Eastern Shore Times

Governor Glenn Youngkin has introduced amendments to the state budget ahead of the 2025 General Assembly session. These proposed changes aim to modify the existing budget adopted earlier this year by the legislature. The amendments will now be reviewed by the House and Senate budget committees.

Since Governor Youngkin took office in 2022, $5 billion in tax relief has been approved for Virginia families. The new proposals include establishing a Working Class Car Tax credit, providing a permanent and refundable tax credit for families earning below certain income thresholds. Additionally, "No Taxes On Tips" would affect approximately 250,000 service workers. There is also a proposal to make existing standard deductions permanent.

In education, Governor Youngkin is proposing an additional $1 billion in K-12 funding, which would bring total funding for the biennium to $22 billion. This includes increased support for school resource officers and a Virginia Opportunity Scholarship Program aimed at assisting low-income families with educational costs. The Governor highlighted that six lab schools are operational with nine more expected by fall 2025.

For higher education, there is a focus on capping tuition increases by cutting administrative costs rather than increasing operating funds. Special attention was given to public HBCUs like Virginia State University, with per-student funding reaching its highest level in three decades under this administration.

Public safety measures include withholding funding from localities adopting "sanctuary city" policies and expanding the SCOP pilot program to improve handling of mental health emergencies without involving law enforcement unnecessarily.

Governor Youngkin also addressed recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene's impact on southwest Virginia by proposing a permanent disaster recovery fund to supplement federal aid.

These updates reflect only part of the comprehensive budget proposal presented by Governor Youngkin as he seeks legislative approval in upcoming sessions.