Episode 78: What can we expect from the 2023 General Assembly?

The Virginia General Assembly is gearing up for another jam-packed legislative session. Lawmakers convene in Richmond next Wednesday, January 11th. And since this is an odd-numbered year, they’re only scheduled to meet for 30 days. Though they’ll almost certainly extend the General Assembly session by a few weeks.

Meanwhile, a bunch of laws that passed in previous sessions went into effect this week. The state minimum wage is now 12 dollars an hour, up from 11. The grocery sales tax has been cut. And grocery stores in Charlottesville and Fairfax will now charge you a cool 5 cents per plastic bag.

And just like last year, this year’s General Assembly session takes place in a milieu of divided government. Democrats have a majority in the state Senate while Republicans control the House of Delegates and the governorship. So what does that mean for lawmaking this time around?

To answer that question, Bold Dominion producer Aaryan Balu spoke with longtime friend of the show Michael Pope. He’s a journalist who covers state politics and the General Assembly.