(The Center Square) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed bills Thursday that would have raised Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.50 per hour in 2025 and $15 in 2026.
The companion bills were among the first to be prefiled by General Assembly Democrats, indicating their status as high-priority legislation.
“Successful states recognize that the government does not need to set labor prices,” the governor wrote in his veto statement. “The free market for salaries and wages works. It operates dynamically, responding to the nuances of varying economic conditions and regional differences. This wage mandate imperils market freedom and economic competitiveness.”
Youngkin went on to explain that mandated increases aren’t the only path to a higher minimum wage in the commonwealth; a Virginia law written for a future effective date will tie its minimum wage increases to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.
“This approach is preferable, allowing wages to adjust over time
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