Governor Northam presented his 2022-2024 biennial budget today. The Governor’s budget will be reviewed and revised in the coming months. House Republican leaders issued the following statements:
Speaker-designee Todd Gilbert gave the following statement:
“House Republicans will work with the incoming administration and our colleagues in the Senate to ensure Virginia budgets responsibly. The excess revenues Virginia is currently experiencing are not guaranteed and the General Assembly must budget accordingly. I am pleased that Governor Northam’s final budget proposal seeks to fund a number of initiatives that were proposed by Republicans just a few months ago, including tax relief and helping localities repair crumbling schools. That being said, the final budget produced by the House of Delegates will contain tax relief for all Virginians, proposals to keep Virginians safe, ease the burden of higher costs due to federal government inaction, and additional priorities Republicans championed during the 2021 campaigns.”
House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore gave the following statement:
“In November, Virginians sent a message to lawmakers that they expect leaders in Richmond to work toward a stronger, more prosperous future for the Commonwealth. While Governor Northam’s budget proposal isn’t perfect, it does adopt many of the ideas that Republicans in the House of Delegates have been championing for years. It includes, for instance, investment in K-12 schools, economic development, and universal broadband for Southwest Virginia — investments we can build on to strengthen our education system and create jobs in the region. It also includes important relief measures for those struggling under the financial weight of bad political decision-making. Republicans in the House of Delegates will work with Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin and our colleagues across the aisle to make certain Virginians come first.”
Incoming House Appropriations Committee Chairman Barry Knight gave the following statement:
“The Governor’s proposed budget for 2022-24 serves the same function as every other budget sent to the General Assembly – it’s a place to start, an outline of a document that will be crafted by the General Assembly beginning with the House Appropriations Committee. While a number of the Governor’s suggestions have merit, I expect there to be significant differences between what was presented today and the final product signed into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin next year.”
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