RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – 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.
“I don’t think that you need to send a bill because the market is handling it,” Youngkin told reporters in Richmond after a small business-focused event on Jan. 23. “And they should allow small businesses to handle this.”
While Youngkin appears unlikely to sign the minimum wage hike into state law, a top priority for Virginia Democrats, going down that path could hinder his ability to get support from the Democratic majority on his sports arena plan and other priorities.
State Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), president pro tempore of the Senate and chief patron of the chamber’s bill, warned that Youngkin would see a change in Democrats’ “cooperative tone” if he vetoes the minimum wage bill.
In dueling floor speeches Tuesday, Senate Democrats and Republicans went back and forth on the proposal.
Republicans argued raising the minimum wage would harm small businesses and lead to “unintended consequences” for consumers. Pointing to high living costs, Democrats said it would help people afford necessities and allow Virginia to keep up with inflation.
When Democrats controlled the legislature and Gov. Ralph Northam (D) was in office in 2020, the party passed legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage from the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour to $12 last year.
Moving it up to $15 per hour as Democrats had hoped called for the legislature to pass the gradual hikes after a study was done to see how raising the minimum wage would impact Virginia, but those efforts were squashed once Republicans won control of the House and Youngkin took office.
Tuesday is the 2024 General Assembly session’s midway point, known as “crossover,” when delegates and senators need to finish passing their own chamber’s bills — besides budget bills — to send to the other for consideration. The session is set to end on March 9.
