Virginia has climbed a spot in CNBC’s annual ranking of the best states for business, a year after federal job cuts helped knock it out of the No. 1 position.
The state placed third in the 2026 rankings released today (Thursday), up from fourth last year. Ohio took the top spot for the first time, followed by North Carolina, with Texas and Minnesota rounding out the top five. CNBC scored all 50 states on 138 metrics across 10 categories in the study, now in its 20th year.
Despite pending legal challenges at the state and local level, Arlington prosecutors still consider Virginia’s new assault weapons ban the law of the land.
“Yes, we plan to prosecute cases under the assault weapons ban if they are brought to us by the police,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow, taking a position that tracks with the view of Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones.
More than 1,100 bills have come out of the latest General Assembly session, and many take effect on July 1.
As Democrats gained a trifecta with the election of Gov. Abigail Spanberger and control of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, legislators passed bills focused on immigration enforcement, gun control, housing and tenant protections, reproductive rights and more. Democrats also passed Virginia’s first-ever paid sick leave, paid family and medical leave, and child care assistance programs for workers.
Democratic leaders in the Virginia General Assembly reached an agreement on a state budget with a compromise on taxing data centers.
The proposed budget agreement, announced last Friday evening, kept the sales and use tax exemption for data centers, which has divided lawmakers in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates. However, it adds a new data center electricity consumption tax, which would charge a rate of $0.011 per kilowatt hour based on the electricity a data center uses each month.
The Trump administration’s Justice Department is challenging several state laws passed by Virginia Democrats targeting the work of federal immigration enforcement officers.
The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Virginia’s Richmond Division, challenges state laws that seek to ban federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks and restrict 287(g) agreements between federal immigration enforcement and state and local law enforcement agencies.
An information technology company is relocating its headquarters from Bethesda to Crystal City, promising 450 more jobs.
Spatial Front is moving through a $6 million investment from the company, assisted by a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund, Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) office said a press release today. The Virginia Jobs Investment Program will provide funding and services to support employee training at the company.
Legislation addressing the high cost of childcare in Virginia has received Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature — but it’s still unclear how much funding it will entail.
The governor held a ceremonial signing at a Richmond daycare yesterday (Wednesday) for Del. Adele McClure’s HB 18 and the Senate version (SB 3) by state Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D-13). The pair of bills will create an Employee Child Care Assistance Program with matching funds to incentivize employers to provide contributions for their employees’ childcare costs.
A Ballston-based defense technology firm is investing $19 million to expand its Arlington headquarters and add 210 jobs, doubling its Virginia workforce.
Innovative Defense Technologies, headquartered at 4401 Wilson Blvd, develops automated software tools that help U.S. military programs integrate, test and field new systems faster. The expansion was announced today by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), who approved an $800,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to help Arlington land the project.
All Virginia workers will be eligible for paid sick leave under new legislation backed by State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40).
The new law, signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger yesterday (Wednesday), requires employers to provide both full-time and part-time employees with up to five sick days per year beginning in July 2027. Workers accrue one hour for every 30 hours worked, and will be able to take time off for either mental or physical illness.
Arlington leaders are still working through the implications of a change to state law making it easier for religious organizations to build affordable housing.
The Faith in Housing Act removes some, but not all, local regulatory approval for affordable housing constructed on land owned by nonprofit organizations, including religious groups. Despite some concerns from various local governments around the commonwealth, the measure had the backing of Democrats in the General Assembly and ultimately was signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).
The “Yes in God’s Backyard” movement is celebrating after the Faith in Housing bill, supporting expedited church-based affordable housing development, has been signed into law.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed state Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-29)’s SB 388 and Del. Joshua Cole (D-65)’s HB 1279, which will eliminate the rezoning step for faith-based organizations and other tax-exempt nonprofits to develop affordable housing on their properties. The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027 and will sunset on Jan. 1, 2031 unless reenacted by a future General Assembly.
A bill from Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-3) seeking to limit law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration enforcement has received minor adjustments from Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
Lopez’s HB 1441, and companion bill SB 783, ban state and local law enforcement agreements with federal immigration enforcement and limit when state and local law enforcement can cooperate.
