Governor Glenn Youngkin just did the unthinkable: he took a sledgehammer to Virginia’s regulatory bureaucracy, saving taxpayers over $1.2 billion a year, and now the rest of the country is scrambling to figure out how he pulled it off.
At a Glance
- Virginia slashed 27% of its regulatory requirements, blowing past its original 25% target.
- The reforms are saving Virginians an estimated $1.2 billion annually, including $700 million in housing costs alone.
- Youngkin’s “Virginia Model” is now seen as a national blueprint for cutting government red tape.
- Small businesses, families, and vulnerable populations are seeing direct, measurable benefits.
Virginia’s Regulatory Revolution: How Youngkin Took on Big Government
Governor Glenn Youngkin wasted no time after taking office. In January 2022, he issued Executive Directive No. 1 and launched a full-scale assault on Virginia’s mountain of regulations. By June, he had established the Office of Regulatory Management (ORM), tasking it to cut through decades of bureaucratic buildup. The mission was simple—make government work for the people, not the other way around. The ORM developed transparency tools and new procedures to keep agencies in check, ensuring they couldn’t quietly sneak in more red tape without public scrutiny.
Over three years, the ORM measured, catalogued, and eliminated rules line by line. State agencies were required to justify every regulation, and the administration put a freeze on any new ones that didn’t directly benefit Virginians. The result? By July 2025, Virginia had cut an astonishing 27% of all regulatory requirements—more than anyone thought possible. That’s not just a round of applause moment. That’s a wake-up call for every state still drowning in senseless mandates.
The Real-World Impact: Savings, Speed, and Sanity Restored
The numbers aren’t just big—they’re life-changing. The reforms are saving Virginians upwards of $1.2 billion every single year, and the biggest winners are homebuyers and small businesses. The Department of Housing and Community Development alone slashed the cost of building a new home by more than $24,000, saving homebuyers $700 million annually. Permitting times are down, compliance costs are down, and more families and entrepreneurs can finally get ahead without tripping over endless forms and arbitrary rules.
State operations have grown leaner and more efficient. Bureaucratic bottlenecks that used to slow down everything from starting a business to getting help for foster kids have been cleared out. Even professional licensing—a notorious maze—has been streamlined so nurses, contractors, and other professionals can actually get to work instead of waiting for government paperwork to catch up.
A Blueprint for the Nation and a Legacy of Common Sense
Youngkin’s reforms are being called the “gold standard” for regulatory rollback, and other states—and even federal agencies—are looking to Virginia for inspiration. The formula is clear: measure everything, cut what doesn’t serve the people, and keep government transparent and accountable. Delegate Michael Webert summed it up: “Good government doesn’t mean big government—it means smart, limited, and accountable government.” With tools like the Virginia Permit Transparency dashboard, anyone can now track what their government is up to—no more hiding in the shadows.
This is more than a policy win; it’s a cultural shift. After years of watching government grow unchecked, taxpayers are finally seeing proof that bureaucracy can be beaten back. The reforms have improved housing affordability, unleashed small business growth, and restored a sense of sanity to government. With President Trump back in the White House and Virginia leading by example, the message is loud and clear: the era of endless government overreach is over—at least in the Commonwealth.
Sources:
Governor of Virginia – News Release
Federalist Society Regulatory Transparency Project
