Virginia Democrats Air Budget Feud in Public –

Less than three weeks after Virginia Democrats misplaced their congressional redistricting combat in court, the social gathering’s top leaders spent the weekend publicly battling over data facilities and a state finances that stays unfinished.

Senate Finance Chair Louise Lucas blasted Gov. Abigail Spanberger and House Speaker Don Scott after finances negotiations broke down Friday, accusing fellow Democrats of defending data middle pursuits while refusing to make the industry pay more for the prices related with its fast growth across Virginia.

The disagreement shortly turned personal and public.

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At the middle of the combat is a query Virginia lawmakers have been unable to reply since March: Should the commonwealth end a gross sales tax exemption that has saved data middle builders billions of {dollars}, or would doing so undermine an industry that helps 74,000 jobs and generates more than $2 billion in local tax income?

The Senate, led by Lucas, says the exemption quantities to a giveaway to the richest companies in the nation. The House and Spanberger have argued that ripping it away would break religion with employers who invested in Virginia on the idea that the coverage would maintain.

The two sides got here close to a deal on June 5. Lucas said she and Torian had been making progress before a assembly with Spanberger that morning modified the trajectory.

Just when I assumed Chairman Torian and I have been getting close to agreeing on a finances, we had a assembly with Data Center Diva this morning and she agrees with Amazon Don who doesn’t need to impression the richest companies in the nation. https://t.co/0VoOUeoFnm pic.twitter.com/cYa2YL2z4y

— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) June 5, 2026

What adopted was a rapid-fire collection of posts that left little doubt about where Lucas stood. She dubbed Spanberger “Data Center Diva” and Scott “Amazon Don,” a reference to Amazon’s large data middle footprint in Northern Virginia, and accused both of strolling away from a deal relatively than accepting compromise.

Let me be clear—I got here up with a number of compromises to get us out of this mess! These compromises didn’t give me every little thing. But Data Center Diva and Amazon Don couldn’t perceive that this is about the coverage—truthful taxation and defending our sources and residents.

— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) June 5, 2026

Amazon Don and Data Center Diva, you make a MONUMENTAL MISTAKE! Maybe it’s best to ask Glenn Youngkin how that labored out for him!

— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) June 5, 2026

In a formal assertion launched the same day, Lucas went additional, arguing that Spanberger was trading away income the state will need to cowl rising prices, and pre-empting the inevitable spin from the other facet.

pic.twitter.com/wxqkcF2mfk

— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) June 5, 2026

“Today, the Governor and House decided that they did not want to alter the freeloading policy for data centers. They decided that this was far more important than having data centers pay their fair share to provide services to the people of the Commonwealth for the next two years.”

Lucas also pushed back on what she anticipated the other facet to say, that the state’s income reforecast makes new data middle taxes pointless. She argued that Spanberger was giving up income Virginia will need to cowl rising prices for core providers, and that the coverage query goes past {dollars} alone.

“I know the Governor and House’s narrative will be that I wasn’t willing to compromise or to meet. This is simply not true. We attempted to move forward multiple times. With the support of the Senate conferees, I have offered multiple compromise options that would have provided revenue from data centers. Under these compromises, neither side got everything.”

Data facilities need to pay their truthful share. The House and Governor have thrown up their fingers believing that it’s too arduous for them to resolve in 25 days. The Senate conferees continue to work on a finances for all Virginians by June thirtieth.”

Spanberger, for her part, rejected the framing that she had gone soft on data centers. In a post on social media, she listed teacher raises, rising Medicaid costs, and the impacts of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” among her budget priorities, and maintained that her proposals would make data centers pay more.

I have made my priorities clear — including raises for teachers and other public employees, funding to address rising Medicaid costs and the impacts of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ and working to make Virginia more affordable.⁰⁰I have also been clear that data centers in…

— Governor Abigail Spanberger (@GovernorVA) June 7, 2026

“I’ve also been clear that data facilities in Virginia need to pay their truthful share for the vitality they use. I’ve introduced proposals to the desk that would make data facilities pay more for the vitality they use and tackle environmental issues, including air pollution, water and vitality use, and noise.”

The distinction, in other phrases, just isn’t whether or not data facilities pay more; it’s how a lot more, and through what mechanism.

House management moved shortly to tamp down the battle. Scott and Torian launched a joint assertion that was notably hotter in tone toward Lucas than toward the substance of the dispute.

Statement from Speaker Don Scott and House Approps Chair Luke Torian pic.twitter.com/f5z7St2NYV

— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) June 5, 2026

Scott said he has “the utmost respect” for Lucas, calling her “a trailblazer, a mentor, and one of the most consequential leaders in Virginia’s history,” and expressed confidence that Torian and Lucas would attain a deal. Torian struck a related observe, saying the House stays “ready to meet” and dedicated to a finances that invests in colleges, housing, healthcare and financial alternative.

Neither assertion addressed the data middle deadlock instantly.

The broader stakes have been underscored by Sen. Scott Surovell, who warned on social media that some lawmakers have been already floating a DC-style persevering with decision to keep the federal government funded past the deadline, one thing Virginia has never achieved.

Some now need 2 convey DC-style persevering with resolutions to VA instead of resolving troublesome issues & making selections between academics and data facilities – Virginia has never achieved that in our historical past. We’ve always handed a full finances by July 1, and this 12 months must be no different

— Senator Scott Surovell – ssurovell.bsky.social (@ssurovell) June 5, 2026

Republicans have been watching and having fun with it. Former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli responded publicly, mocking the combat:

Ready!
Fire!
Aim! https://t.co/zqmaZr0Hlf

— Ken Cuccinelli II (@KenCuccinelli) June 5, 2026

With roughly 20 days until the June 30 deadline, Virginia Democrats have managed to lose a redistricting combat, blow up their own finances negotiations, and air the wreckage on social media. And all this before the summer time recess. The combat over data facilities that started in March is no nearer to decision, and the social gathering that promised to ship for Virginians is now publicly arguing about whether or not it might probably.

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