Category: General Assembly
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Tax Reform Ideas a Stalemated Assembly Could Adopt
By Steve Haner During his four-year term, tax reductions approved by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) will save Virginians just under $8 billion, and approximately $1.5 billion or more in additional annual savings after he departs. Most of the rule changes that have produced these benefits occurred in the 2022 and 2023 General Assembly sessions. Then…
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Be Careful What You Ask For
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico) is very upset about the plan to locate a Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Henrico County. This is the facility that features “historical horse racing,” which many have equated to slot machines. Churchill Downs, the parent company of Rosie’s, plans to open the facility in an existing shopping center, the…
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Good Luck With That, Lame Duck
by James A. Bacon The Joint Tax Subcommittee of the General Assembly is convening in Richmond today to discuss how to make Virginia’s tax code more “fair and equitable,” reports Michael Martz in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. When the Democrat-controlled legislature says it wants to make taxes more “fair and equitable,” it’s time to reach for…
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Money Burning a Hole in their Pockets
by Dick Hall-Sizemore If anyone needs concrete evidence that the 2024 General Assembly had more money for the 2024-2026 biennial budget that it could responsibly spend, he need only to examine one little-known item in the budget: capital maintenance reserve (MR). In an earlier article, I examined this budget item and identified five agencies that…
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All of the Camel is Almost in the Tent
by Dick Hall-Sizemore For more decades than one can remember, the policy of the Commonwealth, with one exception, has been to pay for road construction with money raised by gasoline and other transportation-related taxes. Money in the state’s general fund, consisting of revenue from income, sales, and other miscellaneous taxes, was not available for road…
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A Curious Appointment
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Governor Youngkin has appointed Banci Tewolde as director of the Dept. of General Services (DGS). She will fill the vacancy created by the sudden departure last December of Joe Damico, who had served as deputy director for 16 years and as director for the last six years. It is a curious appointment for a…
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VCEA Fans and Foes Both See Failure Looming
By Steve Haner There is a growing recognition that the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) as written is going to fail. Both those who strongly believe in its goal of ending the use of hydrocarbon fuels, and those who consider that idea nothing but fool’s gold, see major problems on the horizon. There is also…
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Senator Lucas’ “Big Gamble”
by Kayla Owen Virginia state Senator and Chair of the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, Louise Lucas, is known for her love of casinos, skill games, and other gambling enterprises. Her greatest political gamble may be unfolding before our eyes this week. When Virginia’s biennial 2024-2026 budget was signed on May 13, 2024, just…
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Clean Economy Act: A Refresher on What it Does
By Steve Haner A senior Democratic state senator is leading an effort to review and possibly revise the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which orders the future elimination of hydrocarbon fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) used in making electricity. His goal is to conduct a stakeholder process and bring legislation to the 2025…
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Now Fix the Clean Economy Act, Governor
By Steve Haner Governor Glenn Youngkin recently flew to Louisiana to join with other Republican governors in criticizing President Joe Biden’s energy policy, especially the president’s hostility to hydrocarbon fuels. Youngkin and the rest gathered at an oil refinery to make their point that oil and gas should not go away in the decades to…
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Acorn to Oak: “Free” Military Dependent Tuition
By Steve Haner Virginia’s political leaders are embarked upon another of their occasional efforts to clean up their own mess, in this case scrambling to restore a generous tuition waiver at Virginia’s public universities for family members of certain veterans. It is being touted as a benefit for Virginia “gold star families” of the fallen.…
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Youngkin, Miyares State California EV Mandate Never Adopted for Virginia
By Steve Haner Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) and Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) announced today that Virginia will no longer comply with the California air regulations that will restrict and eventually eliminate the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles. The announcement is sure to set off a political and legal firestorm as fierce as…
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Gas Tax Tops 40c Per Gallon, Up 150% in Four Years
By Steve Haner Virginia’s motor fuel taxes rise again July 1, finally breaching 40 cents per gallon for gasoline. Four years ago the tax was 16.2 cents per gallon, but former Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed 2020 legislation to both increase the tax and to begin automatic annual inflation adjustments. The tax becomes 40.4 cents…
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Shown the Door, Petersen Calls Out COVID Fascists
By Steve Haner Reading Chap Petersen’s biographical “Rebel,” it is pretty easy to understand why a year ago his fellow Democrats threw him out of office in a primary. In fact, the mystery is that he survived as long as he did. The book tells a history that many would like to ignore or actively…
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Four Years In, Energy Subsidy Helping Very Few
By Steve Haner Four years after approval, a state program to provide lower electricity costs to low income families is still struggling to get going. Administrative costs have far exceeded any actual benefits to utility customers to date. It is called the Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) and was created by the 2020 General…