Virginia Democrats Push Nation’s Highest Income Tax

It didn’t take long. Just days after securing power in Richmond, Virginia Democrats are revealing their real agenda higher taxes, bigger government, and empty promises. After running a campaign centered on “affordability,” Democrats are now pushing legislation that would make Virginia the highest-taxed state in the nation even surpassing California.

Under newly introduced bills, the Commonwealth would see:

• New top income tax brackets, hiking rates on higher earners.

• Higher taxes on capital gains and investment income, punishing job creators and retirees alike.

• An effective top income tax rate of 13.8%, beating out even progressive strongholds like New York and California.

This is the exact opposite of what Governor Abigail Spanberger promised. Her campaign focused on the so-called “Affordable Virginia Plan” pledging to lower health care, energy, and housing costs. Now, Virginians are learning what “affordability” means under Democrat rule: the government keeps your money and tells you it’s for your own good.

Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D-VA), one of the key architects of the tax hike plan, insists that millionaires need to “pay their fair share.” But here’s the truth:

• Virginia already has a progressive tax code and ranks in the top half of states for total tax burden.

• The top 1% of earners pay over 40% of income taxes, even though they make up a small fraction of the population.

• Raising taxes on investment will drive out capital, jobs, and retirees, hitting the middle class hardest.

While Democrats argue the $1 billion tax windfall will go toward education and housing, critics know better. Once the government starts grabbing more of your paycheck, it never stops. Virginia Republicans, led by House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, are sounding the alarm, calling the legislation part of a wave of “bad bills” set to derail the state’s economic future.

Conservative watchdogs like Americans for Tax Reform and the Congressional Leadership Fund are warning that Spanberger’s policies will gut Virginia’s competitiveness, discourage small business growth, and send residents packing. Grover Norquist summed it up: “It’s always a bad time to raise taxes, but it would be particularly foolish... at this time of heightened state tax competition.”

The CLF hammered Democrats for the speed of their betrayal, noting that within 48 hours of gaining control of the General Assembly, they had already introduced new sales and retail taxes on top of income tax hikes. Apparently, the only thing affordable under Spanberger’s administration is more government.

With Democrats holding a 64-36 majority in the House and a slim edge in the Senate, these tax hikes may very well become law unless voters wake up. As we head toward 2026, Virginia risks becoming the next California: high taxes, lost jobs, and broken promises.

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