RICHMOND — Virginia House GOP Leader Terry Kilgore issued the following statement on passage of the 2026-2028 biennial budget:
“The budget has finally passed, but not in a manner that should make any Virginian proud. More than 100 days after the General Assembly adjourned, lawmakers were forced to consider a budget that was substantially rewritten at the last minute and loaded with policy provisions that should have been debated openly during the regular legislative session.
“I am pleased that we were able to avoid a government shutdown, provide well-deserved pay raises for our educators, deliver a bonus to our hardworking correctional officers, and increase the standard deduction to provide tax relief for Virginia families. Those are important accomplishments.
“However, with one party controlling the Governor’s Mansion, the House, and the Senate, Virginians should expect a budget process that is transparent, timely, and accountable. We never should have been put in this position, and taxpayers deserve better than governing by deadline and last-minute negotiations.”