Virginia Budget Deal: Virginia lawmakers approved a two-year budget after weeks of brinkmanship, avoiding a shutdown and sending the plan to Gov. Abigail Spanberger. The compromise keeps data center sales tax breaks but adds a new electricity consumption fee—aimed at raising up to $600M a year for the general fund—while also including pay raises for teachers and state workers, housing affordability language, and a framework for a legal adult-use retail cannabis market. Data Center Tax Fight: The central dispute was how to handle data center incentives: the Senate pushed to eliminate a major exemption, while the House wanted to preserve it with clean-energy requirements—ending in a middle path that leaves both sides unhappy. Transit Governance: Lawmakers also directed a study on consolidating Northern Virginia transit agencies to cut costs and improve service, with potential effects for DASH, Fairfax Connector, ART, and CUE. Voting Rights: A civil rights group asked a court to speed up Virginia’s reform of voter registration rules for people with certain felony convictions, arguing they’re stuck in registration limbo. Cannabis Launch Timeline: The budget package sets up regulated recreational sales to begin July 1, 2027, after Spanberger’s earlier vetoes and negotiations.