Good News (and a Warning) for Virginia!

Dear Friends,

 

You may have heard that CNBC just named Virginia the Best State for Business in the Country, a great sign for our strong economy and the future of our Commonwealth. 

 

 

In related news, we learned this week that Virginia ended FY2019 with a $778 million surplus, most of which will be sent back to taxpayers this fall. This is great news for Virginia’s middle-class families. This surplus means that Virginia taxpayers will get their $110 or $220 rebate checks in October, as planned.

 

Republicans in the General Assembly have been careful stewards of the public’s funds; this surplus shows the end result of that conservative approach. CNBC highlighted several Republican-led initiatives, including our efforts to reduce regulations by 25 percent over the next three years, improve Virginia's workforce through credentialing programs and affordable technology degrees, our strong public education system, and our strong, pro-business right-to-work laws.

 

The same policies that made Virginia the "Best State for Business" led to this year's budget surplus. They’re also the same policies that Democrats want to undo. Democrats attempted to raise taxes on Virginians by more than $1 billion this session, but Republicans stood firm and insisted that not only should taxes not go up, but that taxpayers should get some relief from their tax bills.

 

Democrats, including my opponent, are seeking to repeal many of these successful policies. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce recently released a report saying that the Republican-led General Assembly defeated $17 billion worth of bad business bills that would have killed over 150,000 jobs. This included bills introduced by Democrats to create an energy tax scheme that would significantly increase energy prices.

 

Thank you for your support as I work to keep our Commonwealth heading in the right direction!

Sincerely,