Virginia General Assembly begins 2024 session with Democrats in control of legislature

RICHMOND, Va. - The 2024 legislative session kicked off in Virginia Wednesday and it’s no longer a house divided with Democrats in control of both chambers of the state legislature.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is now halfway through his first term and is eyeing some big-ticket items in the coming year.

One of those big ticket items is the potential sports complex headed to Potomac Yard. Youngkin is hoping to lure Monumental Sports out of D.C. making Alexandria the new home of the Capitals and the Wizards. 

But that's not all — the clock is now ticking for both legislators and the governor as they have 60 days to agree on a budget.

Youngkin submitted his budget in December. He wants to lower the income tax and get rid of the car tax but raise and expand the sales tax.

State Democrats say the proposal favors wealthy Virginians at the expense of low-income taxpayers. 

Democrats have their own priorities too, including increasing the minimum wage to $15, banning AR-style assault weapons, voting rights and codifying abortion access in the state constitution.

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"Let me just remind you, Virginians are moving away. Families, small businesses, entrepreneurs, job creators and the young professionals. And on top of that, the taxes that they pay to fund our schools, our behavioral health care and other essential services are moving away too," Youngkin said. 

But there is one area where Democrats and Republicans may be able to find common ground: education. 

Youngkin ran on empowering parents and Democrats want to see school funding go up. The General Assembly's watchdog agency recommends targeting teacher recruitment and retention, which is an area where Virginia is lagging behind.

"There's quite a few divisions that have quite a few positions that have even now that we're into the school year vacant and so they're filling those by combining classes or relying on long-term subs and the research tells us that's not nearly as ideal as having a qualified teacher who has…gone through some credential or licensing process," said Justin Brown, with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Manassas Park has a teacher vacancy rate of just over 8% and Alexandria is not far behind with a vacancy rate of about 6.5%. Northern Virginia Delegate Josh Thomas has introduced a bill to make it a little easier for teachers to get licensed.