CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin criticized the proposed state budget while giving a speech to a group of supporters in Chesapeake on Monday.
He emphasized the improvements in employment in the state, as well as a decrease in crime. The governor also focused the majority of his speech on the tax increases in the proposed budget.
"This budget is not just backward but literally undermines the tenants to the success that we’ve had over the last two years,” Youngkin said.
He believes there’s a better route to improve the Commonwealth without increasing taxes.
"There will be no new taxes," Youngkin said. "So we're going to get rid of the tax increase. We can still fund education and teacher salaries and law enforcement and behavioral health. There's plenty of money in the system to accomplish an 'and moment' and not an 'or moment.'"
Reaction from the Virginia General Assembly is mixed. Senator Louise Lucas responded to Youngkin’s speech on X, saying "finally he got the branding for his budget correct!"
Speaker of the House Don Scott noted on X that the budget had “bi-partisan” support.
Youngkin also expressed support for the monumental sports deal. He says its potential impact can be felt statewide.
"We have the single best economic development project in the history of the Commonwealth," Youngkin said.
Youngkin went on to praise the House for passing the bill noting that they "did the work," a stark contrast to his complaints to the Senate.
Recently, Senator Lucas has used her power as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee to kill two bills to bring the Washington Capitals and Wizards to Alexandria, saying it's not a good deal for Virginia taxpayers.
The General Assembly has sent over 1,000 bills to the governor's desk and he says there are some he plans to sign, while most will be vetoed.
"These bills do everything that I hope they wouldn’t do and that’s why I believe that my veto pen will be incredibly active," Youngkin said.
One particular bill Youngkin did say would get his veto was about cannabis.
“I’ve been talking about it for 60 days and I said anybody who thinks I'm going to sign it must've been smoking something,” Youngkin said.
Governor Youngkin plans to go around the Commonwealth to let Virginians know “we’re going backward not forwards.”