General Assembly votes to drop ‘Carry Me Back to Old Virginny’ as state song emeritus

A bill from State Sen. Adam P. Ebbin seeks to modernize Virginia’s official emblems by eliminating ‘Carry Me Back to Old Virginny’ as its state song emeritus, while preserving other state symbols, the Virginia State Senate reports.

The legislation cleared both chambers, formally enrolled as of March 30, 2026, with a 79-18 vote in the House and a unanimous 40-0 vote in the Senate.

Introduced as SB801 on Jan. 23, 2026, in the 2026 regular session, the measure was summarized by the legislature: “”Carry Me Back to Old Virginny;” removes designation as official state song emeritus.”

The following summary is based on the complete bill text and is provided to clarify its content.

In short, the bill updates Virginia’s official emblems and designations by striking “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” as state song emeritus, maintaining all other designations. Items confirmed in the statute include the American dogwood (state flower and tree), the northern cardinal (state bird), the honey bee (state pollinator), as well as various museums, festivals, and state-sanctioned songs and artifacts. No effective date was noted in the bill.

In the House, 64 Democrats and 15 Republicans supported the legislation, with 18 Republicans voting against it.

On the Senate side, the measure received backing from 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans.

The legislation’s chief sponsors were Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (Democrat-39th District) and Del. Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker (Democrat-5th District).

Ebbin earned his BA from American University in 1985.

Ebbin, a Democrat, began representing Virginia’s 39th Senate district in 2024 after succeeding George Barker.

In Virginia, bills are introduced in either chamber, then assigned to committees, debated, and possibly amended. If approved, they move to a floor vote in both houses, and upon passing, are sent to the governor. The governor may sign, veto, or let the bill become law without a signature. The Virginia General Assembly meets each year starting the second Monday of January to consider hundreds of bills, though not all are enacted.

Details in this report were sourced from the Virginia State Senate. Access their data here.