Virginia Lawmakers Propose Raising General Assembly Salaries for First Time in 40 Years

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A Virginia state senator has proposed a budget amendment to significantly raise the salaries of state lawmakers, which have remained unchanged for the past 40 years. The proposed increase would raise annual pay for state senators from $18,000 to $55,000, and for members of the House of Delegates from $17,640 to $55,000. While the senator argues the raise is long overdue to properly compensate public servants, critics say raising taxes to fund the higher salaries is not justified.

Why it matters

The debate over raising legislative salaries in Virginia highlights the ongoing tension between fairly compensating elected officials and the burden on taxpayers. Proponents argue that higher pay is needed to attract qualified candidates to public service, while opponents contend that increasing taxes to fund the raises is an unnecessary burden on citizens.

The details

Senator Adam Ebbin has proposed a budget amendment to increase the annual salaries of state senators from $18,000 to $55,000, and for members of the House of Delegates from $17,640 to $55,000. If approved, the total cost of Senate salaries would rise from about $720,000 to $2.2 million, and in the House of Delegates, combined salaries would increase from $1.76 million to roughly $5.5 million. Ebbin argues the raise is long overdue, as legislative salaries have not changed in 40 years, but critics like Senator Mark Peake say raising taxes to fund the higher salaries is not justified.

• Virginia's 60-day legislative session is currently at the halfway point.
• The proposed pay increase would not take effect until January 2028.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Lawmakers are expected to continue debating the amendments to raise legislative salaries in the coming weeks.