The Virginia House of Delegates reconvened Wednesday, Jan. 11, for the start of the 2023 session, and lawmakers said they have a lot of legislation to look over.
One of the big topics up for discussion is the economy.
We all know too well; inflation is hitting many of us hard. That’s why delegates are working to help ease that burden.
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Republican Delegate Wendell Walker is on the House finance committee. He said they have a lot of ground to cover, as they try to figure out how to cut your costs.
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“We certainly have a lot of data to deal with and address. We’re trying to plan in a conservative way at which we have the resources to continue to operate government efficiently, but at the same time, listen to the taxpayers,” Walker said.
“A lot of these bills, hopefully, are going to be more taxpayer-friendly. Wherever we can find tax relief, the citizens need more than anything else right now,” Walker continued.
Democrat Delegate Sam Rasoul said last session, they passed more than $4 billion worth of tax cuts, many of which he supported.
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“We don’t want tax cuts that are going to the wealthy, let’s make sure any relief that we have is targeted. What I want to do is make sure any tax relief goes to those who need it the most, which is working and middle-class Virginians,” Rasoul said.
Another big focus for this session is education.
“Several of the bills that will be put in will put more rights back into the hands of parents, as it relates to the school board and more involvement,” Walker said.
Rasoul said he is also working on a number of recommendations to support education in the Commonwealth.
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“We need to ensure that we’ve got the right amount of counselors and school psychologists that are needed, so we want to ensure that our schools have all the resources they need to thrive,” Rasoul said.
Rasoul is also pushing for an increase in teacher pay this session.
Both Rasoul and Walker are hoping that lawmakers can find a way to work across the aisle this session, to build a better Virginia and help your family.