[Updated, 4/7/24:]
Gov. Youngkin has vetoed this measure.
His veto message: "Plastic bag taxes fail to achieve their intended goals and burden Virginians amid escalating inflation. Redirecting tax revenues to towns may further encourage governmental reliance on these taxes, exacerbating the issue. Accordingly, I veto this bill."
[Update, 3/31/24:]
Gov. Youngkin has yet to act on the measure. He was until April 8 to sign, veto or amend it.
[Original article, 3/7/24:]
Town governments across Virginia are a bit closer to receiving a new source of cash flow, with legislation cutting them in on a share of plastic-bag revenue having made it through the General Assembly and sitting on the governor’s desk.
Freshman Del. Marty Martinez (D-Leesburg) successfully shepherded legislation giving towns located within counties that have adopted a tax on single-use plastic bags a share of the proceeds.
The measure passed on a 52-45 vote in the House of Delegates and 22-17 in the Senate. Those relatively close and largely along partisan lines totals suggest that should Gov. Youngkin opt to veto the measure, his action would be sustained.
Fairfax County has three towns – Vienna, Herndon and Clifton – that would benefit if the measure became law. As is the case with counties and cities, towns would be required to use funding for recycling and litter-prevention efforts as enunciated in the Code of Virginia.
The General Assembly in 2020 gave cities and counties the power to impose 5-cents-per-bag taxes on single-use bags starting in 2021. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors enacted the necessary ordinance with the tax going into effect Jan. 1, 2022.
Martinez spent 20 years on the Leesburg Town Council before being elected to the General Assembly last November.
