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Higher Gas & Tobacco Taxes in VA Governor's Budget

Don Rush

(AP) Virginians may soon be paying higher gas and tobacco taxes but won't have to get their cars inspected each year. Gov. Ralph Northam unveiled a $135 billion, two-year state budget plan Tuesday that includes those ideas.

The plan also proposes hefty new spending to boost early education, clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and reduce health insurance premiums.

The Democratic governor says his budget would also put more money in reserves than the state has ever had, while addressing areas that have been underfunded for decades.

A better-than-expected economy has given Northam more money to spend on his proposed budget.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.