Last weekend, Virginia’s newly sworn-in Governor Abigail Spanberger made history not just in her inauguration but in how quickly she set the tone for her administration by signing ten executive orders on Day One aimed at affordability, education, economic resilience, inclusion, and reversing key policies of her Republican predecessor. The slate broadly reflects her campaign priorities — especially addressing cost pressures on everyday Virginians — and signals a shift in policy direction from the Youngkin era.

Most significant is the 10th, rescinding former Gov. Youngkin’s order for state and local law enforcement to work with federal ICE operations. But all are, in fact, profoundly important.

1. Affordability Across the Commonwealth. Spanberger’s first order directs all executive branch agencies and cabinet secretaries to identify concrete ways to reduce costs for Virginians. This includes reviewing housing, health care, energy, child care, education, and everyday living expenses, with a requirement to deliver actionable recommendations within a set timeframe.

2. Health Care Cost Task Force. The second order establishes an Interagency Health Financing Task Force to develop strategies to strengthen Virginia’s health care system and ensure affordability, particularly amid federal policy changes and funding shifts.

3. Housing Development Review. Recognizing housing affordability challenges, the third order mandates a comprehensive review of regulatory and permitting practices that affect housing development statewide, with an aim to identify barriers and recommend reforms.

4. Public Education Strengthening. This directive focuses on enhancing Virginia’s public education system by reviewing instructional systems and establishing expert work groups to bolster literacy, math achievement, and accountability.

5. Economic Resiliency Task Force. Spanberger created a statewide Economic Resiliency Task Force to coordinate responses to federal workforce reductions, funding cuts, tariffs, and immigration impacts. The group is tasked with assessing potential economic disruptions and mitigation strategies.

6. Higher Education Governance Review. This order directs a review of the process for appointing members to public higher education governing boards and seeks recommendations to improve governance and appointments.

7. Emergency Powers Delegation. Spanberger delegated authority to her chief of staff and other officials to declare a state of emergency or activate the Virginia National Guard if she is unreachable or incapacitated, ensuring continuity of government operations.

8. Expanded Chief of Staff Authority. The eighth order grants significant planning, budgetary, personnel, and administrative authority to the governor’s chief of staff, while reserving ultimate decision-making power to the governor herself.

9. Equal Opportunity Directive. This order declares that the Commonwealth will ensure equal opportunity in hiring, appointments, procurement, and public services and directs proactive recruitment across a broad range of protected characteristics.

10. Rescinding Youngkin’s Immigration Enforcement Mandate. The most politically notable, the tenth order rescinds former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s directive that state and local law enforcement pursue immigration-related enforcement duties under 287(g) agreements — effectively rolling back cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Taken together, these executive orders establish Spanberger’s priorities: controlling costs for families, strengthening public services, promoting equity, safeguarding economic stability, and reorienting the state’s policies on law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration authorities.