Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) reportedly told reporters that Virginia needs to “get revenue sorted” before he can determine whether to move forward on his 2022 proposal to cut state taxes by $1 billion.
Youngkin spent nearly three hours speaking with the governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates on Monday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, and came away from the meeting with uncertain remarks about tax cuts amid claims the state will suffer a $1.3 billion shortfall in its next budget.
“I continue to be concerned about the cost of living in Virginia, and we’re continuing to evaluate how best to address that,” Youngkin told reporters, before stressing, “as I said, we’ve got to get revenue sorted and then we’ll worry about how best to address it.”
The governor made the remarks on the heels of findings reportedly presented during the Virginia House Appropriations Committee’s annual budget retreat on Tuesday, which the outlet reported forecasting the significant $1.3 billion deficit. The Department of Planning and Budget previously predicted a deficit of just $160.6 million, a figure more than eight times lower.
Youngkin campaigned on tax cuts for Virginians and, after budget negotiations, eventually secured $4 billion, a one-time break that will result in Virginia taxpayers receiving a one-time tax rebate of either $200 or $400 for Virginians who filed their taxes on time in 2023.
In an October statement, Youngkin cited “inflation and high prices” stemming from “policies out of Washington, D.C.,” and called the tax rebate “an important step” for Virginians to buy necessities before the holidays.
It remains unclear whether Youngkin could successfully pass such legislation after Virginia Republicans recorded losses in the November 7 elections, resulting in the party losing control over the Virginia House of Delegates.
Immediately after the elections, Youngkin said he intended to pursue bipartisan legislation during his final two years in office. Democratic House Speaker-designee Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) said he planned to pursue a relationship “reset” with the Republican governor. However, Democrats in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly released a partisan legislative agenda this week.
Democrats unveiled legislative plans to create constitutional amendments enshrining the right to abortions and automatic restoration of voting rights for felons, to pass legislation creating a $15 minimum wage in Virginia, and ban AR-15-style rifles in the state.
Though Youngkin has yet to respond, the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) issued a statement regarding the Democrats’ plans on Monday, calling them “a radical slate of bills that would upend existing law and turn our Commonwealth into a failed left-wing state like California or New York.”
“Republicans will continue to use every tool at our disposal to push back against these and other disastrous policies,” the party said.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Glenn Youngkin” by Governor of Virginia.
