Virginia Mercury
Administration says governor has removed all tax increases, dropped the tax cuts he suggested in his original budget proposal.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is attempting a major overhaul of Virginia’s pending two-year budget instead of vetoing the full spending plan the Democratic-controlled General Assembly sent to him last month.
The Youngkin administration announced a package of 233 budget amendments Monday, saying the governor has removed all tax increases and dropped the tax cuts he suggested in his original budget proposal late last year.
At a data-heavy news conference that also included presentations from several cabinet officials, Youngkin pitched his new plan as an effort to accommodate Democratic spending priorities without raising taxes.
“That is what finding common ground is all about,” Youngkin said, striking a newly conciliatory tone weeks after he blasted Democratic lawmakers over a spending plan the governor dubbed “the backward budget.”
The governor’s new proposal also includes 3% raises for teachers and state employees in both budget years, reflecting the policy Democratic leaders laid out in the budget they approved in March.
The full details of Youngkin’s proposal weren’t immediately clear Monday because the actual text of what the General Assembly will be asked to vote on wasn’t made available.
After listening to Youngkin’s remarks Monday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said the presentations left his side with “a lot of questions.”
“We have serious questions about whether or not this budget can be structurally balanced,” Surovell said. Youngkin holding a news conference to stress his desire to work together, Surovell added, was “a distraction from the record number of vetoes this governor has issued.”
The Youngkin administration said its suggested budget changes translate to a general fund of roughly $64 billion, nearly $1 billion higher than what the governor laid out in his December proposal and approximately $1.5 billion less than what the General Assembly approved. Even without the proposed expansion of the state sales tax to cover digital purchases like music downloads, streaming services and software, Youngkin said his plan allows Virginia to allocate more funding for “collective priorities” like K-12 schools, higher education, public safety and mental health.
The administration said it was able to come up with a balanced plan largely by shuffling how and when some projects are funded and reducing the amount of money allocated to K-12 and higher education in comparison to the General Assembly’s budget.
“It wasn’t that we eliminated, we just grew things slightly slower in a few areas,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin also suggested eliminating spending tied to legislative proposals he’s vetoed, such as a $15 minimum wage and retail marijuana marketplace.
