By Beck Stanley, Virginia Turfgrass Council Executive Director

The Virginia General Assembly once again heard multiple bills seeking to allow localities to ban gas powered leaf blowers and other equipment essential to our industry. This bill has become what we call a “perennial bill” as it returns every January like clockwork. Thanks to the support of membership and partner organizations, we have been able to delay and significantly reduce the impacts of this bill over the last several years. I found myself overjoyed, at times even breaking into grins at the outcome this year, when the legislature tabled the measure until 2027 in the House and outright killed the bill in the Senate. The bill blew away when we pointed out that electric blowers require batteries that must be charged…by gas powered generators.

Proponents of leaf blower bans will be back with more aggressive legislation in the future, and we must stay in the fight, pointing out the many environmental benefits of managed turf: erosion control, water filtration, and in the case of leaf removal, important mold prevention that protects the health of children and pets. As you discuss this issue in your home communities, please keep such details in mind.

Currently, the only locality in Virginia that has successfully enacted a ban is Alexandria, and it was upheld by a Republican controlled Attorney General’s office in a 2025 opinion. Like many other issues we lobby, this is another where we must educate members from all sides of the political sphere. While the day is coming when these bans reach other places, there is much we can do to prepare in the meantime. After all, many other states watch Virginia’s early legislative session each year and get ideas for new laws in their states. We must keep in mind: the stakes are high in Virginia, and our success or failure here can have ripple effects for our partners across the country.

Continue reading in the March / April 2026 issue of Virginia Turfgrass Journal – https://theturfzone.com/vtc/?ascat=8&sub=issue&issue_id=9936&rti=true&rel=3