Essentially the message was: Let Uber do what it wants and nobody will get hurt.
We’ve heard this same message time and again since Uber began operating. They try to bully governments into thinking that opposing Uber is somehow “anti-innovation.” Typically it’s a local elected official who expresses this sentiment as: “We don’t want to oppose Uber because we want to be seen as welcoming innovation.”
Virginia is only protecting its citizens by asking Uber to follow the law. The state has a huge and thriving technology sector so it won’t be cowed by this veiled threat. Other states shouldn’t be either.