Youngkin Signs VA Budget After Budget Amendments Rejected Or Approved

VIRGINIA — Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed Virginia's two-year budget Tuesday, which included only some of his proposed budget amendments.

The budget had been a bipartisan deal negotiated in the General Assembly, as the House is controlled by Republicans and the Senate controlled by Democrats. Nearly $4 million in tax relief is included in the budget along with increases in funding for education and law enforcement.

"Together, we enacted historic tax cuts and made record investments in education and public safety," said Youngkin in a statement. "Together, we stood for greater accountability and transparency in government. And together, we are building an opportunity society, where Virginians can find the jobs they are looking for right here in the Commonwealth."

The tax relief in the budget included increasing the standard deduction from $4,500 to $9,000 for single filers and $8,000 to $16,000 for joint filers, repealing the 1.5 percent state share of the grocery tax but not the localities' 1 percent share, tax rebates of $250 for single filers and $500 for joint filers, and a phase-in of exempting $40,000 in veteran retirement pay.

What was not included was Youngkin's proposed three-month gas tax holiday. In a budget amendment, the governor proposed suspending Virginia's 26.2-cent-per-gallon tax on regular gasoline and 27 cents on diesel for three months starting July 1, but the Senate defeated the measure. Youngkin had pointed to rising gas prices and a surplus in the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, while Democrats raised concerns about losing revenues for transportation projects. The defeated budget amendment had also called for limiting annual gas tax increases to 2 percent.

With President Joe Biden now asking Congress and states to approve a three-month gas tax holiday, Youngkin renewed criticism for Senate Democrats.

"Now, the White House is calling on states to move forward on gas tax suspensions — demonstrating that VA Senate Dems are out of step with everyday people and their own party," Youngkin tweeted.

On the education side, the budget includes a record $19 billion for public schools, according to the Washington Post. Teacher pay will be raised by 10 percent — 5 percent for each year of the two-year budget. There is also $100 million to launch lab schools with colleges, including community colleges and historically black colleges and universities. However, the Senate defeated a measure that would have transferred state per-pupil funds from a public school when a student moved to a lab school, according to the Virginia Mercury.

Funding for historically Black colleges and universities will include a budget amendment that cleared the Senate, transferring $10 million in financial aid for undocumented immigrants to historically Black colleges and universities.

For law enforcement, the budget provides $45 million for school resource officers and $400,000 for compensation and support for law enforcement and public safety. Another budget amendment passed by the legislature will prevent the release of over 500 inmates who have both violent and nonviolent offenses on July 1, NBC29 reported.

A budget amendment that was defeated would have barred state Medicaid funds from being used for fetuses with "incapacitating" physical deformities or mental deficiencies, according to the Washington Post.

The legislature also defeated a budget amendment to create a felony charge for protesters outside the homes of judges. Several Supreme Court justices' homes in Fairfax County had been sites of abortion protests after a leaked opinion suggesting the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.