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The Virginia General Assembly began its 2023 session on Wednesday, Jan. 11 and Republicans are already off to a hot start.

Delegate O’Quinn said it well on the floor: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

The main thing voters sent us here to do was to build a better education for their children, safer communities for their families, and a brighter future for us all.

We’re working hard to deliver on that promise.

We have legislation that will help our students recover from learning loss and put teachers back in control of their classrooms.

We’re going to cut taxes for families and small businesses by ending the grocery tax, expanding the standard deduction, and lower tax rates.

We’re going to make it easier for businesses to grow and expand by cutting the business tax rate.

We’re going to make our communities safer by locking up those who commit crimes with firearms.

And we’re going to enact major changes to our behavioral health system to get people in crisis the help they need when they need it.

We’re doing what voters sent us here to do, and we’re not going to quit until we get the job done.

REPUBLICANS HEAR YOU, VIRGINIANS

Lowering the Cost of Living is our number one priority this session. Rampant inflation has squeezed Virginians’ wallets for too long.

While the General Assembly cannot control the rate of inflation, House Republicans have initiatives in place to alleviate its effects by lowering costs. For instance, legislation has been filed to lower your monthly electric bill while ensuring your lights stay on.

We are also committed to disconnecting from California emissions standards to make it easier to purchase a car. In Virginia, we should be writing our own laws that improve the quality of life for Virginians.

As many Virginians struggle to pay for the high costs of prescription drugs that they need, we are pushing legislation that passes the savings from prescription rebates directly to consumers at the pharmacy counter. This will lower healthcare costs without adding any bureaucratic red tape or taxpayer expense.

TAX RELIEF

Last year, House Republicans successfully worked with Governor Youngkin to deliver much-needed tax relief to Virginians.

This year, we are renewing our commitment to provide further tax relief, starting with cutting income taxes to ensure more of your hard-earned money stays in your pocket. Moreover, after significantly cutting taxes on groceries last year, we must finish the fight and eliminate the burdensome tax entirely.

Last year, we were able to cut taxes on military retiree pay for those over 55. This year, we are expanding on this progress and will fight to make all military retiree pay exempt from state taxes. We are committed to taking care of those who fought to protect our freedoms.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In addition to cutting taxes and reducing the cost of living, it is critical to support businesses coming to Virginia to create jobs, spur competition and innovation, and continue to grow Virginia’s economy. That is why it is critical to invest in acquiring business ready sites to make sure we have the infrastructure to welcome new businesses to Virginia.

These proposals are just the tip of the iceberg – you can expect updates in the coming weeks on our legislative progress to improve our schools, make our communities safer, and so much more.

WE APPRECIATE VIRGINIA BANKERS

Virginia bankers were warmly welcomed to the General Assembly for Virginia Bankers Day. This gives bankers in the Commonwealth a chance to meet and share their concerns with legislators.

This week, our office welcomed Benchmark Community Bank President Jay Stafford, Blake Shaw, Nicole Martin, Eboni Lee, Kelly Lewis, Renee Dolan, Charity Coleman, and representing Citizens Bank & Trust, Taylor Quicke. We appreciate the wonderful job they do for their constituents.

Del. Tommy Wright can be reached via email at DelTWright@House.Virginia.gov or (804) 698-1061.