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Votes at a glance: Virginia Senate acts on governor amendments, judicial slate and several high-profile bills
Summary
The Senate in a special reconvened session recorded votes on a broad set of governor amendments, confirmed judicial nominees under a joint order and debated high-profile bills including pharmacy/PBM reform and tax provisions. Many governor amendments were adopted; others were rejected after recorded roll calls.
The Virginia Senate, meeting in special session on April 1, 2025 in Richmond, completed a packed calendar that included the formal execution of a joint order to elect judges, and votes on dozens of bills and governor-recommended amendments. Below are the most consequential outcomes and recorded roll-call tallies that were announced on the floor.
What was most prominent
- Judicial elections (HJR 6005): The Senate complied with the joint order and voted to elect nominees named by several Senate resolutions; the clerk recorded unanimous tallies (Ayes 40, No 0) and the chair declared the nominees duly elected.
- Governor amendments: The Senate considered dozens of governor amendments. Some were adopted by voice or roll-call; others were rejected after debate and recorded votes. Where the transcript records a numerical tally, this summary reports the votes as announced from the floor.
Selected roll-call outcomes (as announced on the floor)
- HJR 6004 (scheduling/procedural resolution): Agreed to, Ayes 40, No 0. - HJR 6005 (joint order for judicial elections): Rules suspended and resolution taken up; later actions to elect nominees recorded as Ayes 40, No 0. - SB 738 (governor's recommendations): Adopted, Ayes 40, No 0. - SB 740 (governor's recommendations): Rejected, recorded as 17 in favor, 23 opposed (governor's amendments rejected). - SB 742 (governor's recommendations): Adopted, Ayes 40, No 0. - SB 746 (governor's recommendations): Not agreed to; recorded as Eyes 19, Nos 21 (governor's amendments rejected). - SB 780 (governor's recommendations): Rejected, recorded as Eyes 19, Nos 21.
- SB 8 75 ("Save Local Pharmacies" / PBM reform): The Senate rejected the governor's amendments to the bill earlier in the session. A later motion to pass the bill in enrolled form (without the governor's changes) also failed on the floor; the enrolled-form motion was recorded as Ayes 21, Noes 19 and the enrolled-form passage failed.
- A number of other bills were taken up with the governor's amendments either adopted or rejected; many measures were placed in blocks and taken "by for the day" where there was no extended floor debate recorded.
Why this matters
The votes change which bills will return to the governor's desk in the form passed by the Senate and which will require further action or await signature. Votes on governor amendments reflect negotiation outcomes between the executive and legislative branches; the judicial elections executed under the joint order produce immediate, binding results for the composition of state courts.
What happened next
After the recorded votes, the Senate recorded formal messages to the House of Delegates when required, directed committees to notify the House where appropriate, and concluded its reconvened business for the day.
Ending: The Senate adjourned sine die after completing the special-session calendar and the scheduled judicial elections.
