Youngkin says state budget is ‘completely backward’

ICYMI: Governor Glenn Youngkin is a businessman – he knows a good budget when he sees one. In his first two years as Governor, Glenn Youngkin passed bipartisan budgets that delivered $5 billion in tax relief and record funding for students, teachers, behavioral health, and law enforcement.

Now, in just 60 days, far-left progressives in the General Assembly have decided to take us backward – and their budget is anything but good for Virginia taxpayers. 

As a recap, here are the lowlights of the Backward Budget:

• $2 billion in regressive tax increases with no corresponding tax relief 
  
  
• $600 million energy tax that Virginians will pay on their electric bills
    
• Slashes funding for lab schools and school security
  
  
• Slashes funding for economic development
    
• Slashes funding for law enforcement recruitment
    
• Slashes funding for IT modernization in government  

As Governor Youngkin told NBC 12, “$2.6 billion of more costs on Virginians. It’s completely backwards, and this is what we’ve got to go fix. So, I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Governor Youngkin will protect Virginians from the $2.6 billion in tax hikes included in the Backward Budget from Virginia Democrats.

“That’s my number one objective. We’ve got to go to work in order to make the rest of the budget fit and that’s work that I’m dedicated to doing. I think I can work constructively with our general assembly, and I think we can get this done but the first step is $2.6 billion of tax increases has to come out of the budget,” said Youngkin.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

NBC 12: Youngkin say state budget is ‘completely backwards’

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is pouring over more than 1,000 bills passed by the Virgina General Assembly, and that includes the budget.

“$2.6 billion of more costs on Virginians. It’s completely backwards, and this is what we’ve got to go fix. So I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Youngkin said Monday outside Jo-Jo’s Pizza in downtown Richmond.

The biggest issue for Youngkin right now is the state’s proposed $188 billion biennial budget. The governor says he’s most outraged by $2 billion in sales tax increases.

He wanted $1 billion in tax decreases. He’s also concerned about $600 million in potential new taxes on electricity bills.

Lawmakers return to the Virginia Statehouse on April 17 to tie up any loose ends. So the governor has a little more than 30 days to work on those bills.

He’s got to review about 30 a day to make the deadline. Youngkin can approve a bill, veto it or take no action, allowing it to become law on July 1.

Paid for by Spirit of Virginia

Spirit of Virginia, PO Box 3950, Merrifield, VA 22116