With the Virginia legislative session nearing its scheduled end on March 14, lawmakers are working to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of pending bills. Both chambers must reach agreement on bill language before any measure can be sent to the Governor for approval.
This week, Delegate Mike Cherry, a Republican representing the 74th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, provided an update on two major issues: artificial intelligence (A.I.) in education and local development concerns. Cherry was elected in 2024, succeeding Lamont Bagby as representative for the district.
As a member of the House Education Committee, Cherry has focused much of his attention this session on how technology and A.I. are influencing Virginia’s schools. He noted that “there is no escaping the expansion of A.I.” and emphasized that students must be prepared for an economy increasingly reliant on technological skills. According to Cherry, “Virginia students must be prepared to step into an economy with a growing reliance on A.I., and it should be the responsibility of the Virginia education system to administer the education required for said preparedness.”
Cherry also expressed concern about balancing increased technological literacy with maintaining foundational learning skills. He stated: “While I’ve stressed the importance of literacy in A.I. and growing technologies, we still must be sure that their usage is being administered in a positive, productive way for Virginia students. Generative A.I. can cause major setbacks for students in establishing some of the foundations of learning mentioned earlier like reading, writing and math skills.”
Several bills addressing these topics have been introduced:
– HB1486 would require educating children about screen time use and its addictive qualities.
– HB1186 would mandate that the Virginia Department of Education track and report student A.I. usage.
– SB394 proposes a pilot program focused on regulated use of A.I. in classrooms.
On development issues, Cherry reported ongoing concerns from constituents about new housing construction outpacing infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and schools—especially in Chesterfield County. Zoning decisions are primarily made at the local level but must comply with state requirements.
He referenced Senate Bill 781, which aimed to give local governments more flexibility to reject developments if infrastructure was inadequate—a measure he supported but which failed in committee. Another proposal, Senate Bill 454, would have allowed developers by-right zoning to build multi-family housing without going through standard local processes; this bill passed the Senate but was stopped by the House due to concerns over impacts on roads and schools.
The final week of session will focus on remaining key issues including the state budget. Cherry concluded: “It remains an honor to represent our community in the House of Delegates. If I can assist you or your family in any way, let me know.”
