Virginia Democrats are still figuring out the contours of a new congressional map as part of their bid to push back on President Donald Trump’s national gerrymandering crusade. And Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is getting involved in the court fight over the effort. 

Below, I’ve got an update on how Democrats are marshaling pro-worker bills through the General Assembly. 

And a new report highlights how much money companies are making off of Trump’s immigration crackdown. 

Demonstrators rally for collective bargaining rights in downtown Richmond on January 16, 2026. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)

Yesterday, the Virginia Senate Commerce and Labor Committee advanced a bill to repeal the commonwealth’s ban on collective bargaining for public sector workers on an 8-6 party line vote. 

The bill would result in over 500,000 workers getting the right to collectively bargain, including teachers, firefighters, home care workers, and campus workers. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) published a report last month looking at how this legislation would benefit workers and Virginia more broadly. 

“Data show that strong collective bargaining laws help states address persistent public-sector pay gaps, reduce staff vacancies and turnover, and lead to higher unionization rates,” EPI says. 

The committee also advanced a bill that would require farm workers to get paid Virginia’s minimum wage and another bill that would make domestic workers eligible to get overtime pay.

And earlier today, the Virginia House of Delegates passed its bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. 

Combined, these efforts are helping turn this legislative session into a big one for workers and unions across Virginia. 

• A committee has advanced a bill called the Artificial Intelligence Workforce Impact Act from state Del. Michael Feggans (D-Virginia Beach) to address the impact of AI on workers. 

• State Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-Woodbridge) posted an explainer aiming to debunk so-called “right to work” laws. 

• A majority of Americans say the economy is worse off under Trump than it was under former President Joe Biden, Newsweek reports. 

Demonstrators at an anti-ICE rally in Hanover County on January 28, 2026. (Michael O’Connor/Dogwood)

There’s been more scrutiny recently over the connection between Trump’s violent immigration crackdown and America’s business interests. 

The Financial Times reported that private companies have earned $22 billion in contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, over the past year.

Drop me a line if you know of any Virginia companies that may be capitalizing on the explosion in funding for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Also, check out this piece for a cogent argument about why DHS needs deep reforms, if not outright dismantling.

Meanwhile, members of Congress in Virginia are voting to block funding for DHS. See how US Rep. Jennifer McLellan explains her position. 

Ghazala Hashmi takes the oath of office for Lt. Governor during inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol in Richmond Va., Saturday Jan. 17, 2026.(AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

I have to give a tip of the cap to Erin Cox at The Washington Post for highlighting Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi’s passion for poetry. 

Cox has a piece where she reports on Hashmi having a PhD in poetry and Hashmi shares some of her favorite poems. 

The list includes poems from W.H. Auden, Robert Hass, and Carl Sandburg. Fun fact: Fairfax County is home to a Carl Sandburg Middle School. 

Here’s to making poetry a bigger part of public life.

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