-old walk alone in a gated community. Local Government/Crime: ICE lodged a detainer in a wrong-way crash case tied to a fatal crash that killed a mother and daughter in Maryland, with Virginia victims named in the reporting.

Dominion-NextEra Watch: Virginia House Speaker Don Scott says he wants “action,” not promises, as the NextEra-Dominion merger faces scrutiny over clean-energy commitments, ratepayer affordability, jobs, and Richmond headquarters plans—while he argues the General Assembly doesn’t need to extend the SCC review timeline. Election Threats & Voting Access: A new roundup warns that the biggest fall election threat may be domestic efforts to disrupt voting, including DHS “surges” into voter fraud claims and aggressive mail-voting restrictions. Flock Cameras Backlash: A national look at Flock license-plate camera fights shows candidates increasingly targeting the tech, with Virginia communities among the broader battleground over surveillance and warrants. Spanberger Aviation Funding: Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced nearly $40M for 65 Virginia airports, including major upgrades for Norfolk International and Richmond International. Housing & Code Enforcement: Petersburg tenants at Perry Street Lofts allege roaches and sewage problems and push to exit leases without penalties as conditions escalate. Labor Day Economics: AAA reports higher holiday travel costs, with Virginia gas prices hitting a Labor Day record and airfare up sharply. Higher Ed & Military Space Training: Commentary weighs whether Virginia Tech or VMI should anchor a new Space Academy, arguing Tech’s mix of cadets and research could fit future space warfare needs.

Surveillance Backlash: Lynchburg, Va. ended its Flock automated license plate reader contract, as a new tracker shows 153 U.S. communities have rejected or paused ALPR systems in recent weeks, fueling the broader fight over tech-driven policing. Redistricting Fight: Missouri Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to restore their congressional gerrymander for the midterms after the Missouri Supreme Court blocked it, arguing voters shouldn’t get a “citizen veto” over map changes. Dominion-NextEra Watch: Virginia House Speaker weighed in on the NextEra-Dominion deal as lawmakers press for more review time and debate whether to extend the merger deadline. Election Law in Court: A federal appeals court rejected efforts to reinstate the Trump administration’s SAVE voter-purge database, keeping the focus on accuracy and voter-registration risk. Virginia Housing Push: Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s new Commission on Unlocking Housing Production held its first meeting, aiming to boost supply through coordination and targeted resources. Federal Crime/Justice: A judge ordered the Trump administration to disclose who set up a controversial $1.8B “anti-weaponization” fund, as a lawsuit seeks to halt the scheme. Virginia Campaign Trail: Rep. Morgan Griffith declined debate offers from challenger Joy Powers, saying voters already know his record. Energy & Data Centers: A renewable siting-bills review predicts 2027 will be the biggest year yet for state energy-permitting fights, with data-center growth driving affordability concerns.

Roby Auditorium Revival: A community pledge campaign is underway to restore the historic Roby Auditorium, building on a major $1 million pledge and renewed local momentum to preserve the 1925-era venue. Arms Sale & Defense Industry: The U.S. approved a potential $5 billion Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia, including JDAM-ER guidance kits, bombs, and support equipment—work tied to Arlington-based Boeing. Election Integrity Fight: Virginia AG Nick Brown and a coalition won a preliminary injunction blocking USPS rule changes that could disrupt vote-by-mail ahead of Nov. 3. Anti-Weaponization Fund: A federal judge ordered the DOJ to identify who designed the now-dead $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, as discovery continues in the lawsuit. ICE in Virginia Communities: Reports highlight ICE activity and local backlash, including an Arlington investigation into an ICE encounter that left a man with a brain injury. Data Centers & Public Trust: Letters and local debate continue over Virginia’s data-center expansion, with residents pressing for transparency on costs, power, and impacts. Flock License-Plate Cameras: A Virginia-focused debate over automatic license plate readers continues, with critics warning about surveillance creep even as supporters cite public-safety uses.

AI in Special Education: A Virginia special education teacher says generative AI is cutting IEP and paperwork time by more than half, freeing weekends and more in-class attention. Midterm Money in Virginia: Elon Musk’s America PAC is pushing nearly $800,000 into competitive races, including support for GOP House candidates in Virginia and other states. FBI Wiretap Claim in VA Politics: U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam says the FBI/DOJ told him his calls with Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas were monitored, calling the March-to-May timing “extremely suspicious.” Dominion-NextEra / Data Center Backlash: Virginia’s energy and data-center fight keeps heating up as leaders weigh special-session moves and communities push back on new facilities. Local Government Oversight: Culpeper animal shelter critics are demanding an independent review of management and care after a Sept. 2 board meeting. Public Safety: Virginia State Police are ramping Labor Day enforcement to reduce impaired driving, speeding, and seatbelt violations.

Campus Safety & Firearms: A Virginia Tech 20-years-later reckoning is being urged, with calls for a statewide review of threat-assessment teams, warning systems, and how firearms reach campuses. LGBTQ Student Rights: Cabarrus County’s bathroom fight spotlights how federal court rulings are shaping local school policies and the real-world stress students face. Agriculture & Trade: Gov. Abigail Spanberger met cattlemen in Botetourt and promised a plan to address a hay shortage while warning that federal beef-import moves could squeeze Virginia producers. Elections & Voting Ops: Hanover election officials laid out key dates for the Nov. 3 general election, including registration deadlines and early/mail voting timelines. Public Safety Tech Backlash: Flock license-plate cameras are turning into a national campaign flashpoint as candidates push bans, limits, or warrant requirements over mass-surveillance concerns. Courts & Politics: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam says the FBI/DOJ monitored his calls with state Sen. Louise Lucas, alleging suspicious timing during a politically charged period. Housing & Homelessness: A guest analysis argues HUD’s homelessness counts miss rural realities and undercount people outside shelters and institutions. Infrastructure: Staunton is set to receive $15M for Amtrak station upgrades via federal intercity rail funding. School Disruptions: Buckingham schools faced a “swatting” lockdown after a threat call, with no injuries reported.