Thanks to the initiative known as the Dignity Act, approved three years ago by the Virginia Legislature, more than 350,000 full-time employees of the state begin to collect their salaries with a 9 percent increase starting this week, upon entering into The minimum wage of $12 per hour will take effect on January 1, one dollar more than the previous year.
Also, starting this month all Virginia residents began saving 1.5 percent on their shopping list at the supermarket or similar establishments, by eliminating the state sales tax on groceries in the same proportion.
Added to this is the reduction from 2.5% to 1% in the sales tax on certain products, such as tampons, diapers and other essential personal hygiene items.
Democratic state Sen. Jennifer Boysko, lead sponsor of the Dignity Act, was “very proud” of these accomplishments Monday.
“It has been a long time coming, having worked on this concept for over 6 years with my former colleague, Delegate Mark Keam, Senate Finance Committee Leaders Senators Janet Howell and George Barker, and former Governor Ralph Northam, who included the legislation in his final budget,” he said.
Boysko added that “following years of effort, it was wonderful to see several fellow Republicans endorse the legislation this year as well.”
Noting that “progress takes time,” Boysko recalled that the first time he introduced the Dignity Law, in 2017, “the members of the Assembly laughed at me, then they removed the title from my bill, and finally it they cancelled”.
“Since then, I introduced it every year and the momentum finally caught on. Perseverance pays off,” exclaimed the state senator, before pledging that she will continue to work “for bipartisan solutions as long as she serves in the Virginia Senate.”
If lawmakers agree in the 2023 session, the phased approach means the minimum wage might rise to $13.50 on Jan. 1, 2025 and $15, a goal long sought by workers on Jan. 1, 2026.
