California has been a completely Democrat-run state for so long that most people have forgotten that California was once a state much like any other. When people in other states think of it, they simply dismiss it as “Crazy California.”

With the recent election in Virginia returning a Democrat-majority legislature in a state with a Democrat governor, Virginia is heading down the same path as California, although that's not immediately obvious. While the national press has covered the government’s attacks on the Second Amendment and its attempted end-run around the Electoral College, there are a host of other planned or passed initiatives that are fundamentally changing a state that, because of James Madison, was the birthplace of the Constitution.

To date, the House has passed the following bills, which now await Senate votes:

• Except for the Virginia Military Institute, Virginia’s public colleges and universities would no longer be able to ask about applicants’ criminal histories or deny admission based upon criminal history information. That might surprise the parents of incoming freshmen. (House Bill 1322.)
• Illegal immigrants would be eligible for in-state tuition at Virginia’s colleges and universities. (House Bill 1547.)
• Law enforcement would no longer be required to ascertain the immigration status of inmates placed in jail, people convicted of felonies in circuit court, and people committed to a correctional facility. Additionally, law enforcement would not be required to notify ICE about an illegal alien’s conviction. (House Bill 1150.)
• Virginia would henceforth allow registration and voting on the same day. (House Bill 187.)
• Virginians would be required to pay a 5 cent fee for each disposable plastic bag, excepting bags used for specified purposes such as alcohol, ice cream, etc. Aside from being incredibly inconvenient and increasing the risk of e. Coli, this tax (for people must now pay for something that was once free) promises long and confusing lines. (House Bill 534.)
• Taxes would go up. The bill would give counties the same authority cities have to impose taxes on cigarettes, admissions, “transient occupancy rentals,” meals, and travel campgrounds, without any referendum process or cap on increases. (House Bill 785.)
• Driving would become more expensive, with gas taxes increasing annually ad infinitum. (House Bill 1414.)
• Marijuana possession would be decriminalized. (House Bill 972.)
• The state would add up to five new casinos. (House Bill 4.)

Meanwhile, the House and Senate have already passed the following bills:

• Assault weapon bans, support for local gun control ordinances, red flag laws, and the reinstatement of one gun per month policies.
• An end to health care requirements before giving women abortions.
• A mandate to shutter all coal-fired plants in 25 years and a requirement for carbon neutrality.
• So-called “gender identity” protections without any carve-outs for religious beliefs.
• Collective bargaining for public employees.
• The end of photo identification for voting.
• Driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
• An increased minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025.
• Authorization for localities to remove or destroy war memorials.
• Parole for violent felons.

In other words, Virginia is doing overnight what it took California around two decades to accomplish. Thanks to California’s hard-left legislature, businesses are leaving California in droves and the state had a net loss of one million residents between 2007 and 2016. Businesses and people don’t want to live in a state run by Leftists.

Those Virginia citizens who weren’t paying attention during the last election cycle had better start paying attention now. Otherwise, they may find themselves having turned a state that was the cradle of the Constitution into just another Crazy California.