NFIB State Director Julia Hammond says small business owners are grateful to Gov. Glenn Youngkin for vetoing a pair of bad bills that would have hindered their ability to expand, add jobs, and support their communities.

The measures were:

• House Bill 1928 (Minimum wage): The General Assembly voted to raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.50 an hour by Jan. 1 and $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2027. “House Bill 1928 was well-intentioned, but it would have wound up hurting the people lawmakers say they’re trying to help,” Hammond said. “Raising the state minimum wage would have put pressure on employers to pay more to stay competitive and forced small businesses to raise prices to cover the costs of the mandate or try to get by with fewer workers.”
• House Bill 2531 (Mandatory paid leave tax): “Small businesses operate on notoriously thin margins,” Hammond said. “Small employers do everything they can to provide benefits and leave options that work for their business model and employees, but mandatory leave would overburden small employers with a one-size-fits-all program they cannot afford, especially right now in the face of rising labor costs and poor labor quality.”

“Virginia’s small businesses are still struggling with rising prices and labor shortages that make it difficult for them to operate,” Hammond said. “On behalf of our small business members, I want to thank Governor Youngkin for vetoing these bills and helping Virginia’s small businesses stay competitive.”