POLITICS: With Control of Virginia, Democrats Go Into a Tax and Regulatory Frenzy – USSA News

In the last election, Democrats again campaigned as moderates, including Abigail Spanberger. Once in control of the Governor’s mansion and the legislature, however, Virginia Democrats have moved quickly to fulfill the worst stereotype of a tax-hungry, economy-crushing party. The Democrats introduced an array of new taxes on every aspect of life. At the same time, Spanberger moved to take control of Virginia universities and colleges after years of trying to move those schools to the center. Now, members are pushing rent control legislation and defining landlords as “gougers” if they raise rents by as little as 3%.

The tax frenzy immediately began after the Democrats took control.

Spanberger has also announced that the state will rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a regional cap-and-trade program that imposes a de facto carbon tax.

Virginia Democrats appear to be replicating California’s disastrous tax policies that have chased high earners and companies from the state. Here are a few of the new taxes being pushed:

HB 378 – Imposes a 3.8% net investment income tax on individuals, trusts, and estates beginning in taxable year 2027. This would raise the state’s top marginal income tax rate on portfolio and passive income to 9.55% in addition to federal taxes.

HB 900 – Imposes sales tax hikes on transportation districts as well as a new tax on every retail delivery in Northern Virginia (Amazon, Uber Eats, FedEx, UPS, etc.). This appears modeled on a Minnesota law.

HB 919 – Imposes a firearm and ammunition tax equal to 11% percent of the gross receipts from the retail sale of any firearm or ammunition by a dealer in firearms, firearms manufacturer, or ammunition vendor.

HB 978 – Extends the retail sales and use tax to dry cleaning, landscaping, and other previously exempt services.

Now, the Democrats are pushing rent control legislation despite a long history of failure in such programs to discourage new construction and property improvements. At the same time, it has been shown actually to increase rents overall.

Democrats have introduced two bills under the guise of fighting “rent gouging.” However, they define gouging as rent increases of just over 3%. That does not cover inflation in past years. Under these laws, restrictions could kick in for increases even below 3%.

HB278 and SB355 green light local “rent-gouging” ordinances to mandate that a landlord “cannot increase the rent by more than the locality’s calculated allowance, not to exceed three percent.” Rent levels could be restricted even further under such an ordinance, because the permitted increase must be “no more than three percent,” but could be restricted to less than three percent (such as one percent). 28 members of the House of Delegates are sponsors of HB278, all of them progressive Democrats.

In my forthcoming book, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution, I discuss the challenges for the American Republic in the 21st Century. That includes a predicted move by the left to introduce guaranteed incomes and rent controls. That appears to be unfolding sooner than anticipated.

In New York, Zohran Mamdani is seeking rent freezes and enhanced rent controls. He has surrounded himself with radicals who have called for the elimination or sharp curtailment of private property. The most noteworthy is Cea Weaver who has called for the elimination of private property.

The American left have cited South Africa and Cuba as models for the United States despite their economic meltdowns.

Virginia Democrats are taking a prosperous and moderate state into the same failed direction as states like California. The desire to spend “someone else’s money” is irresistible when you want to increase spending. For many wealthy families, West Virginia or Florida are likely looking more and more appealing.