Virginia General Assembly Adjourns Sine Die, Passing Historic Legislation to Advance Racial and Economic Justice in Virginia

TCI is committed to continuing to fight for a budget that invests in making life more affordable for families and ensuring corporations like data centers pay their fair share

Today, Ashley Kenneth, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (TCI), released the following statement as the Virginia General Assembly adjourns:

“This year, TCI continued our fight for a Virginia where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. I am proud of our team, who worked alongside our legislative champions and coalition partners to make progress in the following areas: 

• Advancing economic opportunity by raising the minimum wage, expanding collective bargaining rights to most state and local public sector workers, and creating a comprehensive Paid Family and Medical Leave program in Virginia
• Continuing to break down the cycles of poverty for people going through the criminal legal system, who are disproportionately Black and brown 
• Protecting members of our diverse communities, immigrant and citizen alike, who currently feel less safe due to new tactics and increased encounters with federal immigration enforcement

These historic wins are thanks to the people whose lived experiences have shaped our research and advocacy throughout this session. 

As a final budget is negotiated, we continue to call on lawmakers to:

• Keep the historic investments proposed by the Senate in public education, including additional funding for teacher pay and flexible funding to support students from low-income families
• Help Virginians facing skyrocketing health care costs due to the expiration of enhanced federal Affordable Care Act subsidies by investing $200 million to lower health care premiums as early as this year
• Ensure we have the revenue needed to invest in our shared prosperity by making data centers pay their fair share and not extending their current sales and use tax exemption beyond 2035. 

We look forward to continuing to work with legislators to pass a budget that prioritizes families over corporations and continues to make Virginia a leader in economic and racial justice in the South.