The Virginia House and Senate have each released their proposed changes to the budget Governor Youngkin introduced last year. Both chambers took steps to address federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits, and both included investments in key affordability areas like housing and childcare. This week, each chamber will vote on its own proposal before lawmakers from both sides come together in a conference committee to negotiate a final budget to send to the governor.
While there is significant common ground, a few notable differences stand out. The two chambers differ on how much to invest in school breakfast programs, with the Senate committing more funding than the House. Perhaps the most significant difference is regarding data center taxes. The Senate proposes ending the tax exemption for data centers in 2027, which would generate hundreds of millions in new revenue, while the House budget does not address this issue at all.
Many of our priority policy areas made it into the budget including Paid Sick Days and the Bias Reduction bill. We are grateful to our partner, The Commonwealth Institute, for creating a side-by-side comparison document of the House and Senate proposals that you can access by clicking here.
Budgets are a reflection of values, so it is important that we continue to make our voices heard during this part of the process. There is still time to reach out to your legislators as they prepare to vote on the proposed budget amendments this week. You can find your legislators’ contact information by clicking below.
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