RICHMOND, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The opening of business for the 2025 General Assembly session has been formally postponed until Monday, January 13. Both the House and Senate did gavel into session at the scheduled noon time January 8, but the only business conducted was organizational. The two chambers first formed a committee of ten legislators from both the House and Senate informing Governor Youngkin the General Assembly is convening and ready to receive communications from the Governor’s Office. Afterwards, they passed resolutions postponing the bill pre-filing deadline to Monday, January 13. The original date had been January 8. Then announcements were made committee meetings and other meetings that were scheduled over the next couple of days be postponed until January 13 and after. Finally, resolutions for both chambers to adjourn until 9am Monday.

Several aversions were cast to the reasons why as Lt. Governor Winsome Sears in her greeting to the Senate acknowledged thankfulness “for the little things… running water, heat, we are indeed thankful”.
In communicating to the House a resolution passed by the Senate, Senate Majority Leaders Scott Surovell quipped on the House floor, “I have been directed by the President of the Senate to inform the House of Delegates that the Senate is hydrated, showered, and duly organized to proceed to business”.

Charlottesville Democratic Delegate Katrina Callsen told CharlottesvilleRightNow this was unexpected “and I’m just trying to roll with it”.
She noted she was on the Albemarle County School Board during the pandemic and “this is small beans and I know we’re going to figure it out, but it has been a little bit of a wild ride”.
She said she was in Richmond preparing for the session until Tuesday, and came home Tuesday night and drove back Wednesday morning. “There was no water, and people are saying there was a boil water advisory, but there was no water to boil where I was staying. You turned on the faucet and there was no water coming out.”
She said, “that works for a little while, but after a bit you need water for various functions”.
She expected most legislators would go home after the Wednesday floor sessions.