Youngkin delivers annual State of the Commonwealth Address, pitches lawmakers on tax relief, education funding
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- With the 2025 General Assembly Session now underway, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) is making his pitch to lawmakers. “On behalf of our now 8.8 million bosses, I urge us to stay the course, to press forward boldly so Virginia keeps winning and Virginia keeps soaring,” Youngkin told lawmakers during his annual State of the Commonwealth Address on Monday. Youngkin used most of his speech to try and persuade the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to support his priorities, including ending taxes on tips for hospitality workers and his proposed plan that would provide car tax relief to working Virginians. “My friends, I urge us to come together, to stand together on the steps of this capitol to celebrate bills and a budget that allows hard-working Virginians to keep more of their hard-earned money,” Youngkin said. However, House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) quickly threw cold water on Youngkin’s car tax proposal. “He’s the governor, he says what he says. We will take a look at it. It seems unlikely, based on the proposal that we have right now, that we will be able to do anything right now,” Scott told reporters after Youngkin’s speech. Youngkin also pressed members of the General Assembly to prioritize investments in education by investing in lab schools and creating a scholarship program to help low-income families pay for private schools. “We can both invest record amounts in our extraordinary public school system and provide students and parents a pathway that works best for their families,” Youngkin said. However, Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Chair Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), a key budget negotiator, says Youngkin’s scholarship program is dead on arrival. “The governor is not going to take any money from public schools for vouchers for private schools. I have heard that tone for three years in a row now. It didn’t happen year one, {or} year two, and this year, it won’t happen either,” Lucas said. Youngkin also made it clear that he has no interest in signing any legislation to set up a marketplace for the sale of recreational marijuana, something Democrats have pushed for years.
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- With the 2025 General Assembly Session now underway, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) is making his pitch to lawmakers.
“On behalf of our now 8.8 million bosses, I urge us to stay the course, to press forward boldly so Virginia keeps winning and Virginia keeps soaring,” Youngkin told lawmakers during his annual State of the Commonwealth Address on Monday.
Youngkin used most of his speech to try and persuade the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to support his priorities, including ending taxes on tips for hospitality workers and his proposed plan that would provide car tax relief to working Virginians.
“My friends, I urge us to come together, to stand together on the steps of this capitol to celebrate bills and a budget that allows hard-working Virginians to keep more of their hard-earned money,” Youngkin said.
However, House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) quickly threw cold water on Youngkin’s car tax proposal.
“He’s the governor, he says what he says. We will take a look at it. It seems unlikely, based on the proposal that we have right now, that we will be able to do anything right now,” Scott told reporters after Youngkin’s speech.
Youngkin also pressed members of the General Assembly to prioritize investments in education by investing in lab schools and creating a scholarship program to help low-income families pay for private schools.
“We can both invest record amounts in our extraordinary public school system and provide students and parents a pathway that works best for their families,” Youngkin said.
However, Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Chair Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), a key budget negotiator, says Youngkin’s scholarship program is dead on arrival.
“The governor is not going to take any money from public schools for vouchers for private schools. I have heard that tone for three years in a row now. It didn’t happen year one, {or} year two, and this year, it won’t happen either,” Lucas said.
Youngkin also made it clear that he has no interest in signing any legislation to set up a marketplace for the sale of recreational marijuana, something Democrats have pushed for years.
