Governor Youngkin may soon have to veto one influential proposal that has been passed by both chambers of the Virginia legislature.
Democrats in both the Virginia House of Delegates and the now the Virginia Senate have pushed through proposals to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15.00 an hour starting in 2026.
ABC8 reported the following Tuesday:
Democrat-led bills to raise Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026 passed both chambers of the General Assembly without any Republican support.
The legislation, which would take the current wage of $12 per hour to $13.50 by 2025 and $15 by 2026, passed on party-line votes in the House of Delegates (51-49) and Virginia Senate (21-19). At least one of the bills must pass out the other chamber before going to the governor.
To make the minimum wage hike a reality, Democrats will need Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign the legislation. Youngkin’s office wouldn’t say if he plans to veto the proposal if it reaches his desk, only referring 8News to remarks the governor made signaling his opposition.
The state minimum wage increased to $12.00 an hour last year after legislation to raise the number from the federally mandated $7.25 an hour was passed in 2020 and signed into law by Democrat Governor Ralph Northam.
Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has previously indicated that he prefers businesses and market forces to dictate employee compensation.