Still no signatures from Governor Youngkin

The Virginia General Assembly has been out of the 2025 session for a week now and so far Governor Youngkin has not taken action on any of the legislation waiting on his desk.

On Sunday, the director of legislative services for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission sent out a useful summary.

“The final days of the session saw the legislature considering action on about 100 bills and resolutions that had remained in dispute,” wrote David Blount.

The House of Delegates and the Senate also adopted their version of a budget.

Technically the General Assembly is still in a special session convened in 2024 that did not adjourn but hasn’t met yet. Special sessions are governed by joint resolutions and the House adopted an amended version that increased the possible scope for which the legislature can meet.

The language states that the House and Senate can convene to consider any “bill or joint resolution addressing the impacts upon the Commonwealth, its budget, and its services due to layoffs, firings, or reductions in force by the federal government, changes to federal government programs, actions of the Department of Government Efficiency, and other actions affecting the Commonwealth relating to the federal budget.”

The vote in the House of Delegates on HJ6004 was 59 ayes, 38 nays, and three legislators not voting.

In case you missed it, I’ve written two stories from the first meeting of the House Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions. There’s also a podcast version. (story #1) (story #2)

Blount’s February 23 message also breaks down what’s in the legislature’s version of the budget.

• There’s a one-time tax rebate of $200 for individuals and $400 for joint filers that will cost $1 billion. The standard deduction for individuals increases by $250 to $8,750 for individuals and by $500 to $17,500 for joint filers.
• Local employees whose salaries are supported by the Commonwealth of Virginia would get a 1.5 percent bonus on July 1. In this arrangement, the Commonwealth would pay $83.1 million to localities.
• There is a $20 million from the FY25 surplus to address impacts of the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the federal government.
• There’s an additional $150 million for the School Construction Assistance Program, but the budget does not include language authorizing localities to levy a one-cent local sales tax. Legislation to allow localities to hold referendums on such a tax has passed the General Assembly and awaits Youngkin’s action.
• The General Assembly’s version of the budget also includes a $50 million reduction in funds for the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program leaving $20 million left. This is notable for Albemarle County who are seeking to bring the Rivanna Futures project up to Tier 4.
• There is funding of $15 million for a first-time homebuyer grant program.
• There is $2 million in funding to reimburse localities for time public safety officers spend transporting people under temporary detention and emergency custody orders.
• Governor Youngkin had included language that threatened localities with withholding funding if they do not comply with the Trump administration’s orders to assist in enforcing immigration laws.

For much more information, take a look at the full report written by Blount on the TJPDC website.

Before you go: This story originally went out in the March 1, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement and was posted here a day later. Both are publications of Town Crier Productions.