Making History - The State Budget

Sometimes what you learn in civics class about how the government is supposed to work doesn’t seem to match up with the reality of policy making you see play out in the news. Particularly at the national level.

 

When asked why I decided to run for the state legislature I often tell people that I fell in love with the law making process when I went to work for my predecessor Jim Scott back in 1992. The thing I loved about it was that it actually worked the way you imagined it would in a 4th grade government class, or watching the story of “Bill” on School House Rock.

 

Last year I got a visit from a class of 5th grade students from Falls Church City who were engaged with a “write our own law” project. Their project: find a way to spend more time learning outside. Thanks to their advocacy and Governor Spanberger’s signing of our biennial budget, they’ve succeeded and we’re going to make that happen.

 

They came to Richmond to lobby me and other legislators, prepared talking points for me to use in testimony before the budget committee, and as a result, we now have a $100,000 grant program for school systems to create outdoor learning spaces. And that’s just a fraction of new education funding that Virginians will receive over the course of these next two years. Teachers can expect to receive a 4% pay increase per year (from 2026 to 2028), with state employees receiving 3.5% raises.

 

An Overall Historic Budget

 

This budget is historic: it allocates almost $2 billion to our education system, which currently stands as the biggest investment into Virginia’s public education and children since its founding. This includes specific funding for special education students and English learners. As a Virginian, I serve to protect and uplift young learners and will continue to do so in the face of Republican opposition and malpractice.

 

Higher education will also receive economic aid, as we’ve allocated $346 million over our previous baseline to facilitate operations and reduce tuition costs for undergraduates.

I am proud to support this investment in higher education not only because it makes students’ lives easier, but because it works towards an academic culture that protects young learners against political attacks. Young Virginians must be provided learning spaces which protect their freedom and intellectual curiosity. And this budget is going to help make that happen.

 

Over the past few years, we’ve experienced rapid healthcare cuts by a Republican Congress and President Trump. With the aid of data center consumption taxes, Virginia will provide $150 million to help those who will experience economic hardship first.

 

While my district in Falls Church and Fairfax county isn’t impact as heavily as our neighbors in rural Virginia, I am extremely proud of the work we did to cushion the blow delivered by the HR 1 (The Big . . . I’m going to go with UGLY . . . Bill) to patients and health care facilities dependent on Medicaid. This budget invests $350 million in a Medicaid Emergency fund to backfill some of the money that disappeared from the system. We’ve got to do everything we can to offset the effects of those MAGA lawmakers who are working to dismantle our national health insurance benefits. They do not have our best interests at heart.

 

The biennial budget also addresses homelessness prevention, eviction, and skyrocketing housing prices. We’re investing over $90 million in affordable housing options, homeless services, and eviction prevention programs. This means more resources all over: stabilizing workers, building new homes, and protecting families from separation. This means affordability in a very real and tangible way.

 

Then there’s the marijuana question: what’s happening and how does it affect Virginia? This budget has helped facilitate a smart solution to adult-use cannabis markets that are research-driven and informed.

 

Dispensaries are state-regulated and prioritize the safety of all Virginians - especially children. Academics have proven over decades that more government oversight on marijuana means kids have less access to cannabis on the streets.

 

This is a system which also protects consumers, fosters accountability, and contributes to our state earnings. With the help of this Democrat-driven budget, we’ve given adults a place to safely purchase cannabis, as is protected by Virginia law.

 

This budget is a culmination of everything that Virginians represent. Compassion and courage in the face of adversity, protection of children and families, and continued support for front-line workers. I like the direction we’re moving in. And I’m excited for what these next two years bring to Virginia.

Budget Time

Virginia, we finally have a Budget. With just days to spare before the Virginia State Government authority to spend money ran out, the House of Delegates and State Senate voted on a compromise budget Monday, June 22^nd. The Governor now has seven days to offer amendments, which the General Assembly must act on before midnight June 30^th.

So, what took us so long?

Typically, select members of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee meet in a conference committee to hammer out the differences between the House and Senate budgets in March, with a final vote take on or about the last day of our 60-day regular session. Virginia's Constitution requires us to maintain a balanced budget. Unlike the federal government, we cannot simply borrow our way through difficult decisions. We must make choices about priorities, live within our means, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.

This year was particularly challenging because we have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars backfilling essential services that were eliminated in HR1 – the big ugly bill. Unfortunately, reaching agreement on a budget took longer than anyone would have liked.

The delay, as you may have read or heard about, was about whether we should continue a tax incentive program voted on with broad bi-partisan support years ago to attract data center development to the Commonwealth. The Senate proposed ending those incentives immediately, even though they were scheduled to last until 2035.  The House was uncomfortable going back on our commitment and cancelling these incentives some eight years early, worried about the impact on our ability to win the trust of potential partners in future economic development deals.

I’ll admit, the Senate position has a great deal of appeal, policy-wise and politically.  We’ve reached a critical mass here in Virginia where we are an extremely attractive place to build a data center, with or without the added sweetener of a sales tax exemption. And the exemption has grown tremendously, with an estimated windfall of $2.8 billion annually available by simply cancelling it. 

Politically, the simplicity of the Senate message – “No more tax breaks for billion-dollar businesses” is undeniable.

What we settled on, I think, is a better policy that takes a little bit longer to explain but better serves the people of the Commonwealth. This budget helps protect Virginia ratepayers, supports long-term energy affordability, and ensures data centers contribute their fair share while preserving Virginia's position as the nation's leading technology hub.

We protect ratepayers by establishing a new Data Center Energy Consumption Fee, ensuring that the industry's growing energy demands do not fall on residential customers and small businesses. The fee is expected to generate up to $600 million annually – or $1.2 billion over the biennium – helping Virginia address the infrastructure and energy demands associated with rapid growth.

This approach aligns the data center operators’ incentives with our public policy priorities. Rather than simply ending the sales tax exemption, this approach gives data centers a big reason to find ways to make their facilities as energy efficient as possible to reduce their tax liability.

The budget also directs state agencies to develop data center noise regulations, identify cooling water scarcity areas, and collect additional information on electric service agreements, water usage, and generator permitting so policymakers have the tools they need to make informed decisions as the industry continues to grow.

I also support legislation introduced by Delegate Rip Sullivan that would tie future eligibility for the sales tax exemption to environmental and performance standards. If Virginia is going to offer tax incentives, those incentives should advance public policy goals. Rewarding energy efficiency, sustainability, and responsible development is a smarter long-term approach than offering benefits without expectations.

The data center debate is far from over. The study included in this budget will help inform future decisions, and I expect the General Assembly will continue examining how best to balance economic development, energy policy, environmental concerns, and the interests of ratepayers. But this compromise represents a meaningful step forward.

While data centers received much of the attention during budget negotiations, the final agreement also includes significant investments in education, public employees, working families, and local communities.

The budget extends Virginia's refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) at 20% through 2030, continuing an important tool that helps working families. Beginning in 2027, the standard deduction will increase to $9,200 for individuals and $18,400 for married couples filing jointly, providing tax relief to millions of Virginians.

The budget also gives local communities a new tool to address aging school facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and growing enrollment by allowing localities to seek voter approval for a local sales tax of up to 1% dedicated to school construction and modernization. Importantly, any such tax must first be approved by local voters.

This budget takes an important step toward ensuring that major energy users contribute appropriately to the costs they create. And it demonstrates that even when disagreements arise, we can still come together to find common ground and move Virginia forward.

The True State of Virginia's Economy

There’s a debate playing out in Virginia right now about the true state of our economy. If you believe Governor Glenn Youngkin, everything is fine: Virginia is outperforming national averages in the job market, our revenue collections are above projections, and the Commonwealth’s financial picture is solid. But if you believe the signs that economists, analysts, and even bipartisan legislators are pointing to, we’re in for a heap of trouble.

 

The truth is both perspectives can be true. And that’s the real challenge when you’re cruising at 70 miles an hour down the interstate, everything can look smooth until you spot a bright sign flashing: “Accident Ahead.” Most of us, faced with that warning, take our foot off the gas, check the GPS, and prepare for what’s coming. The question is whether we’ll do that as a Commonwealth or whether we’ll plow forward at full speed, insisting the road is clear until it’s too late.

 

Final Report | Emergency Committee on Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions

 

Last week, the Emergency Committee on Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions held its final meeting and issued a sobering report. After months of testimony, data collection, and economic analysis, the conclusion was clear: Virginia is on a collision course if Congress continues cutting federal spending at this pace.

 

Nearly a quarter of our Virginia’s economy is tied to federal spending, more than any other state. When Washington makes deep cuts, Virginia feels the pain first and worst. We’ve already lost more than 11,000 federal jobs, with another 10,000 at risk. These statistics represent families who’ve lost paychecks, small businesses who’ve lost customers, and local governments who’ve lost tax revenue for schools and public safety.

 

The threats go well beyond the workforce. The President signed H.R. 1, allowing federal premium tax credits to expire at the end of 2025, spiking health insurance costs for more than 200,000 Virginia families with many seeing premiums more than double. Replacing those credits would cost the state $250 million annually, money that could otherwise fund schools, infrastructure, or job creation.

 

Food assistance is another area where families will pay more for less. H.R.1 adds $90 million in costs to Virginia in 2027 and $270 million in 2028 just to keep SNAP running. At the same time, it layers on red tape and blocks benefit increases, even as grocery bills climb higher.

 

Hospitals are bracing for a $2.1 billion annual loss in federal funding once these cuts take hold. That is enough to push many community and rural hospitals already operating on razor-thin margins to close their doors. Losing a hospital doesn’t just mean losing access to doctors and nurses. It means longer drives in an emergency and reduced healthcare access for entire regions of the Commonwealth.

 

Education is under the knife too. The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has proposed the deepest cuts in decades, slashing overall federal support for K–12 schools by 27% and Title I by 34%. On top of that, they would claw back $2.6 billion that schools already planned to use. These cuts eliminate programs for English learners, adult education, migrant and homeless students, and teacher training.

 

And it’s not just abstract future obligations, but critical current projects. Portsmouth saw $24.2 million for dam repairs evaporate. Richmond lost $12 million for water treatment upgrades. Hampton lost $20 million for climate resilience. Norfolk lost nearly $40 million for an offshore wind logistics park. These weren’t “nice to have” projects. They were urgent, job-creating investments. And now they’re gone.

 

The Governor would have you believe our current surplus protects us. But that “cushion” is temporary and these costs are ongoing. You can’t build long-term stability on short-term dollars. That’s why the Committee called for transparency from the Youngkin Administration and real-time data so Virginians can see the risks clearly. We also recommended practical protections for workers blindsided by layoffs: the right to break leases they can’t afford, eviction prevention, extended unemployment benefits, and retraining programs. These are common-sense ways to soften the blow when federal cuts land hardest here at home.

 

As his term winds down, the Governor may prefer to look away. But Virginians don’t have that luxury. The warning signs are flashing. Our choice is simple: do we slow down, take stock, and adjust course or do we press the accelerator and hope the road really is as clear as it looks right now?

 

Virginia has always thrived when we planned ahead, diversified our economy, and invested in our people. That’s the road to long-term prosperity. Pretending there’s no accident ahead is not leadership. It’s denial. And Virginians deserve better than that.

The Compromise State Budget

The General Assembly wrapped up its regular session last month, sending 917 bills to the Governor for action. In Virginia, the Governor has until the end of March to sign, veto, or recommend amendments to the legislation we pass.

That’s out of more than 2,000 bills that were introduced. 

I’m proud to report that the 2025 session was a highly successful one for me. According to a recent Virginia Public Access Project analysis, I was ranked the most effective legislator in the state, with 14 of the 16 bills I introduced passing both chambers.

One of the most critical responsibilities of the General Assembly during our short session is adjusting Virginia’s two-year budget. This year, we’re looking at a significant surplus, though the ongoing dismantling of the federal government and workforce could have major implications for those numbers.

I’ve been tapped by the Speaker of the House to serve on a bi-partisan Emergency Committee to work to ascertain exactly what the impact will be on Virginia’s budget and help make policy recommendations to address the potential loss of revenue, providing for the needs of newly unemployed federal workers, and long term strategies to allow our economy to adapt the reality of an eviscerated Federal Government. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at what we accomplished in January and February.

Putting money back in the pockets of hard-working Virginians

The House-Senate compromise budget includes over $1 billion in tax cuts for Virginians, including tax rebates of $200 per individual and $400 per couple by October 2025, plus a permanent increase in the standard deduction to help lower tax burdens.

We’re expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), providing more relief to lower-income households. 

Affordable Housing

I hear about this issue a lot – from constituents and in my day job as a real estate title attorney. To help address it, this budget has significant investments to help Virginians achieve homeownership, address high rental costs for low-income Virginians, and increase the state’s supply of affordable housing.

Specifically, there is a pilot program that will provide direct rental assistance to families in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, so that the cost of housing does not exceed 30% of their income. A new grant program for first-time homebuyers to receive a grant of up to $10,000 was also established to help offset the cost of homeownership.

Public Education

This budget includes a historic $782 million increase in state funding for our K-12 public education system. Along with the already promised 3% raise, teachers and support staff will receive a $1,000 bonus.

We also set aside $150 million to improve school facilities, ensuring safe and modern classrooms for Virginia’s students. And we’re investing in early childhood education by adding 4,500 new early childhood education slots while keeping childcare costs affordable for working families.

Healthcare & Mental Health Services

Better and sustainable healthcare for all Virginians is a top priority. As a result, the budget includes an $869 million investment in health and human services, ensuring more funding for Medicaid, maternal health, and mental health services.

Of this, $41.2 million is earmarked for behavioral health, including crisis services, mental health workforce support, and expanded psychiatric resources. There is also $32.3 million to address critical improvements in state mental health facilities.

In addition, there is $8.7 million to hire additional support coordinators at Community Service Boards to ensure individuals receiving a DD waiver get timely access to services and to help with the increased caseload due to the significant addition of DD waiver slots this biennium.

We added an additional $1 million to expand pilot programs to divert and discharge individuals with dementia from state hospitals to community placements. Fairfax County will be able to expand their pilot program that reduces the risk of social isolation among older Virginians, with the goal of expanding the program statewide.

Environment & Infrastructure

Protecting our environment and shoring up our infrastructure projects are critical to Virginia’s continued economic success. As such, we’re maintaining our commitment to the Chesapeake Bay Cleanup by fully funding agricultural best management practices for the biennium. 

The Stormwater Local Assistance Fund will get $40 million to cover projected costs and the we will fully fund the state share of costs for wastewater treatment plant improvements. We’re also adding $25 million for drinking water grants to localities to upgrade or replace existing drinking water infrastructure.

This budget includes restores $3.3 million for operating support for WMATA.

Safer Communities

There is an additional $5.9 million to support grants for local community violence intervention programs, plus an additional $3.5 million for sexual assault and domestic violence victim agencies and victim witness programs.

All I Do is Win

The 2025 General Assembly Session is officially over and I'm glad to be back in the 13th District! With over 3,000 bills and resolutions reviewed, it was a productive, short session.

 

I’m proud to share that I was the most successful legislator this session in getting bills passed! Among lawmakers who introduced more than one bill, I had the highest batting average - meaning more of my legislation made it through the process than anyone else’s.

 

It’s not just about numbers - it’s about delivering real results for Virginians. I’ve worked hard to craft meaningful, effective legislation and build the support needed to get things done. I’ll keep fighting for the issues that matter to our community. Check out the stats for yourself: VPAP Legislator Batting Averages. Thank you for your support—I couldn’t do this without you!

 

The Last Week of Session

The 5th grade class from Oak Street Elementary School in Falls Church visited the Capitol to learn more about the legislative process and to visit with Senator Salim and myself. It was my pleasure to introduce them on the House Floor.

 

Early in the week, I participated in a press conference on campaign finance reform, specifically about legislation to prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. Although I have carried this bill for many years, my colleague, Delegate Josh Cole introduced it this year. And for the first time, the bill has passed both chambers, which means it is on its way to the Governor. The Washington Post also covered this monumental achievement.

 

On Wednesday, Delegate Webert and I presented a commending resolution for Col. Gary Settle who recently retired as the the Virginia State Police Superintendent. After nearly 50 years of service to the Commonwealth, his retirement is well-earned.

 

Emergency Committee on Impacts of the Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions

The Speaker appointed me to this special committee to study the potential impacts of the Trump Administration's cuts to the federal workforce and programs. The purpose is to ensure that the General Assembly can work to mitigate these impacts to Virginians and to the state budget.

 

Last Saturday, we had our first committee meeting. We heard presentations from the Washington Council of State Governments, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Virginia Municipal League, and House Appropriations staff. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this critical issue as the uncertainty affects so many Virginians. You can watch the full stream of the meeting online.

 

For Fairfax County residents that are directly affected by this, the County has created a website of resources that may be helpful.

 

What's Next?

The 822 bills that the passed the House and the Senate will go to the Governor for his review, including 13 of my bills (more details below!). On April 2nd, we will return to Richmond to vote on the Governor's vetoes and recommendations.

 

We also passed a compromise budget that reflects many of our priorities. And I'm pleased to report that my budget request to provide $500,000 for the Lake Barcroft Dam to address critical infrastructure issues and maintenance is included.

 

Now, it's the Governor's turn. Over the next few weeks, we'll see what legislation he decides to sign, amend, or veto.

The End of the 2025 Session

This is the very last week of the 2025 General Assembly Session! With a short, 46-day session, it is always a challenge to make sure that we have enough time to review all the legislation that is introduced. I know it’s hard to focus on anything other than the chaos and constant stream of bad news coming from across the river in Washington, D.C, but I’m hoping that you’ll take a moment to look at what we’ve been able to accomplish so far down in Richmond.

Here in the State Capitol, the legislative branch still values the separation of powers and takes seriously its responsibility to provide a constitutional check on executive overreach. With the Governor also able to veto any bills we send to his desk and likely have them sustained, we’ve been forced to focus on items that don’t require his signature or items that are non-partisan. We’ve also been able to stop ill-advised ideas from advancing.  Here’s the round-up.  

Constitutional Amendments

One thing we can do without the Governor’s signature is propose amendments to Virginia’s constitution, enshrining personal freedom at the state level. Three constitutional amendments have passed the House and the Senate – the right to vote, the right to reproductive freedom, and the right to marriage equality. 

So, what’s next? Well, if we can keep the House majority after the election this November, then we’ll be able to pass these exact same amendments again during the 2026 Session. At that point, the last hurdle will be the 2026 ballot when voters will decide if these three constitutional amendments will become a part of Virginia’s Constitution. This means we’ve got a lot of work to do between now and then to ensure that happens! 

Northern Virginia Casino Bill Dies in Subcommittee

The bill to authorize a casino in Northern Virginia has officially died for this year. The only disappointment for me? It happened in a subcommittee I wasn’t on, so I didn’t get the chance to vote NO myself.

Regardless of where you stand on whether Northern Virginia should have a casino or whether we need the good union jobs a casino and entertainment district might provide, this bill was deeply flawed. Fairfax County never asked for the authority to put a casino referendum on the ballot. The bill’s restrictive language made it clear it was crafted to benefit a single landowner. Most importantly, I heard from thousands of constituents and neighbors opposed to it. I’m glad this bill won’t be moving forward this year. It would take a much different bill and much different circumstances to get me to a yes on a casino bill. It’s hard to imagine what those circumstances might be, but this iteration didn’t come close. 

Campaign Finance Reform

Some items take more than a session, or two, or even three to become law. For all 12 of my sessions, I was Chief Patron or Chief Co-Patron of bills to clean up what I thought was an obvious loophole in Virginia’s campaign finance laws – prohibiting the use of campaign funds for personal use. We are one of the last few states not to have laws to specifically regulate this.

This year, I worked with Delegate Josh Cole, who introduced the bill. It has passed the House and will have passed the Senate by the time you read this column. Next step is the Governor’s desk!

My Legislation

I’ve been fortunate that 13 of the 15 bills I introduced this year have passed both chambers, most with broad bi-partisan support making them unlikely to be vetoed. My resolution to study the effect of recent changes to Virginia law making it easier to challenge books in public school libraries will pass as well. 

Whether we like it or not, the level of government that may have the greatest ability to protect our personal freedom and our democratic way of life may be the state level for the next few years. I want you to know you have a strong and effective advocate in the General Assembly.

Community Meetings

As this is the last week of session, I’ll soon be heading back to Northern Virginia, my regular day job, and get to see my family. I’m looking forward to being back in the district and attending community events. If you have an HOA, community association, youth group, or local organization that would like me to give an in-person session update, please reach out to my office.

Representing the 13th District

For the first time in almost 30 years, the Commanders have a real shot at being in the Super Bowl. As a die-hard fan, I’ve been watching each game on the edge of my seat, daring to hope that this could be our year. And after the team’s tumultuous few years, I think we’ve earned a win.  

It reminds me a lot of the transformation of the Virginia House of Delegates. When I started in the House of Delegates, Democrats were a super-minority, with just 33 of 100 seats. Kind of like going 4-13 during and NFL Season. Then, in 2017 we got to 49, and, but for a random drawing, could have tied the House. The next cycle we took over in 2019. Through the height of the pandemic, we did our best to navigate those uncertain times while also fulfilling our campaign promises to our constituents. After losing the majority in 2021, we once again came out on top in the 2023 election with a 51-49 majority.  

 

We are accustomed to working hard, to keeping our commitments, and working to ensure that Virginia remains the best place to live, to work, and raise a family.  

 

We've got over 2,000 bills pending in the House and Senate, so we have our work cut out for us these few weeks before Crossover! 

 

Possibly the biggest news of the week was that the House passed our top three Constitutional Amendments - the right to reproductive freedom (HJ 1), the right to vote (HJ 2), and the right to marriage equality (HJ 9). For these Amendments to get on the ballot so that you can vote on them, we'll have to pass them all again during the 2026 Session. But we are that much closer to enacting these critical freedoms and protections. 

 

Adding to this, President Biden declared that the ERA is now the law of the land as one of his last official acts. This is largely thanks to Virginia becoming the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in 2020. 

The State Budget 

As Chair of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council, I submitted two budget amendments that will address the Council's increased workload while ensuring its ability to fulfill its duties. One provides increased funding to the Council’s base appropriation to reflect operational cost increases. The second provides funding for two positions to increase staffing to address growing workload requirements, particularly regarding the statewide training for state and local officials and requests for formal and informal opinions. 
 

Now that I represent Lake Barcroft and its watershed district, I submitted an amendment to address a critical infrastructure project. This amendment provides $500,000 of state funding for maintenance required at the Lake Barcroft Damn. This is a result of the Department of Conservation & Recreation's Division of Dam Safety’s updated certification regulations and is just a small part of the overall $8 million funding needed for this project.  

 

My Legislative Agenda 

 

During this 46-day short session (which has a bill introduction limit),  I submitted 15 bills and one joint study resolution. Here are a few highlights. 

 

I introduced a bill authorizing localities to establish by ordinance a system of public campaign financing for local elected offices (HB 1761). This is part of my long-standing commitment to campaign finance reform. 

 

My HB 2039 requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the FOIA Council, to establish a model policy on the use of encrypted telecommunications by law-enforcement agencies. Most likely, this bill will be referred to the FOIA Council for further review.  

 

At the request of the Falls Church City Council, I submitted HB 2137 to add the City of Falls Church to the list of localities with authority to create an affordable dwelling unit program. 

 

While it is already illegal to put swastikas in public areas with the intent to intimidate, HB 2783 simply adds private property to that list. 

 

For several years now, I’ve had a little banned book library outside my Richmond office. My joint resolution, HJ 440, directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the removal of books from Virginia’s public school libraries. 

 

Just as the Commanders have worked hard to improve their standing in the NFL, we are working hard to represent our constituents and uphold our progressive values. While some of our goals may take some time to achieve, we will do what we can to make sure we ultimately come out on top.

Budget Special Session

This week’s Richmond report comes to you from . . .well, Richmond.  The General Assembly returned to the Capitol on Monday for the Special Session to consider the recently released 2024-2026 State Budget.   

Now I know what you’re asking yourself . . . these extra sessions have become such a regular phenomenon, is it really accurate to call them special sessions anymore? Are the really still “special?”   

While I don’t necessarily disagree, that’s still what we call them.   

Although the General Assembly completed its work on time and sent a comprehensive budget to the Governor back in March, the Governor initially attempted to rewrite it with an unprecedented 233 individual amendments. He then threatened the first ever veto of a biennial state budget passed by the General Assembly.   

Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and members of the House and Senate have been meeting with the Governor for weeks to create a budget compromise that we could all agree on. In the end, the House of Delegates came out as the big winner in these negotiations, preserving the lions' share of our priorities, with some nods to the State Senate and agreeing not to cross a few red lines put in place by the Governor.  

The House passed the new budget 96-4 and the Senate 39-1. The Governor has already signed it.   

Let’s start with what’s NOT in the budget:  

The new budget does not include the Governor’s proposed sales tax increase - a regressive tax that hits families and lower income people the hardest.  

Also not included is the Governor’s tax giveaway to the ultra-wealthy – a package that would have resulted in nearly $10,000 for the wealthiest 1% while raising taxes for individuals making less than $58,000 per year.   

Unfortunately, the language ensuring Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is not included. In 2020, we passed legislation to join RGGI, but since then the Governor has refused to adhere to the law. I have heard from many constituents about this, and I absolutely agree that Virginia should be a part of RGGI. Given the Governor’s illegal action here, I have no doubt that lawsuits are pending.  

On the flip side, the new budget does contain many of our priorities that were highlighted in the original compromise budget that passed in March.  

Just last year, a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report highlighted that Virginia underfunds K-12 education by $4 billion a year. With this budget, we made significant investments to address this, including funding a 3% pay increase each year for teachers and school employees. Furthermore, Falls Church Public Schools will receive an estimated $10,350,000 for FY 2025, which is about $1 million more than was in the Governor’s original budget. Meanwhile, Fairfax County will receive over $1 billion or about $62.5 million more than the original budget.  

I’m also happy to report that my budget amendment to restore funding for the Student Loan Ombudsman Office (which I helped establish) is included. The Ombudsman provides timely assistance to student borrowers of any student education loan in the Commonwealth.   

We kept the language that authorizes state funding for abortions in cases of severe abnormalities.  

To strengthen our mental health resources, there is $20 million for additional mobile crisis units and $32 million to expand and modernize crisis services provided by Community Service Boards across the Commonwealth. Out of this, $3.6 million will go directly to Crisis Intervention assessment centers in six unserved rural communities.  

Further, we are funding over 3,000 additional I/DD waiver slots to help reduce the Priority One waiting list. And we have $10.2 million for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to help low-income families meet their basic needs.  

The budget also includes $7.6 million for sexual assault and domestic violence prevention programs as well as $2 million in grants for hate crime prevention programs at state agencies and non-profits.  

After a battle over WMATA funding, we secured $318 million to ensure that Virginia continues to pay its fair share, investing in public transportation.   

We kept our promise to state employees by maintaining a 3% raise each budget year.  

To help with housing initiatives, we’ve committed $87.5 million each year to the Housing Trust Fund, which works to preserve affordable housing and reduce homelessness.  

In short, there are a lot of good things we can be proud of in this latest compromise budget. Much can be accomplished when we work together. But to be clear, there is more that we can and should be doing when it comes to investing in our economy and the Commonwealth.