Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) reportedly said in a Monday press conference that Democrats are only likely to support Governor Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to stop taxing tips if it is “responsible,” suggesting the governor’s proposal to mirror the federal campaign promise by President-elect Donald Trump within the commonwealth could face opposition over financial concerns.
Scott said during his Monday press conference, “Any idea that’s going to put money back into the pockets of hard work of Virginians, we’re going to strongly consider and take a look at it,” reported VPM.
The House of Delegates Speaker suggested lawmakers were surprised by the governor’s proposal, accusing him of introducing proposals with a “shoot first, aim later” approach before invoking the legislation’s responsibility.
“We just want to make sure that we’re not just doing things for the front page of the paper, but we’re doing things that are responsible,” said Scott (pictured above, right), according to the outlet.
In his Monday press release, Youngkin’s office said up to 250,000 Virginians work in the service industry and could benefit from the legislation, which would allow such workers to claim a deduction on any income derived from tips.
“By removing tips from taxable income, it will directly increase the take-home pay of hundreds of thousands of Virginians and give them more buying power, which in turn will improve financial stability, stimulate local economies, and honor the value of their hard work,” stated Youngkin.
According to the governor’s office, the program would save Virginia taxpayers about $70 million annually.
“Virginia’s roaring,” said Youngkin in a Fox News interview, announcing his proposal. “We have seen record job growth, we have seen record corporate investment, and as a result, we have seen record receipts.”
He told the network, “That has all translated into the financial flexibility for us to provide even more tax relief.”
The governor has since posted a photo of his receipt, revealing that he left a 25 percent tip, and included the underlined words, “no tax on tips.”
Youngkin’s proposal follows Trump’s campaign promise to end federal taxes on tips received by service workers. Trump also promised to end taxation on social security benefits and overtime.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Martin Kraft. CC BY-SA 3.0.
