Governor Glenn Youngkin here.
Today, I introduced my amendments for a Common Ground Budget for the Commonwealth.
This budget demonstrates our commitment to coming together as Republicans and Democrats, Senators and Delegates, the General Assembly and Governor, to put the needs of Virginians first.
As I have promised from the beginning of these negotiations, I am not going to sign a budget that raises taxes on hardworking Virginia families. This Common Ground Budget reflects that commitment – there are no new taxes or tax increases included in the budget I have now sent back to the General Assembly.
I fundamentally believe that we can fund our shared priorities – education, behavioral health, creating jobs, safer communities, conserving our natural resources, and funding local and regional priorities – without any tax increases.
I believe this because that is exactly what we’ve done for the past two years. We made record investments in students, teachers, behavioral health, and law enforcement during my first two years as your Governor. All the while, we actually reduced your taxes by a record $5 billion.
While the General Assembly did not include the additional $1 billion in tax relief I called for in December, I am committed to finding areas of agreement that will fully fund our shared priorities. That is exactly what this Common Ground Budget represents.
We are investing a record $21.2 billion in K-12 education, giving our teachers a much-deserved pay raise for the next two years, and increasing funding for higher education by $1 billion. We are investing over $800 million for early childhood care and education to support 68,000 early learners and ensuring innovative lab schools continue to thrive across Virginia. We are increasing funding for health and human resources by $3.2 billion, including critical funding for our Right Help, Right Now initiative to transform behavioral health care. We are supporting public safety in this budget, investing $72.5 million for community violence reduction programs and additional support for police departments across Virginia. We are supporting job growth and economic development, environmental protection, and local priorities like toll relief in Hampton Roads, investments in I-81, and helping Metro get back on track.
This Common Ground Budget meets a vast array of priorities across the Commonwealth, represented by Senators and Delegates, Republicans and Democrats. It supports our shared goals without any tax increases on Virginia families.
I am hopeful that the General Assembly will come together to support this Common Ground Budget as we continue to chart a course toward the mission we all share – making Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
Thank you for your continued support.
