January 16, 2026: Virginia General Assembly approves referenda for four Constitutional amendments including one allowing Congressional redistricting for partisan advantage
Plus: Albemarle County wants your input on potential routes for the Three Notched Trail
Today’s edition is sponsored by the Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop
The Virginia General Assembly adopted the Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1787, ending the Church of England’s status as the official religion for the Commonwealth. This would set the precedent for provisions in the First Amendment that made it so that no one in the government can tell you what you must believe and who you need to worship. Charlottesville Community Engagement does not want to tell you what to think but hopes you will look at many different perspectives. I’m Sean Tubbs, glad to be publishing something on this day.
In this edition:
The Virginia General Assembly adopts a Constitutional Amendment allowing for a retaliatory Congressional Redistricting if any other U.S. State makes the attempt
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction overturning a federal order that Dominion halt construction of an offshore wind project
Charlottesville City Council appoints themselves to Boards and Commissions
Albemarle County wants your feedback on the initial recommendations for routes for the future Three Notched Trail
First shout-out: Camp Albemarle!
Today’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for over eighty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.”
Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Rebuilt in the early 1980’s, a legacy of 4-H programming thrives along with a wide range of additional activities. Educational initiatives from schools across the region spark environmental learning moments at every turn.
Virginia General Assembly passes Constitutional Amendment to allow redistricting
The Democratic majority in the Virginia General Assembly has hit the ground running in the 2026 session by moving forward with four Constitutional amendments including one that sets up a referendum this spring on whether Congressional districts can be changed in advance of elections this November.
The General Assembly passed the first reference of a House Joint Resolution calling for the amendment in a special session last fall.
Constitutional amendment for Virginia redistricting passes House, awaits action in Senate, October 31, 2025
Virginia Senate passes first reference of Constitutional amendment to allow mid-Census redistricting, November 6, 2026
The language in the House Joint Resolution #4 allows a Congressional redistricting outside of the usual reapportionment period but only if another state proceeds with an off-cycle redistricting.
The House Privileges and Elections Committee approved the legislation 15 to 7 on January 14 and later in the afternoon the full House adopted on a vote of 62 in favor, 33 against, and one abstention from Delegate Chris Runion (R-39).
The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee reported out HJ4 on January 14 on an 8 to 5 vote and the full Senate held first reading on that day. The second was held yesterday, followed by a third reading today. The 21 to 18 approval came on partisan lines.
More information on this including some of the floor debate in each will be in a podcast form as well as on Information Charlottesville.
The General Assembly has also adopted the second reference on three other Constitutional amendments.
HJ1 would establish the right to reproductive freedom and was reported out of the House Privileges and Elections Committee on a 15 to 7 vote. The January 14 vote on the House Floor was 64 to 34 with two not voting. The vote in the Senate today was 21 to 18 with one Senator not voting.
HJ2 would establish the right to vote for those who are qualified. This passed the House on January 14 on a 65 to 33 vote with two not voting. The Senate approved a second reference today on a 21 to 18 vote with one Senator absent.
HJ3 would repeal the current Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage that was made irrelevant by a federal Supreme Court decision in 2015. The vote in the House on January 14 was 67 to 31 with two members not present. The vote in the Senate on was 26 to 13 with one Senator absent.
Federal judge allows Dominion to resume work on offshore wind project
Dominion Energy can restart work on the installation of a large offshore wind project now that a judge in the United States Eastern District of Virginia has granted a preliminary injunction against the Department of Interior.
On December 22, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued an order suspending activity of Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind initiative and four other projects in the Atlantic Ocean. The federal government argued that such installations are a threat to national security.
The order stopped construction of 176 wind turbines and three 4,300-ton off shore stations about 27 miles off shore intended to generate 2.6 gigawatts of electricity upon completion.
Dominion filed suit the next day seeking a temporary restraining order against the order. Attorneys for the BOEM argued that their information was based on classified information that they did not have to share with Dominion or any other plaintiffs.
Just after Christmas, Judge Jamar Walker agreed to give the Department of Interior more time to share the information with the court and converted Dominion’s request to one seeking a preliminary injunction.
Today, Judge Walker ruled in favor of dominion and stayed BOEM’s December 22 order.
“Our team will now focus on safely restarting work to ensure CVOW begins delivery of critical energy in just weeks,” reads a release on the Dominion website. “While our legal challenge proceeds, we will continue seeking a durable resolution of this matter through cooperation with the federal government.”
More information as the written order and the transcript are made available.
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Charlottesville City Councilors appoint themselves to Board and Commissions
The appearance of a new member of the Charlottesville City Council presents an opportunity for the five elected officials to potentially select new boards and commissions they might want to serve on.
For instance, former Councilor Brian Pinkston had been the city’s representative on the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, and the two transportation bodies staffed by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission.
New City Councilor Jen Fleisher will now join City Councilor Natalie Oschrin on both the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority and the Charlottesville Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Policy Board.
Fleisher has also been appointed to serve as one of the city’s two representatives on the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. Former Planning Commissioner Phil d’Oronzio had been a member of that body but Council opted to send a second elected official. Fleisher will join Councilor Michael Payne Lloyd Snook on the body that generally meets the first Thursday of the month.
Fleisher will also join Snook on the Darden Towe Memorial Park Committee as that park is jointly owned by Albemarle and Charlottesville.
Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade will join the Charlottesville Retirement Commission and remain on the Minority Business Commission. Wade will continue to represent the city on the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Councilor Michael Payne will continue to serve on the seven-member Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners. That body met last night for a work session. Payne will also continue to serve on the Housing Advisory Committee and the Regional Housing Partnership.
Councilor Lloyd Snook will continue to serve on the Historic Resources Committee as well as the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail. He will replace Pinkston on the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority.
Oschrin and Snook both serve on the Charlottesville Legislative Committee, a two-member subcommittee of Council that advises on potential legislation to be requested of the General Assembly. The pair will also be on the School Capital Projects Workgroup.
For the full list of appointments, consult this list.
Albemarle seeing more input on Three Notched Trail
The Rivanna Trail Foundation and others have had the idea of building a shared-use path between Charlottesville and Crozet along a pathway that dates back to colonial times. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Albemarle County $2 million for a planning study to come up with alternatives for a Three Notched Trail that would extend to the Blue Ridge Tunnel.
In December, a consultant team working on the project unveiled several possibilities. This week, Albemarle Supervisor Ann Mallek urged people to take a look and provide feedback.
“On the Engage Albemarle website, one can find detailed information, you can find nice maps, and also a survey with which to share your particular responses to all of the different elements along the trail,” Mallek said.
Mallek said she particularly wanted groups that might have environmental concerns to weigh in with areas that might have sensitive habitats.
So far there have been 194 responses to a list of the initial routes. For more information, visit Engage Albemarle.
Articles by other journalists you are encouraged to read next:
Commission decides power plant not in accord with Fluvanna plan, Jadyn Howard, CBS19 News, January 13, 2026
New Fluvanna Business Alliance steps in to offer networking, development, Jane Sathe, Charlottesville Daily Progress, January 13, 2026
Proposed power plant has Fluvanna weighing tax revenue vs. premature deaths, David Velasquez, Charlottesville Daily Progress, January 13, 2026
After Protests Over Cuts, Mary Baldwin U.’s President Resigns and Some Minors Are Restored, Megan Zahneis, Chronicle for Higher Education, January 15, 2026
The time is up for #785
Did the Daily Progress drop their paywall? I dropped my subscription last year but was able to access an article today. There’s a new owner and I’m behind on that story. I’m still picking up on other stories.
I’m not sure if this amounts to a full newsletter, but it’s what got out there. I really do hope to go through the debate in the House and Senate on redistricting.
What a start to this busy year! I’m going to relax by pretending I’m on a train.
This post originally had an incorrect Councilor on the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. The two representatives are Jen Fleisher and Michael Payne.
Fleisher and Payne are the TJPDC reps. It's correct on the chart; you have Snook and Fleisher in the article