RICHMOND, Va. — Last night, Governor Glenn Youngkin made over 200 amendments to the bipartisan 2024-2026 biennial budget bill. While the governor decided to follow the General Assembly’s leadership on key tax cuts for the middle class and stronger support for affordable child care, the budget fails to meet the real and immense economic needs of hardworking people across the Commonwealth.
Of the “Get Ahead” Agenda items included in the conference budget passed by the General Assembly in February, several policy items remain after the governor’s amendments, including: an increase to the state’s standard deduction, an increase in the refundability of the Earned Income Tax Credit, and expanded access to affordable child care.
However, the governor has taken his own chainsaw to other priorities, vetoing budget amendments to create a first-time homebuyers grant program, a new Paid Family and Medical Leave program, and a rental assistance program that would have helped thousands of working parents afford to live in the same residence for their child’s entire school year.
Freedom Virginia co-Executive Director Ryan O’Toole released the following statement today:
“We’re glad to see the governor maintain the legislature’s one-time rebates and an increase in the state’s standard deduction and the refundability of the Earned Income Tax Credit. But the truth is that hardworking Virginia families simply need more support right now to get ahead and keep more of what they earn as we continue to live under the chaotic economic policies of the Trump/Musk administration.
“Many Virginians face financial insecurity and even threats to their jobs It’s estimated that over 400,000 Virginia workers could be affected by irresponsible job cuts at the federal level; this month, we’ve seen huge spikes in unemployment claims; and more than 630,000 Virginians face the threat of losing their health insurance under Medicaid. No matter how you spin it, Gov. Youngkin is fiddling while the sparks of Virginia’s economic crisis have begun to catch fire.
“We call on Governor Youngkin to stop bowing down to Trump and Musk. He continues to tout the Department of Greedy Elites’ mass firings as necessary and refuses to fight this assault on Virginia’s economy. His actions eliminated provisions requiring the state government to respond to significant cuts in federal dollars that flow to Virginia’s schools and health care system, and it’s clear he’s burying his head in the sand. If Youngkin wants to ‘keep Virginia winning,’ he must stand up for hardworking Virginia families today and every day moving forward.”
