Richmond, Virginia—In a victory for working families, SB1, sponsored by Senator Louise Lucas, passed the House of Delegates today The bill increases the minimum wage to $13.50 this year, and $15 an hour starting in 2026. SB1 will now move to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk for a signature. Youngkin, who travels between the Governor’s Mansion and his 30-acre Northern Virginia horse farm, and who incorrectly believes that Virginia’s workers make the minimum wage only “in very rare circumstances,” has signaled to reporters that he will consider vetoing this lifeline for low-wage workers. 

“Working families grapple with impossible choices every day, and minimum wage increases have helped thousands of families who would otherwise have had to decide between buying food and paying their utility bills. Governor Youngkin needs to spend some time listening to working families instead of focusing on what his rich friends want,” LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director of Progress Virginia, said. “We are thrilled that SB1 has passed today, but we will continue to put pressure on Governor Youngkin to sign this bill into law. Working families deserve a raise, and we won’t let an out-of-touch multi-millionaire stop us from making that a reality.”

Background:

• SB1 will increase the minimum wage to $13.50 an hour on January 1, 2025 and $15.00 an hour on January 1, 2026. 

• The minimum wage is currently $12.00 an hour.

• If the minimum wage kept up with productivity, the wage would be $21.50 per hour. 

• A state study completed last year estimated that roughly 500,000 Virginians made $12 or less per hour as of 2021, with a million workers earning $15 or less.