While Session in Richmond lasts 60 days, the rest of the year is where the real community connection happens: showing up in Sterling, Potomac Falls, Dulles, and across our neighborhoods through town halls, mobile office hours, community events, and one-on-one meetings with constituents and local businesses. Listening is just as important as legislating, and the conversations I have outside of Richmond directly shape the priorities I bring back to the General Assembly. Please send me an email if you want me attend an event you think is worthwhile at [email protected]!
Read on for a look at some of what I’ve been doing this week and a recap of news out of Richmond.
Around the District
Committee for Dulles/DATA Mobility Partners Legislative & Multimodal Breakfast Event
This week, I had the privilege of joining News4 Anchor Adam Tuss, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority CEO Monica Backmon, and fellow legislators for a townhall-style panel and Q&A at The Committee for Dulles/DATA Mobility Partners Legislative & Multimodal Breakfast Event. Our conversation went straight to the heart of what matters most for residents across Sterling, Potomac Falls, and the broader Dulles corridor: how do we move people efficiently, affordably, and reliably in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country?
From new Silver Line developments to expanding bus access and supporting affordable housing near metro stations, the discussion made clear that transportation and affordability are inseparable issues. Getting to and from Dulles International Airport — a true gateway to the world, serving 52 airlines across 100 domestic and 64 international destinations and welcoming a record-breaking 29 million passengers in 2025 alone — should not be a challenge reserved only for those with a car or the means to pay for one.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Master Plan for Dulles offers a bold and exciting vision: connecting the Silver Line directly to the airport, expanding concourses and the AeroTrain system, planning a fifth runway, and developing new mixed-use communities across the airport’s footprint — all designed to accommodate a future passenger goal of 45 million. MWAA is also already investing in its workforce through the Airport Workers Wage Policy, which provides employees with affordable commuting options. These are exactly the kinds of forward-thinking, people-first investments our region needs.
Reliable, accessible transportation is not a luxury — it is an economic lifeline for our constituents and a foundation for the growth ahead. I left this event energized by the community voices in the room and more committed than ever to advocating for a Dulles Airport and a regional transit system that works for everyone.
Cornerstones Faith, Advocacy, & Action for Affordable Housing
Last week, Cornerstones, the Reston-based nonprofit that has championed affordable housing and human services in Northern Virginia for over 55 years, hosted a community event bringing together local legislators, community leaders, and citizen for a panel discussion followed by small group ones, on housing. The conversation came on the heels of a landmark 2026 Virginia General Assembly session, during which more than 1,200 bills passed and scores of housing-related bills targeting everything from zoning reform to tenant protections were sent to Governor Spanberger. Among the session’s significant wins, localities can now fast-track rezoning for qualifying affordable housing developments, establish stronger inclusionary zoning programs, and offer property tax exemptions for nonprofit-controlled affordable housing. Virginia will now require all localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, and to give localities a Right of First Refusal on subsidized rental properties at risk of losing affordability. The Cornerstones event offered community members a chance to engage directly with legislators who helped advance these measures, reflecting the organization’s long commitment to connecting residents with the policymakers shaping housing opportunity in the region.
Sterling Mobile Office Hours
Do you need assistance from our constituent services team? Grab your time slot on Monday, May 18th for Mobile Office Hours:
In Richmond
When families across Northern Virginia sit down at the kitchen table to sort through their bills, they’re not thinking about partisan politics; they’re thinking about whether they can make it all work. That’s exactly the bills signed into law this week matter deeply. From protecting families when a new baby arrives to making sure data centers — not homeowners — pay their fair share of energy costs, the legislation signed this week puts real money back in the pockets of working Virginians. These are answers to the questions I hear at every door, every community meeting, and every school event in our district: What are you doing to make life more affordable? Read on to hear how we delivered.
Economy & Affordability & Energy — The Bottom Line for Virginia Families
This week’s signings are a direct response to what we hear every day from constituents: the cost of living is too high, and working families need relief now. Washington isn’t going to save us — so Virginia is stepping up.
Paid Family and Medical Leave is the crown jewel of this week’s action. Governor Spanberger signed two bills into law creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program, giving eligible workers, both full-time and part-time, up to 12 weeks of benefits equal to 80 percent of their average weekly pay. This is transformational for working families in our district and across the Commonwealth. No parent should have to drain their savings account to stay home with a newborn. No caregiver should have to choose between keeping their job and being there when a loved one is sick. And this isn’t just good for workers as the law levels the playing field for small and mid-sized employers, giving them a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining talented employees, reducing turnover, and building a stronger, more reliable workforce.
Energy costs are another area where Virginia delivered real, tangible relief this week. The signed bills include a cost allocation provision ensuring that large energy users — namely data centers — pay their fair share, rather than passing those costs on to residential customers. Families in Sterling and Ashburn have watched their utility bills climb for years while massive data center campuses proliferated around them. This fixes that imbalance. Governor Spanberger also signed legislation supporting investments in nuclear and fusion energy and expanding access to rooftop solar (including balcony solar) to help homeowners save money. Clean energy is good for the plant AND it’s an affordability issue.
The Governor also signed an extension of Virginia’s power line undergrounding program through early 2033, with Dominion Energy committing not to seek SCC approval beyond what was originally contemplated in the 2018 Grid Transformation and Security Act. That’s a real commitment with real accountability.
Governor Spanberger signed laws formally establishing the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank within the Department of Energy to help fund clean energy projects statewide, as well. This is a long-term investment in Virginia’s economic future! We are keeping energy dollars in the Commonwealth and positioning us to lead in the industries of tomorrow.
Public Safety & Gun Accountability
Governor Spanberger signed legislation prohibiting the future sale and manufacture of assault firearms, and banning the sale of magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds. As a responsible gun owner myself, this is legislation I’m proud to have voted for. Weapons and parts designed to inflict mass casualties have no place on our streets or in our communities.
The Governor also signed a law making clear in statute that only law enforcement officers, ROTC cadets, and U.S. military personnel are permitted to carry firearms at public institutions of higher education thereby closing a regulatory loophole that made campus policing harder and our students less safe.
Additionally, legislation was signed banning individuals from bringing weapons into hospitals and psychiatric care facilities, protecting healthcare workers and patients in these already high-stress environments.
Workers’ Rights & Criminal Justice Fairness
Governor Spanberger signed HB675, protecting immigrant workers from employer retaliation when they report wage theft or minimum wage violations. Every worker in Virginia has a responsibility to uphold the law and every worker deserves to be paid what they’ve earned. Fear of retaliation has allowed bad-actor employers to exploit vulnerable workers for too long. This closes that door. This action taken together with the minimum wage increase (previously implemented) and Paid Family and Medical Leave, mean Virginia is building an economy that works for the people who actually do the work.
Virginia enacted an automatic hearing process for people convicted of certain marijuana offenses before the Commonwealth legalized personal marijuana possession in 2021. More than 1,000 Virginians remain incarcerated or under community supervision for conduct that is no longer a chargeable offense. This is a matter of basic fairness since we fixed the law, we must make sure those affected by the old law are not left behind. For decades, marijuana enforcement disproportionately impacted minority communities and communities of color, contributing to inequities in our criminal justice system that Virginia must no longer ignore.
The Big Picture
This week’s signings are proof that the state government can and does make a difference in people’s daily lives. Paid leave in your pocket when a baby is born. Lower energy bills. Safer schools. Fairer treatment in the justice system. These aren’t abstract policy debates — they are real changes for real families.
While Washington creates chaos and uncertainty, Virginia is delivering and will keep doing exactly that.
Ways to Support Me
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How My Office Can Help
Navigating state agencies can be confusing and difficult at times. As the delegate for House District 27, I can help you communicate with state agencies such as the Virginia Employment Commission, Departments of Taxation, Social Services, Transportation, and more! I can also submit inquiries with those agencies on your behalf. There are limits to what I can do, however. For example, I am unable to expedite cases or force state agencies to favor your inquiry, provide legal advice or recommend a specific attorney, intervene with judicial issues, overturn decisions, or be involved with matters between private businesses.
Whether you require my office’s assistance, want to bring an issue to my attention or invite me to a community event, please reach out here: https://atoosareaser.com/help/.
Alongside constituent services, I can submit drafts for commending and memorial resolutions. Commending resolutions are formal legislative documents that recognize individuals or organizations for their outstanding achievements or service to the community, while memorial resolutions pay tribute to those who have passed away. If you know of someone or a group in the district that deserves special recognition, please submit a request here: resolution request form.
Yours in Service,
Atoosa Reaser (she/her)
Virginia House of Delegates
District 27 (Eastern Loudoun)
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