The Democratic State Senate last week rejected nine of Governor Youngkin’s appointments to key governing boards in the state. Although Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) used high-minded language to defend the action, it is much more likely that the rationale was baser — simply keeping important policy-making board seats open for...
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed an Education Opportunity Scholarship Grant — similar to what exists in 27 other states — providing $5,000 private school scholarships to each of 10,000 low-to-moderate-income public school K-12 students. Regardless of outcome, the debate over empowering low-income parents to seek better education for their children is an...
In the past few years, under governors of both parties, Virginia has expanded its standard deduction for income taxpayers from $6,000 for a couple in 2018 to $17,000 today saving those taxpayers $633. When they produce their budget bill on Sunday, the Democrats who hold the majority in the Virginia...
When Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed an Education Opportunity Scholarship Grant – similar to what exists in 28 other states – providing $5,000 in private school scholarships to 10,000 low-moderate income public school K-12 students, the reaction was instantaneous, underscoring America’s partisan divide: Republicans endorsed it. Democrats opposed it. Senate Majority...
It was not the most reported part of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth Address on January 13, but for the first time in four years the Republican took direct aim at the renewable energy mandates his predecessor adopted. He labeled them a “quagmire.” “The Virginia Clean Economy Act,...
Virginia’s General Assembly is being asked again to protect the use of natural gas and prohibit local government efforts to restrict or ban it in homes and businesses. A Senate bill pending at the 2025 session is backed by a large coalition which includes the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy...
Senator Ghazala Hashmi, chair of the Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee, is introducing a bill that has no chance of becoming law — apparently trying to carry water on behalf of the Virginia Education Association (VEA) in hopes of gaining support for her campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Hashmi’s bill would require...
In Virginia, a Democratic Delegate, Phil Hernandez, has introduced legislation to raise state income taxes on people making over $1 million per year. Their marginal tax rate would rise from 5.75% to 10%, under HB 2333. This tax increase won’t become law this year, but it might become law...
The 2025 General Assembly is expected to consider another proposal to create a state-level approval process for certain large renewable energy projects, overriding local zoning authority. Based on recent public debates about the proposal, it is facing severe headwinds. Similar bills were proposed and failed in 2024. The legislative Commission on Electric...
While Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly appear unanimous in their opposition to the Governor’s new School Performance and Support Framework, there is near unanimous support among registered voters for enhanced educational standards that measure both growth and accountability by student subgroups according to a new poll. In a survey...
