Youngkin’s Grocery Tax Cut Push Will Defund Public Schools

From the Democratic Party of Virginia:

Youngkin’s Grocery Tax Cut Push Will Defund Public Schools

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats Continue to Thwart Governor’s Plan To Defund Virginia Public School

Richmond, VA — Today, Governor Youngkin’s self-proclaimed war to defund our public schools continues, but his efforts to implement his far-right agenda took another major blow.

Governor Youngkin made a push today in Alexandria to eliminate Virginia’s grocery tax at the state and local level, which would strip hundreds of millions in vital resources from local governments against their will that they rely on to fund their public schools.

Meanwhile, the Democrat-led Senate Education and Health Committee defeated the first in a long line of bills as part of Governor Youngkin’s top legislative priority to siphon state funding away from local school divisions to fund charter schools.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported today:

Legislators are beginning to remember why eliminating the sales tax on groceries has been hard to do, after decades of trying. ​​(Del.) Newman (R) agreed that eliminating the sales tax on groceries without hurting localities isn’t easy to do.

​​Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said the proposed change in the funding formula would badly hurt Fairfax, which would receive only 28 cents for every $1 lost if the state used the local composite index to replace the portion of the tax that local school divisions currently receive based on student enrollment.

“We’d only barely get a little more than a quarter back,” Saslaw said.

“At every opportunity, Governor Youngkin and Virginia Republicans have fought to undermine and hamstring our public schools,” said DPVA spokesman Gianni Snidle. “Governor Youngkin’s grocery tax proposals would cut hundreds of millions in public school funding, delivering a devastating blow to our schools, students and communities.”

Every Virginia student deserves the opportunity to obtain a world-class education in our public school system and because of substantial investments under Democratic leadership, Virginia’s public education system is ranked fourth-best in the nation. Democrats will continue to fight for our progress and hold the Governor and his Republican colleagues accountable for threats against the betterment of our educational system.