Dear John,

I am proud to say that I joined my Democratic colleagues at a press event at George Mason University as part of our effort to take the General Assembly’s bipartisan budget on the road. The tour connected lawmakers with voters and enabled us to demonstrate how the bipartisan General Assembly budget supports children and families, in stark contrast to Governor Youngkin’s proposed budget and his recent vetoes on health and safety legislation.

When Virginians hear about our commitment to funding K-12 public education, increasing financial aid to college students, supporting early access to mental health services, and many other initiatives, we receive resounding support. 

Upcoming Event:

Please join me and members of the Arlington delegation for a virtual town hall on April 25th from 5 to 7 p.m. We look forward to hearing from you and discussing the 2024 session. 

Gun Safety--The governor vetoed a slew of common-sense gun safety legislation, including legislation that would have implemented a ban on assault weapons. This legislation tracked the very effective federal ban that was on the books for twenty years. Surprisingly, the governor also vetoed my bill, a bill intended to ensure that domestic abusers comply with current law and relinquish their firearms.

Reproductive Health--I am expecting the governor to veto my bill to shield menstrual health data from law enforcement, as well as my bill to protect from extradition out-of-state patients who receive abortions in Virginia and the health care professionals who provide those procedures. In addition, other reproductive health bills, including a bill that establishes the right to access contraceptives, also await the governor’s decision on or before April 8th.

As the Republican positions become more extreme on abortion care, in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, and access to mifepristone, we must stand up and say “enough is enough” through our votes. I believe this message is finally getting through. A case in point is the stunning win by Marilyn Lands, a Democrat, in Tuesday’s special election for an Alabama state House seat. Ms. Lands campaigned on access to abortion and IVF and won in a deep red district.

You can join the fight to protect reproductive health care and access to abortion care by helping me support pro-choice candidates right here in Virginia. Any donation is appreciated. 

The General Assembly Budget vs. Governor Youngkin’s Budget:

The biggest difference in our budget versus Governor Youngkin’s budget is the funding for K-12 public education, but there are other important differences as well.

Fortunately, many Virginians realize that the benefits of supporting our human infrastructure far outweigh the modest tax burden that may be required to make those necessary investments. This realization is grounded in data. Virginia’s median household income (five-year estimate) was $87,249 in 2022, making Virginia 10th among the states and above the national average of $75,000. Yet, according to the Tax Foundation, in 2022 Virginia ranked 43rd in the overall tax burden on individuals.

K-12 Education--According to the Commonwealth Institute, Virginia ranks 40th in the nation in per pupil state spending, hovering between states like Mississippi and Missouri. School divisions that serve more students of color receive even less revenue per student. The average teacher salary in Virginia is approximately $6,700 below the national average. We cannot have a quality educational system where every child is given the chance to succeed if this reality does not change. The General Assembly budget makes meaningful in-roads on the teacher-pay front and improves funding levels for our public schools. For example, we allocated $2.5 billion above the 2024 current service levels. (This is $1 billion more than Governor Youngkin’s proposed budget.) These dollars will cover the state portion of a 3% teacher raise for each year of the biennium. This will help with teacher recruitment and retention.

Funding in our budget will also help school systems better meet the state-mandated standards of quality and provide more support to Title I schools (schools that have at least 40% of their population on free or reduced lunch). The bipartisan General Assembly budget also increases funding for English language learners (something that is important in diverse Northern Virginia) and it improves access to Virginia’s Literacy program, a program designed to ensure that every child is reading by grade 3.

Higher Education--Our budget provides $205 million in funding over the biennium to increase access, affordability, and degree production at public colleges and universities. The governor’s proposed budget did not increase spending on higher education. The additional spending in the General Assembly budget will be used to offset the institutional dollars needed to raise salaries, an underlying factor in tuition increases. It will also bolster financial aid and support low-income students in their quest to complete a degree or certificate program.

Behavioral Health--Our budget and the governor’s budget are more closely aligned in this area, although the bipartisan General Assembly budget does provide more funding for preventive services.

Both budgets fund salary increases for staff in our psychiatric hospitals, bolster programs that support the personnel pipeline, and fund the infrastructure necessary to support crisis intervention programs. Community-based crisis receiving and stabilization services will provide a “no-wrong-door access” to mental health and substance use care, operating much like a hospital emergency department that accepts all walk-ins and those under emergency or temporary detention orders. We are working to establish a more seamless system of care in communities throughout the Commonwealth. 

Environment and Natural Resources--The General Assembly budget increases technical assistance funding to Soil and Water Conservation Districts, establishes a pilot program to solicit investments in non-point source pollution reduction projects, and funds stormwater management projects, among other efforts. The struggle with the Youngkin Administration is the complete lack of commitment to ensuring a clean and healthy environment. Even when bills are signed or appropriations agreed to, implementation is frequently delayed or even thwarted. One significant example of this problem is Youngkin’s attempt to remove Virginia, through administrative action, from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Our budget has language that directs the governor to rejoin the RGGI.

On April 17th if not sooner, we will see Governor Youngkin’s proposed amendments to our budget. At that point, the budget negotiations will accelerate and pathways will hopefully be identified for a possible compromise.

Status of My Bills:

Thus far the governor has vetoed two of my bills: one dealt with ensuring that domestic abusers actually forfeited their firearm (as required by law), and the other established criteria for a reduction in probation time. The governor signed two of my bills: one required recovery residences to report serious injuries and deaths, and the other enabled localities to facilitate the creation of child care centers in vacant office buildings. He also amended my child advocacy center bill to clarify the definition of a nationally recognized center. Eighteen more of my bills are awaiting gubernatorial action, which must take place by April 8th. I will keep you posted.

Thank you for your ongoing support. It is an honor and privilege to represent you. Visit my website to view my session updates and connect with my senate office.

Sincerely,

Senator Barbara Favola

Senator Favola joins her colleagues for a press conference at GMU about the budget.