Virginia Democrats promote tax hikes after Spanberger replaces Youngkin

A new year often brings growth and opportunity. But not in Virginia.

Since last November, winds in the state have carried a heavy burden. Elections have consequences, and with just days until Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger takes power, Virginians are reaping the rewards of the decisions they made at the ballot box. This is no longer a warning.

Now that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s watch is over, that progress is under attack. In just a few weeks, the newly emboldened Democratic majority moved to drain the budget surplus by expanding costly social programs while imposing unnecessary tax increases on middle- and lower-class Virginians. Virginians are experiencing a rapid and calculated wave of anti-business, anti-family, and anti-American policies that will irreparably destroy everything that makes Virginia great.

We Virginians were spoiled under Youngkin’s rule. Over the past four years, Youngkin’s watchful eye has kept the Democratic majority in the Virginia legislature from taking the state down a destructive path.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS WANT DOZENS OF NEW TAX INCREASES, INCLUDING DOG WALKING AND DRY CLEANING

Thanks to his leadership, Virginia is stronger than ever. Our state is experiencing record revenues, record tax cuts and record investment. Virginia’s overall revenue increased 5.2 percent last year, fueled by $9 billion in tax cuts, $156 billion in capital investments and a $2.7 billion budget surplus. Youngkin left Virginia better than he found it, taking our state to new heights. But the higher you climb, the harder you fall.

Now that Youngkin’s watch is over, that progress is under attack. In just a few weeks, the newly emboldened Democratic majority moved to drain the budget surplus by expanding costly social programs while imposing unnecessary tax increases on middle- and lower-class Virginians.

These policies will make life less affordable, forcing Virginians to meet rising living costs or leave the state behind, while creating new barriers to entry into the business world.

Democrats are pushing a sweeping tax agenda that would make daily living more expensive for working Virginians. For Virginia Democrats, “affordability” means imposing new taxes on dog grooming, counseling, vehicle and home repair, dry cleaning, hosting events and even owning electric leaf blowers and landscaping equipment. Their proposals would also allow new local sales taxes and impose a delivery tax on services like Amazon, Uber Eats, FedEx, and UPS, increasing costs for families and offering nothing more than a bigger, more intrusive government.

VMI STUDENTS FIGHT AS VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO CLOSE HISTORICAL MILITARY COLLEGE

While families work day and night to make ends meet, Virginia Democrats are rewarding themselves. Budget offers include: 209% average salary increase for state legislatorsBy repealing Virginia’s right-to-work law and mandating a $15 minimum wage, they are insulating politicians from economic realities. Together, these policies will increase labor costs, eliminate jobs, and leave workers with fewer opportunities.

At the same time, Democrats are pursuing an aggressive assault on Virginians’ Second Amendment rights. The bills would impose an unprecedented tax on firearms and ammunition, impose burdensome storage mandates, and impose sweeping bans on both open and concealed carry across large swaths of the state. These policies will not deter criminals. They will make it harder for law-abiding Virginians to protect themselves and their families.

Their sins do not end there. Virginia Democrats are actively working to rewrite the Virginia constitution.

VIRGINIA JUDGE INVALIDATES RESEGIVATION, RULES EXCEED REPRESENTATIVES’ AUTHORITY

Both the Virginia Senate and the House of Representatives voted to approve constitutional amendments allowing elective abortions up to birth, despite fierce opposition from Republicans, causing Virginia’s congressional districts to be gerrymandered on their way to Democratic dominance in the coming years. Despite recent defeats in lower courts, Democrats have vowed to continue ignoring procedural constraints in their quest for power at the expense of Virginia’s values.

In just a few weeks, the newly emboldened Democratic majority moved to drain the budget surplus by expanding costly social programs while imposing unnecessary tax increases on middle- and lower-class Virginians.

Across the country, we have seen an exodus from California and New York City caused by radical left policies, the same model Spanberger sought to emulate. He looks to California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and New York Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani for inspiration, but he refuses to accept the repercussions of his policies because he will never have to experience them.

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It is the people of our great nation who will bear this burden.

Spanberger and Virginia Democrats are not trying to implement common-sense policies that will improve the lives of Virginians. As we have already seen in California and New York, their agenda will raise costs, undermine job growth, force families to move, deter businesses, and protect criminals.

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They will consolidate political control until the Californianization of Virginia is completed through constitutional amendments.

The elections held today will shape Virginia’s economy, freedoms and competitiveness for decades to come. The results are not theoretical; they are real, they are emerging now, and they will be felt by families, workers, and businesses across the state.