In a move that surprises absolutely no one paying attention, Virginia Democrats are wasting no time showing what unified one-party control really looks like. Freshly sworn in Gov. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., now has radical Democrats running both chambers of the General Assembly, and the legislative floodgates are wide open.
Bills are pouring in targeting gun ownership, election procedures, taxes, and abortion. But one proposal in particular has drawn serious concern for what it would mean for public safety across the Commonwealth.
Democrat Delegate Rae Cousins has introduced legislation that would eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for a wide range of violent crimes, including rape, manslaughter, assault on law enforcement, possession and distribution of child pornography, and repeat violent felonies. This kind of policy might be expected in places like California or Oregon, but Virginia Democrats appear eager to follow the same path.
Under Cousins’ proposal, the current five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for producing, publishing, selling, financing, or otherwise creating child pornography involving children under the age of 15 would be eliminated. The bill would also remove the 15-year mandatory minimum for a second offense and strike language requiring those sentences to be served consecutively rather than concurrently.
The legislation also removes the mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for rape, along with the requirement that those years be served consecutively with sentences for other crimes.
In addition, individuals who brandish or use a firearm during the commission of serious crimes—including murder, rape, forcible sodomy, sexual penetration with objects, robbery, carjacking, burglary, malicious wounding, assaults on law enforcement officers, abduction, and mob violence—would no longer face the existing mandatory minimum of three years. Instead, the sentence could be reduced to anywhere between one and three years, or even a combination of less than a year in jail and a fine. Tough on crime, clearly.
When combined with broader Democratic support for gun restrictions, the message is difficult to miss: fewer tools for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves, and lighter consequences for those who commit violent crimes. An interesting policy choice, to put it politely.
The situation could worsen further. Democrats are also pushing to eliminate electronic recording devices in district and circuit courtrooms, reducing public visibility into judicial proceedings. That change would allow judges inclined toward leniency to operate with far less scrutiny.
Adding to concerns is Attorney General Jay Jones, D-Va., the state’s top law enforcement official, who has previously made remarks fantasizing about violence against Republican colleagues and their families. Not exactly reassuring leadership during a debate over criminal sentencing.
If the measure passes the legislature, it will land on Gov. Spanberger’s desk. While a veto is technically possible, her record and the ideological direction of her party make that outcome doubtful.
President Trump has long warned about the consequences of soft-on-crime policies, and Virginia now stands as a clear example of why that warning matters. The good news is that voters are watching closely—and accountability has a way of showing up at the ballot box. When public safety is on the line, Americans still believe in common sense, strong laws, and protecting innocent lives.
