As we begin the 2026 Session, Senate Republicans remain focused on one key goal: making life more affordable for Virginia families.
Republicans' Affordable Virginia Agenda
We’re advancing a series of common-sense proposals that put more money back into your wallet and provide practical relief for hardworking Virginians:
Repeal the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) –Saving families more than $1,000 per year in energy costs
No Tax on Tips – Returning an average of $280 per worker
No Tax on Overtime – Saving an average of $130 per worker
Repeal the Car Tax – Putting an average of $1,099 back into Virginians’ pockets
Repeal the Grocery Tax – Saving families hundreds of dollars annually
Extend the Increased Standard Deduction – Saving up to $600 per family
Democrats' UNaffordable Virginia Agenda
Unfortunately, Democrats are pursuing a very different approach — one that raises costs and adds new burdens on employers and workers:
Raising the minimum wage to $15/hour – increasing costs for small businesses
Mandatory paid sick leave and paid family leave programs –totaling over $2 billion in new taxes
A proposed $1.4 billion income tax increase –on higher earners
New or expanded taxes – including an additional local sales tax option, plus proposals for digital and services taxes totaling billions more
Repealing Right-to-Work –which would force workers to pay union dues and increase the cost of doing business in Virginia
Democrats Block Common-Sense Protections
On Thursday, Senate Republicans offered amendments to strengthen parental rights, protect victims, and uphold religious liberty — all of which were rejected by Senate Democrats. These included amendments to:
Ensure parents have the right to consent to their minor children undergoing potentially dangerous medical procedures. – Senator Durant
Require victims to be made whole before felons’ voting rights are restored.– Senator McDougle
Protect members of the clergy from being forced to violate their religious beliefs. – Senator Jordan
Guarantee medical care for babies born alive after failed abortions. –Senator Jordan
Looking Ahead
Governor Glenn Youngkin passed the torch to Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger, who was inaugurated as the 75th Governor of Virginia this weekend. Thank you to Governor Youngkin for always working to help us enhance the lives of Southwest Virginians!
On Monday at 4:00 PM, Governor Spanberger will deliver her first State of the Commonwealth Address before the General Assembly in the House of Delegates Chamber.
We will continue advancing the Affordable Virginia Agenda while working through key issues like data center legislation and monitoring Democrats’ push for a redistricting amendment, with a public map expected by January 30.
I look forward to keeping you updated as the Session moves forward, and thank you for staying engaged with our office.
