Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is pursuing a freeze on the gas tax for the next year in an effort to provide “relief for families.”
The governor has been advocating this action since last month, but the finalized budget won’t become official until Virginia’s legislative session ends on March 12.
“We have a comprehensive commonsense tax reduction package,” Youngkin said Thursday, referring to the proposal from the House of Delegates. “We’re going to have the largest tax rebate in the history of Virginia.”
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS CALL ON CONGRESS TO LIFT GAS TAX AMID PRICE SURGE
The House’s current plan includes the elimination of up to $40,000 in taxes of Virginian veterans’ retirement benefits and a 5-cent reduction in gas taxes per gallon. Youngkin is also calling for even further tax relief, calling on the Assembly to double Virginia’s standard deduction to $9,000 for single filers and $18,000 for joint filers and to repeal the regressive tax on groceries.
“Let’s do the right thing and lower the cost of living for families and invest in Virginia’s future,” Youngkin tweeted Wednesday.
Facing the highest gas prices on record and the highest inflation rates in decades, families across Virginia are having to do more with their budgets. Let’s do the right thing and lower the cost of living for families and invest in Virginia’s future. https://t.co/11CKCb8TvU
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) March 9, 2022
Youngkin laid out his plan in an opinion editorial a month after he reportedly proposed it to state House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight and state Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman Janet Howell. The governor claimed that a “significant portion” of the $13.4 billion of unanticipated revenue can and should go back to taxpayers.
Currently, the bill has yet to have its different amendments resolved and, among the several amendments made, none have yet to reflect Youngkin’s aspirations.
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Knight and Howell did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
