Andy Rankin and his daughter- Urged that families not lose their respite hours because they are serving as paid care attendants
A long line of speakers, 39 strong, testified for approximately two and a half hours at the Northern Virginia Regional public hearing on Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Proposed Amendments to the 2024-2026 Biennial State Budget on Friday, Jan. 3. They told lawmakers in detail how to spend the state’s surplus tax dollars, which totals $2 billion.
“I hope that each of us will learn something new today that we may not have thought about before. That's the main reason we're here today,” said House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian, D-Prince William, as he began the two-and-a-half-hour hearing. Registered speakers had three minutes to testify.
Speakers' testimony focused on various issues, among them those affecting the region’s most vulnerable populations, individuals with disabilities and aging challenges. Testimony raised concerns about the adequacy of Medicaid waiver rates, the need for collective bargaining rights for home care workers and the undervaluing of their work, and the obstacles faced by families with children on Virginia’s Developmental Disability waiver waiting list, currently with 15,000-plus names.
Andy Rankin focused on support services for individuals with severe disabilities and the need for respite care, short-term care that would allow families with a paid family caregiver (Legally Responsible Individuals) to be eligible for paid respite services.
Rankin said that his daughter needs someone to attend to her “pretty much all the time. … We have struggled to find and keep employed attendants to help us. For a time, I had to work as a paid attendant.” Rankin explained many families unable to find anyone to work as a caretaker attendant for their loved one, have ended up losing their respite hours just because they are serving as paid attendants. “Parents need and deserve respite,” Rankin said.
Jessica Hubbard of Fairfax also advocated for respite care. Hubbard said her daughter, Ainsley, has autism, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, ADHD, anxiety, and no verbal speech.
“As a single working mother, the Medicaid waiver has made our life possible … but daily life is still a struggle to get her needs met,” said Hubbard. Finding qualified caregivers is “extremely difficult,” given the complex needs of children on a waiver and the waiver’s low pay scale. Hubbard described having to step in as a caregiver, but that threatens access to respite care. “Please support the Arc of Northern Virginia's agenda, including plans to study core services, funds to start new providers, and a plan to ensure that all families have respite care,” Hubbard said.
Paul Gallagher, representing CRi in Chantilly, formerly Arlington Community Residences, Inc., said, “While the organization respects the governor's positivity around the roaring Virginia economy, it has so much surplus money that there should be additional tax relief. We would offer another place to invest some of that money when stabilizing the workforce of the care community, (to) those who support and lift up our fellow citizens who have developmental disabilities.”
Gallager added, “Current funding every day is a balancing act for providers, for our valued direct care professionals, who often work two or three jobs to make ends meet.” CRi provides development disability, mental health, and youth services.
Tammie Wondong Ware, SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax Chapter Executive Board president, said that she is often in the presence of families who cannot afford health insurance, healthy food, increased rent, and utilities. “Virginia may rank as the best state for business, but Virginia ranked as the 26th best state for working people, according to Oxfam America.” Wondong Ware requested legislators focus on “legislation and budgets,” and “pass collective bargaining for care providers so they too can gain a seat at the table.”
LaNoral Thomas, president of Virginia SEIU 512, said they hear from home care providers who save Virginia millions of dollars each year. Yet, the vast majority of home care providers in Virginia earn less than $15 an hour in 2025. “This has to change… There is not a shortage of providers; there's a shortage of home care providers who can afford to work for pennies.”
Thomas made two requests. Pass collective bargaining rights for all public employees, including home care providers and repeal the 16-hour cap and allow home care providers to continue to provide the vital care our consumers need and depend on to survive.”
Michael Thomas, board president of The Arc of Northern Virginia, a social services organization in Merrifield, discussed the challenges faced by families with children on Virginia’s Developmental Disability waiver waiting list, which currently has 15,000-plus names. Thomas said the list prioritizes needs based on severity, not chronological order.
Thomas requested that in this budget year, lawmakers focus on those individuals on the waiting list who are not eligible for DD services while they wait. “We request your support for the idea of core services that are basic, highly efficient, and low-cost care to ensure that we keep families from waiting in limbo for years or sometimes decades for a waiver and to help us avoid crises and better plan core services that can help pull families together by offering essential breaks each week and a case manager to guide people towards other resources. We ask that the General Assembly fund the $250,000 request to study for services and to ultimately fulfill any proposals to put them into action.”
Terry Lynch requested $4.35 million in additional funding for the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging. The funds would address not only unmet needs but also the growing demand for care for Virginia's residents as they age. Triple A's services include home care, personal care, transportation, home-delivered and aggregate meals, case management, a long-term care ombudsman, and Medicare counseling.“Virginia's 25 area agencies on aging are your front line in supporting older Virginians who want to remain in their homes, for the homes of family members,” Lynch said.
“Virginia's total population is expected to grow by 22 percent by 2050; the population aged 60 and over will increase by 69 percent over the same period, and Virginia's most at-risk and vulnerable population, those 85 and older, will more than quadruple.”
Jane King, speaking on behalf of the Northern Virginia Aging Network, requested that the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit increase from $23 to $50 a month. The network, an advocacy group, comprises stakeholders, including local commissions on aging and nonprofit agencies. King said SNAP's benefits are, however, limited by its federal monthly benefit of $23 in Virginia.
“North Carolina has found that support for and participation in SNAP helps to reduce its cost for Medicaid; several other states supplement the meager federal minimum benefit, but Virginia does not, and I urge your support of a supplement for the federal minimum SNAP benefit of $27 to bring the total minimum benefit to $50 per month.”
Carol Paquette, founder of Arlington Neighborhood Village, reported that the Surgeon General has reported that the US is experiencing an epidemic of social isolation and this results in serious cognitive and physical health risks, especially among older adults. Community-based programs like villages are recognized as a key way to address this public health problem.
“The Virginia Villages Collective is requesting funding to expand the statewide village network to help thousands of older Virginians safely age in their homes connected to a caring community. … On behalf of the villages in northern Virginia and the statewide village community, I urge you to approve the budget amendments sponsored by Senator Surovell and Delegate Krizak to reduce social isolation of older Virginians by expanding access to villages.”
Katie Schnitter and Henry Siglio advocated for increased funding for Brain Injury Services and the importance of workforce retention.
John Luci of the Arlington Chamber reiterated support for workforce development programs and childcare funding.
Cheryl Binkley criticized the governor's budget amendments and advocated for increased funding for public schools and dual enrollment programs.
Derek Max supported extending the standard deduction, opportunity scholarships for low-income students, and the governor's car tax proposal.
Overton McGee, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Virginia, urged the restoration of funding for mobile home park residents and down payment assistance.
Dr. Jessica Roberts of Arlington, director of Habitat Connectivity in Virginia at Wild Virginia, spoke about the importance of reducing wild-life-vehicle collisions and how she has seen firsthand how the current road infrastructure fragments vital habitat and cars decimate native wildlife populations.
“I'm here to urge you to support a budget amendment for funding wildlife crossing projects in Virginia. … We have over 60,000 deer-vehicle crashes annually. Each incident costs $41,000 in state and personal costs, according to our Virginia Transportation Research Council, and they endanger lives,” Roberts said.
On Governor’s Proposed Budget Changes
The Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee held four virtual and separate public hearings on the Governor's Proposed Amendments to the 2024-2026 Biennial State Budget on Jan. 3. Legislators from Virginia's four regions — Northern Virginia, Western Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Central Virginia. The hearings provided Virginians a platform for residents to address their representatives.
View video here. Sen. Scott Surovell, District 34, Eastern Fairfax County; Sen. Barbara Favola, 40th Senate District, entirely contained in Arlington County; Sen. Jennifer Boysko, 38th District, which is northern Fairfax County; Del. Paul Krizek, who represents the 16th District in southeast Fairfax County and Del. David Reed, representing House District 28 which is in the eastern portion of Loudoun County attended the Northern Virginia public hearing that began Friday, Jan. 3 shortly after 10 a.m. and concluded two and half hours later.
On Dec. 18, Gov. Glenn Youngkin had unveiled his Proposed Amendments to the 2024-2026 biennial state budget before a joint meeting of the Virginia General Assembly's money committees. Youngkin focused on tax cuts, education, the economy, workforce development, public health, and law enforcement, including cutting funds to localities that limit or refuse cooperation with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
Here is a key overview of the Governor's "Keep Virginia Winning" budget amendments. A video of the Governor's remarks to the Joint Money Committee is available here. The Governor's comments on his "Keep Virginia Winning" budget are available here. The Governor's amendments to the 2024-2026 biennial budget bill are available here.
_________________________________________________________
Special Elections Determine Control
The Virginia General Assembly opened its 2025 legislative session on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and immediately recessed until Monday because of after effects of winter storm Blair. How to allocate Virginia's $2 billion budget surplus during the 2025 legislative session and pass Gov. Youngkin's 240 proposed amendments to the 2024-2026 Biennial State Budget could hinge on the outcome of Virginia's state legislative special elections that were held Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Democratic Party maintained a narrow majority in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate after , while the Republican Party maintained control over the governor's office with Youngkin. Holding majorities in both chambers, the House and the Senate, would give Democrats a platform to advance their key issues of K-12 education funding, vote down amendments they do not approve, or amend them.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Virginia voters elected three new state lawmakers.Two Virginia district seats became vacant in Loudoun County. Results of the November election vacated the seat for State Senate District 32 when Sen. Suhas Subramanyam was elected to Congress and House District 26 opened as the Democratic incumbent resigned after winning the nomination to fill the state Senate vacancy. Democrats won both seats.
The third Virginia Senate seat opened in the solidly red state Senate District 10, which is west of Richmond. Republicans would have had to win all three elections to take control of the state House and Senate.
_________________________________