Is the Office of Regulatory Management Virginia’s DOGE?, or is it something else? That’s a debate that has been raging in the public eye recently.
Enter the highly-respected economist Dr. James Broughel, one of our senior fellows at the Virginia Institute for Public Policy.
On March 6th, we released a major new study by Dr. Broughel, who is also a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a former adjunct professor at the Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
$1.2 billion of annual savings for Virginians. Permit processing times slashed from an average of 33 days to 5 days. Even the average cost of building a house will drop by $24,000.
The Office of Regulatory Reform (ORM) in Virginia has been highly successful in taking an axe to Virginia’s bloated regulatory code, already cutting it by 21%.
The paper has generated publicity in the media – see HERE and HERE:
We’re making sure to provide the facts and figures to those in power in Richmond so that legislators can learn not just about the Virginia Model of Regulatory Reform, but also about how it can be improved upon.
Here is the full paper, and the one-page executive summary.
Please feel free to view the summary for a short concise recap, or view the full document below in the .pdf viewer below! Download links are included for your convenience if you wish to view it in your own preferred document viewer.
Summary
The Virginia Institute of Public Policy released a report highlighting the success of the Virginia Model in reducing regulatory burdens. The model has saved Virginians $1.2 billion annually by streamlining regulations rather than focusing solely on staffing cuts. This initiative, which started under Governor Northam and continued under Governor Youngkin, has reduced the state’s regulatory burden by over 21% since 2022, aiming for a 25% reduction by the end of Youngkin’s term.
Key Points:
Significant Cost Savings: Virginia’s regulatory reforms have led to $1.2 billion in annual savings.
Reduction in Red Tape: The state has already cut 21% of its regulations, with a goal of reaching 25%.
Faster Processing Times:
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR): License processing times reduced from 33 days to 5 days.
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ): Permit processing times cut by 70%.
Streamlining Large Regulations: The Stormwater Management Handbook was reduced from 11,600 pages to 1,800, saving $124 million annually.
Bipartisan Progress: Despite divided government control, the Virginia Model shows that bipartisan cooperation on regulatory reform is possible.
DOGE and the Debate on Efficiency: The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has highlighted different approaches to efficiency, questioning whether to focus on cutting funding, staffing, or regulations.
The report suggests that Virginia’s approach is a model for other states, demonstrating how targeted deregulation can improve efficiency and reduce costs without sacrificing public safety.
Please feel free to view the summary for a short concise recap, or view the full document below in the .pdf viewer below! Download links are included for your convenience if you wish to view it in your own preferred document viewer.
Summary
A new Virginia poll conducted by Cygnal on behalf of 50CAN reveals strong public support for parental choice in education, despite concerns that the state’s education system is “on the wrong track.”
Key findings:
Virginia’s Direction: While most believe the state is headed in the right direction, education remains a concern.
Virginia Opportunity Scholarship: Governor Youngkin’s proposed program has 57% support (net +29), with particularly strong approval from Black (+36) and Hispanic (+55) voters.
School Choice Support: 75% of respondents favor allowing families to choose schools outside of their assigned zones.
Reform vs. Funding: 61% prefer system reform over increased funding (28%).
Election Implications: 42% of voters statewide believe education is on the wrong track, rising to 55% in swing districts, suggesting education could be a key issue in the 2025 elections.
Virginia Institute for Public Policy’s Lindsey Zea emphasizes that parents want a greater say in their children’s education, regardless of income, location, or ethnicity. With upcoming legislative decisions and elections, policymakers may need to address these concerns.
Lynn Taylor is the president and co-founder of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, an independent, nonpartisan, education and research organization that develops and promotes public policy consistent with the Virginia tradition of individual liberty, dynamic entrepreneurial capitalism, private property, the rule of law, and constitutionally-limited government. She also serves as president of Tertium Quids, an issue advocacy organization that, along with the Virginia Institute, co-hosts Virginia’s Tuesday Morning Group, a statewide coalition comprising more than 1,000 activists who represent more than 260 organizations. Lynn is also the executive producer of Freedom & Prosperity Radio, a syndicated talk radio program with a focus on politics and public policy.
Additionally, she is a co-founder and chair of the Virginia Fair Elections (VFE) Coalition and, as of February 2023, she also serves as chairman of the Election Integrity Network (EIN), now a project of the Virginia Institute.
Prior to her current positions, Lynn was managing director of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation and the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation in Washington, D.C. Well experienced in the management and the funding of nonprofit organizations, she served on the boards of The Heartland Institute for Public Policy, Chicago; the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, New York; the Young Entrepreneurs of Washington, D.C.; and presently serves on the board of One Generation Away, Washington, D.C.
Lynn received a B.A. in mathematics from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, and subsequently earned an M.B.A. in finance from Georgia State University and a J.D. (cum laude) from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law.
Lynn is a member of The Federalist Society, an organization “founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.” Since 1996, Lynn has been a member of The Philadelphia Society, an organization “dedicated to the goal of deepening the intellectual foundations of a free and ordered society and to broadening the general understanding of its basic principles among the public at large.”
Fun Facts:
Lynn received a B.A. in mathematics from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA and used to tutor her future husband through his math classes in graduate school because it “just wasn’t his thing.”
Rush Limbaugh once gave her a box of very expensive cigars, which her husband promptly smoked with great enjoyment.
When she was dating her future husband, she was a DJ at a club called the Library. Whenever anyone asked where she was, her friends would simply say, “Oh, Lynn’s at the Library.”
Lynn had to wait outside for security at a conservative conference once because she was the only think tank executive who was carrying a firearm.
Virginia Bill Could Cripple AI Innovation, Putting U.S. Behind China, Warns VIPP
LEXINGTON, VA — Today, the Virginia Institute for Public Policy is warning that Virginia’s once-thriving tech industry could be reduced to a shadow of its former self if House Bill HB2094, a well-intentioned but deeply flawed piece of legislation, becomes law. The bill aims to prevent “algorithmic discrimination[1]” but if adopted, Virginia’s ability to compete in the rapidly evolving AI sector would be crippled by excessive compliance burdens, legal ambiguities, and astronomical costs.
Caleb Taylor, Director of Policy at the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, said “If HB2094 is passed, small businesses could see compliance costs between $10,000 and $500,000 annually. Large corporations may face costs exceeding $10 million. Whilst states like Indiana, Tennessee, and Minnesota are actively courting AI investments with business-friendly policies, Virginia must not throttle our own businesses in a vital, growing sector.”
The bill covers so-called “high-risk artificial intelligence systems” impacting critical areas like employment, housing, healthcare, and education. The United States faces fierce competition, particularly from China, which has already unveiled AI models like DeepSeek R1. We cannot afford to become less productive.
Caleb Taylor added “Discrimination in these areas is already illegal under state and federal laws. As written, HB2094 will add completely unnecessary compliance expenses.”
The impact goes beyond AI development. The data center industry — a cornerstone of Virginia’s economy — could also face devastating consequences. Data centers contribute 74,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income, and $9.1 billion in GDP annually to Virginia, according to a 2024 JLARC study[2]. If Virginia continues down this regulatory path, we risk losing AI innovators and the critical infrastructure that supports them.
Let’s not stifle innovation or push businesses out of the Commonwealth. Instead, we should position Virginia as a leader in ethical, competitive AI development—one that balances progress with responsibility.
If we impose these burdens now, we may lose our standing in the AI revolution before it even begins. Virginia must reject HB2094 and pursue a path that fosters growth, protects fairness, and secures a bright future in the global AI race.
[1] Algorithmic discrimination occurs when AI systems produce discriminatory outcomes based on protected characteristics including race, gender, age, or disability.
Please feel free to view the summary for a short concise recap, or view the full document below in the .pdf viewer below! Download links are included for your convenience if you wish to view it in your own preferred document viewer.
Summary
SB769 would make Virginia’s cookies law arguably the most restrictive in the world, even more so than California and the European Union. Nobody has calculated the true economic cost to small businesses, or the workload it would place on the Attorney General’s office. It’s a pro-privacy bill that would make your data less private, and could lead to Virginians being unable to access websites hosted in other states.
The 2025 General Assembly Session officially began on January 8th, 2025. But, with the weather and resulting water issues in Richmond, it didn’t begin in earnest until last week. On the 13th, committees began meeting, votes were cast, and public policy debates once again filled the General Assembly Building.
Because 2025 is an odd-numbered year and the longer process of building out a two-year budget happens only in even-numbered years for the following two-year period, this year will be a short 45 day session. The delayed session start has begged the question of how likely it is for the session to end on time. After a call to the Senate Clerk, we learned that the original schedule will still be adhered to as much as possible, with some potential Saturday work for General Assembly members later in the session. February 22nd is the tentative last day of the 2025 General Assembly Session.
One of the budget amendments proposed by the Governor this year is a program to assist children from low-income families to afford educational opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach without financial assistance. $50 million dollars would be ear marked for Virginia Opportunity Scholarships to cover private school tuition costs for eligible Virginia students if this budget amendment receives enough support and becomes adopted. Click HERE to watch a press conference held last week about the program. We applaud this proposed program by the Governor’s administration and further encourage funds to be dedicated towards sustaining this program for multiple years versus one year. Although there is already significant politically-based pushback to the Virginia Opportunity Scholarship proposal, it’s hard to see why any legislator would fight against this program for Virginia’s kids.
2025 Session Overview Numbers – As of 01.19 (Total # of bills and resolutions)
The report below includes bills that fall into alignment with Virginia Institute’s policy recommendations, either for good policy or bad policy, and received a vote in a committee or on the House or Senate Floor last week.
EDUCATION
Two harmful bills were slated for a vote in the Senate Public Education Subcommittee on Friday, with many present at the committee to testify, but the vote was delayed. These two bills are currently expected to be heard on Monday, January 20th, at 1:30pm.
SB1031 – Religious Exemption for Education Requirements Attacks the homeschooling religious exemption process by requiring parents to meet educational qualifications, submit annual notices and progress reports, and demonstrate certain instruction methods.
SB979 – Delayed Implementation of New Public School Accountability System This bill directs the Department of Education to delay for one year the implementation of the revised public school accountability system adopted recently by the State Board of Education after robust research and discussion.
HB1735 – Voter Registration Deadline Change – Passed the House Privileges and Elections Committee on January 17th and is expected to be voted on by the House floor in the next few days
Currently, an individual who registers to vote within the three weeks prior to an election is provided with a provisional ballot. This bill proposes to limit that to only ten days prior to an election instead of three weeks. This bill also streamlines registration deadlines across all election types.
SB843 – Remote Patient Monitoring – Passed Senate Health and Education Committee with a vote of 14-Y and 0-N on January 16th. This bill is expected to be voted on by the House floor within a few days.
This bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to develop a plan and estimate costs for expanding eligibility criteria under Medicaid for remote patient monitoring for individuals with chronic conditions. These proposed changes would allow for a vulnerable demographic of Virginians, those with chronic conditions, to receive critical attention from medical professionals without further jeopardizing their health through unnecessary movement and travel.
SB910 – Phased Elimination of Certificate of Public Need – Failed through the motion to pass by indefinitely in the Senate Health and Education Committee with a vote of 13-Y and 1-N on January 16th.
This bill would establish a phased elimination of Certificate of Public Need with full elimination in 2027.
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Our beloved state of Virginia is known for its rich history of individuals and events that have helped shape our great Nation. But did you know that the origin of Father’s Day is also attributed to a Virginian?
According to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, “Kate Richardson Swineford of Drewry’s Bluff wanted to honor her father, Edward, in a special way. Even before the close of World War I, she began an effort to bring particular recognition to fathers, which led to her formation of the National Fathers’ Day Association in 1921.” Kate also wanted to establish a special day of recognition for Fathers. Gaining local support for her vision, and backed by Virginia governors Westmoreland Davis and E. Lee Trinkle, in 1933 she successfully obtained the trademark status for Fathers’ Day from the United States Patent Office.
In a world that is diminishing the importance of fatherhood, we, like Kate, must continue to honor and celebrate fathers, paternal bonds, and the impact fathers have on society. From our nation’s great heroes to a family’s guide and protector, a father’s influence is immeasurable.
One of our great Virginian Founding Fathers, also known as the “Father of the Declaration of Independence,” Thomas Jefferson wrote: “The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.”
Will Rogers, Jr., American politician, writer, and newspaper publisher, commented on fatherhood, “His heritage to his children wasn’t words or possessions, but an unspoken treasure, the treasure of his example as a man and father.”
As we at the Virginia Institute strive to uphold the principles of virtue, integrity and liberty this Nation was founded upon, we reflect with gratitude the “treasured examples” that have come before.
In May, a new budget was passed to fund state operations for the next two years. After going through rounds of suggested language, the General Assembly’s proposed budget was still called a “backwards budget,” meaning multiple aspects would be harmful steps backward for the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, in at least one case so far, that has proved true. The General Assembly leadership insisted a ban on presidential election audits be included in the budget, creating budget item 77 F.1:
“Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections C and D of § 24.2-671.2., Code of Virginia, a risk-limiting audit of a presidential election or an election for the nomination of candidates for the office of President shall not be conducted.”
We cannot overemphasize how poor and deeply concerning a decision it was to add this prohibition to the budget. Audits exist to ensure fair elections, regardless of the background—personal, political, or otherwise— of the candidates in question. Prohibiting an audit is a serious affront to the American government system founded on checks and balances to serve the people.
With presidential audits off the table, the next best thing is conducting a statewide audit of the Virginia Senate race. Thankfully, state officials intend to do just that. However, in order for it to be an effective audit, including hand counting some ballots to verify machine counts, both the Department of Elections and the State Board of Elections must choose a specific auditing method called the Batch Comparison Risk Limiting Audit.
The other, more common, method is called a Ballot Polling Risk Limiting Audit. This method includes pulling a “statistically significant” number of ballots (insert eye roll), assuming any needles in the haystack are included, and making a determination about the integrity of the election based on a review of just those ballots.
Please make your voice heard by both the State Board of Elections and the Department of Elections by telling them you support the more robust Batch Comparison Risk Limiting Audit for the statewide audit of the Senate race.
