Just days after the Virginia’s Senate and House of Delegates budget conferees announced that they reached a deal to amend the state’s biennial budget, Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday called the legislature back to Richmond for a special session on Sept. 6 to pass the amendments.
“Today, I am calling Virginia’s lawmakers back to Richmond to reach a resolution on the state budget, Virginians deserve it,” Youngkin said in his proclamation. “To make Virginia more affordable for families and local businesses, we must deliver on our shared goals for more jobs, safer and healthier communities, greater workforce and educational opportunities and much needed tax relief for Virginians. Together, we can get the job done.”
Lawmakers had been in a budget stalemate since the regular 2023 General Assembly session adjourned in late February. At the focal point of the impasse was about $1 billion in additional corporate and individual tax cuts that Youngkin has been pushing for since he rolled out his own budget proposal in December.
The proposed deal does not include additional corporate tax relief, but it does feature a one-time tax rebate of $200 for individuals and $400 for joint filers, increases the standard deduction ($8,500 for single filers and $17,000 for joint filers) and removes the age requirement for the military retiree subtraction. It also reinstates the popular sales tax holiday for school supplies that expired this year after lawmakers forgot to renew it.
The full budget details have yet to be released. In order for the amendments to pass, they must be made available for viewing to all 140 members of the legislature and the public for at least 48 hours before the body will vote.