Virginia's new governor has teased that she may sign a new tax on gym memberships and streaming services if the bills ever reach her desk. Democrat Abigail Spanberger refused to give a straight answer when asked about the so-called liberal wish list of taxation opportunities that Democrats are attempting to pass in her state.
Spanberger, a former intelligence officer who became governor in January, has made clear she is looking for unorthodox ways to create new revenue streams in Virginia. New bills were introduced in the Virginia state legislature that proposed expanding taxes to include storage facilities, counseling, dry cleaning, vehicle repair, website design, data storage and digital subscription storage.
A tax on retail sales of services was also floated as an idea under bill HB978 - which would include fitness memberships and athletic club services. The controversial tax bills never got through the General Assembly before the session's end on March 14, meaning that it never reached Spanberger's desk - but that may change in the future.
When asked by 8News's Tyler Englander what she would do if those bills did come to her to be signed, the governor kept her answer open ended. She said: 'I think every idea, as long as it's reasonable and makes some amount of sense, should be entertained should be discussed. You mentioned the one on streaming services, you used to buy a DVD, there was a sales tax. Streaming is different. I recognize there is value in having these conversations, but whether I'd ever sign a bill is wholly predicated on what is actually in the bill, and how it is outlined.'
She added: 'I think there are worthy conversations to be had about what revenue generation looks like into the future as our economy changes in so many ways.' Spanberger made headlines in her first week in office after she enacted far-left policies despite campaigning as a moderate Democrat. She signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination in employment 'to foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, and mutual respect for all Virginians,' as well as reducing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said at the time: 'She's like a Bond villain.' What the state legislature was planning to put at Spanberger's desk was also blasted as a liberal wish list. They included sales taxes on the likes of Amazon and Uber Eats, several new tax brackets, banning gas-powered leaf blowers, expanding ranked-choice voting and getting rid of Columbus Day.
Democrats in the state house previously vowed to work with Spanberger to push through their bullish agenda, which includes redrawing the state's congressional district map ahead of the midterm elections this year. However, since January Spanberger has not signed in any new state-based increases, apart from one that will rise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
That has not stopped Spanberger from facing President Trump's ire. He wrote on Truth Social in April: 'I can't believe what this new Governor, Spanberger has done to the Commonwealth — So sad. She is adding so many Taxes, a Food and Beverage Tax, Digital Services Tax, Utilities Tax, and more. It has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength. People are leaving that would never have even thought of doing so! It all happened so fast! This went from a thriving and powerful place, one envied by all, to a Commonwealth run by a person who has no concept of Low Taxes and Economic Strength.'
In the opening months of her administration, Spanberger's team said she has put her energy into addressing high costs for Virginians - and signed dozens of bipartisan bills to make healthcare, housing, and energy more affordable. On May 1, she announced a $2.48 million investment into a capital fund that will help expand projects financing underserved communities across Virginia.
Last week, Spanberger attended festivities in Front Royal, Virginia, to greet Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla, who were on a whistle-stop tour of the East Coast. The Virginia Governor was all smiles as she paraded around with King Charles - whose ancestors famously taxed early American colonies without giving them representation, which became a major impetus for the American Revolution.
