Governor Abigail Spanberger received a cold reception recently at the Fiddler’s Convention in Galax – a rare occurrence, even for unpopular politicians. In the past, unpopular governors were met with quiet – yet polite – applause. Governor Spanberger by contrast was literally booed off stage. Looking at her record and actions compared to her campaign promises, it is not hard to see why. The governor’s problems started long before the boo-birds greeted her.
Not only did the Governor join Northern Virginia Democrats in an effort to curtail the Second Amendment rights of all Virginians, she also went back on her word on redistricting. These were extremely important issues to Southwest Virginia residents that proved to them that the governor did not have their backs.
She went back on her word and forgot her promise to work on ending the universally hated car tax, and she worked with Democrats to pile more “green energy” mandates onto power producers and their customers, making life less affordable for those already struggling to make ends meet.
Southwest Virginia is very sensitive to higher power bills, which is why I worked so hard to pass the APCo Rate Reduction Act in 2025. Unfortunately, provisions of the Democrat-supported Virginia Clean Economy Act and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative are working to erase the savings that my legislation sought to achieve for the average household.
Republicans want to end the car tax, the grocery tax, and lower your power bills – making life more affordable for everyone. With responsible budgeting, many of these goals could have been a reality as early as this budget cycle. These were real plans that create real savings immediately. Instead, Democrats passed legislation that will increase the cost of living, and they submitted legislation that would have increased it even more by adding a new sales tax onto nearly every service imaginable. No wonder the governor was booed off stage.
Switching gears, and of note locally, the Southwest Virginia Tourism Award winners were recently announced. Several entities within the New River Valley received accolades!
The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce brought home the award for Best Magazine with a Tourism Marketing Budget of $50,000 or less. The Giles County Chamber of Commerce tied with Grayson County Tourism for the Best Visitor Guide with a Marketing Budget of $50,000 or less. Pulaski County Tourism won the Best Visitor Guide with a Tourism Marketing Budget of $50,000 or more, and “Chasing the Squirrel: The Story of Wally Thrasher at NRV Airport” won Outstanding One Day Event of the Year. We should all appreciate the contributions that our tourism marketing entities and tourism-focused businesses make to our area. Tourism helps to grow our regional economy, and we are fortunate to have top-level agencies locally that promote all of the wonderful opportunities for recreation here. Well done to all of our awardees!
As the Delegate representing the 42nd House District in the Virginia General Assembly, your concerns are my greatest priority. If ever I may be of assistance to you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. You can also follow me on X @JasonBallardVA or like my Facebook page, Jason Ballard for Delegate, to keep up to date with what I am doing in Richmond and in our community on your behalf.
