(The Center Square) — Despite Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoing Democrats’ attempts to raise Virginia’s minimum wage during the last legislative session, minimum wage will still increase from $12 to $12.41 on Jan. 1.
A post from state Senate Majority Leader Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, lends some insight into why the commonwealth’s minimum-wage workers will still see an increase in the new year.
“Virginia’s Minimum Wage will increase to $12.41/hr next year notwithstanding Youngkin’s veto last session thanks to our 2020 @VASenateDems & @VAHouseDems – let’s fight for $15/hr!” wrote Surovell on X, formerly Twitter.
A high priority among Virginia Democrats in 2024, state legislators used everything in their power to push through bills continuing a scheduled raising of the minimum wage from legislation passed in 2020. Lawmakers then, under Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, passed legislation that progressively raised Virginia’s minimum wage from $7.50 per hour in 2021 to $12 in 2023.
However, for increases to $13.50 in 2025 and $15 in 2026, the law required lawmakers to pass legislation in 2024 approving them. Otherwise, the minimum wage would continue to rise based on inflation.
The bills for the last session would have satisfied the reenactment clause in the original legislation and facilitated those increases. The bills were the first to be pre-filed for the 2024 session in both the House and Senate, demonstrating their importance to the Democratic Party.
Powerful veteran Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth – also chair of the Senate finance committee – patroned the Senate bill.
Democrats leveraged their narrow majority to get both of the companion bills to the governor’s desk, as the legislation was opposed by all General Assembly Republicans.
When Youngkin vetoed both, the Senate bill was included among a minority of vetoes Democrats tried to override – most likely simply to show their loyalty to the policy since they didn’t have the two-thirds majority required to override a veto.
Democrats could not accomplish their goal in 2024 and may have to wait until the state elects a Democratic governor to achieve minimum wage increases beyond those tied to inflation.
